memeorandum: Obama narrows Clinton's lead in superdelegates (CNN)

10:30 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: Donklephant, American Street, Comments from Left Field, Political Machine 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: Spin Cycle, The Page, 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: thedailyreview.com, Associated Press, Matthew Yglesias, MSNBC, Ben Smith's Blogs, The Caucus, Donklephant, TPM Election Central and Real Clear Politics

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 …

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

CNN:
Obama narrows Clinton's lead in superdelegates

Discussion: 2008 Democratic …

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

Discussion: MSNBC, Associated Press, MyDD and The Page

Carpetbagger / The Carpetbagger Report:
Heavyweights head to the Hill

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

Jonann Brady / ABCNEWS:
Democratic Dream Team in the Works?

Discussion: Political Radar, Real Clear Politics and Political Machine

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

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

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

Discussion: Commentary, Israel Matzav and From Beirut to the Beltway

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 …

CNN:

Obama: McCain is ‘losing his bearings’ — WASHINGTON (CNN) - Barack Obama chastised John McCain Thursday for engaging in “smear” politics, and defended himself from critics who question whether he is capable of being commander-in-chief, during a wide-ranging interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer …

Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Obama: McCain's “losing his bearings” by noting that Hamas wants me to win

Discussion: Israel Matzav, The Corner and Commentary

CNN:
Obama interview: World wants to see U.S. lead

Discussion: AMERICAblog and The Swamp

Jay Cost / HorseRaceBlog:

Not Quite Yet — Elite opinion on the Democratic race has congealed around the idea that it is over. Clinton has no chance whatsoever to win the nomination now. There is a minority of analysts out there - maybe 5%, maybe even less - who see her path to the nomination as much narrower …

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

Economist:
Almost there — Barack Obama deserves the nomination.

Discussion: The Page

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, Times of London, Instapundit.com, abu muqawama, The Jawa Report, The Long War Journal, Macsmind and Wake up America

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, Brendan Nyhan, No More Mister Nice Blog, Prairie Weather and RADAMISTO

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

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: TownHall Blog

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: Vodkapundit

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:

Uh-Oh … Obama and Paul are the result of the unfolding Dean revolution in internet politics. But what Obama has done is use the power of the web to organize on the ground more effectively than any candidate in history. So far, the non-Paul right has been pretty clueless.