memeorandum: Photograph of Bill Clinton and Rev. Wright Surfaces (Kate Phillips/The Caucus)

8:40 AM ET, March 21, 2008

Top Items:

2 fired over Obama passport file breach — Third employee at State disciplined over accessing candidate's records — Two contract employees of the State Department were fired and a third person was disciplined for accessing passport records of Sen. Barack Obama “without a need to do so …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Blue Girl, Red State, Crooks and Liars, Attytood, US Presidential race 2008 real …, Bang the Drum, Donklephant, Corrente, The RBC, Swampland, Cliff Schecter, The Moderate Voice, skippy the bush kangaroo, Sister Toldjah, Political Machine and The Agonist

Bill Gertz / Washington Times:

Obama passport files violated; 2 State Department workers fired — Two State Department employees were fired recently and a third disciplined for improperly accessing electronic personal data on Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, Bush administration officials said yesterday.

Discussion: Associated Press, Redstate, Fox News, Outside The Beltway, Don Surber, Macsmind, Hot Air and Think Progress

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

NUGGETS — A few more details about the Obama passport breach. According to a new piece out in the Post from Glenn Kessler, the breaches occurred Jan. 9th, Feb. 21st and March 14th. — That would be the day after the New Hampshire primary, the day of the Democratic debate in Texas and the day the Wright story really hit.

Discussion: Brilliant at Breakfast and The Garlic

Glenn Kessler / Washington Post:

Looking at Obama's File Gets Two Fired — The State Department said last night that it had fired two contract employees and disciplined a third for accessing Sen. Barack Obama's passport file. — Obama's presidential campaign immediately called for a “complete investigation.”

Discussion: The Newshoggers, Firedoglake, The Carpetbagger Report, Associated Press, Taylor Marsh, Obsidian Wings and AMERICAblog

Jeralyn / TalkLeft:
What's in a Passport File?

Discussion: TigerHawk

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
State Dept. workers illicitly check Obama's passport [Updated]

Discussion: The Swamp

Helene Cooper / The Caucus: State Dept. Punishes Aides for Obama Passport Breach

CNN:
Officials: Someone snooped in Obama passport file

Discussion: The RBC

Kate Phillips / The Caucus:

Photograph of Bill Clinton and Rev. Wright Surfaces — During one of the most difficult periods in the presidency of Bill Clinton, he addressed a group of clerics at an annual prayer breakfast in September 1998 just as the Starr report outlining his dalliance with Monica Lewinsky was about to be published.

Discussion: The Swamp, Real Clear Politics, Corrente, Political Punch, Don Surber, Scripting News, Political Machine, TalkLeft, Patterico's Pontifications and US Presidential race 2008 real …

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:

Jeremiah Wright was White House guest — The recent coverage of Rev. Jeremiah Wright has often cast him as a marginal, almost fringe figure, but Trinity Church is a major Chicago institution, and Wright has long been a prominent pastor on the American scene.

Discussion: AMERICAblog, The Trail, Tennessee Guerilla Women, Telegraph, Liberal Values, Wonkette, The Truth About Trinity …, Spin Cycle, The Reaction, Shakesville, The Monkey Tennis Centre, Hot Air, Macsmind, Political Machine and The Page

Barry Massey / Associated Press:

AP: Gov. Richardson endorsing Obama — SANTA FE, N.M. - New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, the nation's only Hispanic governor, is endorsing Sen. Barack Obama for president, calling him a “once-in-a-lifetime leader” who can unite the nation and restore America's international leadership.

Discussion: Citizen Crain, Pam's House Blend, PoliGazette, Balloon Juice, Swampland, Forum: News/Activism and Shakesville

Patrick Healy / New York Times:

Richardson Endorses Obama — Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, who sought to become the nation's first Hispanic president this year, plans to endorse Senator Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination on Friday at a campaign event in Oregon, according to an Obama adviser.

Andrew Malcolm / Top of the Ticket:

Breaking News: Barack Obama gets Bill Richardson nod — After weeks of personal pondering and not a little anguish, New Mexico's Gov. Bill Richardson ha s decided to endorse Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination. — The official endorsement will come later today in Portland …

Discussion: The Swamp, marbury and Truthdig

Marc Ambinder:

Richardson Endorses Obama At... 12:08 am PT — The New Mexico Gov. sent a message to his campaign e-mail list at 3:08 a.m., leading to AP bulletin about 5 minutes later. Did Obama need a good morning news cycle? — BTW: a wise old hand agrees that St. Dept. passport affair might …

Discussion: 2008Central.net

CNN:
Bill Richardson to endorse Obama

Discussion: Cliff Schecter

Jeralyn / TalkLeft: Bill Richardson to Endorse Obama

Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:

The Speech: A Brilliant Fraud — The beauty of a speech is that you don't just give the answers, you provide your own questions. “Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church? Yes.” So said Barack Obama, in his Philadelphia speech about his pastor …

Discussion: Real Clear Politics and Sadly, No!

Peggy Noonan / Wall Street Journal:
A Thinking Man's Speech

Discussion: alicublog

Patrick Ruffini / TownHall Blog:

Defending Soren Dayton — Earlier today, Soren Dayton, a friend and frequent collaborator in the blogosphere, was suspended from the McCain campaign for making a note of this video in his Twitter account. — A few notes here. I use Twitter a lot. And I'm “looser” on Twitter than I would be on my blog.

Discussion: American Spectator, Oliver Willis and Wizbang

Matt Lewis / TownHall Blog:
McCain Throws Aide Under the Bus for Twittering YouTube Link

Discussion: Kung Fu Quip, Jonathan Martin's Blogs, Althouse, Swampland, Macsmind, The American Mind, Donklephant, The Sundries Shack and Liberal Values

Aaron Klein / WorldNetDaily:

Obama church published Hamas terror manifesto — Compares charter calling for murder of Jews to Declaration of Independence — JERUSALEM - Sen. Barack Obama's Chicago church reprinted a manifesto by Hamas that defended terrorism as legitimate resistance, refused to recognize the right …

Discussion: Macsmind, The Strata-Sphere, Sadly, No!, Gateway Pundit and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

Taylor Marsh / The Huffington Post:

Obama: Grandmother “Typical White Person” — Via a WIP radio: … Can you imagine if Hillary Clinton said someone was a “typical black person?” — Seriously, Barack Obama basically called all white people racist. You know, because when us typical white folk walk down the street …