memeorandum: Marco Rubio for the GOP, but no endorsement for either Democrat (Chicago Tribune)

6:20 PM ET, March 9, 2016

Top Items:

Eric Bradner / CNN:

CNN/ORC Poll: Trump, Clinton leading in Florida, Ohio — Washington (CNN)Donald Trump is leading two of his Republican presidential rivals in their home states, topping Sen. Marco Rubio in Florida and Gov. John Kasich in Ohio, new CNN/ORC polls show. — Hillary Clinton, meanwhile …

Sahil Kapur / Bloomberg Business:

Rubio Suffers Political Meltdown One Week Before Must-Win Florida — The Florida senator had a rough night on Tuesday. — Marco Rubio has found the bottom of the Republican field just two weeks after making a strong move to try to rise to the top of it. — After finishing second …

Discussion: Politico, New York Magazine, The Resurgent, NBC News and Hullabaloo

Ed O'Keefe / Washington Post:

Jeb Bush to meet with Rubio, Cruz and Kasich … Former Florida governor Jeb Bush plans to meet with three of the four remaining Republican presidential candidates today and tomorrow in Miami, according to an aide. — Bush, who until recently was also a presidential contender …

Discussion: Bloomberg Business, New York Times, Cruz for President, Talking Points Memo, RedState, TheStreet.com, The Bob and Chez Show, Guardian and The Week

Carrie Dann / NBC News:

How Trump, Rubio and Cruz Would Fare Against Clinton in November — Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders would handily defeat Donald Trump in a general election match-up, while a clash between Clinton and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz or Florida Sen. Marco Rubio would be a toss-up, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Hill, Hot Air, No More Mister Nice Blog, NBC News, CNBC, Common Dreams, Marco Rubio, Infowars, Western Journalism and Guardian

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:

Sorry, Marco Rubio, it's time to fold — There reaches a time in every campaign in which the only people who are convinced that the candidate has a legitimate chance to win is the candidate himself and the most loyal (or ambitious) aides. The polls look rotten. Every argument against other candidates has been tried and lost.

Discussion: New York Times and National Review

Chicago Tribune:

Marco Rubio for the GOP, but no endorsement for either Democrat — Sen. Marco Rubio, Republican candidate for President of the United States. — This year the Ides of March brings presidential voting to Illinois — a state whose primary often falls so late that it's irrelevant to the nomination process.

Discussion: Politico and Washington Free Beacon

Shane Goldmacher / Politico:
Marco on the brink — SARASOTA, Fla. — With mounting losses …

Discussion: RedState, Daily Kos, Wall Street Journal, Scared Monkeys, Yahoo Politics and CBS News

Washington Post:
Poll: Clinton leads Trump, aided by Obama coalition

Discussion: Politico, The Week, Washington Times, New York Times and Townhall.com

Dan McLaughlin / RedState:
It Is Time For Marco Rubio To Join Ted Cruz For The Benefit Of Marco Rubio

Discussion: Washington Post and The Resurgent

Alex Isenstadt / Politico:
Jeb Bush to meet with Trump rivals individually

Discussion: Political Wire and Mediaite

ABC News:
Jeb Bush Meets With GOP Candidates (Except Trump)

Discussion: The Last Refuge

Michelle Jesse / Allen B. West:
BREAKING: GOP just filed suit against Hillary's State Department

Discussion: RedState and John Hawkins' Right Wing News

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
Marco Rubio Never Had A Base

Discussion: Washington Post, NPR and Townhall.com

Jessica Hopper / ABC News:
Carly Fiorina Endorses Ted Cruz

Discussion: The Hill, USA Today, Business Insider, Associated Press, Independent Journal Review, Wall Street Journal, Weasel Zippers, Shakesville, Townhall.com, Western Journalism, The Week, The Right Scoop, RedState, Althouse and BizPac Review

Patrick O'Connor / Wall Street Journal:
WSJ/NBC Poll: Tenor of Campaign Takes a Toll

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon

Thomas L. Friedman / New York Times:
Only Trump Can Trump Trump — Donald Trump is a walking political science course.

Discussion: Vox Popoli

Tim Murphy / Mother Jones:
Ted Cruz Hits Miami with One Cruel Goal

Discussion: ThinkProgressPage Array, CBS News and Talking Points Memo

Lydia Wheeler / The Hill:

Senate Judiciary to debate issue of Supreme Court nomination — (R-Iowa) said the Senate Judiciary Committee will have a “full-blown debate” Thursday on whether to hold a hearing on a Supreme Court nomination. — “If you want to hear a full-blown debate on this issue …

Discussion: Politico, Washington Post, Washington Monthly, Talking Points Memo, Balloon Juice and The Bob and Chez Show

CNN:

First on CNN: Top name withdraws from Supreme Court consideration — Washington (CNN)Adalberto Jordan, a federal judge in Miami seen as a top contender for the Supreme Court vacancy, has withdrawn his name from contention, a lawmaker told CNN on Wednesday. — “He pulled himself out of consideration …

Discussion: RedState, National Review and BizPac Review

Nina Totenberg / NPR:

President Obama Meets With Supreme Court Candidates — President Obama has begun interviewing candidates for the Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. — Sources close to the process say that among those being interviewed are Chief Judge Merrick Garland …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, USA Today, TheBlaze.com, Talking Points Memo, New York Magazine, SCOTUSblog, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, The Week, Washington Post and NBC News

Dahlia Lithwick / Slate:
The Conservative Era Is Over — Antonin Scalia's death …

Discussion: Washington Monthly and The Federalist

Nolan D. McCaskill / Politico:
RNC sues for emails of Clinton's State Dept. aides

Discussion: GOP.com and WHTM-TV

Harry Enten / FiveThirtyEight:

What The Stunning Bernie Sanders Win In Michigan Means — Bernie Sanders made folks like me eat a stack of humble pie on Tuesday night. He won the Michigan primary over Hillary Clinton, 50 percent to 48 percent, when not a single poll taken over the last month had Clinton leading by less than 5 percentage points.

