memeorandum: Clinton, McCain passport records were also viewed (Reuters)

5:30 PM ET, March 21, 2008

Top Items:

Story behind the story: The Clinton myth — One big fact has largely been lost in the recent coverage of the Democratic presidential race: Hillary Rodham Clinton has virtually no chance of winning. — Her own campaign acknowledges there is no way that she will finish ahead in pledged delegates.

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report, Daily Kos, MyDD, American Power, HorseRaceBlog, The Daily Politics, Taylor Marsh, Cliff Schecter, Balloon Juice, The Page, Dick Polman's American Debate and AMERICAblog

Ben Smith / The Politico:

Can Clinton win popular vote, superdelegates? — The apparent collapse of planned new votes in Florida and Michigan could push victory on a key symbolic measure — the primary season popular vote — beyond Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's grasp. — Clinton's top supporters, including her husband …

Discussion: The Swamp, Washington Post, TalkLeft, Booman Tribune and Democratic Strategist

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
PRETTY MUCH — As Jim Vandehei and Mike Allen argue in this piece …

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias and Eschaton

New York Times: Passport Files of 3 Candidates Breached, Officials Say

CNN:

Obama wants inquiry into passport files snooping — (CNN) — Sen. Barack Obama called for an investigation Friday into how the security of the passport files of the three remaining presidential candidates was breached. — The State Department admitted Friday that the passport files of Obama …

ABCNEWS:

Passport Security Breach on McCain, Clinton & Obama — State Department Contract Employees Fired, Another Disciplined for Looking at Passport File — An embarrassed State Department admitted today that the passport files of all three presidential candidates — Sens. John McCain …

Discussion: The Swamp, Associated Press, TownHall Blog, Fox News, The Jawa Report, Salon, Time, Wonkette, Redstate and Buck Naked Politics

Reuters:

Clinton, McCain passport records were also viewed — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The passport files of presidential candidates Sen. Hillary Clinton, a Democrat, and Sen. John McCain, a Republican, were improperly accessed by State Department workers, a U.S. official said on Friday.

Discussion: The Campaign Spot

Gallup:

Gallup Daily: Clinton Now at 47% to Obama's 45% — Clinton's recent surge among national Democrats appears to be receding — PRINCETON, NJ — Hillary Clinton's recent lead over Barack Obama in national Democratic nomination preferences has dwindled to the point that the two are now nearly tied …

Discussion: TPM Election Central and Gateway Pundit

Jennifer Parker / Political Punch:
Keystone Democrats Set to Defect

Discussion: Transterrestrial Musings and American Spectator

ABCNEWS: Obama Campaign Claims Clinton Has ‘Character Gap’

Fred Lucas / CNSNews:
Poll: Divisive Dem Contest Could Boost McCain

Discussion: rubber hose, bustardblog, Commentary, Sadly, No!, And Still I Persist and The Strata-Sphere

Michael Barone / US News:
State by State, Obama and Clinton Stack Up Differently Against McCain

Discussion: Weekly Standard Blog

Krooney / The Page:
State Dept: All Three Candidates' Passport Files Breached

Discussion: Cato-at-liberty

E. J. Dionne Jr / Washington Post:

Another Angry Black Preacher — Let's ask the hard question about the Rev. Jeremiah Wright: Is he as far outside the African American mainstream as many of us would like to think? — Because Barack Obama's speech on race in America was so candid about both the legitimacy of black and white grievances …

Discussion: TigerHawk, Commentary, The Democratic Daily, American Power, Snarky Bastards, No More Mister Nice Blog, American Street and The Daily Dish

Peggy Noonan / Wall Street Journal:

A Thinking Man's Speech — I thought Barack Obama's speech was strong, thoughtful and important. Rather beautifully, it was a speech to think to, not clap to. It was clear that's what he wanted, and this is rare. — It seemed to me as honest a speech as one in his position could give within the limits imposed by politics.

Discussion: Townhall.com, Lean Left, Cheat Seeking Missiles, Donklephant, Comments from Left Field, PoliGazette, alicublog and MSNBC

Hindrocket / Power Line:
IT ISN'T ONLY JEREMIAH WRIGHT — The Barack Obama campaign …

Discussion: PrestoPundit and Riehl World View

Gary Reese / Southern Political Report:
New InsiderAdvantage Poll — Obama's speech meets unsympathetic ears with Americans

Discussion: The New Republic, The Confluence and Donklephant

Ezra Klein / American Prospect:
NOT GONNA SAY IT. — As the Daily Show clip I posted …

Discussion: Washington Monthly

Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:
The Speech: A Brilliant Fraud

Discussion: The New Republic, Weekly Standard Blog, Left in the West, Achenblog, The Carpetbagger Report, TPMCafe, Too Sense, Swampland, Real Clear Politics, Cold Fury, Sadly, No!, WTF Is It Now?!? and Discriminations

WSJ.com:

Clinton Aide Says Richardson's Endorsement Is Insignificant — Susan Davis reports on the presidential race. — New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson finally made up his mind and endorsed Sen. Barack Obama today, but a senior adviser to Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign — which likewise spent months courting …

Discussion: Donklephant, culturekitchen, TPM Election Central and Wonkette

Marc Ambinder:

Stage Directions Anyone? — The Obama campaign distributed Gov. Bill Richardson's endorsement speech...note the stage direction:

Discussion: Wonkette

Jeff Zeleny / New York Times:
Richardson Endorses Obama

Discussion: Washington Post, The Swamp, Breaking News Updates …, Marc Ambinder, The New Republic, PoliPundit.com, Guardian Unlimited, Wonkette, The Confluence, Top of the Ticket, DownWithTyranny!, The Caucus, PunditGuy and American Spectator

Jane Hamsher / The Huffington Post:
A Few Unanswered Questions About Bill Richardson's Obama Endorsement

Discussion: Associated Press, Firedoglake and Corrente

Think Progress:

Fox's Chris Wallace Takes Fox And Friends ‘To Task’ For ‘Two Hours Of Obama Bashing’ — On Fox and Friends this morning, hosts Steve Doocy, Brian Kilmeade, and Gretchen Carlson spent multiple segments sensationalizing a comment Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) made yesterday, in which he referred …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, The Huffington Post, News Hounds and Taylor Marsh

David Kurtz / Talking Points Memo: AN UNLIKELY MESSENGER — Chris Wallace has had enough Faux News:

Roland S. Martin / CNN:

The full story behind Rev. Jeremiah Wright's 9/11 sermon — As this whole sordid episode regarding the sermons of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright has played out over the last week, I wanted to understand what he ACTUALLY said in this speech. I've been saying all week on CNN that context is important …

Discussion: Cliff Schecter

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
Wright In Context — This strikes me as worth a look.

Discussion: Marc Ambinder and Swampland

Confederate Yankee:
Is [Anderson Cooper] Roland S. Martin Simply Making Things Up?

Discussion: Weekly Standard Blog and Hot Air

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:

What I Got Wrong About Iraq — Slate asked me to reflect on my own failings of judgment on the fifth year of the war. Maybe the day we Christans are called to atonement is a good day for publishing it. It's cross-posted here. — I think I committed four cardinal sins. — Historical Narcissism.

Discussion: Open Left

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
War advocates like Anne-Marie Slaughter demand that you forget the past

Discussion: The Huffington Post, American Street, American Power and Politics Blog

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

Partying Like It's 1929 — If Ben Bernanke manages to save the financial system from collapse, he will — rightly — be praised for his heroic efforts. — But what we should be asking is: How did we get here? — Why does the financial system need salvation? — Why do mild-mannered economists have to become superheroes?