memeorandum: Party fears tight Obama-Clinton finish (Charles Babington/Associated Press)

2:55 PM ET, March 29, 2008

Top Items:

Endorsement of Obama Points Up Clinton's Obstacles — The surprise endorsement of Senator Barack Obama by a popular senator in a battleground state on Friday underlined the ferment in the Democratic nominating race and the serious obstacles facing Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton as she tries to rescue her candidacy.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, The New Republic, American Street, The Caucus, Washington Post, The Sleuth, Booman Tribune, Political Radar, The Page, marbury and Prairie Weather

Charles Babington / Associated Press:
Party fears tight Obama-Clinton finish

Discussion: Donklephant

Jonathan Martin / The Politico:
McCain seeks his share of the spotlight

Discussion: New York Times, Los Angeles Times and BLOGS FOR JOHN McCAIN

Michael James / Political Punch:
Howard Dean 2004: The Medals Matter

Discussion: Outside The Beltway, Wake up America, Hot Air, QandO, Jules Crittenden, PoliGazette, Political Radar, Tammy Bruce and The American Mind

Associated Press:
Clinton rules out leaving race early

Discussion: TalkLeft and MyDD

James Carville / Washington Post:

Disloyalty That Merits An Insult — Last Friday the New York Times asked me to comment on New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson's endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama for president. For 15 years, Richardson served with no small measure of distinction as the representative of New Mexico's 3rd Congressional District.

Discussion: Commentary, The Moderate Voice and Balloon Juice

John Heilemann / New York Magazine:

Who'll Stop the Pain? — Gore and Edwards may have the most party clout. But there's only one person Hillary will finally listen to. Her name isn't Bill. — In the days after John Edwards's withdrawal from the Democratic race, the political world expected his endorsement of Barack Obama would be forthcoming tout de suite.

Discussion: Swampland and The Current

Jonathan Alter / Newsweek:

Hillary's Consolation Prize? — Some Dems float the New York Statehouse as an option. — Some Democrats terrified that their bloody primary campaign will doom them in November are floating a consolation prize for Hillary Clinton: governor of New York. — The travails of New York …

Discussion: Hot Air, The Other McCain, Spin Cycle, No More Mister Nice Blog and Don Surber

Joe Gandelman / The Moderate Voice:
Some Democrats Want New York Governorship As Hillary Clinton “Consolation Prize”

Discussion: Hot Air, skippy the bush kangaroo and Democracy in America

Dennis Overbye / New York Times:

Asking a Judge to Save the World, and Maybe a Whole Lot More — More fighting in Iraq. Somalia in chaos. People in this country can't afford their mortgages and in some places now they can't even afford rice. — None of this nor the rest of the grimness on the front page today will matter a bit …

Discussion: Big Brass Blog, The Sundries Shack, Gawker, Lawyers, Guns and Money, The Debate Link and Althouse

James Poniewozik / Time:

Fox on the Run — On super Tuesday, Bush's former brain, Karl Rove, debuted on Fox News Channel as a political analyst. Genteel, wry and armed with terabytes of political minutiae, he won critical raves. ("One of the best things in television news right now," said the New York Times …

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report and WTF Is It Now?!?

Nikki Finke / Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily:

‘21’ Holds Winning Hand At Box Office; ‘Superhero’ Is Superflop; ‘Stop-Loss’ DOA — SATURDAY AM: Friday's domestic gross showed that Hollywood can't boost the slumping box office this spring break even though 30% of students are out of school. No. 1 is Sony Pictures's based-on-a-true-story 21 …

Discussion: Weekly Standard Blog, The Jawa Report, Little Green Footballs, Hot Air and Forum: News/Activism

ABCNEWS:

Philly Mayor: Obama Pastor Talk Beyond Pale — Mayor Michael Nutter Tells ABC News He Would Have Quit Church if His Pastor Made Such Remarks — Sen. Hillary Clinton's most prominent African-American supporter in Pennsylvania says that had he been a member of Sen. Barack Obama's church …

Discussion: Hot Air

Juan Cole / Informed Comment:

Police Mutiny, Refuse to attack Sadrists; Clashes continue in Basra; Sadrists open New fronts throughout Shiite South — Police Mutiny, Refuse to attack Sadrists; — Clashes continue in Basra; — Sadrists open New fronts throughout Shiite South — Mahdi Army Militiamen, courtesy Al-Zaman of Baghdad.

Discussion: The Newshoggers, DownWithTyranny!, American Street, Agence France Presse, Telegraph, missing links, Angry Bear and Guardian Unlimited

Barbara Starr / CNN:
Analysis: Iraqis' Basra fight not going well

Discussion: Redstate, The Newshoggers, ParaPundit, PoliBlog (TM) and Vodkapundit

Victor Davis Hanson / The Corner:

The Chickens of Identity Politics Come Home to Roost? — Watching the parade of apologists for Rev. Wright's hatred—"garlic noses"; “KKK of A;” “God Damn America;” “Condamnesia;” the U.S. deserved 9/11; America is no different from al-Qaeda; we caused the AIDs virus; Israel is a “dirty word” …

Discussion: American Power and Fausta's blog

Mario M. Cuomo / Boston Globe:

How to avoid a Democratic disaster — A DEMOCRATIC disaster in the November election looms, but it can be avoided by a demonstration of true leadership by the two candidates. — By the end of the primary process, no matter how robust the turnout appears, less than half of all Democratic voters will have expressed their preference.

Discussion: ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES

Wall Street Journal:

At the Barricades In the Gender Wars — Clinton's women supporters fear her bid has unleashed a sexist backlash — Valerie Benjamin, a human-resources manager for a consulting firm here, was driving to work recently in her red minivan with a Hillary bumper sticker when a man pulled up alongside and rolled down his window.

Discussion: Gawker