Top Items:
Nitya / Political Punch:
Clinton Campaign Sets Up Website to Push to Change the Rules — This morning brings the news that the campaign of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, has launched a new website where they are announcing how they are officially preparing to make the case that the rules of the Democratic nomination process should be changed.
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Marc Ambinder:
Pro-Clinton 527 Prepares For Ohio, PA and Texas — Allies of Hillary Clinton plan an expensive, stealth campaign to buttress her standing in the must-win states of Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania. — They're canvassing Clinton donors for pledges of up to $100,000 in the hope of raising at least $10M by the end of next week.
Ben Smith / The Politico:
Clinton 527 ad hits economic message — “If speeches could create jobs, we wouldn't be facing a recession,” the narrator says in the spot, titled “Blueprint,” that takes no more direct shots at Obama, but instead hews closely to Clinton's economic message. — The 527 hews to the legal rule …
RJ Eskow / The Huffington Post:
Clinton's New 527 Will Backfire: A Drummer Explains Why. — Yesterday the string of defeats continued, and today we learn that Clinton's campaign is launching a “stealth 527.” You remember those — Swift Boat attacks and all? It isn't likely to work. — Back in my musician days we had a drummer who hardly ever spoke.
Texas Senator Kirk Watson:
MSNBC and Me — On Tuesday night, after an important and historic victory in the Wisconsin Presidential Primary by Senator Barack Obama, I appeared on the MSNBC post-election program. “Hardball” host Chris Matthews (who is, it turns out, as ferocious as they say), began grilling me on Senator Obama's legislative record.
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The Huffington Post:
Chris Matthews Humiliates State Senator Kirk Watson On MSNBC — Texas State Senator Kirk Watson (D-TX) learned a lesson in preparedness Tuesday night when he was humiliated on MSNBC. Watson was on to talk about his support of Senator Obama alongside Representative Stephanie Tubbs (D-OH), who backs Senator Clinton.
Discussion:
The Newshoggers, Crooks and Liars, UrbanGrounds, Wake up America, NewsBusters.org, IntoxiNation, Balloon Juice and Pensito Review
Media Matters for America:
O'Reilly: “I don't want to go on a lynching party against Michelle Obama unless there's evidence, hard facts, that say this is how the woman really feels" — During the February 19 edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, Bill O'Reilly took a call from a listener who said of Michelle Obama …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Taylor Marsh, Ben Smith's Blogs, Jonathan Martin's Blogs, TalkLeft, Daily Kos, Macsmind, Too Sense, Salon, Jack and Jill Politics and D-Day
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ABCNEWS:
Bill Clinton: Texas Could Be Hillary's Last Stand — Former President Tells Lone Star Crowd Wife Needs Wins in Texas and Ohio — There's a Texas-sized stumbling block on Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's comeback trail. — Even Clinton's most devoted surrogate — her husband, Bill Clinton …
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Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Clinton's Blueprint — A trio of senior advisers to Sen …
Clinton's Blueprint — A trio of senior advisers to Sen …
Discussion:
Wonkette
Barack Obama / USA Today:
Opposing view: Both sides must agree — I will seek a good faith pact that results in real spending limits. — In 2007, shortly after I became a candidate for president, I asked the Federal Election Commission to clear any regulatory obstacles to a publicly funded general election in 2008 with real spending limits.
Discussion:
The Trail, Wonkette, TIME: Swampland, Trailhead, The Carpetbagger Report, Hot Air, FOX Embeds, Associated Press and Lynn Sweet
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Nicole Belle / Crooks and Liars:
McCain Blasts Obama for Bush's Attacks in Pakistan:Updated with video
McCain Blasts Obama for Bush's Attacks in Pakistan:Updated with video
Discussion:
PERRspectives Blog
New York Times:
For McCain, Self-Confidence on Ethics Poses Its Own Risk — WASHINGTON — Early in Senator John McCain's first run for the White House eight years ago, waves of anxiety swept through his small circle of advisers. — A female lobbyist had been turning up with him at fund-raisers, in his offices and aboard a client's corporate jet.
Spiegel Online:
Danish Caricaturist of Muhammad Fame Now Homeless — Two years ago Kurt Westergaard was in his Copenhagen home drawing pictures. One of them was of the Muslim prophet, Muhammad. Now Westergaard is homeless. — Draw a picture offensive to Muslim extremists, and you might find yourself without a roof.
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The Campaign Spot:
“Barack Will Never Allow You to Go Back to Your Lives as Usual.” — Last night I appeared on Hugh's show, and his producer Duane mentioned a Michelle Obama speech at UCLA. Captain Ed talked about this a bit, but I hadn't seen anyone transcribe the part of the speech where it gets a little... unnerving.
Domenico Montanaro / MSNBC:
MCCAIN PAINTS OBAMA AS TOO HAWKISH? — From NBC's Andy Merten — It's slightly counter-intuitive that Obama could sound more hawkish than McCain, but when it comes to Pakistan, that may be the case. Last night at his Wisconsin victory speech in Columbus, Ohio, McCain came out swinging …
Discussion:
Jonathan Martin's Blogs, Oliver Willis, Eschaton, The Carpetbagger Report and The New Republic
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Domenico Montanaro / MSNBC:
A CLINTON SURROGATE, A DEM DIVIDE? — From NBC's Abby Livingston — Oh snap! Who needs a Rottweiler when you've got surrogates? — Tom Buffenbarger president of the machinists' union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) was the the latest in a string of Clinton junkyard dogs unleashed upon Obama.
Thomas W. / tbo.com:
TIA Passenger Had Box Cutter In Hollowed-Out Book — A security officer at Tampa International Airport found a box cutter hidden in a hollowed-out book on Sunday. — TAMPA — A 21-year-old Clearwater man was arrested at Tampa International Airport this weekend after security personnel found …
Sarah Lyall / New York Times:
Use of Private Care Tests British Health System — LONDON — Created 60 years ago as a cornerstone of the British welfare state, the National Health Service is devoted to the principle of free medical care for everyone. But recently it has been wrestling with a problem its founders never anticipated …