memeorandum: Republicans Weighing the Benefits of Bush's Embrace (New York Times)

12:45 PM ET, February 10, 2008

Top Items:

Obama Gets Convincing Wins in 3 States — Senator Barack Obama won decisive victories over Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in Washington, Louisiana and Nebraska on Saturday, giving him an impressive sweep going into a month when the Democratic nominating contests are expected to favor him.

Discussion: Althouse, The Carpetbagger Report, Washington Monthly, Marc Ambinder, On Deadline, The Washington Note, Publius Pundit, Blue Crab Boulevard, Buck Naked Politics, The New Republic, Roger Ailes and CNN

Ben Smith / The Politico:

Obama landslides could break deadlock — Barack Obama's landslide victories in three mid-sized states Saturday suggest that he has the opportunity build a significant lead over Hillary Rodham Clinton among the locked-in “pledged” delegates before the candidates face off in the big battlegrounds of Ohio and Texas on March 4.

Discussion: Booman Tribune, Comments from Left Field, Jules Crittenden, BizzyBlog and The Swamp

Jeff E. Schapiro / inRich.com:

Poll: Obama, McCain lead in Va. — Both enjoy sizable leads over rivals as primary approaches Tuesday — Barack Obama and John McCain may be cruising toward blowout wins in Virginia's presidential primary Tuesday. — Among the Democrats, the poll conducted for the Richmond Times-Dispatch …

Discussion: Jonathan Martin's Blogs

Douglas E. Schoen / Washington Post:

The Disaffected Voters Who'll Decide 2008 — It has been a totally confusing election — and the 2008 race is only getting started. — The resurrection of John McCain, the Barack Obama insurgency, the fall (and rise) of Hillary Rodham Clinton, the rise (and fall and rise) of Mike Huckabee …

Discussion: Unqualified Offerings, The Heretik and The Strata-Sphere

Charles Babington / Associated Press:

Obama, Clinton turn eyes to McCain — BANGOR, Maine - John McCain's emergence as the probable Republican presidential nominee is reshaping the Democratic contest, prompting Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama to cast themselves as best-suited to defeat him and focus on issues they think will play to his strengths and weaknesses.

Discussion: Jonathan Martin's Blogs

New York Times:

Obama Wins Nebraska and Washington — Senator Barack Obama won the caucuses in Nebraska and Washington on Saturday, defeating his rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton as the two scrambled for delegates in their fiercely contested battle for the Democratic nomination.

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, The Swamp, The Hill, DownWithTyranny!, The Strata-Sphere, You Decide 08!, The New Republic, PoliticalBase.com Blog, FOX Embeds, Gateway Pundit, American Street, Joe. My. God., Omaha World-Herald, The Agonist and PrestoPundit

Washington Post:
Obama Handily Wins Nebraska, Louisiana, Washington

Discussion: TIME: Swampland

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Obama sweeps in the Virgin Islands

Discussion: MyDD, The Carpetbagger Report, PoliticalBase.com Blog, The Reaction, RealClearPolitics and Patterico's Pontifications

Eric Pianin / Live Coverage:
Obama Sweeps Clinton in Louisiana, Nebraska, Washington

Discussion: Tim Blair and The Heretik

Dave Johnson / The Huffington Post:

Driving A Wedge — The Drudge Report is a right-wing site that is used to drive right-wing propaganda into the large, corporate media outlets. When a story is featured at the Drudge Report, you always have to ask why, and ask what is the right's intent behind getting this story into circulation.

Bob Lewis / Associated Press:

Wilder Still Sore Over Clinton Comment … RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The nation's first elected black governor said Saturday he is not ready to excuse comments former President Bill Clinton made about Barack Obama. — In campaigning for his wife last month on the eve of the New Hampshire primary …

Washington Post:
Women Could Give Clinton the Edge In Maine's Caucuses

Discussion: The Page

Frank Rich / New York Times:

Next Up for the Democrats: Civil War — WHAT if a presidential candidate held what she billed as “the largest, most interactive town hall in political history” on national television, and no one noticed? — The untold story in the run-up to Super Tuesday was Hillary Clinton's elaborate live prime …

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, NewsBusters.org and David Seaton's News Links

Floyd Norris / New York Times:

Job Growth Where Bush Didn't Want It — IT is not exactly a distinction that he had in mind, but seven years into his presidency, George W. Bush is in line to be the first president since World War II to preside over an economy in which federal government employment rose more rapidly than employment in the private sector.

Discussion: Daily Kos

Tad Devine / New York Times:

Superdelegates, Back Off — ON the first Wednesday in June, the morning after the last day of voting in the 1984 campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, the long, drawn-out battle that began with Gary Hart's stunning victory in New Hampshire ended — but only after one last plot twist.

Matt / Think Progress:

Ashcroft: Bush is ‘the most respectful’ ever of civil liberties. — In a speech to Missouri Republicans yesterday, former attorney general John Ashcroft defended President Bush's warrantless wiretapping program and his record on civil liberties, declaring that Bush is “among the most respectful …

Discussion: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Darsha Philips / WNWO-TV:

Mayor kicks Marines out of Toledo — 1-24th Marines were scheduled for weekend urban warfare training in downtown Toledo, when Carty gave them the boot — TOLEDO, OH — Mayor Carty Finkbeiner on Friday ordered some 200 members of Company A, 1st Battalion, 24th Marines from Grand Rapids …

Discussion: HazZzMat, Bookworm Room, Greatscat!, PoliGazette, Wizbang and Toledo Blade

Daily Mail:

Britain kow tows to China as athletes are forced to sign no criticism contracts — British Olympic chiefs are to force athletes to sign a contract promising not to speak out about China's appalling human rights record - or face being banned from travelling to Beijing.

Discussion: Reason Magazine and The Agitator

New York Times:

Republicans Weighing the Benefits of Bush's Embrace — WASHINGTON — With President Bush's job approval ratings hovering around 30 percent and four-fifths of Americans believing the country is on the wrong track, some Republicans say the best thing he could do this election season would be to simply stay out of the way.

Discussion: The Swamp, Think Progress, Balkinization and Bluey Blog

CNN:
Romney edges McCain in conservative straw poll

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, Jonathan Martin's Blogs, HorsesAss.Org, The Carpetbagger Report, Fausta's blog, Bluey Blog, The Corner, DownWithTyranny!, Macsmind, protein wisdom and Washington Post

Jonah Goldberg / The Corner:

Real Time — Kathryn - As you know, I basically agree with you. I thought Maher's comments about Limbaugh were grotesque. I regret not piping up about it, but this was supposed to be a segment solely with PJ O'Rourke and by that point in the show I'd reconciled myself to simply keeping a cool head …

Dr. Steven Taylor / PoliBlog (TM):

Mark Cuban's Presidential Endorsement — In a lengthy post over atBlog Maverick, Mark Cuban makes the legitimate point that candidates for the presidency frequently make promises without providing details of exactly how the promised feats will occur: … His solution? He hope that

Discussion: The Newshoggers

Mark Cuban / Blog Maverick:
My Presidential Endorsement:

Discussion: Shakespeare's Sister

Sam Graham-Felsen / my.barackobama.com:

After Widespread Reports of Voting Irregularities Obama Campaign Submits Urgent Request for Assistance — BATON ROUGE, LA— The Obama campaign submitted an urgent request for assistance to the Secretary of State's Division of Elections today, after receiving widespread reports …

Discussion: The BRAD BLOG