memeorandum: Clinton asks supers to commit in private (The Politico)

2:05 PM 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: Firedoglake, MoJoBlog, The Daily Dish, Political Machine, Donklephant, Comments from Left Field, American Street, Sister Toldjah, TPM Election Central and The Moderate Voice

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: The Other McCain, The Campaign Spot, Bang the Drum and Washington Post

Robert Schwaneberg / New Jersey Online:
Congressman Payne, NJ superdelegate, switches from Clinton to Obama

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

Jesse J. Holland / Associated Press:

Obama wins endorsement of government employees union — WASHINGTON (AP) — 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: Associated Press, Spin Cycle, Liberal Values, Politicker MD, Donklephant and 2008 Democratic …

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: The Daily Dish, TalkLeft, Commentary, The Democratic Daily, Too Sense, No More Mister Nice Blog, Brendan Nyhan, MSNBC, The Reaction, Prairie Weather, RADAMISTO and Associated Press

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: Washington Post, Ben Smith's Blogs, MSNBC and Los Angeles Times

The Politico:
Clinton asks supers to commit in private

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and New York Times

Eugene Robinson / Washington Post:
The Card Clinton Is Playing

Discussion: TalkLeft, Booman Tribune, Wake up America and Commentary

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 …

Discussion: MSNBC, Too Sense, Connecting.the.Dots and BuzzFlash.org

Sam Stein / The Huffington Post:

Rahm Emanuel: Obama Is Our Presumptive Nominee — One of the most influential (and thus far subdued) voices in the Democratic primary all but declared the contest over on Friday morning. — “At this point, Barack is the presumptive nominee,” said Rep. Rahm Emanuel during the New Yorker's magazine conference.

Discussion: Marc Ambinder, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, Ben Smith's Blogs, Boston Globe, AMERICAblog and The Page

Christopher / Back to Iraq:

All 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.

Discussion: Informed Comment, American Street, From Beirut to the Beltway and Attackerman

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

Discussion: Agence France Presse and Jules Crittenden

Amanda / Think Progress:

Republicans vote against Mother's Day. — On Wednesday, the House took up the seemingly uncontroversial H. Res. 1113, “Celebrating the role of mothers in the United States and supporting the goals and ideals of Mother's Day.” The resolution initially passed 412 to 0, until Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) rose in protest:

Discussion: Firedoglake, Examiner, The Carpetbagger Report, Mercury Rising and Shakesville

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

National Journal Online:

Q&A: James Clyburn — The House Majority Whip On The State Of The Democratic Primary Campaign — Fri. — National Journal's Linda Douglass spoke with House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., for the May 9 edition of “National Journal On Air.” This is a transcript of their conversation.

Discussion: The Confluence, MSNBC, Hotline On Call, MOMocrats, The Page, Raw Story and Salon

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, PrestoPundit and Dr. Helen

Joe Gandelman / The Moderate Voice:

Bill Clinton Strikes Again: He Heatedly Argues With A Voter (UPDATED) — They must have run out of duct tape at Home Depot — or Hillary Clinton's advisers must believe that an angry Bill Clinton arguing with a female voter who interrupted him in West Virginia is going to win over people who don't already support Hillary Clinton.

Discussion: Hot Air

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

Krooney / The Page:

Did Edwards Tip His Hand? — Former presidential candidate appears on MSNBC, refuses to reveal who he voted for on Tuesday. — But says in passing- “I just voted for him on Tuesday.” Or was it “just voted for 'em?” Or something else? … Also says there's “a great likelihood” …

Discussion: Cliff Schecter …, The Caucus, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, The Raw Story and The Washington Independent