memeorandum: McCain Clinches; Obama, Clinton Battle (David Espo/Associated Press)

3:19 AM ET, March 5, 2008

Top Items:

Obama lawyer ambushes Clinton conference call — Barack Obama's top lawyer, Bob Bauer, made an unexpected appearance on the Clinton campaign's conference call this evening, calling in on a line intended for reporters to challenge Clinton aides' claims of irregularities in several Texas precincts.

Discussion: American Prospect, 2008Central.net, The Corner, Trailhead, Political Machine, The Huffington Post, The Page, The Raw Story, Hotline On Call, TownHall Blog, TPM Election Central, Taylor Marsh and Donklephant

The Politico:

Clinton scrambles to freeze defectors — A behind-the-scenes battle broke out late Tuesday over superdelegates who had secretly committed to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), with Clinton campaign officials scrambling to “freeze” them before they announced support for him.

Discussion: New York Times, Firedoglake, Trailhead, Spin Cycle, Below The Beltway, Talking Points Memo, Oliver Willis and The Page

2008Central.net:

Obama General Counsel Crashes Clinton Press Call On Voting Irregularities In Texas; Engages In Heated Exchange With Clinton Staff — This evening, the Clinton Campaign held an urgent press call to discuss reported incidents of voting irregularities and intimidation taking place at primary conventions …

Discussion: The Opinionator, Threat Level, MSNBC, American Spectator, Firedoglake, The Trail, Trailhead and The Democratic Daily

Marc Ambinder:

Caucus Problems In Texas — The Clinton campaign said tonight that Obama precinct workers illegally obtained caucus packets in the following Texas caucus precincts: — Precinct 2316 in Tarrant County — Precinct 1205 in Dallas County — Precinct 3127 in Bexar County — Precinct 3082 in Ft. Bend County

Discussion: Trailhead and Taylor Marsh

Marc Ambinder:

Livewire — 11:42: Obama puts focus on McCain; McCain “has seen where George Bush has taken our country and he promises to take us on the very same course...” — 11:40: HRC leads by 35,000 votes in Texas with 51% in... 11:38: Obama: “Well, we are in the middle of a very close race right now in Texas …

Discussion: Riehl World View

Sam Youngman / The Hill:
Clinton cries foul in Texas; Obama lawyer hijacks call

Discussion: The Politico, New York Times, National Review, Hot Air and Redstate

Marc Ambinder:
Obama Attorney Crashes Clinton Campaign Conference Call

Discussion: Taylor Marsh

Marc Ambinder:
Ohio Secretary Of State's Office Rebukes Obama Campaign

Discussion: blog.dispatch.com, TalkLeft, MSNBC, Ben Smith's Blogs, Postcards, PoliTex, NO QUARTER, Taylor Marsh, QandO, Tennessee Guerilla Women, Commentary, Ohio Daily Blog and About.com US Politics

Talal Al-Khatib / Political Radar:
Obama Camp Infiltrates Clinton Call

Discussion: NO QUARTER

New York Times:

McCain Clinches Race as Foe Concedes; Democrats Battle Over 2 Crucial States — Senator John McCain, a one-time insurgent whose campaign was all but dead seven months ago, locked up the Republican presidential nomination on Tuesday night after he defeated former Gov. Mike Huckabee in the Texas …

Discussion: Live Coverage, Feministing and Gateway Pundit

MSNBC:
‘The contest begins tonight,’ McCain says

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Opinionator, Comments from Left Field, Secular Blasphemy and The Democratic Daily

MSNBC:
Clinton revives campaign with Ohio, Texas wins

Discussion: Comments from Left Field and The Reaction

David Espo / Associated Press:
McCain Clinches; Obama, Clinton Battle

Discussion: Outside The Beltway and Say Anything

Eric Pianin / Live Coverage:
Clinton Wins in Ohio While Texas Race Remains Tight

Discussion: Wonkette

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
EARLY EXITS — I'm looking at the second wave of exit polls.

