Top Items:

The Debate: A Shameful Night for the U.S. Media — In perhaps the most embarrassing performance by the media in a major presidential debate in years, ABC News hosts Charles Gibson and George Stephanopolous focused mainly on trivial issues as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama faced off in Philadelphia.
RELATED:

ABC Hosts Heckled After Debate: “The Crowd Is Turning On Me” — Reflecting what seemed to be the main consensus of the night - that ABC botched this debate, big time - Charlie Gibson tells the crowd there will be one more, superfluous commercial break of the night and is subsequently jeered.


Democratic Debate in Philadelphia — The following is a transcript of the Democratic debate in Philadelphia, as provided by the Federal News Service. — PARTICIPANTS: — SENATOR BARACK OBAMA — MODERATORS: — LOCATION: THE NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER, PHILADELPHIA

The Score Card — Keeping the score card, there's no way Obama could fared worse. Nearly 45 minutes of relentless political scrutiny from the ABC anchors and from Hillary Clinton, followed by an issues-and-answers session in which his anger carried over and sort of neutered him.
Discussion:
MSNBC, Don Surber, AMERICAblog, Taylor Marsh, The Fix, National Review, Althouse, A NEWT ONE, GINA COBB, PunditGuy, Weekly Standard Blog, Spin Cycle and JustOneMinute

Clinton-Obama Debate: ABC Decides Top Issues Facing Americans Are Gaffes, Flag Pins and '60s Radicals — NEW YORK In perhaps the most embarrassing performance by the media in a major presidential debate in years, ABC News hosts Charles Gibson and George Stephanopolous focused mainly …

An open letter to Charlie Gibson and George Stephanapoulos — Dear Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos, — It's hard to know where to begin with this, less than an hour after you signed off from your Democratic presidential debate here in my hometown of Philadelphia …


Clinton Uses Sharp Attacks in Tense Debate — PHILADELPHIA — Senator Barack Obama found himself consistently on the defensive as he and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton met Wednesday night in a tense debate that left him parrying questions and criticism on issues including values …
Discussion:
The Politico, Hot Air, Gawker, USA Today, Boston Globe, American Street, ScrappleFace and Jules Crittenden


Obama Pressed in Pa. Debate — Gaffes Are a Focus as He Spars With Clinton — Sen. Barack Obama repeatedly found himself on the defensive here Wednesday night as he sought to bat away criticism of his remarks about small-town values, questions about his patriotism and the incendiary sermons …

Clinton, Obama Find ‘Brotherly Love’ at Philly Debate — For Clinton, Obama Last Chance to Settle Scores Before Pennsylvania Primary — Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama opened Wednesday's presidential debate on a point of accord: neither would answer head-on whether they'd be willing to name the other as vice president.

THESE QUESTIONS ARE A DISGRACE. — A woman asks if Obama “believes in the American flag” because he doesn't wear a flag pin. — Charlie Gibson says that questions about the flag are “all over the internet” — along with Pamela Anderson's sex tape, cats with bad grammar, and Rick Astley.

BARACK OBAMA'S SONG OF HIMSELF — I watched last night's candidate forum in Philadelphia with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama on ABC. The New York Times has posted a good transcript of the debate. Although the focus was not on policy questions, I thought it was nevertheless a useful and revealing discussion.
Discussion:
Pajamas Media


Attention ABC: You're HURTING America! UPDATED with VIDEO! — Well, it worked for Jon Stewart and Crossfire... An hour into the latest Democratic Debate and overwhelmingly, the consensus is that ABC is doing a fine job... of completely ignoring the issues that concern Americans and focusing …

The Fall-Out — I agree largely with Ambers:
Discussion:
The Glittering Eye, The Caucus, Boston Globe, FiveThirtyEight.com, Commentary, Below The Beltway and TigerHawk

And the winner is... ...McCain by a landslide! A reader writes in:
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo


Live-Blogging Pennsylvania — 9.51 pm. The big winner is John McCain.

No Whining About the Media — Three quick points on the Democratic debate last night: — First, Democrats, and especially Obama supporters, are going to jump all over ABC for the choice of topics: too many gaffe questions, not enough policy questions. — I understand the complaints, but I thought the questions were excellent.

The ‘Gotcha’ Debate — We're into the 21st debate. We've been through fifteen months of this primary calendar or, as ABC's Charles Gibson put it in introducing what may well be the last....we're into “round 15.” — These boys love their sports metaphors.
RELATED:

HAMAS ENDORSES OBAMA — On Sunday, Aaron Klein and John Batchelor interviewed Ahmed Yousef, chief political adviser to the Prime Minister of Hamas, on WABC radio. The interview produced a scoop which, for some reason, has not been widely publicized: Hamas has endorsed Barack Obama for President.
RELATED:

A Hamas problem for Obama?
Discussion:
Associated Press, Dr. Sanity, Hot Air, A NEWT ONE, Jules Crittenden, Jihad Watch, Commentary and Redstate


Abortion-rights lawmakers to receive Communion … WASHINGTON (AP) - Catholic members of Congress who publicly support the right to abortion will trek to Nationals Park Thursday for a Mass celebrated by a pope who has said such lawmakers should not receive Communion.
RELATED: