memeorandum: BREAKING: A Surprise Winner Already Called in Kansas (Moe Lane/RedState)

7:35 PM ET, March 5, 2016

Top Items:

Dylan Byers / CNNMoney:

How Donald Trump broke Fox News' debate rules — Donald Trump consulted with his campaign manager during the first commercial break at Thursday night's Republican debate, violating ground rules from Fox News stating that candidates would not be allowed to have contact with their campaigns, rival campaign sources told CNNMoney.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Talking Points Memo, addictinginfo.org, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Politico, RedState, Death and TaxesDeath and Taxes, New York Magazine and Washington Times

Frances Langum / Latest from Crooks and Liars:

WATCH: CPAC Attendees Boo And Walk Out On Ted Cruz — CPAC is a mess. — The conservative movement loves to call themselves insurgents but they can't spoon it up when it comes to half their audience supporting Donald Trump. — A sizable number of attendees at a Ted Cruz speech booed …

Discussion: liberalamerica.org and addictinginfo.org

Moe Lane / RedState:

BREAKING: A Surprise Winner Already Called in Kansas — Not a single, blessed thing. AoSHQDD has called the race for Ted Cruz, with Donald Trump in second, and Marco Rubio in third. I didn't give the numbers yet because they're unexpected: Cruz at this point is hovering around having …

Manuela Tobias / Politico:

Cruz wins Kansas — Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has won the Kansas Republican caucuses, according to the Associated Press. — Of the five states that have held GOP caucuses so far, this is Cruz's third win, and his fifth primary contest overall. On Tuesday, he scored his home state of Texas, as well as Alaska and Oklahoma.

Discussion: ABC News, New York Times, Hit & Run, New Orleans Times-Picayune, MSNBC, Washington Monthly and Topeka Capital-Journal

Sam Levine / The Huffington Post:

Ted Cruz Crushes At Kansas Republican Caucus — Cruz commanded a 27-point margin in the state after winning neighboring Oklahoma on Super Tuesday. — Associate Politics Editor, The Huffington Post — Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) won the Kansas Republican caucus on Saturday with a margin …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and The Right Scoop

Eliza Collins / Politico:

Cruz wins CPAC straw poll — Texas Sen. Ted Cruz won the straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday. — Cruz was named the winner with 40 percent of the attendees' support, while Florida Sen. Marco Rubio came in second place with 30 percent.

Discussion: RedState and New York Magazine

Elianayjohnson / National Review:

Lindsey Graham Warms Up to Ted Cruz — It's a terrible cliché: Politics makes strange bedfellows. But it was just a few weeks ago that South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham likened the choice between Donald Trump and Ted Cruz as his party's nominee to that between being shot or poisoned.

Discussion: Slantpoint

Katherine Krueger / Talking Points Memo:

Rubio Slams CNN Reporter For Asking Questions About Trump At CPAC (VIDEO) — Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) found a friendly audience to air his grievances about Republican frontrunner Donald Trump Saturday, as the Conservative Political Action Conference crowd repeated booed CNN correspondent Dana Bash during a question and answer session.

Discussion: The Week, NBC News and Donald J Trump for President

Dan Spencer / RedState: Cruz Wins Kansas GOP Caucus

Harper Neidig / The Hill:
Trump broke debate rules: report

Discussion: RedState

Katie Zezima / Washington Post:
Cruz looks to take on Rubio, on the fellow senator's Florida turf

Discussion: Politico

Patricia Mazzei / Naked Politics:

Poll for anti-Donald Trump group finds narrowing Republican presidential race in Florida — A new poll by an anti-Donald Trump group has found a narrowing Republican presidential race in Florida, suggesting the barrage of TV ads by the group and its allies might be taking effect.

Discussion: CANNONFIRE, National Review, Hot Air, RedState, Western Journalism, Political Wire, The Right Scoop and New York Times

Scott Lemieux / Lawyers, Guns & Money:

Let Us Dispel With the Idea that the Rubiobot Knows What He's Doing. He Has No Idea What He's Doing. — This article about how Marco Rubio's floundering Florida campaign is about to GET SERIOUS (actual quote from Rubio backer: “It's time to open the can of whoop-ass.") is comedy gold from which you'll learn something.

