memeorandum: Government Intensifies Mortgage Investigation (Lynnley Browning/New York Times)

6:55 AM ET, May 5, 2008

Top Items:

CBS Poll: Support For Obama Rebounds — In Wake Of Controversy Over Former Pastor, Illinois Senator Builds Lead Over McCain, Clinton — (CBS) Democrat Barack Obama appears to have rebounded from some of the damage caused by the controversy surrounding his former pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright …

Discussion: Pajamas Media, Right Wing News, TPM Election Central, FiveThirtyEight.com, The Jed Report, The Page, Daily Kos, The Daily Dish, TalkLeft and RADAMISTO

Susan Page / USA Today:

Poll: Flap over pastor hurts Obama — Barack Obama's national standing has been significantly damaged by the controversy over his former pastor, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds, raising questions for some voters about the Illinois senator's values, credibility and electability.

Discussion: TalkLeft

William Kristol / New York Times:

McCain-Jindal? — Barack Obama said Friday, “We've had a rough couple of weeks.” Actually, he's had a rough couple of months. He's lost three big primaries to Hillary Clinton. And, should he hold on to win the nomination, he can no longer be considered a clear favorite over John McCain in the general election.

Discussion: Firedoglake, Crooks and Liars, Soccer Dad, GregsOpinion.com and New York Times

New York Times:
Poll Shows Most Voters Unaffected by Wright

Discussion: Reuters, The Moderate Voice, Fox News and American Power

Gallup:
Gallup Daily: Obama 49%, Clinton 45%

Discussion: Comments from Left Field, The Daily Dish, MyDD, Associated Press and Zogby

Robert Reich / Robert Reich's Blog:

Hillary Clinton Doesn't Listen to Economists — When asked this morning by ABC News' George Stephanopoulos if she could name a single economist who backs her call for a gas tax holiday this summer, HRC said “I'm not going to put my lot in with economists.” — I know several of the economists …

Discussion: Political Machine, Comments from Left Field, Jack and Jill Politics, The RBC, TPM Election Central and The Other McCain

Jodi Kantor / The Caucus:

There Goes the Economists' Vote — INDIANAPOLIS — This morning, George Stephanopoulos began his televised interview with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton by asking if she could name a single economist who supported her plan for a gas-tax suspension. — Mrs. Clinton did not.

Discussion: Through the Looking Glass, DownWithTyranny!, Matthew Yglesias, The Huffington Post and Right Wing News

Hillary Clinton / CNN:
I'm not listening to economists on gas tax holiday

Discussion: The New Republic

Thomas B. Edsall / The Huffington Post:

Clinton Camp Considering Nuclear Option To Overtake Delegate Lead — Hillary Clinton's campaign has a secret weapon to build its delegate count, but her top strategists say privately that any attempt to deploy it would require a sharp (and by no means inevitable) shift in the political climate …

Discussion: Marc Ambinder, American Street, The Fact Hub, The Other McCain, Open Left, Comments from Left Field, Underground, Political Machine, Donklephant, Spin Cycle, The Raw Story, The Jed Report, The Swamp and Viking Pundit

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:

Clinton mailing's gun gaffe — Senator Hillary Clinton's mailing attacking Senator Barack Obama's record on guns appears to include a striking visual gaffe: The image of the gun pictured on the face of the mailing is reversed, making it a non-existent left-handed model of the Mauser 66 rifle.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, TPM Election Central, Taylor Marsh, Balloon Juice, race42008.com and The Page

Associated Press:

After 2 faint, Clinton cracks joke about making 'em swoon … LENOIR, N.C. (AP) - Former President Bill Clinton is cracking wise about his ability to make people faint, telling voters in North Carolina he didn't think he still had it in him. — Clinton was campaigning Sunday …

Discussion: The Corner, Right Wing News and PunditGuy

Steve Chapman / Chicago Tribune:

McCain finds his own radical friend — Can a presidential candidate justify a long and friendly relationship with someone who, back in the 1970s, extolled violence and committed crimes in the name of a radical ideology—and who has never shown remorse or admitted error?

Discussion: Outside The Beltway, Jonathan Martin's Blogs, Ben Smith's Blogs and RADAMISTO

Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute:

Why Johnny Can't Read (Or Drive) — Obama's Methaphor Mangler was in overdrive when he appeared on Meet The Tim: … I don't think this interview was a buzzer-beating home run. — PILING ON: On the topic of Rev. Wright and why he might have thought Obama was posturing in his early denunciations, this was comical:

MSNBC:
Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL)

Discussion: Top of the Ticket and Newsweek

Eli Saslow / Washington Post:

In Small Towns, Bill Clinton Finds A Campaign Niche — LUMBERTON, N.C. — Bill Clinton swung open the screen door and stepped onto Baxter Williams's front porch, its wooden floorboards creaking beneath him. The former president, a veteran speechmaker used to 50,000-seat stadiums and convention halls …

Discussion: The Page

Jeralyn / TalkLeft:

Obama Tells Workers, When They Lose Their Job, They Lose Their Dignity — If I were an Indiana voter listening to Obama, I don't think I'd appreciate him telling me that since I've lost my job, I've lost my dignity. The crowd didn't react to the statement. Certainly no cheering. — See what you think.

Discussion: Comments from Left Field

Dallas Morning News:

Dallas County district attorney wants unethical prosecutors punished — jemily@dallasnews.com; smcgonigle@dallasnews.com — The Dallas County district attorney who has built a national reputation on freeing the wrongfully convicted says prosecutors who intentionally withhold evidence …

Discussion: Reason Magazine

Dotcomabc / Political Radar:

Clinton: ‘Still the Underdog’ in Indiana — ABC News' Eloise Harper reports: Sen. Hillary Clinton greeted a group of about 150 volunteers in South Bend, Ind., Sunday afternoon. She thanked the group for their work and delivered another short stump speech with a focus on the high gas prices she has been harping on for days.

Discussion: Comments from Left Field, Open Left and The Page

Ethan Bronner / New York Times:

Israeli Political Crisis Overshadows Rice's Trip — JERUSALEM — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice held a series of talks on Israeli-Palestinian peace here on Sunday, saying she believed an accord was attainable by year's end. But the process was overshadowed by an intensifying police investigation …

Discussion: Soccer Dad, Israel Matzav and The New Republic

Associated Press: IDF halts deliveries at Karni, Nahal Oz

Hillary Clinton / CNN:

Bill Clinton going to church with superdelegate Shuler — WASHINGTON (CNN) — Former President Bill Clinton will attend Sunday church services with North Carolina Congressman and uncommitted Democratic superdelegate Heath Shuler in his district, CNN has learned.

Discussion: Don Surber, TalkLeft, MSNBC and newsobserver.com projects