memeorandum: Clinton-McCain gas tax holiday slammed as bad idea (Alister Bull/Reuters)

10:40 AM ET, May 1, 2008

Top Items:

DNC chairman under Bill Clinton: Unite behind Obama — WASHINGTON (AP) — A leader of the Democratic Party under Bill Clinton has switched his allegiance to Barack Obama and is encouraging fellow Democrats to “heal the rift in our party” and unite behind the Illinois senator.

Discussion: Washington Wire, Political Punch, The Caucus, MyDD, Donklephant, Open Left and The Jed Report

Southern Political Report:

InsiderAdvantage/Majority Opinion Survey: North Carolina Democratic Primary: Hillary Clinton Takes Lead Over Obama — A survey of 571 registered likely voters in North Carolina's May 6 Democratic primary shows Sen. Hillary Clinton having moved from a double digit deficit in an InsiderAdvantage poll taken …

Discussion: The Corner, Hot Air, Marc Ambinder, Sister Toldjah, Taegan Goddard's …, American Spectator, The Page, The Huffington Post, MyDD, The Campaign Spot, Wizbang, Commentary, American Street, The Strata-Sphere, Public Policy Polling, Donklephant and TPM Election Central

Mark Pazniokas / Capitol Watch:

Hillary To Pick Up A Super-delegate — John Olsen, president of the Connecticut AFL-CIO and a super-delegate, is expected to announce Thursday his support for Hillary Rodham Clinton. — His announcement follows a commitment to Clinton by Bill George, the president of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, who also is a super-delegate.

Discussion: TalkLeft and Spin Cycle

WRAL-TV:

Poll: Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama in tight race for N.C. votes — RALEIGH, N.C. — It is an exciting time for North Carolina voters. For the first time in decades, they have a say in the Democratic primary for president. — A WRAL news poll released Wednesday shows Barack Obama's double-digit lead …

Discussion: Spin Cycle and TalkLeft

New York Times:

Loss and Furor Take Toll on Obama, Poll Finds — WASHINGTON — Senator Barack Obama's aura of inevitability in the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination has diminished after his loss in the Pennsylvania primary and amid the furor over his former pastor, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News Poll.

Discussion: The Caucus, MSNBC, Washington Post and Marc Ambinder

Mark Murray / MSNBC:

FIRST THOUGHTS: MCCAIN'S BUSH PROBLEM — From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro — *** McCain's Bush problem: Yes, Jeremiah Wright could be a huge liability for Obama if he becomes the nominee. Sure, questions about Clinton's honesty and trustworthiness could also hurt …

Discussion: The Swamp

Mark Murray / MSNBC:
NBC/WSJ Poll: Bush a liability for McCain

Discussion: The Opinionator, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Carpetbagger Report, DownWithTyranny!, News Hounds, Outside The Beltway, Comments from Left Field, Media Matters for America, Daily Kos, Salon, MyDD, Buck Naked Politics, RADAMISTO, Greatscat! and TalkLeft

Jennifer Rubin / Commentary:
Obama's Bad Numbers

Discussion: The Campaign Spot, MyDD and The Corner

Roger Simon / The Politico:
Clinton playing by her own set of rules

Discussion: Cliff Schecter … and Prairie Weather

Jackie Calmes / Wall Street Journal: Support for Republicans Falls, But Race for President Is Tight

CBS News:
CBS Poll: Obama Leads, But...

Discussion: TPM Election Central

New York Times:

A Strained Wright-Obama Bond Finally Snaps — Late Monday night, in the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill, N.C., Barack Obama's long, slow fuse burned to an end. Earlier that day he had thumbed through his BlackBerry, reading accounts of the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr.'s latest explosive comments on race and America.

