Top Items:
Jonathan Martin / The Politico:
GOP sees Rev. Wright as pathway to victory — For months, Republican party officials have watched with increasing trepidation as Barack Obama has shattered fundraising records, packed arena after arena with shrieking fans and pulled in significant Republican and independent votes.
Discussion:
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Michael Gerson / Washington Post:
A Speech That Fell Short — Barack Obama has run a campaign based on a simple premise: that words of unity and hope matter to America. Now he has been forced by his charismatic, angry pastor to argue that words of hatred and division don't really matter as much as we thought.
Steve Holland / Reuters:
Obama's lead over Clinton narrows: Reuters poll — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama's big national lead over Hillary Clinton has all but evaporated in the U.S. presidential race, and both Democrats trail Republican John McCain, according a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Wake up America, Political Machine, Outside The Beltway, QandO, Roger L. Simon, MSNBC and TPM Election Central
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Gallup:
Gallup Daily: Clinton Moves Into Lead Over Obama — McCain has edge over Democrats in general election — PRINCETON, NJ — New Gallup Poll Daily tracking finds Hillary Clinton with a 49% to 42% lead over Barack Obama in national Democratic voters' presidential nomination preference.
Marc Ambinder:
Questions About Obama — For the first time in two months, Democrats who had concluded that Barack Obama had sewn up the nomination, Democrats who support Barack Obama, Democrats who had concluded, as I had, that the mathematics work against Hillary Clinton, are filling my inbox and voice mail …
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
UNFIT FOR DUTY — Let me follow up on this McCain gaffe …
UNFIT FOR DUTY — Let me follow up on this McCain gaffe …
Discussion:
Eschaton
Michael Cooper / New York Times:
McCain Missteps on Iraq; Democrats Pounce — JERUSALEM — Senator John McCain's trip overseas was supposed to highlight his foreign policy acumen, and his supporters hoped that it would showcase him in a series of statesmanlike meetings with world leaders throughout the Middle East and Europe …
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Sam Graham-Felsen / my.barackobama.com:
Obama Delivers Speech on 5th Anniversary of Iraq War — FAYETTEVILLE, NC—On the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq, Senator Barack Obama offered a clear contrast between his foreign policy vision and that of John McCain, emphasizing the need to end the war in order to confront …
Discussion:
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David Leonhardt / New York Times:
Can't Grasp Credit Crisis? Join the Club — Raise your hand if you don't quite understand this whole financial crisis. — It has been going on for seven months now, and many people probably feel as if they should understand it. But they don't, not really. The part about the housing crash seems simple enough.
Discussion:
Matthew Yglesias, The Glittering Eye, DownWithTyranny!, Marginal Revolution, Gawker and Economics Blog
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Amanda / Think Progress:
Cheney On Two-Thirds Of The American Public Opposing The Iraq War: ‘So?’ — This morning, on the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion, ABC's Good Morning America aired an interview with Vice President Cheney on the war. During the segment, Cheney flatly told White House correspondent Martha Raddatz …
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Richard Harris / NPR:
The Mystery of Global Warming's Missing Heat — Listen Now — · Some 3,000 scientific robots that are plying the ocean have sent home a puzzling message. These diving instruments suggest that the oceans have not warmed up at all over the past four or five years.
Fredric U. Dicker / New York Post:
PATERSON GAL'S TAPE SHOCKER — OLYMPICS BABE BARES RECORDING & JOB ‘HE GOT ME’ — An attractive Olympic gold-medalist says she had a close personal relationship with Gov. Paterson earlier this year - during which time she recorded a series of secret telephone conversations with him.
Philip Bredesen / New York Times:
Choose, or Lose in November — WE Democrats have a problem, but it's one we can fix. — We are blessed with two fine candidates, but it's entirely possible that when primary season ends on June 3, we will still lack a clear nominee. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton could each still believe …
Ralph Z. Hallow / Washington Times:
Paul slighted by the ‘neoconservative’ GOP — Ron Paul says the legions of newcomers his presidential campaign brought to the Republican Party are getting the cold shoulder from John McCain and from the party. — The Texas congressman says neither he nor his supporters have heard …
Michael Calderone / The Politico:
Lame duck reporters are bored — When White House press secretary Dana Perino appeared on “The Daily Show” last week, host Jon Stewart asked how she got the day off: “Did they not need press secretarying today?” — These days, with President Bush largely relegated to the sidelines rather …
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
‘Do-over is dead’ — The headline from MIRS, Michigan's Hotline: … A Lansing insider IMs to explain the latest development: … UPDATE: State Sen. Tupac Hunter, an Obama supporter, confirms the outcome of today's meeting. — “The caucus has expressed again today that there is concern …