memeorandum: ‘Ghetto’ gaffe highlights Bernie Sanders campaign's struggle with race (Adam Howard/MSNBC)

11:40 AM ET, March 8, 2016

Top Items:

David Brooks / New York Times:

It's Not Too Late! — It's 2 a.m. The bar is closing. Republicans have had a series of strong and nasty Trump cocktails. Suddenly Ted Cruz is beginning to look kind of attractive. At least he's sort of predictable, and he doesn't talk about his sexual organs in presidential debates!

Discussion: NBC News

Patrick Reis / Politico:

Is Trump peaking? We'll find out today — On Tuesday, Donald Trump will discover whether his weekend struggles were a speed bump — or the first signs of larger troubles ahead. — If the polls are to believed, Trump is in for a dominant day, with blowouts in Michigan and Mississippi to be complemented by another win in Idaho.

Discussion: idahopoliticsweekly.com, Washington Post, Political Insider blog and Washington Times

Dan Balz / Washington Post:

Poll: Trump leads GOP race nationally but with weaker hold on the party … The state of the 2016 race — Donald Trump continues to lead his rivals nationally in the contest for the Republican presidential nomination, but his hold on the GOP electorate has weakened since the primary season began …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, NBC News, New York Post, Politico, Hot Air, Weasel Zippers, Florida Politics, Washington Times, The Week and BloombergView.com

Chicago Tribune:

Trump leads splintered Republican primary field in Illinois — Republican presidential candidates, from left, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., businessman Donald Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich at a debate at on March 3, 2016, in Detroit. — Privacy Policy

Discussion: Washington Post, Politico, Political Wire and Washington Times

ABC News:

Trump Hits a Wall Within the GOP; His Critics Back a Convention Fight (POLL)

Discussion: Balloon Juice, The Resurgent, Political Wire and The Week

New York Times: What We're Watching as 4 States Vote and Both Parties Court Michigan

ABC News:
The Note: Primary Primer

Discussion: Politico

Nick Corasaniti / New York Times:

Fox News Forum May Signal Thaw Between Democrats and Network — DETROIT — Rebuffed yet again in coaxing Hillary Clinton onto Fox News, executives at the network had an outside-the-box idea last month that would have made primary debate history: a face-off between Senator Bernie Sanders …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Liberty Unyielding, Mediaite and The Week

Adam Howard / MSNBC:

‘Ghetto’ gaffe highlights Bernie Sanders campaign's struggle with race — While discussing his own racial “blind spots” during Sunday night's Democratic presidential debate in Flint, Michigan, Sen. Bernie Sanders offered that white people “don't know what it's like to be living in a ghetto.

Discussion: The Atlantic, theGrio, NBC News, Washington Post, The Daily Caller, Vox and Talking Points Memo

Brian Flood / The Wrap:
Fox News' Bret Baier: Some Republicans Could Back Hillary Clinton Over Donald Trump

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Mediaite and Hot Air

Jamelle Bouie / Slate:
The Real Difference Between Hillary and Bernie

Discussion: US News, Washington Post, FactCheck.org and New York Times

Caitlin Dickson / Yahoo Politics:
Clinton, Sanders go down to the wire in Michigan

Discussion: CBS News and Politico

Ryan Grim / The Huffington Post:

At Secretive Meeting, Tech CEOs And Top Republicans Commiserate, Plot To Stop Trump — Karl Rove shared focus group findings that give hope to the GOP establishment. — Washington bureau chief for The Huffington Post Senior Enterprise Editor, The Huffington Post Congressional Reporter, The Huffington Post

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Western Journalism, Business Insider, The Verge, ProfessorBainbridge.com and Shakesville

Washington Post:

Seeing Trump as vulnerable, GOP elites now eye a contested convention … PARK CITY, Utah — The presentation is an 11th-hour rebuttal to the fatalism permeating the Republican establishment: Slide by slide, state by state, it calculates how Donald Trump could be denied the nomination.

