memeorandum: Missile Is Fired at Copter Over Baghdad, U.S. Says (New York Times)

6:40 PM ET, May 13, 2008

Top Items:

Racist Incidents Give Some Obama Campaigners Pause — Danielle Ross was alone in an empty room at the Obama campaign headquarters in Kokomo, Ind., a cellphone in one hand, a voter call list in the other. She was stretched out on the carpeted floor wearing laceless sky-blue Converses, stories from the trail on her mind.

Christian Boone / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Cobb bar protested as racist for Obama T-shirts — Mulligan's selling shirts with ‘Curious George’ picture — Marietta tavern owner Mike Norman says the T-shirts he's peddling, featuring cartoon chimp Curious George peeling a banana, with “Obama in '08” scrolled underneath, are “cute.”

Discussion: Pandagon and abu muqawama

John O'Connor / The State:

Of yellow dogs and Democrats — THE WORLD ACCORDING TO CARVILLE — GREENVILLE — U.S. Sen. Barack Obama has likely locked up the Democratic presidential nomination, but political consultant and Clinton family adviser James Carville told about 500 people at Furman University that U.S …

Discussion: Times of London, NY Daily News, Salon, Spin Cycle, The Caucus, Wonkette, The Raw Story and The Page

Peter Hamby / CNN:

Carville: Obama likely to win nomination — (CNN) — James Carville has been one of Hillary Clinton's most energetic defenders, but on Monday he all but declared Barack Obama will become the Democratic nominee for president. — Speaking to students at Furman University in Greenville …

Discussion: Greenville News, Marc Ambinder, The Other McCain, Liberal Values, The Moderate Voice, Political Machine, The Swamp and KnoxViews

CNN:

West Virginia vote could raise doubts about Obama — WASHINGTON (CNN) — Almost as many of Hillary Clinton's West Virginia supporters would vote for John McCain as would for Barack Obama, exit polls show. — If Obama were the Democratic nominee, 36 percent of Clinton supporters would vote for him in the fall, the polls found.

Discussion: USA Today, Wake up America, Taylor Marsh, Hot Air and American Street

New York Times:

West Virginia Votes in Primary — Heavy early voting could result in a larger than normal turnout in the West Virginia Democratic presidential primary on Tuesday, although state elections officials said poll workers reported an average turnout at most voting spots by the afternoon.

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight.com, Marc Ambinder, The Crypt's Blogs, The Caucus, MyDD, Truthdig and The Page

Associated Press:

Early WV exit poll highlights — By The Associated Press - 1 hour ago — Highlights from preliminary results of exit polls in the West Virginia Democratic primary on Tuesday. The polls were conducted for The Associated Press and television networks: — ___ — THE BILL CLINTON FACTOR

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight.com and The Campaign Spot

Mark Murray / MSNBC:
‘WHY WEST VIRGINIA MATTERS’

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blogs, TalkLeft, CNN, Wonkette and Sister Toldjah

Jennifer Parker / Political Radar:
Clinton Adviser: She's Fighting to Last Primary

Discussion: A Blog For All

Carol Platt Liebau / TownHall Blog:
Racism's Wrong; Opposition Is Not

Discussion: The Opinionator, JammieWearingFool, No More Mister Nice Blog and American Power

Steve Law / The Portland Tribune:

Poll: Obama trouncing Clinton in Oregon — Illinois senator leading former first lady 55-35 — A bit more than a week away from Oregon's May 20 primary, Barack Obama has amassed a nearly insurmountable lead in the Democratic presidential race, according to statewide polling conducted by Portland's Davis …

Discussion: The Politico, MyDD, The Swamp and Boston Globe

The Campaign Spot:

Reach Out and Touch Faith — Andrew Sullivan is bothered by this illustration accompanying an endorsement of Barack Obama in an Oregon weekly paper. — But that's not really all that unusual, if you've been checking the alternatively hilarious and disturbing blog, “Is Barack Obama The Messiah?”.

Discussion: Redstate and Hot Air

Doug Forrester / race42008.com:
Barack Obama's Pitch in Kentucky

Discussion: Redstate

New York Times:

Missile Is Fired at Copter Over Baghdad, U.S. Says — BAGHDAD — A surface-to-air missile was fired on Saturday at an American Apache helicopter flying over the Sadr City section of Baghdad, American military officials said on Monday. The attack, which had not been disclosed previously …

Discussion: The Belmont Club, SWJ Blog, On Deadline and Commentary

Reihan Salam / The Current:
Maliki's Southern Strategy

Discussion: Reuters, The Strata-Sphere, Hot Air and Flopping Aces

The Hill:

Senators say whether they'd agree to be vice president — The Hill asked all 97 senators who are not running for president the same question: “If you were asked, would you accept an offer to be the VP nominee?” — Some senators laughed, but others took the question seriously.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Ben Smith's Blogs, Open Left, Swampland and Boston Globe

Ramesh Ponnuru / The Corner:

Rep. Bob Barr and Entitlements — Earlier, I noted that Rep. Barr had voted to create a prescription-drug entitlement in Medicare. Clark Stooksbury points out that Barr had left Congress before the bill passed in 2003. That's correct. But Barr was still in Congress in 2002, and he voted for the idea then.

Ramesh Ponnuru / The Corner:
The Evolution of Bob Barr

Discussion: The Opinionator and American Spectator

David Brooks / New York Times:

The Neural Buddhists — In 1996, Tom Wolfe wrote a brilliant essay called “Sorry, but Your Soul Just Died,” in which he captured the militant materialism of some modern scientists. — To these self-confident researchers, the idea that the spirit might exist apart from the body is just ridiculous.

Discussion: The Corner, The Daily Dish, Who Is IOZ? and Vox Popoli

Chris Bowers / