memeorandum: Ted Cruz's Prospects Ascendant, Though Perhaps Not With Senate Peers (Jennifer Steinhauer/New York Times)

5:30 PM ET, March 8, 2016

Top Items:

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

Discussion: Common Dreams, The Moderate Voice, Hot Air, U.S. Uncut, Balloon Juice, Washington Free Beacon, The Resurgent, The Week and Political Wire

Peter Moore / YouGov US Opinion Center News:

Most Americans agree Trump is a ‘fraud’ and a ‘phony’ — Just over half of Americans agree with Mitt Romney that Trump is a ‘fraud’ and a ‘phony’, but Republicans disagree … As the Trump campaign maintained its strong momentum Republican heavyhitters Mitt Romney and John McCain blasted the frontrunner in unusually blunt language.

Discussion: New York Times, Independent Journal Review and Slantpoint

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

Fallon Silcox / mynews13.com:

Exclusive Florida Decides Poll: Trump, Clinton lead Florida's presidential primaries — If Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton were the candidates in November, Clinton would lose a close contest to Trump, according to our exclusive poll. — What will the outcome of the presidential primary elections be?

Discussion: Guardian, The Gateway Pundit, EveryJoe, Washington Post and Florida Politics

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: Washington Post, No More Mister Nice Blog, NBC News and Balloon Juice

Patrick Reis / Politico:
Is Trump peaking? We'll find out today

Discussion: idahopoliticsweekly.com, New York Times, Washington Post and Washington Times

Chicago Tribune:
Trump leads splintered Republican primary field in Illinois

Discussion: Power Line, Washington Post, Politico, NBC News and Washington Times

Andrew Kaczynski / BuzzFeed:
Rubio On CNN Story: “They Just Made It Up”

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

CBS News:
Donald Trump falsely claims he “employs many people” at Honolulu hotel

Discussion: National Review, Power Line and The Right Scoop

Alex Swoyer / Breitbart:
Poll: Mitt Romney Helped Donald Trump, More Voters Now More Likely to Support the Billionaire

Discussion: Western Journalism

Eliza Collins / Politico:
Rubio campaign accuses Cruz of ‘dirty tricks’ in Hawaii

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, RedState, Talking Points Memo, New York Magazine, ABC News, The Daily Caller and CNN

Plain Dealer:
Mitt Romney tapes Michigan robocall for John Kasich

Discussion: Washington Post, Daily Kos, The Week and Talking Points Memo

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

Discussion: The Columbus Dispatch, Fox News, Talking Points Memo, CNN, Western Journalism, Washington Post, The Week, MSNBC, Business Insider, New York Magazine and Reuters

Jon / Common Dreams:

Washington Post Ran 16 Negative Stories on Bernie Sanders in 16 Hours — In what has to be some kind of record, the Washington Post ran 16 negative stories on Bernie Sanders in 16 hours, between roughly 10:20 PM EST Sunday, March 6, to 3:54 PM EST Monday, March 7—a window that includes …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Daily Caller, U.S. Uncut, Washington Post, The Moderate Voice and Associated Press

Ron Fournier / The Atlantic:
Why Michigan Voters Are Hungry for Change

Discussion: theGrio, MSNBC and NBC News

Heidi M Przybyla / USA Today:
Michigan could be pivotal for Sanders to mount comeback

Discussion: The Week, CBS Detroit, Political Insider blog and USA TODAY College

Katie Glueck / Politico:

Bush family member endorses Cruz — Ted Cruz on Tuesday nabbed an unlikely endorsement: the backing of a Bush. — Neil Bush, a brother of George W. Bush and Jeb Bush, was listed (along with his wife) as one of 13 new additions to Cruz's national finance team.

Discussion: Independent Journal Review and The Week

Jennifer Steinhauer / New York Times:
Ted Cruz's Prospects Ascendant, Though Perhaps Not With Senate Peers

Discussion: Raw Story, Washington Post and The Week

Stuart Rothenberg / Roll Call:
Dem Senate Takeover Probable, If Cruz or Trump Nominee

Discussion: Politicus USA

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: Hot Air, Mediaite, AMERICAblog NewsAMERICAblog …, Liberty Unyielding, Talking Points Memo and The Week

Brian Stelter / CNNMoney:

Why Donald Trump scrapped this morning's live TV hits — Donald Trump was scheduled to go on a satellite TV tour Tuesday morning, but it was scrapped at the last minute. He called into several morning TV shows by phone instead. — So what happened? He says there were technical glitches.

