memeorandum: Larry Bartels responds (Dani Rodrik/Dani Rodrik's weblog)

2:10 PM ET, April 7, 2008

Top Items:

Obama May Not Have Fully Contained Damage From Ex-Pastor — Sen. Barack Obama's Philadelphia speech on race relations last month seemed to put the controversial remarks of his former pastor behind him. But three weeks later, there is evidence of lingering damage.

Discussion: PoliGazette, Hot Air, GINA COBB, Real Clear Politics, Stumper, Wake up America, The Caucus, Macsmind, TalkLeft, The Page and The Politico

William Kristol / New York Times:

The Shape of the Race to Come — I've spent a fair amount of time the last couple of weeks with conservatives of all ages and leanings. Call it my very own listening tour. — It began with a series of conversations with a group of Weekly Standard subscribers.

Discussion: Soccer Dad, The Campaign Spot, Booman Tribune, Hoffmania!, Outside The Beltway, TBogg, Connecting.the.Dots and Prometheus 6

John Kass / Chicago Tribune:

Dialogue on race could begin on hallowed ground — The wounds inflicted on Barack Obama by the hateful speech of his pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, are serious and profound. — Why else would ministers gather at Obama's church in Chicago—Trinity United Church of Christ …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Commentary and protein wisdom

Wall Street Journal:

Iraq and Its Costs — When Gen. David Petraeus testifies before Congress tomorrow, he will step into an American political landscape dramatically different from the one he faced when he last spoke on Capitol Hill seven months ago. — This time Gen. Petraeus returns to Washington having led …

Discussion: Washington Post, American Street and Examining Presidential …

Matt / Think Progress:
Ignoring Uptick In Iraq Violence, Lieberman And Graham Accuse War …

Discussion: Boston Globe, Salon, The Carpetbagger Report and United States Institute …

Sudarsan Raghavan / Washington Post:
Between Iraqi Shiites, a Deepening Animosity

Discussion: Informed Comment, Firedoglake, Hot Air and The Washington Independent

Reuters:
REFILE-FACTBOX-US presidential candidates on Iraq withdrawal

Discussion: CALIFORNIA YANKEE

Marc Ambinder:

Ex-Clinton Insider Launches Unity Ticket Drive — Hillary/Obama '08 becomes official today. In a way. — A Clinton insider who served as ex campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle's executive assistant for several years has set up a new website, http://www.voteboth.com/ and plans to register with the Federal Election Commission today.

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, Political Machine, Comments from Left Field, The Field, Balloon Juice, Spin Cycle, Liberal Values, MyDD, Political Punch and Boston Globe

Frank James / Baltimore Sun:

CLINTON MAN'S OBAMA MOMENT — Was Terry McAuliffe, chairman of Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, engaging in his own sort of hedging strategy at a recent meeting of Washington State Democrats? Or was the former Democratic National Committee chair engaging in a kumbayah, all-us-Democrats-are-in-this- together moment?

Discussion: The Daily Dish, The Swamp, New York Times and The Moderate Voice

Amanda / Think Progress:

McCain's Speech On Progress In Iraq Interrupted By News Of Mortars Hitting The Green Zone — Today, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) spoke to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, making the case for the “unmistakable progress” in Iraq. — A telling moment in his remarks came when he was arguing why President Bush's surge …

Discussion: New York Times and Slog

Articles by the Investigative Project on Terrorism:
For the Record: Seriously, What is the FBI Doing?

