Top Items:
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.
Discussion:
MSNBC, Buck Naked Politics, Guardian Unlimited, Salon, The Corner, Top of the Ticket, The American Conservative, The Huffington Post, CANNONFIRE, Swampland, The Strata-Sphere, Connecting.the.Dots, TalkLeft, Marc Ambinder, TPMCafe, Daily Kos, Commentary, Hotline On Call, Philly.com and The Mahablog
RELATED:
Gary Langer / ABCNEWS:
EXIT POLLS: Negative Campaign Tarnishes Clinton, Obama — Preliminary Exit Polls Show Few Last-Minute Deciders in Pennsylvania Primary — Despite all the down-to-the-wire campaigning, preliminary exit poll results indicate that nearly eight in 10 Pennsylvania voters made up their minds …
The Campaign Spot:
On the Verge of a Stunner in Pennsylvania? — Hold on to your hats. I've gotten the usual word of the exit poll results from one of my usual reliable sources. He notes that Obama traditionally over-performs in the earliest exit polls, and that he expects the numbers to change as the night wears on - perhaps a reversal.
Discussion:
The Strata-Sphere, Irish Trojan in Tennessee, The New Republic, Comments from Left Field and MyDD
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.
RELATED:
Jennifer Parker / ABCNEWS:
Dems Fight On; Clinton Wins PA Primary — Despite Delegate Lead, Obama Can't Seem To Lock Up Democratic Nomination — Sen. Hillary Clinton has won the Pennsylvania primary vote as expected, ABC News has projected. — Clinton has led polls in the state, and her win now fuels questions …
Discussion:
Telegraph, MSNBC, The Trail, Vox Popoli, New York Times, Blue Crab Boulevard, CBS News, skippy the bush kangaroo, The Democratic Daily, Political Radar, TownHall Blog, Redstate, About.com US Politics, QandO, Trailwatch, Gawker, Washington Times, The Moderate Voice, Los Angeles Times, Classical Values, Donklephant and The Corner
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 …
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 …
David Paul Kuhn / Yahoo! News:
Why Clinton won Pennsylvania — For all the campaigning and money spent, Hillary Rodham Clinton won Pennsylvania with the same base of white women, working-class voters and white men that revived her candidacy in Ohio last month. The demography that has defined the Democratic race went largely unchanged, according to exit polls.
Fernando Suarez / CBS News:
Clinton on Obama: “Why Can"t He Close the Deal?"
Clinton on Obama: “Why Can"t He Close the Deal?"
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, TalkLeft, No More Mister Nice Blog, Taylor Marsh, Spin Cycle, The Democratic Daily and The Page
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.
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
David Leonhardt / New York Times:
Weighing a McCain Economist — ARLINGTON, Va. — When Douglas Holtz-Eakin took over in 2003 as the director of the Congressional Budget Office — the nation's bean counter in chief — he walked right into a firestorm. — For years, Republicans had been pushing the budget office to change the way it estimated the cost of a tax cut.
RELATED:
Bruce Bartlett / Los Angeles Times:
The GOP's bait-and-switch tax strategy
The GOP's bait-and-switch tax strategy
Discussion:
Liberal Values
National Review:
Novak: “McCain, Portman, and Victory” [Larry Kudlow] — Bob Novak, the highly distinguished veteran columnist and author, told the American Spectator New York dinner group last night that John McCain will defeat Barack Obama in November's election, although the Democrats will enhance their majorities in both the Senate and the House.
RELATED:
Ross Douthat / The Current:
McCain's Peak? — Even with the Democratic Party locked …
McCain's Peak? — Even with the Democratic Party locked …
Discussion:
The New Republic, Real Clear Politics, Comments from Left Field, Hot Air, Roger L. Simon and GINA COBB
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:
michellemalkin.com
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
STATUS QUO ANTE — Lots of spin coming from both campaigns tonight. I'd say the real story is that this leaves us basically where we were. It was a decisive win for Hillary but that was the expectation. Going into tonight I think the dividing line was about 8 points.
Discussion:
Irish Trojan in Tennessee
Marc Ambinder:
A Note On Pledged Delegates — As NBC's Chuck Todd points out tonight, Clinton's chances of winning the nomination based on pledged delegates is effectively over tonight. — If Obama keeps his pledged delegate lead to around 150, Clinton needs to win 70% of them on May 6 — and if not, 80% of them after May 6.
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
The Near-Triumph Of Rovism — It's worth recalling what this primary came to be about, because of a self-conscious decision by the Clintons to adopt the tactics and politics of the people who persecuted and hounded them in the 1990s. It was indeed in the end about smearing and labeling Obama as a far-left …