memeorandum: NRCC failed Rep. Gilchrest, aide contends (Aaron Blake/The Hill)

9:45 AM ET, February 27, 2008

Top Items:

Senator Hillary Clinton / New York Times:

The Democratic Debate in Cleveland — The following is a transcript of the Democratic presidential debate on MSNBC in Cleveland, Ohio, as provided by the Federal News Service and CQ Transcriptions via The Associated Press. — PARTICIPANTS: — SENATOR BARACK OBAMA (D-IL) — MODERATORS:

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

RUSSERT'S LOWEST MOMENT (AND THAT'S SAYING A LOT) — I discussed this in the live debate blog. But I think it's worth going back and watching Russert's run of shame here. I would say it was borderline to bring up the issue of Farrakhan at all. But perhaps since it's getting some media play …

Discussion: Don Surber, Comments from Left Field, The Reaction, Outside The Beltway and Donklephant

Taylor Marsh / The Huffington Post:

Obama Blows his ‘Sister Soujah’ Moment — Clinton fights for children and families. — She fights for women's rights around the world. — She fights for health care. She fights for veterans' health care too. — After a year in the primary season, Hillary Clinton has found her theme: I'm a fighter.

Noam Scheiber / The New Republic:
The Clang-Fest in Cleveland

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report

Don Frederick / Los Angeles Times:
Obama's Farrakhan answer gives Clinton an opening

Discussion: TalkLeft, NO QUARTER, No More Mister Nice Blog, Dean's World and Washington Wire

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
Live-Blogging Cleveland — 10.36 pm. Obama won it - quite easily.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Democracy in America, Daniel W. Drezner, Spin Cycle and Comments from Left Field

Andy McCarthy / The Corner:
Gotcha BS — Good for Hil getting the name of the new president …

Discussion: American Spectator and Whiskey Fire

Associated Press:

Clinton aide: She and Obama could be running mates — MADISON, Wis. — The national chairman of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign says she could end up on the same ticket with rival Barack Obama. — Terry McAuliffe told a business group in Madison on Tuesday it “sure is” …

Discussion: The Political Inquirer

Duane R. Patterson / Townhall.com:

Hillary's Winning Ways Have Turned Into Whining Ways — Last week, Hillary Clinton waited until well into her debate with Barack Obama to utter the line of the night that cost her the debate. She had a scripted line to use about Barack Obama's change as being something you can Xerox, which fell flat and drew boos from the audience.

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, Chicago Tribune and Betsy's Page

NY Daily News:
Goodwin: Too much whining ruined whatever points she scored

Discussion: Don Surber and Blue Crab Boulevard

John M. Broder / New York Times:

Now on the Campaign Trail, a Reined-In Bill Clinton — LANCASTER, Ohio — The long campaign has taken some of the fight out of the Big Dog. — Bill Clinton is dutifully traveling from state to state and small town to small town on behalf of his wife's presidential candidacy.

Discussion: Commentary and MSNBC

Washington Post:
In a Crucial State, a Contentious Debate

Discussion: The Caucus, The Moderate Voice, Marc Ambinder, OPENERS, New York Times, The Huffington Post, Below The Beltway and CBS News

Niall Stanage / New York Observer:
Panetta's Lament: They Had No Plan

Discussion: QandO, Below The Beltway, Ben Smith's Blogs, Brilliant at Breakfast, BuzzFlash.org, The New Republic, Talking Points Memo, Donklephant, Hot Air and Oliver Willis

Aaron Blake / The Hill:

NRCC failed Rep. Gilchrest, aide contends — A top aide to ousted Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-Md.) criticized the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) on Tuesday for not sharing polling information it had on the race prior to the Feb. 12 primary. — Campaign manager and chief …

Patrick O'Connor / The Politico:

Boehner tells GOP to get off ‘dead asses’ — House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) challenged Republicans on Tuesday to get off their “dead asses” and start raising money for the National Republican Congressional Committee. — And the Republican leader wasn't the only lawmaker berating …

Discussion: TownHall Blog

Peter Wallsten / Los Angeles Times:

McCain has edge over Democrats — The GOP candidate is rated ‘strongest leader.’ The survey also shows Obama has a six-point lead over Clinton. — WASHINGTON — As he emerges from a sometimes- bitter primary campaign, presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain poses …

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, Jules Crittenden, Redstate, JammieWearingFool and PoliGazette

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Clinton's superdelegates rejecting pleas to switch

Discussion: New York Times and TownHall Blog

Digby / Hullabaloo:
Honor and Integrity — When a radio gasbag introduced him today …

Discussion: New York Times, Buck Naked Politics, The Swamp, MyDD and Blue Girl, Red State

Digby / Hullabaloo:

How Do We Defeat Tim Russert? — The country wants change. They want Washington to stop all the partisan bickering and they want a different tone. They want their government to be serious and deal with real problems. — Can someone please explain to me how that can possibly happen until something …

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Newshoggers, The Mahablog and The Carpetbagger Report

Jstearns / Save the Internet Blog:

Comcast Blocking: First the Internet — Now the Public — There was huge turnout at today's public hearing in Boston on the future of the Internet. Hundreds of concerned citizens arrived to speak out on the importance of an open Internet. Many took the day off from work …

Discussion: Open Left, The Seminal and Riehl World View

Portfolio.com:
Comcast Astroturfs the Old-Fashioned Way

Discussion: Attytood and The Seminal

Dan Eggen / Washington Post:

GOP Halts Effort to Retrieve White House E-Mails — After promising last year to search its computers for tens of thousands of e-mails sent by White House officials, the Republican National Committee has informed a House committee that it no longer plans to retrieve the communications …

Discussion: The Hill, Think Progress, MoJoBlog, Shakespeare's Sister, Emptywheel, War and Piece, Prairie Weather and Preemptive Karma

Examiner:

Oink! Oink! Murtha's porkfest — WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Rep. John Murtha is hosting a gala dinner tonight at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Pentagon City for defense industry lobbyists who have received and who hope to receive millions of tax dollars via earmarks sponsored by the Pennsylvania Democrat.

Tony Blankley / Real Clear Politics:

How to Beat Obama (Maybe) — Republicans owe Hillary our gratitude. She has road-tested several versions of attacks on Obama that don't work. Obviously, and first, don't come out against change and hope — the perennial themes of successful election campaigns.

Discussion: Power Line

Trymaine Lee / New York Times:

Upset Sends Democrat to Albany — ALBANY — In a major victory for Gov. Eliot Spitzer and his party, a Democratic assemblyman won a stunning upset in a State Senate election on Tuesday in a district that has been in Republican hands for a century. — The win reduces the Republicans' majority …

Discussion: The Seminal, DownWithTyranny! and Open Left

Matthew Mosk / Washington Post:

Loans Could Paint McCain Into Corner — Sen. John McCain's campaign and a Bethesda bank strongly defended $4 million in loans yesterday, as Democrats questioned their legality and said that the way they were secured requires the Arizona Republican to abide by federal spending restrictions.

Discussion: AMERICAblog

Ann Althouse / Althouse:

Okay, enough with the shoe shopping. Let's live-blog the big debate. — 7:58 ET: I am so ready for this. It's do or die time for Hillary. And I'm watching the debate with a big Hillary supporter. I want to see some major action in the first 20 minutes. MSNBC is banging drums and hyping the debate (which starts in an hour).

Discussion: alicublog