Top Items:
Ezra Klein / American Prospect:
OBAMA TURNS ALL THOMAS FRANK ON US. — I'm not really sure what the big deal over Obama's comments in SF is supposed to be (save that the media and Clinton and McCain are saying they will be a big deal, and thus making them a big deal), but Marc Ambinder has the least hysterical rundown I've seen …
Discussion:
TalkLeft
RELATED:
Joe Gandelman / The Moderate Voice:
Democratic And Republican Critics Blast Obama's “Small-Town” Comments Calling It Presidential Disqualifier — If someone wanted to see how early 21st century American politics operates, they need look no further than the current (growing) flap over politically flat-footed comments Senator Barack Obama …
Discussion:
TownHall Blog, The Caucus, Political Punch, skippy the bush kangaroo and Below The Beltway
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Hillary hits Obama on faith, guns — Yesterday, Clinton hit Obama for calling Pennsylvanians “bitter,” ground on which he fairly ably engaged. — Today, she's onto the other half of his San Francisco remarks, in which he linked economic frustration to clinging to religion and guns …
Jeff Zeleny / New York Times:
Obama Tries to Limit Fallout Over ‘Bitter’ Remark — MUNCIE, Ind. — Senator Barack Obama on Saturday rebutted criticism that has enveloped his campaign over a comment he made last Sunday that many working-class voters are angry and bitter over economic conditions in America …
Associated Press:
Obama concedes remarks were ill chosen — MUNCIE, Ind. - Democrat Barack Obama on Saturday conceded that comments he made about bitter working class voters who “cling to guns or religion” were ill chosen, as he tried to stem a burst of complaints that he is condescending.
CNN:
Clinton backer: Superdelegates need to consider ‘bitter’ remark — INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (CNN) — Sen. Evan Bayh, Hillary Clinton's top backer in the May 6 primary state of Indiana, argued Saturday that superdelegates need to evaluate Barack Obama's “bitter” remarks when deciding who to back for the Democratic nomination.
Victor Davis Hanson / The Corner:
The McGovernization of Obama — I still believe that by August, Obama, the half-term rookie Senator, will have become the second George McGovern. Cf. his latest declaration to the Marin County faithful (coming on the heels of the crazy anti-Semitic rant of Rev. Eric Lee, a prominent LA Obama supporter):
Dotcomabc / Political Radar:
Obama Explains ‘Bitter’ Comments, but Rivals Pile On — ABC News' Sunlen Miller and Eloise Harper report: Barack Obama, D-Ill., went further than he has before in admitting that he did not express himself as well as he could have in his initial comments at a San Francisco fundraiser this week about …
Mark Steyn / The Corner:
Hicks nix clique's shticks — I'm about done with Obama over this mill-closures-drive-small-town-losers- to-guns-and-God business. If you're running as a glamorous blank slate on which people project their own utopian fantasies, you've got to be very careful not to give the game away …
Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute:
“A Typical Sort Of Political Flare-Up” — As the “Hey Rubes, Back Barack” tour swung through Indiana Obama was in another town meeting defending himself again from his small town disaster [More at the Times and WaPo]. The candidate was insightful - “I didn't say it as well as I should have” …
Discussion:
FOX Embeds
Hindrocket / Power Line:
IS OBAMA'S CAMPAIGN OVER?
IS OBAMA'S CAMPAIGN OVER?
Discussion:
Reason Magazine, Comments from Left Field, alicublog, Hot Air, Outside The Beltway, Fox News, NewsBusters.org, Althouse, Right Wing Nut House, The Mahablog, QandO, Swampland, TBogg, FOX Embeds, American Power, Booman Tribune, Argghhh!, USA Today, TownHall Blog, Real Clear Politics, Independent Liberal, Donklephant, NO QUARTER, marbury, The Daily Dish, The Page, The Huffington Post, Shakesville and Macsmind
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Obama on tradition — In Muncie, he takes another pass …
Obama on tradition — In Muncie, he takes another pass …
Discussion:
Commentary
Jeff Zeleny / New York Times:
Opponents Call Obama Remarks ‘Out of Touch’
Opponents Call Obama Remarks ‘Out of Touch’
Discussion:
The Swamp, The New Republic, TalkLeft, JustOneMinute, The Carpetbagger Report, Big Brass Blog and MSNBC
Noam N. Levey / Los Angeles Times:
Clinton's record shows trade support — On the trail, the candidate has made a point of critiquing free trade agreements, saying they cost U.S. jobs. — WASHINGTON — Campaigning across Pennsylvania and other sections of the Rust Belt in recent months, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has stressed …
RELATED:
Mark Z. Barabak / Los Angeles Times:
Why Gov. Bill Richardson didn't endorse Clinton
Why Gov. Bill Richardson didn't endorse Clinton
Discussion:
The Page
Spencer S. Hsu / Washington Post:
Administration Set to Use New Spy Program in U.S. — Congressional Critics Want More Assurances of Legality — The Bush administration said yesterday that it plans to start using the nation's most advanced spy technology for domestic purposes soon, rebuffing challenges by House Democrats over the idea's legal authority.
Karen DeYoung / Washington Post:
Iran Top Threat To Iraq, U.S. Says — Last week's violence in Basra and Baghdad has convinced the Bush administration that actions by Iran, and not al-Qaeda, are the primary threat inside Iraq, and has sparked a broad reassessment of policy in the region, according to senior U.S. officials.
RELATED:
Michael Luo / New York Times:
Great Expectations for a Conservative Group Seem All but Dashed — The conservative group Freedom's Watch, headlined by two former senior White House officials, had been expected to be a deep-pocketed juggernaut in this year's presidential election, heralded by supporters on the right …
Discussion:
Think Progress, The Caucus, The Carpetbagger Report, Blue Girl, Red State, Balloon Juice, Oliver Willis, American Power and TBogg
Will Lester / Associated Press:
Democrat blames weak economy on Iraq war — WASHINGTON - The growing cost to the United States of fighting the war in Iraq “is not only linked to our economic skid, but is a leading cause of it,” a Democratic congressman said Saturday. — Rep. John Yarmuth of Kentucky linked the costly …
Discussion:
The Democratic Daily