Discussion: Vox, New York Times, CNN, The Resurgent, USA Today, Fox News Insider, No More Mister Nice Blog, Daily Kos, New York Magazine, Talking Points Memo, The Gateway Pundit, Towleroad, Florida Politics, Politico, Washington Times, Business Insider and The Daily Caller

Jesse Byrnes / The Hill:
Trump: Contested convention would be ‘pretty unfair’

Discussion: Washington Post

Jim Hoft / The Gateway Pundit: Top Tech Giants, GOP Elites, McConnell, Paul Ryan Hold Secret Meeting on How to Stop Trump

Nolan D. McCaskill / Politico:
Graham: We should have kicked Trump out of the party

Discussion: Washington Post

CNN:

Some Rubio advisers say get out before Florida — Washington (CNN)A battle is being waged within Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's campaign about whether he should even remain in the Republican presidential race ahead of his home state primary on March 15, sources say.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Patterico's Pontifications, Talking Points Memo, NBC News, TheBlaze.com, Mediaite, The Right Scoop, Politico, Washington Post, RedState, Western Journalism, The Week, Politicus USA, Towleroad, Hot Air and The Last Tradition

Katie Glueck / Politico:
Cruz forces Rubio to defend turf

Discussion: Political Wire and Talking Points Memo

Jonathan Martin / New York Times:
Mitt Romney Records Phone Message for Marco Rubio's Campaign

Discussion: Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, Business Insider, New York Magazine, Politico and Reuters

John Fund / National Review:
At Current Rate, Trump Might Not Get to 1,237 Delegates

Discussion: Washington Post and NBC News

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:
Trump, Kasich in Tight Ohio Race

Discussion: Hot Air, Mediaite, Guardian, Washington Post and National Review

Michael R. Bloomberg / BloombergView.com:

The Risk I Will Not Take — Americans today face a profound challenge to preserve our common values and national promise. — Wage stagnation at home and our declining influence abroad have left Americans angry and frustrated. And yet Washington, D.C., offers nothing but gridlock and partisan finger-pointing.

New York Times:
Maps Show Where Bloomberg Aides Thought He Would Be Competitive

Discussion: Business Insider and Washington Post

New York Times:
Michael Bloomberg Says He Won't Run for President

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, Political Insider blog, Florida Politics, whorunsGov, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Atlantic, Weasel Zippers, Washington Post, Business Insider, Gothamist, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Week, Outside the Beltway and Political Wire

Travis Gettys / Raw Story:

Conservative lawyer says Scalia might never be replaced: 'There's nothing magical' about nine justices — DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY! — A conservative legal activist is promoting the idea that the U.S. Senate can hold off indefinitely in naming a replacement for the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

Discussion: addictinginfo.org

Peter Montgomery / Right Wing Watch:
Federalist Society VP Says Senate Could Ignore SCOTUS Nominees Indefinitely

Discussion: liberalamerica.org

Ben Schreckinger / Politico:

Trump cracks down on protesters — CONCORD, N.C. — Donald Trump's rally here began with the candidate asking all attendees to raise their hands and take an oath to vote for him, while extended barriers cordoned off the press and plainclothes private intelligence officers scoured the crowd for protestors.

Discussion: Washington Post and Yahoo Politics

Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Probe into Secret Service-photographer altercation at Trump rally

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Department of Homeland … and Little Green Footballs

Alex Isenstadt / Politico:
New anti-Trump ad highlights his bad BLEEP language

Discussion: The Hill, addictinginfo.org, Hot Air, Washington Post and Mediaite

CBS News:

Donald Trump falsely claims he “employs many people” at Honolulu hotel — Donald Trump on Monday asked the people of Hawaii to vote for him in the March 8 GOP caucuses - claiming he “employs many people” at his Honolulu hotel.

Discussion: National Review and The Right Scoop

Karoli Kuns / Latest from Crooks and Liars:

Samantha Bee Eulogizes The GOP — Samantha Bee was brutal in her eulogy for the now-dead Grand Old Party tonight, noting that they just now “realized Trump is doing to GOP what his @sshole son does to real elephants.” — And she did not spare Mitt Romney, either, reminding …

Discussion: Raw Story and addictinginfo.org

Los Angeles Times:

Super PAC consultant who spent $100 million on Jeb Bush is unapologetic — Supporters of Jeb Bush in Spartanburg, S.C., on Feb. 19. Mike Murphy, the man behind Bush's super PAC, says he is still “proud of him.” — No one can argue that Mike Murphy didn't try.