memeorandum: Almost there — Barack Obama deserves the nomination. (Economist)

11:20 AM ET, May 9, 2008

Top Items:

Obama Now Takes The Lead in Superdelegates Too — ABC News' Karen Travers Reports: For the first time this campaign season, Barack Obama has surpassed Hillary Clinton's support among superdelegates, according to the ABC News delegate estimate. — Sen. Obama, D-Ill., picked up two superdelegates …

Discussion: Political Machine, Comments from Left Field, American Street, Donklephant, Sister Toldjah and The Moderate Voice

Jesse J. Holland / Los Angeles Times:

Obama wins endorsement of government employees union — WASHINGTON — The American Federation of Government Employees endorsed Barack Obama Friday, giving the Illinois senator fresh momentum toward capturing the Democratic nomination for president. — “Our people, I think …

Discussion: Political Machine, The Page, Spin Cycle, Liberal Values, Politicker MD, Donklephant and 2008 Democratic …

Robert Schwaneberg / New Jersey Online:

Congressman Payne, NJ superdelegate, switches from Clinton to Obama — Rep. Donald Payne (D-10th Dist.), a New Jersey superdelegate who had been supporting Hillary Clinton for president, has switched his allegiance to Barack Obama. — “After careful consideration, I have reached the conclusion …

Discussion: Associated Press, thedailyreview.com, Matthew Yglesias, MSNBC, Talking Points Memo, Ben Smith's Blogs, The Caucus, Donklephant, TPM Election Central and Real Clear Politics

New York Times:

Sen. Clinton and the Campaign — There is a lot of talk that Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is now fated to lose the Democratic nomination and should pull out of the race. We believe it is her right to stay in the fight and challenge Senator Barack Obama as long as she has the desire and the means to do so.

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blogs

Jeff Mapes / Oregonian:

DeFazio throws support to Obama — On Thursday night, Rep. Peter DeFazio became Oregon's third Democratic congressman to endorse Sen.Barack Obama, putting the Illinois politician one delegate closer to the presidential nomination. — DeFazio said that Obama, who will begin a two-day campaign trip …

Dan Balz / Washington Post:
Don't Expect Clinton to Quit Before Superdelegates Decide

Discussion: MSNBC, MyDD, The Page and Associated Press

CNN:
Obama narrows Clinton's lead in superdelegates

Discussion: 2008 Democratic …

Carpetbagger / The Carpetbagger Report:
Heavyweights head to the Hill

Discussion: NY Daily News, The Caucus, MSNBC and Blog of the Moderate Left

Christopher / Back to Iraq:

A Hell Breaking Loose in Beirut — DUBAI — First of all, thanks to people for writing to check on me. The long radio silence has worried people, but there's a reason for it. My wife and I left for Dubai back in February, and there's not been much to write about from here. Anyway, we're perfectly safe here.

Discussion: Attackerman and From Beirut to the Beltway

Spencer / Attackerman: Sometimes I Feel This World Is An Evil Place

New York Times:
Shiite Militias Seize Beirut Neighborhoods

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias and Hullabaloo

Gateway Pundit:
HEZBOLLAH TAKES WESTERN BEIRUT— Rockets Hit Hariri's Home

Discussion: Commentary, Israel Matzav, From Beirut to the Beltway and Right Wing Nut House

Peggy Noonan / Wall Street Journal:

Damsel of Distress — This is an amazing story. The Democratic Party has a winner. It has a nominee. You know this because he has the most votes and the most elected delegates, and there's no way, mathematically, his opponent can get past him. Even after the worst two weeks of his campaign …

Economist:

Almost there — Barack Obama deserves the nomination. It is not yet clear whether he deserves the presidency — IN CARTOONS there is often a moment when a hapless character, having galloped over a cliff, is still unaware of the fact and hangs suspended in the air, legs pumping wildly …

Discussion: The Page

Jay Cost / HorseRaceBlog:
Not Quite Yet — Elite opinion on the Democratic race …

Discussion: race42008.com, Democratic Strategist, Corrente and Eunomia

Andrew G. Biggs / Wall Street Journal:

Obama's Faulty Tax Argument — As the presidential campaign heats up, a key issue is whether to extend the 2001 and 2003 income tax cuts, which expire in 2011. John McCain wants to make the tax cuts permanent. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton want to let the rates rise.

Discussion: Power Line, TownHall Blog and Chronicle of the Conspiracy

New York Times:

NY Times, Washington Post Confirm Arianna's Story That McCain Did Not Vote For Bush — On Monday, Arianna reported that John McCain told her he had not voted for George W. Bush in 2000. Today, both The New York Times AND The Washington Post published articles with sources confirming John McCain …

Discussion: The Trail and Political Machine

Elisabeth Bumiller / New York Times:
McCain's Vote in 2000 Is Revived in a Ruckus

Discussion: Real Clear Politics and AMERICAblog

CNN:

Al Qaeda in Iraq leader not captured - U.S. — BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the head of al Qaeda in Iraq, has not been captured, a senior U.S. military official told CNN on Friday. — Iraqi authorities said Thursday that al-Masri had been captured in Mosul.

Discussion: Gateway Pundit, The Moderate Voice, Hot Air, Instapundit.com, Times of London, abu muqawama, The Impolitic, The Jawa Report, The Long War Journal, Macsmind and Wake up America

Larry C. Johnson / The Huffington Post:

The Obama Democrats' Ostrich Moment — The full-court press to force Hillary from the presidential race ain't working. She will win the West Virginia, Kentucky, and Puerto Rico primaries. — But the screwed-up, patchwork system the Democrats are using to choose delegates has given small states …

Discussion: Bang the Drum, The Campaign Spot and Washington Post

Peggy O'Hare / Houston Chronicle:

3 accused of using corpse head to smoke pot — The Kingwood teenager's story of decapitating a corpse and using the head to smoke marijuana was so outlandish that at first Houston Police Department senior police officer Jim Adkins did not believe it. — Yet, Kevin Wade Jones Jr., 17 …

Discussion: protein wisdom, Wake up America and Vodkapundit

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

Thinking About November — The fight for the Democratic nomination seems to be winding down. It's not completely over, but the odds now overwhelmingly favor Barack Obama. — Assuming that Mr. Obama is the nominee, he'll lead a party that, judging by the usual indicators …

Discussion: Too Sense, MSNBC, No More Mister Nice Blog, Brendan Nyhan, Prairie Weather and RADAMISTO

David Harsanyi / Denver Post:

You want radical? You got it — Supreme Court justices take an oath promising to “faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties . . . of the Supreme Court of the United States under the Constitution and laws of the United States. So help me God.”

Discussion: protein wisdom and Dr. Helen