memeorandum: Blanking on Obama's record (Ben Smith/Ben Smith's Blogs)

11:00 AM ET, February 20, 2008

Top Items:

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.

Discussion: The Corner, Prairie Weather, The Strata-Sphere, Hot Air, Reason Magazine and Comments from Left Field

John Dickerson / Slate:

White Men Jumped — HOW OBAMA WON OVER KEY CLINTON SUPPORTERS IN WISCONSIN, AND WHY IT MATTERS. — Also in Slate, Jack Shafer says that Obama is not a plagiarist, and Emily Bazelon analyzes the exit poll data regarding Hillary Clinton and white voters. — Hillary Clinton has been calling Barack Obama a plagiarist.

Discussion: The Mahablog

Joe Gandelman / The Moderate Voice:

Two Must Reads On The Wisconsin Primary — A lot of good analysis is pouring in now on Senator Barack Obama's landslide win in the Wisconsin primary — but let's point you to two excellent ones from different viewpoints. — First, read Larry Kudlow on National Review Online. He begins his piece this way:

Discussion: Dick Polman's American Debate

Jennifer Parker / Political Punch:

New Pro-Clinton 527 to Ding Obama in Ohio — ABC News has learned that a group of Democratic politicos have set up a new independent 527 organization called the American Leadership Project (ALP) with the express purpose of helping Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, beat Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois …

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blogs and AMERICAblog

Larry Kudlow / The Corner:

It Is Over — Please allow me a dose of hardened market realism concerning Obama's landslide victory in Wisconsin. The race is over. Hillary is finished. The Clinton Restoration is over. President Bill Clinton's political invincibility is over. Hillary's electability is over.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Bark Bark Woof Woof, Outside The Beltway, Althouse, CNN, The Ruckus and Instapundit.com

Shaun Mullen / The Moderate Voice:

Another Enormous Win As The Obama Firestorm Closes In On The Clinton Firewall — And so voters in yet another primary state that Hillary Clinton never took seriously enough in her march to inevitability have added more fuel to Barack Obama's improbable quest, putting her a step closer to possible electoral oblivion.

Discussion: DownWithTyranny! and The Ruckus

Dan Balz / Washington Post:

Wisconsin Voters Give Obama Decisive Victory — McCain Easily Defeats Huckabee in Republican Race — Sen. Barack Obama won the Wisconsin Democratic primary decisively last night, extending his winning streak to nine consecutive contests and dealing another significant blow to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton …

Discussion: Faithful Progressive

Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:
Hillary On Her Last Legs — Hillary Clinton took an unexpected beating …

Discussion: The Ruckus

Steve Benen / Crooks and Liars:
White men can jump — to Obama

Discussion: The Ruckus and New York Times

John Helton / CNN:
Analysis: Obama continues to chip away at Clinton's base

Discussion: The Fix, Washington Wire, Time, Balloon Juice, After W and A Blog For All

CNN:
Clinton ad: 'She's worked the night shift, too.'

Discussion: Too Sense

David Paul Kuhn / The Politico:
Wisc. exit polls spell trouble for Clinton

Discussion: Washington Post, The Caucus, Guardian Unlimited and American Power

Joe Sudbay / AMERICAblog:
Clinton's road to the nomination is becoming insurmountable

Discussion: The Opinionator, Pam's House Blend and Alternate Brain

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: IntoxiNation, Pensito Review and NewsBusters.org

Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:

Name That Accomplishment! (Update: Video Added) — This exchange will race through the conservative blogosphere, and probably on the pro-Hillary sites as well. Last night, Chris Matthews interviewed Texas state senator and Barack Obama supporter Kirk Watson as Obama sailed to a crushing victory in Wisconsin.

Discussion: Macsmind

Canadian Press: NBC reprimands employee for using picture of bin Laden behind Obama story

Honolulu Advertiser:

Obama 74% vs. Clinton 25% in Hawaii — Sen. Barack Obama won 2,258 votes, or 77 percent, to Sen. Hillary Clinton's 666 votes, or 23 percent, with 26 of 347 precincts reporting, Hawai'i Democratic party officials announced just before 9:30 p.m. There were long lines and some confusion …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Star Bulletin, Comments from Left Field, RealClearPolitics, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, No More Mister Nice Blog, PoliBlog (TM), Boston Globe, Wake up America, Scared Monkeys and Gateway Pundit

Big Tent Democrat / TalkLeft: The Day After — It looks even worse for Hillary Clinton.

John Whitesides / Reuters:
Obama surges past Clinton in Democratic race

Discussion: Random Thoughts from Reno

Thomas M. Defrank / NY Daily News:
At a loss on slowing down Barack

Discussion: MSNBC and Blue Crab Boulevard

Robert J. Samuelson / Washington Post:

The Obama Delusion — It's hard not to be dazzled by Barack Obama. At the 2004 Democratic convention, he visited with Newsweek reporters and editors, including me. I came away deeply impressed by his intelligence, his forceful language and his apparent willingness to take positions that seemed to rise above narrow partisanship.

Discussion: The Corner, Blue Crab Boulevard, Commentary, Publius Pundit, Prairie Weather, Betsy's Page and American Spectator

Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:
Hope-A-Dope? — Barack Obama has made an incredible run …

Discussion: QandO

Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:

Not Buying It — Michelle Obama's comments about her pride in America have apparently put her husband on the defensive. Barack Obama tried to spin the comments made by Mrs. Obama in Milwaukee on Monday as relating only to politics, but the quote speaks for itself:

Discussion: Firedoglake and Gateway Pundit

Associated Press:

Obama Defends Wife on Matter of Pride — BROOKFIELD, Wis. (AP) - Democratic Sen. Barack Obama sought Tuesday to clarify his wife's statement that she is proud of the U.S. “for the first time in my adult life.” He said her newfound pride is about the political system and was not meant to disparage her country.

Discussion: The Corner, Commentary, michellemalkin.com, Hot Air and The Ruckus

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 Moderate Voice and NPR Blogs

Rick Weiss / Washington Post:

Lights at Night Are Linked to Breast Cancer — Study Bolsters Theory About Interference With Production of Key Hormone — Women who live in neighborhoods with large amounts of nighttime illumination are more likely to get breast cancer than those who live in areas where nocturnal darkness prevails …

Discussion: Connecting.the.Dots, Reason Magazine, FreedomTalks and On Deadline