memeorandum: Landmines on the Road to the White House? (Siun/Firedoglake)

6:55 PM ET, February 6, 2008

Top Items:

Obama claims delegate lead — In a surprise twist after a chaotic Super Tuesday, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) passed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) in network tallies of the number of delegates the candidates racked up last night. — Clinton was portrayed in many news accounts …

The Politico:

Five reasons Hillary should be worried — Hillary Clinton survived a Super Tuesday scare. But there are five big reasons the former first lady should be spooked by the current trajectory of the campaign. — Longtime Clinton friends say she recognizes the peril in careening between near …

Discussion: Marc Ambinder, The Daily Dish, TIME, Redstate, The Rude Pundit, Prairie Weather, The Belmont Club and Viking Pundit

Greg Sargent / TPM Election Central:

Obama Directly Attacks Bill's Presidency, Blames It For Massive Dem Losses — In what may be Obama's most direct and aggressive criticism of Bill Clinton's presidency yet, the Obama campaign dropped a new mailer just before Super Tuesday that blasts “the Clintons” for wreaking massive losses …

Discussion: protein wisdom, TalkLeft, The Newshoggers, Taylor Marsh, The Carpetbagger Report, Cogitamus, Oliver Willis, The Democratic Daily and The Raw Story

Hillary Clinton / CNN:

Obama, Clinton separated by 0.4 percent on Super Tuesday — NEW YORK (CNN) — Just how sharply are Democrats divided between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton? — Of all the votes cast on Super Tuesday for the two candidates nationwide, the two candidates are only separated by 0.4 of a percentage point.

Discussion: Washington Wire, The Newshoggers and Born at the Crest …

Brian Maloney / The Radio Equalizer:
Talk Radio Emerges As Real Super Tuesday Winner

Discussion: Accuracy in Media, Think Progress and New York Times

Mark Murray / MSNBC:
FIRST THOUGHTS: A DEM SPLIT DECISION

Discussion: Washington Post, Taegan Goddard's …, American Prospect, Open Left, The New Republic, RealClearPolitics, Balkinization, Democratic Strategist and NewsBusters.org

Greg Sargent / TPM Election Central:

Hillary Loaned Her Campaign $5 Million, Spokesperson Confirms — This morning, Mark Halperin floated an intriguing question: Are the Clintons financing Hillary's campaign with their own money? — Now the Clinton campaign has finally answered: Yes, they are. Hillary spokesperson Howard Wolfson sends over the following:

Discussion: Reason Magazine, TalkLeft, D-Day, Firedoglake, The Blue State and the albany project

Marc Ambinder:

Clinton Weighs A Self-Loan To Finance Campaign — As first floated by The Page, I can confirm that, according to advisers to the campaign, Sen. Hillary Clinton is weighing a self-loan in order to finance a competitive race against Barack Obama over the next few weeks.

Discussion: TownHall Blog, Ben Smith's Blogs, The New Republic, MyDD, Salon, Open Left, politburo diktat 2.0, Donklephant, Political Radar and Hotline On Call

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:

Clinton loaned her campaign $5 million — Senator Hillary Clinton confirmed at a press conference in Virginia this afternoon that she'd loaned her campaign $5 million, and said, “The results last night proved the wisdom of my investment..” — Spokesman Howard Wolfson emailed with the news minutes earlier:

Discussion: The Swamp, The Field, The Corner, The Washington Note, Wonkette and Don Surber

Jeanne Cummings / The Politico:

Obama on pace to raise $30 mil in Feb — Barack Obama's campaign is on track to raise another $30 million in February, sources close to the Illinois senator say, while Hillary Rodham Clinton's spokesman revealed Wednesday that she had loaned her campaign $5 million.

