memeorandum: McCain will seek judges like Roberts and Alito (Tim Gaynor/Reuters)

9:25 PM ET, May 6, 2008

Top Items:

First Glance At The Exits: Democratic Party Cracking Up? — Here's what jumps out at me from the first wave of exit polls that have been released to the Edison-Mitsofky consortium: — Forget the horse race numbers for a moment: if the surveys are accurate, the polarization within the Democratic Party has reached critical levels.

Discussion: The New Republic, Weekly Standard Blog, Comments from Left Field, Democracy in America, Washington Post, The Strata-Sphere, Salon, THE LIBERAL JOURNAL, RIGHTWINGSPARKLE, TPM Election Central, Pajamas Media, Don Surber, NO QUARTER and Spin Cycle

Jennifer Parker / ABCNEWS:

Obama Solidly Routs Clinton in N.C. — Democratic Senators Battle for Potentially Decisive Victory in Indiana — As expected, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., has solidly won the North Carolina primary, ABC News projects, while he and Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, remain locked in a tight race in Indiana.

Discussion: The Swamp, The Moderate Voice, Political Radar, Reason Magazine, JammieWearingFool, The Field, AMERICAblog, Truthdig, TPM Election Central and The Carpetbagger Report

CBS News:

Clinton, Obama In Battle For Indiana, N.C. — Heavy Turnout In Crucial Primaries That Could Bring Clarity To Democratic Presidential Race — (CBS/AP) Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama battled in the Indiana and North Carolina primaries on Tuesday, the last big-delegate prizes left …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, CNN, Marc Ambinder, ABCNEWS, Pollster.com, Fox News, Political Machine, Commentary and Salon

Indianapolis Star:

‘Hardcore’ Republicans voting Democrat — 10:51 AM — ‘Hardcore’ Republicans voting Democrat — The two precincts at Broad Ripple Family Center selected Republican Jon Elrod over Democrat Andre Carson in March's special election for U.S. Congress. But by 9 a.m., just 21 voters …

Discussion: The Raw Story, The Caucus, Comments from Left Field, On Deadline, The Page, Spin Cycle and Charlotte Observer

Associated Press:

Early IN, NC exit poll highlights — Highlights from preliminary results of exit polling Tuesday in the Indiana and North Carolina Democratic primaries for The Associated Press and television networks: — WORRIED ABOUT THE ECONOMY — The economy was on voters' minds in Democratic primaries in Indiana and North Carolina.

Discussion: Wonkette, The Primary Source, Eunomia, Pollster.com and The American Conservative

Gary Langer / ABCNEWS:

EXIT POLL: Wright Controversy Casts Shadow on Ind., N.C. Races — In Both States, Three-Quarters or More Say They Decided Before Last Week — Preliminary exit poll results indicate that just under half of Democratic primary voters in Indiana and North Carolina alike call the controversy surrounding …

Discussion: The Page, Fox News, CNN, TalkLeft, michellemalkin.com, TownHall Blog, MSNBC, The Daily Dish and Pollster.com

Hillary Clinton / CNN:

Exit polls: Half of Clinton's supporters won't back Obama — (CNN) — Just how badly is the Democratic Party divided? — According to the exit polls, half of Clinton's supporters in Indiana would not vote for Obama in a general election match up with John McCain.

Discussion: DownWithTyranny!, Firedoglake, Democrats.com, Talking Points Memo and TPM Election Central

Foon Rhee / Boston Globe:

Limbaugh issues orders for Indiana — Today's Indiana Democratic primary is not only a big test for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. — It's also a test for talk-show host Rush Limbaugh, the self-proclaimed commander in chief of “Operation Chaos.” — Indiana's primary is open …

Discussion: Sadly, No!, Top of the Ticket, The Moderate Voice, Wake up America and Salon

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Limbaugh Democrats? — I've been pretty skeptical of the existence …

Discussion: The Plank

Taegan Goddard / Political Insider:
Beware of the Exit Polls

Discussion: Political Arithmetik, Hot Air, protein wisdom and The Nation

The Campaign Spot:
First Word From HuffPo Sources, Not Mine: Obama NC +12; Hillary IN +7

Discussion: Real Clear Politics and Comments from Left Field

Mark Murray / MSNBC: FIRST THOUGHTS: BEGINNING OF THE END?

Drudge Report:
DANGER DAY: HILLARY FACES ‘15-POINT DEFEAT’ IN NC; SEES INDIANA WIN

Discussion: The New Republic, The Other McCain, Zogby, Pajamas Media, The Primary Source, Comments from Left Field, The Moderate Voice, TalkLeft, Hot Air, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room and Salon

John R. Wilke / Wall Street Journal:

FBI Agents Raid Work, Home Of Special Counsel's Bloch — WASHINGTON — Federal Bureau of Investigation agents raided the Office of Special Counsel here, seizing computers and documents belonging to the agency chief Scott Bloch and staff. — More than a dozen FBI agents served grand jury subpoenas shortly …

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report, At-Largely, DownWithTyranny!, Law Blog, The BRAD BLOG, Prairie Weather, Think Progress and Majikthise

Ari Shapiro / NPR:

FBI Searches Office of Special Counsel Building — Listen: Ari Shapiro Discusses the Raid on ‘Day to Day’ — · FBI agents on Tuesday raided the offices of Special Counsel Scott J. Bloch, who oversees protection for federal whistleblowers. The agents seized computers and shut …

Discussion: Washington Blade, The Moderate Voice, Firedoglake, Crooks and Liars, Mercury Rising, TPMMuckraker and The Hill's Blog Briefing Room

David Stout / New York Times:
F.B.I. Raids Office of Special Counsel

Discussion: Pam's House Blend

Human Events:

Two GOP Losses That Validate a National Pattern — These two special elections validate a national polling pattern that is bad news for Republicans. According to a New York Times/CBS Poll, Americans disapprove of the President's job performance by 63 to 28 (and he has been below 40% job …

Discussion: Eunomia, Tales from the Trail, Washington Wire, The Swamp, The New Republic, Washington Monthly, BackyardConservative, Top of the Ticket, The Daily Dish, DCCC, The Washington Independent, AMERICAblog, MoJoBlog, HorsesAss.Org and MSNBC

Jackie Kucinich / The Hill:

Gingrich warns GOP of ‘real disaster’ this fall — Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) is calling on Republicans to seek “real change to avoid a real disaster” in the wake of another Democratic victory in a special election on Saturday. — In a letter to House Republicans posted on www.newt.org …

Townhall.com:
Newt Gingrich on Barack Obama's association problems, John McCain's …

Discussion: The Huffington Post

Deborah Hastings / Associated Press:

Indiana nuns lacking ID denied at poll by fellow sister — About 12 Indiana nuns were turned away Tuesday from a polling place by a fellow bride of Christ because they didn't have state or federal identification bearing a photograph. — Sister Julie McGuire said she was forced to turn away …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, MSNBC and Hullabaloo

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
NOT A BUG, A FEATURE ...

Discussion: The BRAD BLOG, The Trail and At-Largely

Will Bunch / Philly.com:

Team Hillary warns of Obama “October surprise” — The early results are suggesting a healthy win for Barack Obama in North Carolina and a much narrower win, maybe 52-48 or so, for Hillary Clinton in Indiana. That won't end her campaign — nuclear obliteration wouldn't do that at this point but it makes Clinton's mission even harder.

Discussion: The Daily Dish and Daily Kos