memeorandum: Weighing a McCain Economist (David Leonhardt/New York Times)

10:00 AM ET, April 23, 2008

Top Items:

In Oklahoma: Henry backs Obama — Gov. Brad Henry, who said earlier he would not endorse a Democratic presidential candidate until this summer's national convention, announced this morning he is supporting Barack Obama. — The endorsement means Obama, a U.S. senator from Illinois …

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias, Political Machine, Donklephant, The Page, Political Punch and The Field

Adam Nagourney / New York Times:

Clinton Outduels Obama in Primary — For better or worse — and many Democrats fear it is for worse — the race goes on. — Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton defeated Senator Barack Obama in Pennsylvania on Tuesday by enough of a margin to continue a battle that Democrats increasingly believe …

Discussion: BuzzFlash.org, MSNBC, Althouse, Tennessee Guerilla Women, New York Magazine, NO QUARTER, Liberal Values, The Huffington Post and The Page

Patrick Healy / New York Times:

With Clear Victory, She Has Rationale to Fight On — Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton scored a decisive victory over Senator Barack Obama on Tuesday in the Pennsylvania primary, giving her candidacy a critical boost as she struggles to raise money and persuade party leaders to let the Democratic nominating fight go on.

Discussion: MSNBC, Los Angeles Times, The Caucus, QandO, American Street, Harry's Place, PunditGuy, ScrappleFace and BBC

Jeff Zeleny / New York Times:

Obama Shifting Focus From Clinton to McCain — EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Senator Barack Obama opened the next phase of his presidential campaign here Tuesday evening, seeking to turn his focus away from Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and persuade party leaders that time is running out for Democrats …

Discussion: MSNBC, The Page, Comments from Left Field, LiberalOasis, The Belmont Club and NO QUARTER

David Lightman / McClatchy Washington Bureau:

Clinton's win in Pa. leaves Obama battered, party reeling — WASHINGTON — Hillary Clinton's Pennsylvania victory means that the Democratic Party's eventual nominee will be badly bruised and could have a tough time rallying the party in the fall. — Clinton on Tuesday once again failed …

Discussion: Hot Air

David Paul Kuhn / Yahoo! News:
Why Clinton won Pennsylvania

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Washington Post and marbury

Jennifer Parker / ABCNEWS:
Dems Fight On; Clinton Wins PA Primary

New York Times:

The Low Road to Victory — The Pennsylvania campaign, which produced yet another inconclusive result on Tuesday, was even meaner, more vacuous, more desperate, and more filled with pandering than the mean, vacuous, desperate, pander-filled contests that preceded it.

Rich Lowry / The Corner:

McCain's Stalking Horse? — If Hillary can't win the nomination—and it's clearly very, very hard for her—she's basically a stalking horse for McCain. She's preparing the demographic ground for McCain, by getting white working-class Democrats used to (if you will) not voting for Obama.

Discussion: Hot Air, Betsy's Page and GINA COBB

Matthew Yglesias:
Save Us!

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report, Hullabaloo, Obsidian Wings and The Democratic Daily

Andrew Malcolm / Top of the Ticket:

Breaking News (Updated): Ron Paul surges in Pa. — While some people pay attention to the alleged contest between Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama (and she won big), almost unnoticed is the Republican primary. — Many people think Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain has won the GOP nomination.

Discussion: Comedy Central and JammieWearingFool

Hindrocket / Power Line:

THE FRIENDS OF BARACK OBAMA, PART 1 — When Illinois State Senator Alice Palmer decided to retire in 1995, she hand-picked local left-winger Barack Obama as her successor. In order to introduce Obama to influential liberals in the district, she held a function at the home of Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn.

Discussion: Pajamas Media

Hugh Hewitt / Townhall.com:
The Ayers-Dohrn 2007 Audio — Mark Steyn and James Lileks …

Discussion: Sigmund, Carl and Alfred

George M / CNN:

Exit polls: Gun owners, church goers choose Clinton — (CNN) - Hillary Clinton stressed her gun and church-going credentials following Barack Obama's “bitter” comments, and it appears to have paid off. — According to the exit polls, 58 percent of gun owners voted for Clinton while 42 percent went for Obama.

Discussion: The Swamp

Domenico Montanaro / MSNBC:
EXIT POLLS: A LOOK AHEAD

Discussion: The Washington Independent and AMERICAblog

Gary Langer / ABCNEWS:
EXIT POLLS: Negative Campaign Tarnishes Clinton, Obama

Discussion: SurveyUSA, The Campaign Spot, Buck Naked Politics, Pollster.com, Weekly Standard Blog, MSNBC, CNN, Open Left, Irish Trojan in Tennessee, michellemalkin.com, The Raw Story, The Gun Toting Liberal™, The Reaction, Marc Ambinder, The Page and Real Clear Politics

Andrew Malcolm / Top of the Ticket:

Dead actor Roy Scheider donates to Barack Obama campaign anyway — Sen. Barack Obama does come from the Chicago school of politics, where historically voter turnout has been unusually high for residents of certain graveyards. And he has been unusually successful raising money.

Discussion: Power Line

Maureen Dowd / New York Times:

Wilting Over Waffles — He's never going to shake her off. — Not all by himself. — The very fact that he can't shake her off has become her best argument against him. “Why can't he close the deal?” Hillary taunted at a polling place on Tuesday. — She's been running ads about it …

Discussion: TalkLeft, Prairie Weather, Publius Pundit, Whiskey Fire, michellemalkin.com, Brendan Nyhan and Althouse

Joe Bavier / Reuters:

Lynchings in Congo as penis theft panic hits capital — KINSHASA (Reuters) - Police in Congo have arrested 13 suspected sorcerers accused of using black magic to steal or shrink men's penises after a wave of panic and attempted lynchings triggered by the alleged witchcraft.

Discussion: Comments from Left Field, Gateway Pundit and Blue Crab Boulevard

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:

The Worst Of All Worlds For The Dems — Right now, the actual results suggest what I thought would be the worst possible result for the Democrats: a nine point win for Clinton. It doesn't change the race's dynamic or the math; but it will give Clinton just the tiniest sliver of an argument that she should not drop out.

Discussion: Betsy's Page, The RBC and Ben Smith's Blogs

Victor Davis Hanson / The Corner:

The Second Coming of McGovern — Hillary won just enough to show that it is ludicrous to oust a 10-point winner at this late junction, but not quite the blow-out that might cause a stampede to her in the next few states. — The Democrats are tottering at the edge of the abyss.