Discussion: protein wisdom, Althouse, The Swamp, The Moderate Voice and The Page

Jason Linkins / The Huffington Post:

Kerry Rips MSNBC On Wright: ‘You People Need To Let Go Of This’ — Today, John Kerry officially became the 87,436th person to receive one of the three or four versions of the same Reverend Wright question MSNBC has been asking everyone it comes in contact with, including their plants and pets.

Discussion: Comments from Left Field and Oliver Willis

Patrick Healy / New York Times:

While Clinton Focuses, Obama Is Distracted — LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Pumped up and focused, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is putting in 16-hour days in Indiana this week as if she — and not her embattled rival, Senator Barack Obama — needs a campaign-changing moment in Tuesday's primary here.

Discussion: CNN, Los Angeles Times, MSNBC and Connecting.the.Dots

Washington Post:

Clinton Gas-Tax Proposal Criticized — A growing chorus — including a top congressional Democrat — labeled Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's proposal for suspending the federal gasoline tax ineffective and shortsighted yesterday, even as she continued to paint Sen. Barack Obama as insensitive to drivers' woes for not endorsing the plan.

Discussion: MSNBC, The Page, PSoTD and Comments from Left Field

New York Times:
The Gas-Guzzler Gambit — Senators John McCain and Hillary …

Discussion: Liberal Values and The New Republic

Alister Bull / Reuters:
Clinton-McCain gas tax holiday slammed as bad idea

Discussion: Pam's House Blend, The Huffington Post and MyDD

Chris Good / The Hill:

Veterans to Unfurl Replica ‘Mission Accomplished’ Banner at White House — Along with Iraq war veterans and concerned citizens, Iraq Campaign 2008 says it will unfurl a 50-foot replica “Mission Accomplished” banner at the White House tomorrow, marking the five-year anniversary of President Bush's now-infamous speech.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Political Machine and The Carpetbagger Report

Greg Mitchell / Editor and Publisher:
‘Mission Accomplished’: How the Media Covered the Bush Pronouncement …

Discussion: Think Progress and Booman Tribune

Qassim Abdul-Zahra / Associated Press:

Official: Iraqi delegation goes to Iran to discuss militias — BAGHDAD - An Iraqi delegation traveled to Iran with evidence that proves the Islamic republic is arming and training of Shiite militias in Iraq, an official said Thursday. — Five Shiite politicians left Wednesday carrying documents …

Discussion: Jihad Watch and Hot Air

New York Times:
Iraq Team to Discuss Militias With Iran

Discussion: Washington Post, Booman Tribune, The Belmont Club, Jules Crittenden, abu muqawama and Los Angeles Times

Daniel Henninger / Wall Street Journal:

Where Were Obama's Friends? — It's tough being Everyman. — Way back when, before the angry and antic prophet Jeremiah rose to smite him, Barack Obama appeared before us as an open presidential vessel, into which many poured their political dreams. — Foremost were black Americans.

Discussion: Althouse and Blue Crab Boulevard

Spencer / Attackerman:

Hell No, No Premonition Coulda Seen This! — Seven months of declined U.S. casualties in Iraq are over — as even Bob Gates is acknowledging — with 48 fallen soldiers, Marines, airmen and sailors taken from us in April. McClatchy reports that two soldiers were killed in Anbar last month …

Discussion: The Glittering Eye, McClatchy Washington Bureau and VetVoice

The Big Trunk / Power Line:

Wright's wrong — Barack Obama gave his “More Perfect Union” speech in Philadelphia on March 18 to tamp down the furor caused by the release of videos excerpts of his pastor's sermons. Obama himself had proclaimed the importance of his pastor to his life over the past twenty years in books and interviews.

Discussion: TownHall Blog

New York Times:

Qaeda Chief in Somalia Killed by U.S. Airstike — NAIROBI, Kenya — Aden Hashi Ayro, one of Al Qaeda's top operatives in East Africa and the leader of the Islamist comeback in Somalia, was killed Thursday morning by an American airstrike, according to American and Somali officials.

Discussion: Outside The Beltway