memeorandum: Yep, another Democrat debate...and another Hillary Clinton Cackle … (Michelle Malkin)

11:10 PM ET, February 26, 2008

Top Items:

Panetta's Lament: They Had No Plan — The argument that the constant carping about Hillary Clinton's campaign has been a function of an Obama-friendly, process-obsessed media is well and good. But how, then, to explain the deeply held dissatisfaction of an old Clinton loyalist like Leon Panetta?

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blogs, The New Republic, Talking Points Memo, Hot Air and Donklephant

Michelle Malkin:

Yep, another Democrat debate...and another Hillary Clinton Cackle Count; Update: Hillary denies knowledge of Obama African robe photo; Hillary whines, Obama keeps cool; Update: Obama questioned about Farrakhan/Pastor Jeremiah Wright; Update: Pop quiz! Name Putin's successor; Hillary: “I still intend to do everything I can to win”

Discussion: Right Wing Nut House

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Clinton's superdelegates rejecting pleas to switch — House Democrats supporting Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) are rejecting Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (Calif.) plea that lawmakers not overrule voters should they be in a position to decide who will be the Democratic presidential nominee.

Discussion: New York Times, TownHall Blog and Los Angeles Times

Howard Fineman / MSNBC:

Hillary's last stand — Tonight's MSNBC debate is make or break for a candidacy on the brink — Sen. Hillary Clinton at the George Washington University Lisner Auditorium on February 25, 2008 in Washington, DC. — WASHINGTON - In many ways, tonight is Sen. Hillary Clinton's last stand.

Discussion: The Fix, TalkLeft, Washington Post, Gateway Pundit and The Reaction

Katharine Q. Seelye / The Caucus:

The Democratic Debate in Cleveland — 9 p.m. | Taking the Stage: Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama have taken the stage for the grip and grin with local officials. They have not acknowledged each other yet. They're taking their seats, having some water. The debate table is a big shiny black oval.

Discussion: The Swamp, Opinion L.A. and Prairie Weather

MSNBC:
Candidates go on the attack in Ohio

Discussion: TalkLeft, Little Green Footballs, Fact Checker and Associated Press

Frank James / The Swamp:

McCain apologizes for radio host's Obama attack — I think we can safely say Bill “Willie” Cunningham, a conservative radio talk show host in Cincinnati, won't be showing up at any more rallies for Sen. John McCain. — It's never a good idea for someone who's sole job is to fire up the crowd …

Discussion: New York Times, Hullabaloo, Los Angeles Times, NewsBusters.org, MyDD, Liberal Values, American Street and Blue Girl, Red State

Liz Sidoti / Associated Press:

McCain disavows comments about Obama — CINCINNATI - Republican John McCain quickly denounced the comments of a radio talk show host who while warming up a campaign crowd referred repeatedly to Barack Hussein Obama and called the Democratic presidential candidate a “hack, Chicago-style” politician.

Discussion: Commentary, Crooks and Liars and Daily Kos

Domenico Montanaro / MSNBC:
MCCAIN SUPPORTER PLAYS UP ‘HUSSEIN’

Discussion: Trailhead, Political Radar, The New Republic, Newsweek Blogs, Reason Magazine, Macsmind, Riehl World View and Stop The ACLU

Willie Comments / 700WLW:
WHAT'S YOUR WILLIE THINKIN'?

Discussion: MSNBC, The Caucus, The Radio Equalizer, Hot Air and Spin Cycle

Rowan Scarborough / Washington Times:

Military fears ‘unknown quantity’ — Members of Washington's military and defense establishment are expressing trepidation about Sen. Barack Obama, as the Illinois senator comes closer to winning the Democratic presidential nomination and leads in national polls to become commander in chief.

Discussion: THE CUNNING REALIST, Wonkette, The Carpetbagger Report, Gateway Pundit, Doug Ross, Say Anything and Middle Earth Journal

Greg Sargent / Horses Mouth:
John Solomon's Washington Times Presents The Next Obama Smear: Military “Fears” Him

Discussion: Angry Bear and City Desk

ABCNEWS: Obama, Paul net most military workers' campaign donations

Michael Asher / DailyTech:

Temperature Monitors Report Widescale Global Cooling — A twelve-month long drop in world temperatures erases global warming — Over the past year, anecdotal evidence for a cooling planet has exploded. China has its coldest winter in 100 years. Baghdad sees its first snow in all recorded history.

Discussion: Silent Running, QandO, Weekly Standard, Wizbang, The Corner, Brutally Honest, The Sundries Shack, Daily Kos, Doug Ross and Sister Toldjah

Amanda Marcotte / Pandagon:

Gah … Yes, there is. If you think abortion and other forms of contraceptive birth control should be legal—i.e. that women should have the legal right to decide when they have children—you are pro-choice. Even if you still reserve the right to judge them for it.

Discussion: Eschaton, Salon, Comments from Left Field, Shakespeare's Sister, Left in the West and StephenBainbridge.com

Kevin Drum / Washington Monthly:
PRO-CHOICE....Via Atrios, I see that the once popular sport …

Discussion: Booman Tribune, Done With Mirrors, TalkLeft and The Mahablog

Abovethelaw.com:

Obama, BigLaw, and Taxes(Or: Obama = $34,000 Paycut) — [Ed. note: Today we bring you some “news you can use”: a practical look at how political choices might affect your personal finances. This post is by Ted Frank, who blogs at Overlawyered.com and PointofLaw.com, and who has guest edited ATL in the past.

Discussion: Flopping Aces, Say Anything, Blue Crab Boulevard, The Campaign Spot, Weekly Standard and StephenBainbridge.com

Sweetness & Light:

Another Photo Of Obama In Muslim Garb? — Here we go again. Maybe. — This is an undated and un-captioned photograph that appears on the (highly partisan) website “Freedom's Enemies”: … And, if it is real, it is once again from the Associated Press.

Discussion: Say Anything, Gateway Pundit, A Blog For All, Hot Air and JammieWearingFool

David M. Brown / PittsburghLIVE.com:

Film's casting call wants that ‘inbred’ look — TRIBUNE-REVIEW — A movie about to be filmed in Pittsburgh is casting Gothic characters — including an albino-like girl and deformed people — to depict West Virginia mountain people. — “'Regular-looking” children need not apply.

Discussion: The Jawa Report, No More Mister Nice Blog, LIBERTAS and Don Surber

Abbie Ruzicka / media.www.dailyfreepress.com:

To accommodate Muslim students, Harvard tries women-only gym hours — Harvard University has moved to make Muslim women more comfortable in the gym by instituting women-only access times six hours a week to accommodate religious customs that make it difficult for some students to work out in the presence of men.

Discussion: The Corner, Commentary and The Belmont Club

CNN:

General: ‘No reason to doubt’ Obama's story — WASHINGTON (CNN) — Army chief of staff Gen. George Casey, testifying on troop strain before the Senate Armed Forces Committee Tuesday, said there is “no reason to doubt” Sen. Barack Obama's military shortage story during CNN's debate in Austin, Texas, last week.

Discussion: The RBC

Martin Kady II / The Politico:

‘A bullet right in the hearts of our troops’ — In the war of words over Iraq, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) may want this one back. — Speaking about a Democratic proposal to force Iraq troop withdrawal within 120 days, Hutchison said Tuesday that such a proposal would …

Discussion: Daily Kos and AMERICAblog

Hillary Clinton / The Huffington Post:

Clinton Campaign Response To New York Times Rejected — The Clinton campaign is fighting back against a Sunday New York Times report by Patrick Healy that suggests her campaign is not only deteriorating, but that she is foreshadowing her exit through valedictory statements.