Discussion: Eschaton and Politico

Theodore Schleifer / CNN:
Inside Ted Cruz's plan to sink Marco Rubio in Florida

Discussion: Orlando Sentinel, Western Journalism, The Resurgent and Politico

Marc Caputo / Politico:
Rubio trails by 5 in Florida poll conducted for anti-Trump group

Discussion: Politico, RedState, Naked Politics and Washington Post

Timothy Egan / New York Times:

The Beast Is Us — You heard the word “scary” used a lot this week, that and much more. Not from the usual scolds. Or Democrats. The loudest alarms came from desperate, panicked Republicans, warning of the man who is destroying the Party of Lincoln before our eyes.

New York Times:
Rank and File Republicans Tell Party Elites: We're Sticking With Donald Trump

Discussion: Gothamist, Outside the Beltway, No More Mister Nice Blog, Western Journalism, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Wall Street Journal, New Yorker, Washington Post, The Moderate Voice, The Last Tradition and Telegraph

Mtschnyder / CBS Dallas:

Glenn Beck Under Investigation For Alleged Threat Against Trump — DALLAS (CBS11) - Conservative radio host Glenn Beck is under investigation after a comment he made on his radio show when talking about GOP front-runner Donald Trump. Beck says his comment was not directed towards the presidential candidate.

Discussion: The Last Tradition, Washington Times, Walid Shoebat, The Daily Caller, alan.com and addictinginfo.org

Jim Hoft / The Gateway Pundit:

Will Liberal Media EVER Report on VIOLENT LEFTIST THUGS at EVERY SINGLE TRUMP EVENT? — This morning in Cadillac, Michigan far left protesters repeatedly interrupted, screamed profanities and were forced out of the Donald Trump rally. — With thousands of people in attendance at his rallies …

Discussion: The Hill and addictinginfo.org

Kristinn Taylor / The Gateway Pundit: 'Scary, Tense, New Level of Menace": PROTESTERS GET PHYSICAL, INTERRUPT, SCREAM PROFANITIES …

Marianne Zumberge / Variety:

Louis C.K. Compares Donald Trump to Hitler: 'He's an Insane Bigot' — Louis C.K. is the latest public figure to criticize Donald Trump, calling him an “insane bigot” and comparing him to Adolf Hitler. — In a Saturday morning email blast announcing the sixth episode of his web series …

Discussion: addictinginfo.org, Hit & Run, Raw Story, PAPERMAG and The Week

Justin Sink / Bloomberg Business:

Obama to Meet With Financial Regulators Ahead of New Rule — ‘Fiduciary’ rule opposed by brokers is expected soon — 'America's pretty darn great right now,' Obama says on economy — President Barack Obama will meet Monday with financial regulators who are finishing new rules …

Discussion: Hot Air

Andrew C. McCarthy / National Review:

Culture Rot: Donald Trump Is the Effect, Not the Cause

Discussion: Instapundit

Eliza Collins / Politico:

Bergdahl's lawyers request to interview Trump — Bowe Bergdahl's defense has requested to interview Donald Trump. — Franklin D. Rosenblatt, who is representing Bergdahl, sent a letter to the billionaire Saturday requesting to interview Trump over derogatory public comments …

Discussion: ABC News

New York Times:

The Right to Sue the Gun Industry — The world recoiled in horror in 2012 when 20 Connecticut schoolchildren and six adults were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School by a deranged teenager using a military-style assault rifle to fire 154 rounds in less than five minutes.

Discussion: Bearing Arms

Associated Press:

CANADIAN LEADER TRUDEAU BRINGING STAR POWER TO WHITE HOUSE — TORONTO (AP) — Justin Trudeau, the new, young prime minister of Canada with movie-star looks, is bringing his star power to the White House. — The tall, dark-haired, 44-year-old scion of one of Canada's most famous politicians was sworn into office in November.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

Dave Helling / Kansas City Star:

Cruz easily wins Kansas Republican caucuses; Democrats tallying results — With more than 80 percent of the vote counted, Ted Cruz had half the GOP ballots in the state — Donald Trump was running second, and Marco Rubio third — Kansas Democrats, meanwhile, crowded into caucuses across the state

Discussion: Hot Air

Daniel Strauss / Politico:

Bernie's bounce-back weekend — After a Super Tuesday that proved to be something less than super for Bernie Sanders, the Vermont senator is now poised to rattle off a handful of wins this weekend - an outcome that would inject a dose of desperately needed adrenaline into his campaign.

Discussion: Common Dreams, The Hill and Refinery29