memeorandum: Bernie mopped the floor with Hillary (John Podhoretz/New York Post)

3:10 PM ET, January 18, 2016

Top Items:

Ezra Klein / Vox:

Bernie Sanders's single-payer plan isn't a plan at all — Sanders's long-awaited health care plan is, by turns, vague and unrealistic. — Hillary Clinton has made a lot of bad arguments about Bernie Sanders's support for single-payer. But her best argument was her simplest …

Discussion: Power Line, Mother Jones, New York Magazine, National Review, Washington Post, New York Times, Forbes, NBC News and Daily Kos

John Podhoretz / New York Post:

Bernie mopped the floor with Hillary — Mainstream Democrats breathed a sigh of relief in October when Hillary Clinton dominated the first debate with Bernie Sanders — but after Sunday night's debate, they're probably hyperventilating. Or ought to be. — The Sanders surge …

Discussion: Althouse, New York Times, Instapundit, Weasel Zippers and Power Line

Peter Schweizer / New York Post:

Bill Clinton's pardon of fugitive Marc Rich continues to pay big — Fifteen years ago this month, on Jan. 20, 2001, his last day in office, Bill Clinton issued a pardon for international fugitive Marc Rich. It would become perhaps the most condemned official act of Clinton's political career.

Discussion: Hot Air

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

Health Reform Realities — Health reform is the signature achievement of the Obama presidency. It was the biggest expansion of the social safety net since Medicare was established in the 1960s. It more or less achieves a goal — access to health insurance for all Americans …

Discussion: Washington Post

Chris Cillizza / Washington Post:

Winners and losers from the fourth Democratic presidential debate — The fourth Democratic presidential debate — and the last one before the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary next month — is in the books. The best and the worst from the night are below. And make sure to check out our annotated debate transcript!

Discussion: The Hill, AMERICAblog NewsAMERICAblog …, Vox, Daily Wire and Slantpoint

Rick Klein / ABC News:
Hillary Clinton Embraces Obama Legacy, as Bernie Sanders Aims for Democrats' Hearts

Discussion: Politico, The Hill, Yahoo Politics, Associated Press, Washington Post, naked capitalism, New York Times, The Atlantic, Los Angeles Times, Des Moines Register, BostonGlobe.com, NBC News, Raw Story and Post and Courier

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:
This number proves Bernie Sanders can win Iowa

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Christian Science Monitor, Politico, Daily Kos, Daily Wire, The Daily Banter, The Hill and Booman Tribune

Paul Sperry / New York Post:
Don't be fooled by Bernie Sanders — he's a diehard communist

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and alan.com

Kyle Cheney / Politico:
Sanders plan would cover undocumented immigrants

Discussion: ABC News, Mediaite, Quartz, Fusion, Mother Jones, Yahoo Politics, Bloomberg Business and The Daily Caller

Nick Gass / Politico:
Sanders slams Clinton: 'I don't get personal speaking fees from Goldman Sachs'

Discussion: Shadowproof, Hot Air, Taylor Marsh and Bloomberg.com

Annie Karni / Politico:
Clinton and Sanders brawl over doctors, guns and money

Discussion: TIME, ABC News, Bloomberg Business and Bloomberg.com

Noah Weiland / Politico:
Who spoke the most during the debate?

Discussion: Bloomberg.com

Bloomberg Business: Sanders Releases ‘Medicare for All’ Health Plan Hours Before Debate

Leon H. Wolf / RedState:

Donald Trump's Epic Weekend Meltdown — Maybe Donald Trump needs some of that “free” mental healthcare that the Democrats were talking about last night. — If you are like most ordinary Americans, you probably spent the weekend watching the NFL playoffs, or spending time with your family …

Discussion: Booman Tribune and Guardian

Blake Hounshell / Politico:

Trump bungles Bible reference at Liberty University — Donald Trump, speaking to a religious crowd at Virginia's Liberty University on Monday, turned to scripture. — “We're going to protect Christianity. I can say that. I don't have to be politically correct,” he said.

Discussion: TIME, Washington Monthly and addictinginfo.org

Ron Paul / Townhall.com:

When Peace Breaks Out With Iran... This has been the most dramatic week in US/Iranian relations since 1979. — Last weekend ten US Navy personnel were caught in Iranian waters, as the Pentagon kept changing its story on how they got there. It could have been a disaster for President Obama's big gamble …

Discussion: Mediaite

Fred Kaplan / Slate:
Obama's Republican Foreign Policy Critics Don't Understand How the World Works

Discussion: Washington Post, New York Times, The Mahablog and Outside the Beltway, more at Mediagazer »

Juan Williams / The Hill:

GOP to blame for civility's breakdown — If you ask me, President Obama is being way too hard on himself. — “It's one of the few regrets of my presidency, that the rancor and suspicion between the parties has gotten worse instead of better,” the president said during his final State of the Union address last week.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Peter Fricke / Campus Reform:

Portland Community College to devote an entire month to 'whiteness'-shaming — The school says the month is an “educational project” exploring how the “construct of whiteness” creates racial inequality. — Portland Community College has designated April “Whiteness History Month” (WHM) …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, The Daily Caller, John Hawkins' Right Wing News and Truth Revolt

Zeke J Miller / TIME:

Exclusive: Chris Christie Calls Ted Cruz ‘Asinine’ For New York Values Smear — He also calls Cruz a ‘Washington insider’ — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is none too pleased with rival Texas Sen. Ted Cruz's criticism of “New York values.” — In an interview with TIME in Iowa Sunday …

Discussion: Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, BuzzFeed and The Daily Caller

Jeb Bush:

Restoring the Right to Rise Through a Quality Education — A Blueprint for a 21st Century American Education System — Every individual in this country has the right to rise. Yet today, the American Dream—the idea that anything is possible through hard work—is threatened …

Discussion: The Hill, RedState, Politico, Florida Politics and Naked Politics

Mike Lillis / The Hill:

In primary challenge, Wasserman Schultz faces unprecedented test — For Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), the problems with the left just keep coming. — The Democratic National Committee (DNC) chief has infuriated many Democrats with her handling of the party's presidential primary debates.

Larry Elliott Economics / Guardian:

Richest 62 people as wealthy as half of world's population, says Oxfam — Charity says only higher wages, crackdown on tax dodging and higher investment in public services can stop divide widening — The vast and growing gap between rich and poor has been laid bare in a new Oxfam report showing …

Discussion: Samizdata and The Daily Caller