memeorandum: Congress struggles to respond to new terror attacks (Mike Lillis/The Hill)

Why Trump Can't Break the G.O.P. — Everywhere you look, in the year of Donald J. Trump, observers are talking about a national party realignment or a Republican death spiral. Our two-party system has not undergone a major realignment since the South became solidly Republican.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and Daily Kos

Frank Bruni / New York Times:

The Republicans' Gay Freakout — OUR infrastructure is inexcusable, much of our public education is miserable and one of our leading presidential candidates is a know-nothing, say-anything egomaniac who yanks harder every day at the tattered fabric of civil discourse and fundamental decency in this country.

Discussion: John Hawkins' Right Wing News and Fusion

Jon Ralston / Ralston Reports:

Sanders likely flips two delegates after dominating Clark convention — Despite losing the state on Feb. 20 in the caucus, Bernie Sanders' campaign swarmed the Clark County caucus and probably flipped two delegates from Hillary Clinton's camp. — Clinton was presumed to have a 20-15 delegate edge …

Megan Messerly / LasVegasSun.com:

Sanders wins most delegates at Clark County convention — Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders scored a surprise victory over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Saturday at the Clark County Democratic Convention, where Sanders won the largest number of delegates a month after losing the Nevada caucuses.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Maureen Dowd / New York Times:

Trump Does It His Way — WASHINGTON — YOU could hear how hard it was for Donald Trump to say the words. — “Yeah, it was a mistake,” he said, sounding a bit chastened. “If I had to do it again, I wouldn't have sent it.” — I was telling him he lost my sister's vote when he retweeted …

Bob Woodward / Washington Post:

In a revealing interview, Trump predicts a ‘massive recession’ but intends to eliminate the national debt in 8 years — Here's what's at stake in the Wisconsin GOP primary … Donald Trump said in an interview that economic conditions are so perilous that the country is headed for a …

Discussion: RedState, Breitbart, BizPac Review, The Right Perspective and Independent Journal …

Katha Pollitt / New York Times:

Abortion and Punishment — DONALD J. TRUMP gave his primary opponents a gift when he said this week that if abortion is outlawed, “there has to be some form of punishment” for the woman. He let them look as if they cared about women. — Gov. John Kasich of Ohio responded to Mr. Trump's comments …

Mike Lillis / The Hill:

Congress struggles to respond to new terror attacks — Congress is scrambling to find a response to a series of recent terrorist attacks, both at home and abroad, that sent shivers through the country and raised questions about the efficacy of the international fight against Islamic State extremists.

Discussion: BizPac Review

Associated Press:

Educational Divide in GOP White House Race; What's Behind It — It was in Nevada, just about month ago, when Donald Trump proclaimed his affection for the uneducated. — “We won with young. We won with old. We won with highly educated. We won with poorly educated.

Discussion: ABC News and Politico

Julia Hahn / Breitbart:

Concerns About Paul Ryan Emerging Out of Ted Cruz-Created Contested Convention as Nominee Dominate Wisconsin — In recent weeks, there has been increasing discussion about the possibility that House Speaker Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) could emerge out of a brokered convention as the Republican nominee …

John Hinderaker / Power Line:

A Deranged Anti-Semite Accuses Me of Libel — I wrote earlier this week about a 9/11 Truther named Kevin Barrett. Barrett once taught at the University of Wisconsin, where his belief that the United States government, in conjunction with Israel, carried out the September 11 attacks made him controversial.

Harper Neidig / The Hill:

Former Defense secretary: Obama ‘double-crossed’ me — Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he felt President Obama “double-crossed” him during his tenure over budget cuts to the Pentagon. — In a Fox News report Friday that explored the president's approach to the military …

Discussion: BizPac Review and The Daily Caller

Discussion: Hot Air

Margot Kidder / CounterPunch:

How Hillary Clinton Bought the Loyalty of 33 State Democratic Parties … Collusion between the Clinton campaign and the DNC allowed Hillary Clinton to buy the loyalty of 33 state Democratic parties last summer. Montana was one of those states. It sold itself for $64,100.

Peter Jamison / Los Angeles Times:

Homophobia, drugs and mental illness may have led to gay man's killing and father's arrest — Next door neighbor Maria Gomez holds her phone displaying the photo a man allegedly killed by his father. The shooting occurred on Tuesday at the family's North Hills home.

Discussion: Slantpoint and L.A. Daily News

Reuters:

Islamic State planted thousands of mines in Palmyra: Syrian army — Islamic State militants retreating from Palmyra laid thousands of mines that they planned to set off simultaneously as the army moved in, a Syrian officer told Reuters in the ancient city after its recapture from the jihadist fighters.

Discussion: Jihad Watch