Top Items:
Michael Hirsh / Newsweek:
A new Newsweek poll shows Obama pulling away. — Despite her campaign's relentless attacks on Barack Obama's qualifications and electability, Hillary Clinton has lost a lot of ground with Democratic voters nationwide going into Tuesday's critical primary in Pennsylvania, a new NEWSWEEK poll shows.
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Gallup:
Gallup Daily: Clinton Moves Within 3 Points of Obama — Thursday night interviewing suggests Obama may have been hurt by debate — PRINCETON, NJ — Gallup Poll Daily tracking shows a tightening of the national Democratic race, with Barack Obama now holding just a 3-percentage point advantage over Hillary Clinton, 47% to 44%.
Joe Klein / Swampland:
It's Getting Close to Over — I woke up this morning and the blues were pouring down like rain...Well, not really—although I've always loved that lyric. Actually, I woke up this morning with a gut feeling that the Philadelphia debate may have been the last straw for the Democratic Party …
Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute:
Barack Fingers The Problem
Barack Fingers The Problem
Discussion:
Top of the Ticket, The American Mind, Wake up America, Lonewacko, NewsBusters.org and Patterico's Pontifications
Celeste Fremon / The Huffington Post:
Clinton Slams Democratic Activists At Private Fundraiser — At a small closed-door fundraiser after Super Tuesday, Sen. Hillary Clinton blamed what she called the “activist base” of the Democratic Party — and MoveOn.org in particular — for many of her electoral defeats, saying activists had …
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blogs, Firedoglake, Marc Ambinder, Pat Dollard, Top of the Ticket, MyDD, The Raw Story, Fox News, AMERICAblog, Daily Kos and The Page
Spencer Ackerman / The Nation:
Journalists Slam ABC Debate Tactics — In an open letter to ABC, journalists and media commentator condemn the network's poor handling of the April 16 Democratic presidential debate. — We the undersigned deplore the conduct of ABC's George Stephanopoulos and Charles Gibson at the Democratic Presidential debate on April 16.
Discussion:
JustOneMinute, Sister Toldjah, Macsmind, Hullabaloo, DownWithTyranny!, The Nation, TownHall Blog and Corrente
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Mark Thoma / Economist's View:
An Open Letter to ABC about the Presidential Debate — We the undersigned deplore the conduct of ABC's George Stephanopoulos and Charles Gibson at the Democratic Presidential debate on April 16. The debate was a revolting descent into tabloid journalism and a gross disservice to Americans concerned …
Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:
Performance By ABC's Moderators Is a Matter Of Debate — The political fallout from the Philadelphia face-off between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton was all but eclipsed yesterday by a fierce debate about Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos. — The ABC moderators found themselves under fire …
Discussion:
Hot Air, Commentary, AMERICAblog, The Huffington Post, NewsBusters.org and The New Republic
Matt Stoller / The Huffington Post:
And Al Gore Helps John McCain into the White House — So John McCain is moving towards a more moderate position so he can build himself up for the general election. And the way he is doing it is quite fascinating if not surprising. … And why would John McCain be trusted on climate change?
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John McCain / CNN:
McCain camp calls Obama ‘recklessly dishonest’ — (CNN) — John McCain's campaign is crying foul over what it characterizes as repeated distortions from Barack Obama, saying on Friday the Illinois senator is “recklessly dishonest.” — The most recent dustup comes after Obama criticized …
Sam Graham-Felsen / my.barackobama.com:
Former Senators Sam Nunn and David L. Boren Endorse Barack Obama for President — Chicago, IL - Today, Former Senators Sam Nunn and David L. Boren endorsed Barack Obama for president, citing his judgment and vision to be Commander and Chief and his ability to strengthen our national security.
McClatchy Washington Bureau:
Pentagon institute calls Iraq war ‘a major debacle’ with outcome ‘in doubt’ — WASHINGTON — The war in Iraq has become “a major debacle” and the outcome “is in doubt” despite improvements in security from the buildup in U.S. forces, according to a highly critical study published Thursday …
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Robert Reich / Robert Reich's Blog:
Obama for President — The formal act of endorsing a candidate is generally (and properly)limited to editorial pages and elected officials whose constituents might be influenced by their choice. The rest of us shouldn't assume anyone cares. My avoidance of offering a formal endorsement until …
Time:
Why Democrats Rule the Web — You know the drill. As election day approaches, glossy pamphlets clog your mailbox. Annoying prerecorded calls jam your answering machine. Nasty attack ads disturb your prime-time TV viewing. You are bombarded at every turn, and you take it all in …
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Brad Friedman / The BRAD BLOG:
Killer Video of the Moment: O'Reilly's Fox ‘News’ Reporter Gets Pwned by Pro-Wright Priest — and I'm sorry I don't know his name — is my new hero. Can't really set up the following must-watch killer video any better than “Rat” of RatTube, from whence it was found, did: … Yes. Very good.
Discussion:
Blue Girl, Red State
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
David Brooks' fictitious defense of his industry's behavior — (updated below - Update II - Update III) — As I've noted more times than I can count, the premiere manipulative, deceitful tactic of the Beltway pundit is the pretense that they are the Spokespeople for the Regular Americans …
Discussion:
The Daily Dish, The American Conservative, Eunomia, The Sideshow, Shakesville, New York Times, Brilliant at Breakfast and GayPatriot
Amy Chozick / Wall Street Journal:
Campaign Hook-Ups — The seemingly endless presidential campaign has led to an unusually high number of staff romances. — The most heated presidential primary in recent history has drawn a record number of new voters, galvanized young Americans and forced the nation to confront deep-rooted race and gender issues.
Peggy Noonan / Wall Street Journal:
While McCain Watches — On Tuesday Hillary Clinton made the best speech of her campaign. She told the American Society of Newspaper Editors how she conceives “the power and promise of the presidency.” She asserted that President Bush had been “unready” for the office, did not understand its …