memeorandum: Let's Accept Michelle's Invitation (Tom Maguire/JustOneMinute)

3:00 PM 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.

Rasmussen Reports:

Indiana Democratic Primary — Indiana: Clinton 46% Obama 41% — Senator Hillary Clinton leads Senator Barack Obama by five percentage points in the Indiana Democratic Presidential Primary. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of the state finds Clinton attracting 46% of the vote while Obama earns 41%.

Discussion: Agence France Presse, MyDD, Tennessee Guerilla Women and Buck Naked Politics

Lynn Sweet:

Obama picks up 3 more Illinois superdelegates: Daley, Currie and Stroger. — WASHINGTON—When the Democratic Party of Illinois meet next week to finish filling out the delegate slate, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) will pick up three more superdelegates, according to Steve Brown …

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blogs, The Jed Report, The Page, Marc Ambinder, Donklephant, The Washington Independent and AMERICAblog

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 …

Gallup:

Gallup Daily: Clinton 49%, Obama 45% — McCain leads Obama in general election; McCain and Clinton tied — PRINCETON, NJ — Hillary Clinton has edged ahead of Barack Obama, 49% to 45%, in the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking update. — The four percentage point Clinton advantage …

Discussion: TPM Election Central and NO QUARTER

Allahpundit / Hot Air:

Rasmussen: Ten-point swing towards Hillary since Wright's presser three days ago — Dude. … He's lost five points to McCain over the past week, too, and seven points over the past month in New Hampshire. Pray tell, what do voters in this important swing state think of Obama's relationship to Wright?

Discussion: TownHall Blog, TalkLeft, Weekly Standard Blog, Wake up America, RIGHTWINGSPARKLE, Fox News and The Other McCain

Mark Murray / MSNBC:
FIRST THOUGHTS: MCCAIN'S BUSH PROBLEM

Discussion: The Swamp and Wonkette

Mark Pazniokas / Capitol Watch:
Hillary To Pick Up A Super-delegate

Discussion: AMERICAblog, Donklephant, MSNBC, The Washington Independent, Spin Cycle and TalkLeft

Rasmussen Reports: Election 2008: New Hampshire Presidential Election

myfoxtampabay.com:

DC Madam commits suicide in Tarpon Springs — TARPON SPRINGS - Police were called to the home of DC Madam Deborah Jeane Palfrey's mother on Thursday to investigate her apparent suicide. — Police have confirmed that the dead person is Palfrey who was 52.

Discussion: The Raw Story, Gawker, Political Machine, Althouse, Wonkette and Outside The Beltway

tampabay.com:

D.C. Madam apparently commits suicide in Tarpon Springs — Deborah Jean Palfrey, better known as the “D.C. Madam,” apparently has committed suicide at her mother's Tarpon Springs home. — Tarpon Springs detectives said a body was found in a small storage shed on the west side of the mobile home.

Discussion: On Deadline and Booman Tribune

Associated Press:

‘D.C . Madam’ reportedly dead in Fla. — Calif. woman convicted of running $2 million Washington prostitution ring — TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. - Florida authorities confirmed that Deborah Jeane Palfrey, convicted of running a high-end prostitution ring in Washington, is dead in a suspected suicide, NBC News reported.

Discussion: michellemalkin.com

John Bresnahan / The Crypt's Blogs:
Report: ‘DC Madam’ commits suicide

Discussion: The Swamp

Associated Press:

Huckabee says Obama's former pastor needs him to lose — BILLINGS, Montana: Former Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee said Wednesday Barack Obama's bid for the White House is not being derailed because he is black, but because his former pastor does not want him to show the country's race relations have progressed.

Discussion: Newshoggers.com and The New Republic

CNN:
Michelle Obama: Let's get back to issues

Discussion: New York Times and TownHall Blog

Gail Collins / New York Times:
How Will It Play in Apex? — You have to give Bill Clinton credit.

Discussion: The New Republic and Prairie Weather

Brian Knowlton / New York Times:
Obama Defends Handling of Furor Over Ex-Pastor

Discussion: The New Republic

Joseph J. Andrew / The Huffington Post:

On My Switch From Clinton to Obama — I have been inspired. — Today I am announcing my support for Senator Barack Obama for President of the United States of America. I am changing my support from Senator Clinton to Senator Obama, and calling for my fellow Democrats across my home State of Indiana …

Discussion: TalkLeft and Roger L. Simon

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:

A pre-emptive strike from Andrew — In his letter to fellow superdelegates, Joe Andrew — whose switch today is a very useful moment for Obama — pre-emptively guesses how the Clinton campaign will cast him, and accuses them of hypocrisy. … No doubt, perhaps; it doesn't seem to have happened yet.

Discussion: TownHall Blog

Marc Ambinder:
Andrew Explains Decision To Switch

Discussion: Associated Press, The Page, The Opinionator and Flopping Aces

Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute:

Let's Accept Michelle's Invitation — Michelle Obama, not surprisingly, wants to turn the page on Jeremiah Wright and focus on the issues: … I completely agree, so let's talk about Barack and education reform. — An excellent launching point is this April 2, 2008 Slate piece by Alexander Russo …

Discussion: NO QUARTER and Gateway Pundit

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, Daily Kos, Democratic National Committee, Scott Rosenberg's Wordyard, Blue Girl, Red State and Political Machine

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

Discussion: Think Progress, Booman Tribune and Sadly, No!

Mohamed Olad Hassan / Associated Press:

Leader of al-Qaida in Somalia reportedly dies in airstrike — MOGADISHU, Somalia - The U.S. military killed a man believed to be the head of al-Qaida in Somalia and 10 others in an airstrike overnight, an Islamic insurgent group said Thursday. — The U.S. military confirmed an attack …

Discussion: Redstate

New York Times:
Qaeda Chief in Somalia Killed by U.S. Airstike

Discussion: Slog, Convictions, Gateway Pundit and Outside The Beltway

Mimi Hall / USA Today:

U.S. has Mandela on terrorist list — WASHINGTON — Nobel Peace Prize winner and international symbol of freedom Nelson Mandela is flagged on U.S. terrorist watch lists and needs special permission to visit the USA. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice calls the situation “embarrassing,” and some members of Congress vow to fix it.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, The Reaction and The Swamp