Discussion: Comments from Left Field and The Carpetbagger Report

CNN:
Huckabee: Wednesday will be a ‘planning day’

Discussion: New York Times, The Politico, The Swamp, The Campaign Spot and PunditGuy

Matthew Yglesias:

The Crucial Racist Vote — According to MSNBC exit polls, it seems to have put Hillary Clinton over the top. — Relatedly, I don't understand why they're not calling Ohio for Clinton. The exit polls look unambiguous to me — she's won it. Obama made up a lot of ground over the past two weeks …

Discussion: culturekitchen, Cogitamus and The Agonist

Gary Langer / Associated Press:

EXIT POLL: ‘Change’ Tops 'Experience"... Again — In Vermont, Obama Wins Across All Demographic Groups — The theme of change continues to resonate in Ohio and Texas, but not by as wide a margin as in most previous primaries. The ability to “bring needed change” beats “experience” …

Discussion: Tammy Bruce, Gateway Pundit, TPM Election Central, Donklephant and Texans For Obama

Adamsorensen / The Page:
GET YOUR EXIT POLL DATA HERE**

Discussion: Truthdig

Mark Murray / MSNBC:
TEXAS TURNOUT TIDBIT

Discussion: Trailhead and Hold Fast

Marc Ambinder:
Early Views From The Clinton/Obama Campaigns

Discussion: Open Left, TalkLeft and MyDD

Jonathan Alter / Newsweek:

Hillary's Math Problem — Forget tonight. She could win 16 straight and still lose. — NEWSWEEK WEB EXCLUSIVE — Hillary Clinton may be poised for a big night tonight, with wins in Ohio, Texas and Rhode Island. Clinton aides say this will be the beginning of her comeback against Barack Obama.

Discussion: TownHall Blog, Wall Street Journal, The Newshoggers, Donklephant, The Gun Toting Liberal™, MyDD, Comments from Left Field, AMERICAblog, Clive Crook, Obsidian Wings, Texans For Obama, Opinions You Should Have, Below The Beltway, The Democratic Daily, Talking Points Memo, Washington Post and The Carpetbagger Report

CNN: Schneider: Clinton's delegate problem

OPENERS:

GOP voters crossing over in large numbers — Poll watchers throughout Ohio are noting large numbers of Republican voters crossing over to vote in the Democratic Primary between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. — In the Republican roost of Chagrin Falls, veteran poll worker Liz McFadden …

Discussion: CNN, The Caucus, TalkLeft, DownWithTyranny!, MyDD, Blue Crab Boulevard, TPM Election Central and Ohio Daily Blog

CNN:

Exit polls: Did Limbaugh influence Democratic race? — (CNN) — There were concerns that Republican voters would participate in large numbers in the Democratic primaries in Ohio and Texas Tuesday and cause mischief, following a call by Rush Limbaugh for listeners to vote for Hillary Clinton.

Discussion: Political Machine, Fox News, The Campaign Spot and Ben Smith's Blogs

Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:
The Worm is Turning — Earlier this year, the Center for Media …

Discussion: Corrente, Washington Wire, Crooks and Liars and MyDD

Gallup:
Gallup Daily: Obama 45%, Clinton 45%

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, MyDD, Riehl World View, Donklephant and TPM Election Central

David Weigel / Reason Magazine:

The Mini Tuesday Primary Thread: Paul Triumphs, Clinton Endures, Mike Huckabee Splatters Against the Wall — UPDATE 8:36: Ron Paul has been re-elected to Congress in the Fourteenth District of Texas. — Campaign manager Mark Elam: “Chris Peden is toast. It's just a question of how big the margin is.”

Discussion: Wonkette

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:

The Clintons Win Ohio — It's done. We all have to endure this: … I couldn't watch it. Sorry. Ambers notes, poignantly: … To keep oneself from despair, it does seem to me to be valid (and not just Obama spin) to recall that a short time ago, Clinton was supposed to crush Obama in both Texas and Ohio.

Discussion: CNN and Althouse

Jeff Greenfield / Slate:

Bugs Bunny vs. Daffy Duck — WHY VOTERS ALWAYS CHOOSE THE WASCALLY WABBIT FOR PRESIDENT. — How did we reach the point at which Sen. Clinton, the clear Democratic front-runner six months ago, needs clear winds in Texas and Ohio to mute the calls for her to end her campaign?

Discussion: Northman's Fury, bustardblog, The Volokh Conspiracy and The Mahablog

Marc Ambinder:

Obama Calls McCain — Obama called McCain at 8:30 central from his hotel room in San Antonio, according to a source. — He congratulated him on the campaign he's run and said he looks forward to the fall.

Discussion: The Page