Discussion: The Page and Political Radar

Krooney / The Page:
Page Exclusive: Some Clinton Senior Staff Working Without Pay**

Discussion: MyDD and Hot Air

Marc Ambinder:
Clinton Loaned Herself $5M In January

Discussion: Wizbang, Open Left, TIME: Swampland and Outside The Beltway

Kate Phillips / The Caucus:
Clinton Lent Campaign $5 Million, Considers More

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias, Blue Crab Boulevard and Booman Tribune

Hugh Hewitt / Townhall.com:

Seven Reasons To Support The GOP's Nominee — As of this morning, McCain has earned 615 delegates and 4,220,296 votes; Romney 268 delegates and 3,497,341 votes, and Huckabee 169 delegates and 2,232,530 votes. — Senator McCain has a clear path to the nomination, Romney a very uphill battle …

Discussion: Riehl World View, Wizbang, Hot Air, Blue Crab Boulevard, Right Wing Nut House, Shakespeare's Sister, Middle Earth Journal, Salon, The Campaign Spot, Macsmind, Fraters Libertas and Commentary

Gallup:

Gallup Daily: Tracking Election 2008 — Based on daily polling from Feb. 3-5, 2008 — PRINCETON, NJ — The increase in support for Hillary Clinton at the national level that Gallup saw in interviewing conducted Sunday and Monday continued in interviewing Tuesday night.

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blogs, Wonkette and Donklephant

Charles Hurt / New York Post:

ONCE JOHN WINS, HE'LL MAKE A LEFT — RUNNING as a conserva tive, John McCain rolled up huge victories last night in New York, New Jersey and beyond. — But if history is any guide, the McCain we've seen of late on the campaign trail is the most conservative McCain we'll ever see.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, protein wisdom, Vox Popoli, Tapscott's Copy Desk, Pajamas Media, Maggie's Farm, Hot Air, Truthdig, Ross Douthat and Gateway Pundit

Mark R. Levin / The Corner:
One-Legged Stool — I wonder how many of us believe …

Discussion: PunditGuy, Hot Air, The Galloping Beaver and Firedoglake

Harold Meyerson / Washington Post:
The Repudiation of Rove — John McCain had a surprising …

Discussion: The Sideshow, Norwegianity, The New Republic, Political Machine and The Opinionator

Hindrocket / Power Line:
TIME FOR A REALITY CHECK — I've long been dismayed by the fury …

Discussion: Human Events, Pajamas Media and Roger L. Simon

Associated Press:

Haggard exits restoration process early — Recommend — New Life Church said Tuesday that former pastor Ted Haggard has prematurely ended a “spiritual restoration” process begun when he was fired for sexual misconduct. — Haggard was fired from New Life Church and resigned as president …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars

Cara DeGette / Colorado Confidential:
Ted Haggard Quits New Life ‘Restoration Team’

Discussion: Joe. My. God., Pam's House Blend, The Democratic Daily, PageOneQ.com Latest, Unqualified Offerings and Politics Plus

Ramesh Ponnuru / The Corner:

McCain-Huckabee — The upsides are obvious. They're the first- and third- best vote-getters in the Republican field. Huckabee helps to make up for McCain's weakness with evangelical Protestants and, to a lesser extent, his weakness on domestic policy. The most frequently mentioned downside …

Discussion: New York Magazine

Deacon / Power Line:
FOR THE REPUBLICANS, MOSTLY HAZARDS

Discussion: Weekly Standard

Josiah Ryan / CNSNews:

McCain Sends ‘Chill Down Spine,’ Reid Cites Cochran — On the Spot (CNSNews.com) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said the possibility of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) becoming president “sends a cold chill down my spine.” — Reid made his remarks Tuesday outside the Senate chambers …

Discussion: TownHall Blog, Riehl World View, Hot Air and PunditGuy

Faiz / Think Progress:

Buchanan: John McCain ‘Will Make Cheney Look Like Gandhi’ — On the NBC Today Show, liberal radio host Rachel Maddow, conservative pundit Pat Buchanan, and Democratic strategist Paul Begala discussed the importance of “change” in the upcoming election. Voters want a “clean break from Bush,” argued Maddow.

Discussion: CNN, The People's Republic …, Politics Plus, D-Day, Daily Kos and DownWithTyranny!

Annie Sweeney / Chicago Sun Times:

Voters are told pen had ‘invisible ink’ — When it comes to election shenanigans, Chicago has been accused of just about everything. — But invisible ink? — Twenty voters at a Far North Side precinct who found their ink pens not working were told by election judges not to worry.

Discussion: The New Editor