memeorandum: Hamas militant killed in Gaza explosion (Associated Press)

Is She a Trojan Rabbit? — Now Barack Obama faces a true dilemma: how best to punish Hillary Clinton. — After 15 months of fighting her off, as she veered wildly from bully to victim, as she brandished any ice pick at hand, whether racial, sexual, mathematical or marital …

Discussion: Balloon Juice, Corrente and Campaign Stops

Newt Gingrich / Newsweek:

Dear Senator Obama ... A Republican reformer has advice for the new guy promising to clean up Washington: get specific. — Your campaign has been brilliant. It has given you more support and more momentum than most analysts expected a year ago. Keeping things simple and vague has worked so far …

Fred Barnes / Weekly Standard:

Gloomy Republicans — For good reason? — First, the good news. Conservatives won a sweeping victory in an enormously important election the week before last. Unfortunately, it happened in England, where Boris Johnson won the race for mayor of London and Conservatives trounced Labour all across the country.

Discussion: Macsmind, BuzzFlash.org and Classical Values

New York Times:

Already, Obama and McCain Map Fall Strategies — Senators John McCain and Barack Obama are already drawing up strategies for taking each other on in the general election, focusing on the same groups — including independent voters and Latinos — and about a dozen states where they think the contest …

Discussion: PERRspectives Blog, Los Angeles Times, Daily Kos, The Page and On Deadline

Marc Ambinder:
An Optics Problem For McCain

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report, American Street, MyDD, The Jed Report, Obsidian Wings and Newsweek

Michael Cooper / New York Times:
Official Chosen by McCain to Run Convention Resigns

Discussion: Stumper, DownWithTyranny!, The Page and Jonathan Martin's Blogs

Maddy Sauer / ABCNEWS:

Halliburton Rape Claim Goes to Court — Judge Orders That Woman's Case Should Go to Trial, Not Arbitration — A Houston woman who says she was gang raped by co-workers at a Halliburton/KBR camp in Baghdad won a major court battle late Friday when a Texas judge ordered that she can bring …

Discussion: The Other McCain, Buck Naked Politics, Truthdig and Newshoggers.com

Jonathan Martin / The Politico:

Limbaugh: ‘My impact will increase’ — Conservatives are despondent, liberals are as enthused about a presidential candidate as they've been in 40 years, and the candidate he has long loathed won the Republican nomination. — But never mind the pervasive sense of GOP malaise …

Associated Press:

Hamas militant killed in Gaza explosion — GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - A member of the militant group Hamas has been killed in an explosion along Gaza's fence with Israel, the group said Sunday. — The Islamic group's military wing says the member was killed and another injured during a “holy mission.”

Frank Rich / New York Times:

Party Like It's 2008 — ANOTHER weekly do-or-die primary battle, another round of wildly predicted “game changers” that collapsed in the locker room. — Hillary Clinton's attempt to impersonate a Nascar-lovin', gun-totin', economist-bashin' populist went bust: Asked which candidate most …

Discussion: Prairie Weather, Hoffmania!, TalkLeft and Roger L. Simon

Tom Foreman / CNN:

Religious right leaning toward Democrats? — “Raw Politics” on “Anderson Cooper 360” delivers the latest political news with a wry sense of a humor and without spin. — WASHINGTON (CNN) — For decades, evangelicals have been seen as solid supporters of the Republican Party. That could be changing.

Dan Collins / protein wisdom:

Happy Mother's Day! — Mom reading the Geneva Conventions. — Love you, mom. I'll think about you.

Discussion: neo-neocon

Michael A. Hiltzik / Los Angeles Times:

In mortgage market, ‘walkaway’ homeowners may be urban myth — Bankers and housing analysts say many homeowners, owing more than their homes are worth, are defaulting on their loans even when they can afford payments. But no hard numbers back up their claims.

From Beirut to the Beltway:

Hizbullah continues military offensive in Chouf — Areas in Aley are being bombed by Hizbullah artillery, and clashes broke out between Hizbullah, pro-Syrian Arslan and Jumblatt's PSP in Choueifat, forcing many residents to flee. My parents, who live in the area, have fled under gunfire and heavy bombardment.

Discussion: Blacksmiths of Lebanon and Gateway Pundit