memeorandum: Obey lays down the law on procedural votes (Mike Soraghan/The Hill)

3:35 AM ET, March 15, 2008

Top Items:

On My Faith and My Church — The pastor of my church, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who recently preached his last sermon and is in the process of retiring, has touched off a firestorm over the last few days. He's drawn attention as the result of some inflammatory and appalling remarks he made about our country …

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:

Wright leaves Obama campaign — Spokesman Tommy Vietor emails: — “Rev. Wright is no longer serving on the African American Religious Leadership Committee.” — That cuts Wright's only formal tie to Obama, and answers what was sure to be a question in Obama's interviews tonight …

Discussion: MSNBC, Scared Monkeys, Gateway Pundit, NO QUARTER, Jules Crittenden, The Page, Patterico's Pontifications and MyDD

David Kurtz / Talking Points Memo:

IS WRIGHT A “DEATH BLOW” TO OBAMA? — Like a number of emailers, TPM Reader JB is wringing his hands over Obama's Rev. Wright: … Late Update: TPM Reader KR defends JB: … TPM Reader MS foresees this line of attack:

Discussion: alicublog and Little Green Footballs

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:

What Obama Saw in Wright's Church — A reader says that we cannot know what is in Obama's heart, and to a certain extent, that's true. My reader believes therefore that Wright's racist anger is what Obama truly believes - and is now concealing. All I can say is that very …

Discussion: The Jed Report

Alex Johnson / MSNBC:

Controversial minister leaves Obama campaign — Presidential candidate condemns words but not ministry of former pastor — Editor's note: This article includes language some readers may consider inappropriate. — Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., condemned racially charged sermons …

Discussion: Eunomia, The Other McCain, Macsmind, Lynn Sweet, Hotline On Call, The Daily Dish, The Jed Report, The Jawa Report and Political Byline

Dennis Sanders / The Moderate Voice:

Notes From a Black Pastor — Well, considering that I am an African American pastor, I should say something about the whole affair concerning the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, Barack Obama's church. — I have to state, in the interest of full disclosure …

Discussion: ucc.org, Too Sense and The Glittering Eye

Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute:

Like A Rolling Stone - Obama Realizes Wright is Outrageous — MUST READ: Obama steps to The Huffington Post to address the Wright debacle. At a quick glance, his defense will be ripped as BS - he seems to be pretending Wright has made a few awful comments, not twenty years worth. Here we go:

Discussion: Little Green Footballs, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Riehl World View, The Corner and American Power

Rich Lowry / The Corner:
Wright in “Dreams of My Father”

Discussion: THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

CBN.com:
Obama Sends Statement on Controversial Pastor to The Brody File

Discussion: The Huffington Post and American Spectator

Fox News:
Obama's Pastor's Sermon: ‘God Damn America’

Discussion: Right Wing Nut House, The Campaign Spot and American Power

Jodi Kantor / New York Times: Obama Denounces His Pastor's Statements

Sister Toldjah:
Obama's version of the “iced tea” …

Discussion: Wizbang, Stop The ACLU and Hot Air

Deacon / Power Line:
THE AUDACITY OF HATE, PART FOUR

Discussion: The Shotgun, Stop The ACLU, Political Radar, Tammy Bruce and baldilocks

Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute:
The Reconciliator's Judgment

Discussion: The Huffington Post and The Daily Dish

David Jackson / Chicago Tribune:

Obama says Rezko played a bigger fundraising role — This corner lot at Hyde Park Boulevard and Greenwood Avenue in Chicago, formerly owned by Antoin “Tony” Rezko's wife, Rita, is next door to the home (right) of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama. (Tribune photo by Milbert O. Brown / March 6, 2008)

Discussion: The Blotter, NO QUARTER, Corrente, Hot Air, Fox News, Spin Cycle, Rezko Watch and Pat Dollard

Jeralyn / TalkLeft:

Obama Says Rezko Played a Bigger Fundraising Role Than Previously Known — In a just published interview with Sen. Barack Obama, the Chicago Tribune reports: … Repeated lapses of judgment. The Tribune says that's how Obama views it. — The interview raises another question: Obama's naivite.

Discussion: The Swamp and Political Punch

Sam Stein / The Huffington Post:
Hsu's Legal Process Continues As Rezko's Heats Up

Discussion: A Blog For All

Jesse Lee / The Gavel:

House Passes FISA Amendments Act — The House has just passed the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 3773, to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to establish a procedure for authorizing certain acquisitions of foreign intelligence, and for other purposes, by a vote of 213-197-1.

Discussion: The Swamp, Firedoglake, CNN, TPMMuckraker, protein wisdom, Think Progress, DownWithTyranny!, The Newshoggers, Big Brass Blog, If I Ran the Zoo, Daily Kos, Macsmind and Crooks and Liars

Jonathan Weisman / Washington Post:
House Passes Surveillance Bill

Discussion: New York Times, Electronic Frontier Foundation, The Washington Independent, Buck Naked Politics and TalkLeft

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
House Democrats reject telecom amnesty, warrantless surveillance

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Calitics, The Anonymous Liberal, Firedoglake, The Reaction and Blue Indiana

New York Times:

Delegate Battles Embroil 2 States — Democrats in Michigan and Florida struggled Friday to resolve the impasse over their disputed January primaries, coming up with a plan to hold a June primary in Michigan while remaining deadlocked in Florida. — Reflecting how tense the situation has become …

Discussion: Redstate, The RBC and Oliver Willis

Mark Schmitt / American Prospect:

WHY CLINTON DOESN'T WANT A RE-VOTE. — There aren't many windows into a strongly pro-Clinton/anti-Obama view in the blogosphere, making TalkLeft invaluable, where “Big Tent Democrat” (the former Armando of DailyKos) has been focused like a laser on the issue of how to deal with the Michigan and Florida Democratic delegations.

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report, NYCweboy, KnoxViews, TalkLeft and American Street

James Carville / Financial Times:

Halt the political hara-kiri — In this, the most fascinating and longest-running Democratic primary process of our time, we were presented with a silly moment that unfortunately is all too reflective of modern American culture. Consider the case of one Samantha Power.

Discussion: Jules Crittenden

Bloomberg:

Obama Cuts Into Clinton's Delegate Lead Among Elected Officials — Barack Obama has pulled almost even with Hillary Clinton in endorsements from top elected officials and has cut into her lead among the other superdelegates she's relying on to win the Democratic presidential nomination.

Discussion: Liberal Values and Comments from Left Field

Talal Al-Khatib / Political Radar:

Pelosi's Delegate Stance Boosts Obama — ABC News' Teddy Davis Reports: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on Friday that it would be “harmful” to Democrats if superdelegates were to give the party's presidential nomination to a candidate who is trailing in the delegates awarded in primaries and caucuses.