memeorandum: Private RNC polling shows McCain lead (Jonathan Martin/The Politico)

4:20 PM ET, April 10, 2008

Top Items:

Michael Duffy / Time:

TIME Poll: Clinton 6 Points Up in Pennsylvania — Backed by more than half of all white female Democrats, Hillary Clinton holds a six point lead over Barack Obama in Pennsylvania, a new statewide poll by TIME reveals.

Discussion: Telegraph, Marc Ambinder, The Moderate Voice, PoliBlog (TM), Donklephant, Political Machine, PoliGazette, Below The Beltway, The Page and TPM Election Central

Nedra Pickler / Associated Press:

McCain erases Obama lead — WASHINGTON - Republican Sen. John McCain has erased Sen. Barack Obama's 10-point advantage in a head-to-head matchup, leaving him essentially tied with both Democratic candidates in an Associated Press-Ipsos national poll released Thursday.

Discussion: MSNBC, TalkLeft and PoliGazette

John McCain / CNN:

Poll suggests McCain-Rice ticket could win big — (CNN) - Condoleezza Rice has said she has no desire to be John McCain's running mate, but a new poll out Wednesday suggests that duo could beat the Democratic ticket in the bluest of states. — In a new poll conducted by Marist College and WNBC …

Discussion: JustOneMinute, Balloon Juice, The Confluence and Donklephant

Jonathan Martin / The Politico:

Private RNC polling shows McCain lead — Internal polling data, presented privately last week at the Republican National Committee's state chair meeting and provided to Politico, shows John McCain with a solid lead over both his potential general election rivals.

Discussion: The Fix, The Swamp, Weekly Standard Blog, Hot Air and Commentary

Dr. Barbara L. Carvalho / Marist Poll:
ü Democrats' “Dream Ticket” …

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blogs, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Strata-Sphere, Spin Cycle and CALIFORNIA YANKEE

Hillary Clinton / CNN:
Polls: Clinton's lead down to 4 points in Pennsylvania

Discussion: TPM Election Central

Chicago Tribune:
Clinton: Obama ads mislead

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's … and Donklephant

Ben / Think Progress:

Maliki Disagrees With Petraeus's ‘Pause,’ Says ‘U.S. Troops Should Be Pulled Out’ — Gen. David Petraeus, top U.S. commander in Iraq, told Congress this week that he is recommending to President Bush that the United States “pause” the draw down of troops in Iraq this July for at least 45 days …

Discussion: Capitol Briefing and Gateway Pundit

William Kristol / Weekly Standard:

“My Answer Is No” — A conversation with President Bush. — I SPENT ABOUT 40 minutes with President Bush in the Oval Office late yesterday afternoon, in a meeting whose purpose was to allow the president to preview the Iraq speech he's giving today. — We ended up spending more than half the time on other matters.

Discussion: Think Progress, Wake up America and Dick Polman's American Debate

Deb Riechmann / Associated Press:
Bush embraces pause in troop cutbacks

Discussion: New York Times, Crooks and Liars, All Spin Zone, Washington Post, Outside The Beltway and Wall Street Journal

Washington Post:
Bush to Cut Army Tours to 12 Months

Discussion: The Huffington Post, MoJoBlog, Jules Crittenden, Early Warning, New York Times, BuzzFlash.org, TPMMuckraker, QandO, Democratic National Committee and Connecting.the.Dots

Slobodan Lekic / Associated Press:
US airstrikes in Iraq target militants

Discussion: QandO, The American Mind, Democratic National Committee and Donklephant

Daniel W. Reilly / The Crypt's Blogs:
Reid: Bush has ‘exit strategy’ only for himself

Discussion: The Swamp

The Huffington Post:

Randi Rhodes Quits Air America Rather Than Apologize For Hillary Clinton “F*cking Whore” Remark; “There's Relief And Joy” At The Station — Update: The Huffington Post has learned that Randi Rhodes quit Air America after being asked by the network to apologize for her inflammatory remarks against Hillary Clinton and Geraldine Ferraro.