Discussion: The Week and Mediaite

Raoul Wootliff / The Times of Israel:

Stabbing victim pulls knife out of own neck, kills terrorist — Israeli man hospitalized in moderate condition after Petah Tikva attack — An Israeli man who was stabbed multiple times Tuesday afternoon in a terror attack in Petah Tikva managed to remove the knife fromn his neck and use …

Discussion: Mediaite, EveryJoe, The Daily Caller, Pamela Geller and The Week

Thomas Frank / Guardian:

Millions of ordinary Americans support Donald Trump. Here's why — When he isn't spewing insults, the Republican frontrunner is hammering home a powerful message about free trade and its victims — et us now address the greatest American mystery at the moment: what motivates the supporters …

Discussion: Shakesville

KTVU-TV:

Video: Car nearly crashes into KTVU reporter, everyone ok — ALAMEDA COUNTY (KTVU) - As KTVU reporter Alex Savidge was covering the train derailment in Alameda County on Tuesday morning, a car crashed and careened toward him and his photographer. — Alex was live on Mornings on 2 at that moment.

Discussion: CBS Detroit, Mediaite, WHTM-TV, Fox News Insider, FOX 61 and KTLA

Aaron Elstein / Crain's New York Business:

How did Trump qualify for a middle-class tax break? — The GOP front-runner received a tax break available only to couples deemed by the state to have made $500,000 or less — One of the enduring mysteries of Donald Trump is just how much wealth he has. Forbes pegs his net worth at $4.5 billion …

Discussion: RedState and Politicus USA

CNN:

White House ‘surprised’ to learn Netanyahu turned down meeting — 2015: Obama meets with his least favorite ally — Washington (CNN)The White House said Monday it was “surprised” to learn through press reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had declined an invitation …

Discussion: Haaretz, Western Journalism, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Washington Post and Foreign Policy

Reuters:
Israel's Netanyahu declines offer to meet with Obama: White House

Discussion: Hot Air, Weasel Zippers and John Hawkins' Right Wing News

Joan E. Solsman / The Wrap:

GOP and Tech Leaders Hold Secret Meeting to Stop Trump — Gathering took place at a private island resort over the weekend — Silicon Valley may be a bastion of liberals, but the threat of a Donald Trump presidency had some of technology's biggest names meeting behind closed doors with members of the Republican elite.

Discussion: AppleInsider, Mashable and The Daily Caller

Stephen Dethrage / Tuscaloosa News:

Saban backs suicide prevention bill — Thanks in no small part to Alabama football coach Nick Saban, a bill was introduced in a state Senate committee Tuesday that, if passed, will make suicide awareness and prevention training mandatory for all certified public school personnel.

Discussion: Associated Press

Ian Tuttle / National Review:

Add Another Yuuge Failure to Trump's Pile: The Trump Network — In 2009, lots of people were feeling vulnerable. The housing bubble had burst, taking with it millions of jobs. Pensions had vanished. Stocks were slumping. For a shrewd businessman, it was the perfect time for a get-rich-quick scheme.

Discussion: Mother Jones

Les Zaitz / Oregonian:

Bullet hole on LaVoy Finicum's truck traced to elite FBI team — BEND - Something didn't seem right about the bullet hole in the top of Robert “LaVoy” Finicum's white Dodge pickup. — Investigators from the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office could account for bullet holes in the left front hood …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, Statesman Journal and Balloon Juice

Tom Wheeler / fcc.gov:

Federal Communications Commission — Welcome to the new FCC.gov. Help us improve by providing feedback & reporting bugs. — Consumer - Enforcement - International - Media - Public Safety - Wireless - Wireline - Offices — Broadband: A Lifeline for the 21st Century — Commissioner

Discussion: Computerworld, Washington Post, Consumerist, Engadget and Common Dreams