Glenn Thrush / Politico:
5 takeaways from Bernie's Michigan miracle

Discussion: Seeing the Forest and Campaign for America's Future

Ben Kamisar / The Hill:
Clinton will add to delegate lead after Michigan, Mississippi contests

Discussion: Politico, American Spectator, Weasel Zippers, Politicus USA, RedState, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Scared Monkeys and Liberal Values

David A. Fahrenthold / Washington Post:
Democratic debate in Miami: Clinton, Sanders face off after Michigan surprise

Discussion: Politico, The Atlantic, Mother Jones and FiveThirtyEight

Jonathan Ellis / Mashable:

All the lies Donald Trump told in his election night infomercial — Donald Trump had plenty to celebrate on Tuesday night after winning the Republican primaries in Mississippi and Michigan. — But that didn't really matter. He was still pissed at Mitt Romney for making fun of his companies.

Discussion: CNN, Associated Press, Daily Kos, National Review, ABC News and The Resurgent

Caleb Melby / Bloomberg Business:
When Trump Steaks at a Trump Event Aren't Really ‘Trump Steaks’

Discussion: Politico, USA TODAY College, NPR, Vox, Business Insider, Hit & Run and The Federalist

Michael C. Bender / Bloomberg Business:
Trump's VIPs Get Front-Row Seats to His Political Spectacle

Discussion: US News

PaulMcCartney.com:

Paul McCartney on George Martin — I'm so sad to hear the news of the passing of dear George Martin. I have so many wonderful memories of this great man that will be with me forever. He was a true gentleman and like a second father to me. He guided the career of The Beatles with such skill …

Discussion: New York Times, Rolling Stone, Towleroad, Outside the Beltway, Death and TaxesDeath and Taxes, Boing Boing, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, BBC, USA Today, Hot Air and FOX News Radio

Matt Donnelly / The Wrap:

Sony to Drop Dr. Luke Amid Public Pressure Over Kesha, Internal Headaches (Exclusive) — “The fact that this hasn't already been taken care of is confusing, especially for people in the building,” one insider said of music company — Sony Music is expected to end its working relationship …

Discussion: EW.com, ThinkProgressPage Array, Guardian, Death and TaxesDeath and Taxes, Mashable, Vocativ, The Verge, Mediaite and The Week

Gregg Zoroya / USA Today:

Pentagon admits it has deployed military spy drones over the U.S. — The Pentagon has deployed drones to spy over U.S. territory for non-military missions over the past decade, but the flights have been rare and lawful, according to a new report. — The report by a Pentagon inspector general …

Discussion: Computerworld, The Free Thought Project, Infowars, Common Dreams, Vox Popoli and Washington Post

Joel B. Pollak / Breitbart:

EXCLUSIVE: Jon Voight Endorses Donald Trump for President — LOS ANGELES — Hollywood legend Jon Voight has endorsed Republican Donald J. Trump for President of the United States. — In an interview with Breitbart News Tuesday evening, the Oscar-, Emmy-, and Golden Globe-winning actor said …

Discussion: Mediaite, The Daily Caller, EveryJoe, Independent Journal Review, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Western Journalism and Fox News Insider

New York Times:

ISIS Detainee Tells U.S. of Militants' Plan to Use Mustard Gas — WASHINGTON — An Islamic State detainee currently in American custody at a temporary detention facility in Erbil, Iraq, is a specialist in chemical weapons whom American military officials are questioning about the militant Sunni group's plans …

Discussion: Fox News, CNN, France 24, Allen B. West, The Daily Caller, Fox News Insider, The Week and The Atlantic

Joseph Goldstein / New York Times: Tairod Pugh, Air Force Veteran, Is Found Guilty of Trying to Aid ISIS

Hadas Gold / Politico:

Trump campaign manager gets rough with Breitbart reporter — Donald Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski forcibly yanked Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields out of the way after his press conference in Florida on Tuesday night. — Fields was attempting to ask Trump a question as he exited the press conference.

Michael E. Miller / Washington Post:

Idaho shooting suspect's ‘hypersexual’ Martian manifesto is a window into an unraveling mind — On Tuesday evening, as tourists snapped photos in front of the White House, a young man with blond hair and blue eyes approached the black iron fence. — Kyle Odom wasn't there to take pictures, though.

Discussion: BarbWire.com, Talking Points Memo, New York Magazine, Right Wing Watch, Mashable and Associated Press

Nathan Takitch / WSAZ-TV:

Anonymous tip claims raw milk caused illnesses at Capitol — CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) — In the weeks after passing a bill, allowing West Virginians to drink raw milk, one delegate brought the drink in to celebrate and, eventually, several lawmakers have gotten sick.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Death and TaxesDeath and Taxes, Mediaite, addictinginfo.org and The Week