Discussion: Hot Air, Think Progress, American Street, I Am TRex and The News Junkie

Joe Gandelman / The Moderate Voice:

Suspended Talk Show Host Randi Rhodes Quits Air America (UPDATED) — Campaign 2008 has now claimed its first talk show host for going over the line: Air America talk show host Randi Rhodes, who was suspended from the progressive talk radio network after using expletives to describe Democrats Hillary Clinton …

Discussion: The Raw Story, TVNewser, Donklephant, I Am TRex and Wake up America

Radio Ink:
Rhodes Leaves Air America

Discussion: MyDD and LiberalOasis

Sarah Wheaton / The Caucus:

McCain on ‘View’: No Opening Ceremonies — Senator John McCain said today that he would not attend the opening ceremonies at the Olympics, barring significant changes in China's behavior, if he were president. — During an appearance on ABC's “The View,” Whoopi Goldberg asked …

Discussion: Donklephant and First Draft

Michael Cooper / New York Times:
McCain, in Shift, Seeks U.S. Help for Homeowners

Discussion: michellemalkin.com

Dan Balz / The Trail:
McCain Refines Plan for Homeowners

Discussion: Real Clear Politics and The Page

Kerry Eleveld / Advocate:

Obama Talks All Things LGBT with The Advocate — In an exclusive Chicago sit-down with The Advocate's Kerry Eleveld, Democratic front-runner Barack Obama discusses “don't ask, don't tell,” Rev. Wright, and what he would do for LGBT Americans if he becomes president.

Discussion: The Daily Dish, Ben Smith's Blogs, Fox News, Pam's House Blend and Boston Globe

Carrie Budoff Brown / The Politico:
Gay press frustrated by Obama approach

Discussion: Marc Ambinder, Political Radar, Don Surber, Shakesville and The Other McCain

Ben Smith / The Politico:

David Brock, Dems plan $40M hit on McCain — Wealthy Democrats are preparing a four-month, $40 million media campaign centered on attacks on Senator John McCain. And it will be led by David Brock, the former investigative reporter who first gained fame in the 1990s as a right-wing, anti-Clinton journalist.

Discussion: The Corner, TalkLeft, Fox News, Comments from Left Field, Stumper, The Carpetbagger Report, The New Editor, Real Clear Politics, MSNBC, Political Machine and The Washington Independent

Joe Klein / Time:

Petraeus Meets His Match — Senator Joseph Lieberman has become something of an agent provocateur in the semiannual Petraeus-Crocker hearings staged by the U.S. Senate. This semester he chose to open his remarks by chastising unnamed colleagues for having a “hear no progress …

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias and Washington Monthly

Washington Wire:
Petraeus (Gently) Refutes McCain Assertion

Discussion: Think Progress and Democratic National Committee

Ed O'Keefe / ABCNEWS:

EXCLUSIVE: Powell Praises Obama, Fears Afghanistan Growing ‘More Difficult’ Than Iraq — General Says Next President Will Face Long Struggle, Troop Strain in Two-Front Battle — Retired Gen. Colin Powell insists he hasn't yet decided who he'll back in the 2008 presidential election.

Discussion: Think Progress, Examining Presidential …, TPM Election Central, Top of the Ticket, Spin Cycle, Macsmind, The Page, Cliff Schecter … and The Swamp

Associated Press:

Play of the Day: Obama set on 2 terms — SOUTH BEND, Ind. - If there were any doubt before, Barack Obama wants to serve two terms as president. And, please, don't mind that buzzing on his hip, he only has good intentions. — The Illinois senator and Democratic presidential candidate …

Discussion: PoliBlog (TM)

John McCormick / The Swamp:
That buzz in Obama's pocket

Discussion: The Trail and The Page

Brad DeLong / Salon:

No, Hillary Clinton shouldn't be winning — Sean Wilentz spun a fantasy in his Salon piece about Clinton's electability. In the real world, it's Barack Obama who's more electable. — Sen. Barack Obama at a campaign rally in Ohio. — Hillary Rodham Clinton has won fewer votes this spring in contested primaries than Barack Obama.

Discussion: TalkLeft, The Huffington Post, Oliver Willis and JustOneMinute

Sue Shellenbarger / Wall Street Journal:

The Blogger Mom, In Your Face — Lots of businesses get hate mail, but few owners react the way Heather Armstrong does. She prints out nasty emails, puts them in her driveway and drives over them with her car. “That's the attitude I have,” she says, “and it's made my life a thousand percent better.”

Chris / TVNewser:

Judge Dismisses Core of Dan Rather Suit — Breaking: The judge in Dan Rather's lawsuit against CBS has issued a motion to dismiss most of the case. CBS News confirms. — Developing... > More: TVNewser has learned most of issues of the lawsuit have been dismissed.

Discussion: Hot Air, Little Green Footballs, A Blog For All and GINA COBB