memeorandum: LESSONS FROM THE GENERAL — BIG RAY ODIERNO RETURNS FROM IRAQ (New York Post)

3:35 AM ET, March 8, 2008

Top Items:

THANK YOU, MAY I HAVE ANOTHER? — Let me stipulate to one thing: if this were two Republicans squabbling, I'd be laughing my head off at the moment. And I can assure you a lot of them are. — The Clinton campaign has gotten so deep inside the Obama campaign's collective head it just ain't funny …

Discussion: Comments from Left Field, Cogitamus and TalkLeft

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:

Power on Obama's Iraq plan: “best case scenario” — For all the chatter about Obama adviser Samantha Power's calling Clinton a “monster,” another set of remarks made on her book tour in the United Kingdom may be equally threatening to the Obama campaign: Comments in a BBC interview that express …

Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute:

Obama Flips His Previous Flop On Iraq — Apparently Obama was for a firm timetable for Iraqi withdrawals before he was against it, and then for it. — This gets tricky, but stay with me - Samantha Power, “an unpaid foreign policy adviser and Harvard professor to the Obama campaign” …

Discussion: Political Punch and Political Radar

Dafydd / Big Lizards:
Obama, Power, and Obama Power; Letters to a Blogger

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns and Money and Power Line

Frank James / The Swamp:
Clinton skewers Obama on Samantha Power

Discussion: New York Times, The Politico, TPM Election Central and Real Clear Politics

David Corn / MoJoBlog:
In “Monster"-Gate, Clintonites Get Away with a Slur, While Respected …

Discussion: The Scotsman, Matthew Yglesias, The Page, The Washington Note, Hold Fast, L.A. Times, bustardblog, Washington Post, Democracy in America, Obsidian Wings, Lawyers, Guns and Money and skippy the bush kangaroo

Jennifer Parker / Political Radar:

McCain Loses Cool With NY Times Reporter — ABC News' Bret Hovell Reports: Senator John McCain grew agitated Friday with a New York Times reporter who asked about his 2004 conversation with then-Democratic nominee John Kerry about McCain possibly running as Kerry's vice presidential nominee.

Discussion: The Caucus, Salon, Riehl World View, Macsmind, Jonathan Martin's Blogs, Sister Toldjah, The Gun Toting Liberal™, The Swamp and No More Mister Nice Blog

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:

Strike Two for the Times — Well, I know that people have waited for John McCain to blow his top on the campaign trail, but if this is what they wanted, I think those folks are in for some disappointment. The New York Times and other news agencies have passed this around the blogosphere …

Discussion: JammieWearingFool and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

Mark Murray / MSNBC:
MCCAIN GETS TESTY WITH THE PRESS

Discussion: MyDD, Althouse, DownWithTyranny!, The Carpetbagger Report, Hullabaloo, Shakesville and American Street

Libby Quaid / Associated Press:
McCain flashes temper at reporter

Discussion: Little Green Footballs and Power Line

John Amato / Crooks and Liars:
John McCain flies off the handle with NY Times Reporter over John Kerry VP question

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Comments from Left Field and Political Punch

Justin Rood Reports / The Blotter:

Intel Adviser Breaks with Obama over FISA, Telecoms — Justin Rood Reports: — In a new interview with National Journal magazine, an intelligence adviser to Barack Obama's presidential campaign broke with his candidate's position opposing retroactive legal protection for telecommunications companies …

Discussion: The Newshoggers, American Street, Weekly Standard, The American Mind and The Campaign Spot

Amanda / Think Progress:
Obama Adviser: I ‘Strongly’ Believe Telecoms ‘Should Be Granted Immunity’

Discussion: TalkLeft, NO QUARTER, TPMCafe and Hold Fast

National Journal: The Counterterror Campaign

Canadian Press:

PMO: Officials only got briefing from Obama campaign — OTTAWA — Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton never gave Canada any secret assurances about the future of NAFTA such as those allegedly offered by Barack Obama's campaign, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's office said Friday.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Taylor Marsh, Buck Naked Politics, Don Surber, QandO and Clive Crook

David Kurtz / Talking Points Memo:

CANADIAN PM'S OFFICE: HILLARY CAMP MADE NO SECRET ASSURANCES ON NAFTA — I'm starting to think that covering American politics is far easier than covering Canadian politics. But trying to cover the interplay between them both? A challenge of an entirely different magnitude.

Chicago Tribune:

Clinton's experience claim under scrutiny — Hillary Clinton may have influenced foreign policy, but evidence is scant she played pivotal role — WASHINGTON - Surrounded by military leaders in a Cabinet-style setting, Hillary Clinton on Thursday said she has “crossed the threshold” …

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias, Lawyers, Guns and Money, Political Machine, Liberal Values, The Daily Dish, Democracy in America and The Swamp

Toby Harnden / Telegraph:

Nobel winner: Hillary Clinton's “silly” Irish peace claims — Hillary Clinton had no direct role in bringing peace to Northern Ireland and is a “wee bit silly” for exaggerating the part she played, according to Lord Trimble of Lisnagarvey, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and former First Minister of the province.

Discussion: Oliver Willis

James Rainey / Los Angeles Times:

Obama's lost his ‘rock star’ advisor — Samantha Power stepped down over comments she made about rival candidate Clinton. — With a sparkling intellect, a mane of auburn hair and a Pulitzer Prize-winning book to her credit, Samantha Power cut a disarming path just about anywhere she went.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Boston Globe, Buck Naked Politics and Writes Like She Talks

Greg Sargent / TPM Election Central:
Power Resigns Over Hillary-Is-Monster Comment

Discussion: The Confluence, Ohio Daily Blog, CNN, THE LIBERAL JOURNAL, Liberal Values, Sadly, No!, OxBlog and toohotfortnr

Jason Horowitz / New York Observer:
Obama Adviser Brzezinski: Power Shouldn't Have Resigned

Discussion: Times of London, Gothamist, Weekly Standard and A Tiny Revolution

Gary Hart / The Huffington Post:

Breaking the Final Rule — It will come as a surprise to many people that there are rules in politics. Most of those rules are unwritten and are based on common understandings, acceptable practices, and the best interest of the political party a candidate seeks to lead.

Discussion: The Daily Dish and culturekitchen

Sara Kugler / Associated Press:

Clinton lowers expectations in Wyo. — CHEYENNE, Wyo. - A day before Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama were to compete for a small scattering of delegates in Wyoming, Clinton cast herself as the underdog and said the odds are not in her favor.

Discussion: Sister Toldjah and MyDD

Washington Wire: Clinton, Obama Schedule Some Down Time

Big Tent Democrat / TalkLeft:

Post Of The Day — Speaking for me only. — I tell you, today is quite a day in the blogs. Look at what Chris Bowers writes today: … Yep. Except for those pesky Latinos and, of course those older women, and white working class men - I hate the Clinton coalition and I love …

Discussion: Open Left, MyDD, Corrente and Taylor Marsh

Associated Press:

Carter, Annan to lead peace delegation to Middle East next month — A council of world leaders launched by former President Nelson Mandela is sending a three-person team to try to help ease tensions in the Middle East, the organization known as The Elders said Friday.

Discussion: The New Republic and Gateway Pundit