memeorandum: Five years later, Bush to say Iraq war must go on (CNN)

11:45 AM ET, March 19, 2008

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: Comments from Left Field, Booman Tribune, The Mahablog, Reason Magazine, American Power, NO QUARTER, Political Punch, Patterico's Pontifications, Real Clear Politics and TPM Election Central

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.

Discussion: The Daily Dish and Rising Hegemon

Maureen Dowd / New York Times:

Black, White & Gray — In many ways, Barack Obama's speech on race was momentous and edifying. — You could tell it was personal, that he had worked hard on it, all weekend and into the wee hours Tuesday. Overriding aides who objected to putting race center stage, he addressed a painful …

Discussion: NYCweboy, Gawker and The New Republic

The Big Trunk / Power Line:
Throw grandma under the bus

Discussion: Steve Sailer's iSteve Blog, Balloon Juice, Macsmind, James Wolcott's Blog, Little Miss Attila, Doug Ross, Liberty Street, NewsBusters.org, Gateway Pundit and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

Glenn Thrush / Newsday:
Obama tackles race, but GOP see potential weapon

Discussion: Washington Post, Harry's Place, Dick Polman's American Debate and The Page

James Carney / Time:
Obama's Bold Gamble on Race

Discussion: The Current, michellemalkin.com, Washington Wire, National Review, Slate, Swampland, The Root and The New Republic

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: Outside The Beltway, QandO, Roger L. Simon, TPM Election Central and Top of the Ticket

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 …

Discussion: marbury and Swampland

Voice of America:

Bush Defends War in Iraq — President Bush has marked the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq with a speech defending the war and warning that a withdrawal would hand victory to terrorists. — Mr. Bush told an audience at the Pentagon Defense Department Wednesday …

Discussion: The Huffington Post

David M. Herszenhorn / New York Times:
Estimates of Iraq War Cost Were Not Close to Ballpark

Discussion: Associated Press, Think Progress, TPMMuckraker, Econbrowser, Brilliant at Breakfast, Big Brass Blog and Middle Earth Journal

Amanda / Think Progress:
Cheney On Two-Thirds Of The American Public Opposing The Iraq War: ‘So?’

Discussion: CNN and Dependable Renegade

CNN:
Five years later, Bush to say Iraq war must go on

Discussion: The Democratic Daily and Cliff Schecter

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 …

Discussion: Right Wing News, Top of the Ticket, DownWithTyranny!, JammieWearingFool and The American Mind

Ariel Alexovich / The Caucus:
The Early Word: Clinton Documents to Be Released

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, TalkLeft, The Politico and Majikthise

ABCNEWS:
Clinton's First Lady Papers to Go Public

Discussion: The Swamp and Hot Air

Wall Street Journal:

Bear's Run-Up Sets the Stage For Epic Clash — Speculators Ignite Rally, Driving Shares Up 23%; Disbelief on Deal Price — Investors aren't ready to give up on the Bear just yet. — Betting that J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. will have to pay up to seal its fire-sale deal to acquire Bear Stearns Cos. …

Discussion: Portfolio.com, DealBook, The Big Picture, Dealbreaker and Ideoblog

DealBook:
S.E.C. Eyes Bear Stearns' Comments

Discussion: Dealbreaker and Silicon Alley Insider

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.

Discussion: Hot Air, Media Blog, The Daily Politics and Gateway Pundit

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 …

Discussion: The Swamp, The New Republic, democracyarsenal.org, The Carpetbagger Report, Talking Points Memo, Jonathan Martin's Blogs, Brendan Nyhan and Think Progress

Washington Post:
McCain Mixes Up Iraqi Groups

Discussion: Firedoglake and Dick Polman's American Debate

Dan Collins / protein wisdom:

Gleanings — Mmmmmmm. Sockpuppetty goodness: … Yes, Gleen(s), manufactured out of the rhetorical opportunities created by you and likeminded individuals who were eager to demagogue the Hagee issue. The only double standard in question is the one that causes you to believe …

Discussion: Hot Air

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
Obama's faith in the reasoning abilities of the American public

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Weekly Standard Blog, The Fix, Outside The Beltway, Newsweek, Personal Democracy Forum, Done With Mirrors, The Reaction, Discourse.net, Pam's House Blend, The New Republic, TPMCafe, The Mahablog and 2008Central.net

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 …

Discussion: Wonkette, Real Clear Politics, Romenesko and Crooks and Liars

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 …

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report and Althouse

NY Daily News:

Sharpton supporting Barack - silently — The Rev. Al Sharpton is backing Barack Obama, but he's made the strategic decision to keep his support quiet. — That's the message Sharpton delivered to his flock last Saturday as he boasted of talking to Obama “two or three times a week” …

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, Gawker and Economics Blog