Discussion: The Jawa Report and Little Green Footballs

Mark Halperin / The Page: Excerpts of McCain's Remarks to VFW Headquarters

Sean Wilentz / Salon:

If the system made sense, Clinton would be far ahead — Under a winner-take-all primary system, Hillary Clinton would have a wide lead over Barack Obama — and enough delegates to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination by June. — Hillary Clinton celebrates with supporters …

Discussion: The Jed Report, The Confluence, Outside The Beltway, Lawyers, Guns and Money, Taylor Marsh, Obsidian Wings and The Huffington Post

Mark Silva / The Swamp:

WHITE HOUSE: SURGE'S ‘GREAT SUCCESS’ — President Bush is pressing Congress today for approval of the Colombia Free Trade Agreement, and the White House says it doesn't believe it has had any dealings on this with Democrat Mark Penn, the former chief strategist for Hillary Clinton's campaign …

Discussion: The Crypt's Blogs, The Carpetbagger Report and Democratic Strategist

Mark Halperin / Time:
Exit the Clinton Strategist

Discussion: The Current, Washington Post, Washington Wire, The Field, New York Times, Truthdig, Political Punch, Comments from Left Field and The Page

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
FULL FIRING? OR JUST GELDED?

Discussion: Pollster.com, MSNBC, Trailhead, Guardian, The Mahablog, Shakesville, Corrente, Marc Ambinder, Political Machine and The New Republic

USA Today:

Radio host Ed Schultz: 'I'm sorry ... John McCain is a warmonger' — “I'm sorry, John, the label sticks. John McCain is a warmonger,” liberal radio host Ed Schultz said a few minutes ago on CNN's American Morning. — Schultz called McCain a “warmonger” on Friday as he was warming …

Discussion: Air America Radio blogs, Hot Air, FOX Embeds, Sister Toldjah, Real Clear Politics, Redstate, Say Anything and TPM Election Central

Zachary A. Goldfarb / The Talk:
McCain: Obama ‘Absolutely’ Qualified to Be President

Discussion: The Jed Report and Donklephant

New York Post:

RICE BIDS TO BE VP: GOPER — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been “campaigning” to be John McCain's running mate, a former Bush administration aide said yesterday. — Rice has been courting the Republican elite, Dan Senor, a political strategist and former foreign-policy adviser to President Bush, said on ABC's “This Week.”

Discussion: PoliBlog (TM) and The Glittering Eye

Elisabeth Bumiller / New York Times:
Rice Eyeing Ticket? That's News to McCain

Discussion: City Pages, The Sleuth, No More Mister Nice Blog and Political Radar

Jonathan Chait / The New Republic:

No Really, You Should Go — Wretched rationalizations for Hillary Clinton's kamikaze campaign. — Last week, Senator Pat Leahy suggested that Hillary Clinton ought to quit the presidential race. How insensitive! How boorish! Pundits gasped, Clinton took umbrage …

Discussion: Reason Magazine, Salon and The Carpetbagger Report

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

Grains Gone Wild — These days you hear a lot about the world financial crisis. But there's another world crisis under way — and it's hurting a lot more people. — I'm talking about the food crisis. Over the past few years the prices of wheat, corn, rice and other basic foodstuffs …

Discussion: JustOneMinute, The Huffington Post, American Street, Obsidian Wings, Prairie Weather and Paul Krugman

CNN:

Olympic torch extinguished during Paris leg — (CNN) — The Olympic torch relay was disrupted Monday by protesters in Paris demonstrating against the Chinese government, causing authorities to extinguish the flame three times and put the torch on a bus, according to The Associated Press.

Discussion: QandO, The Moderate Voice, Right Wing Nut House, Hot Air, Donklephant and Time

HillaryClinton.com:

Clinton Unveils Plan To Find Cure For Breast Cancer On The Ellen DeGeneres Show — Plan Includes $300 Million in Increased Funding For Research Annually And Increased Access To Treatment And Screening Services — Hillary Clinton appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show today and announced …

Discussion: TalkLeft, The Confluence and FOX Embeds

Logan Hill / New York Magazine:

How I Made It: Spike Lee on ‘Do the Right Thing’ — Several people have surprised me by saying that one of the movie's biggest legacies is the impact you had on diversifying New York film crews. — Do the Right Thing was my first union film. I looked at the rosters, and for the most part, it was white males.

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blogs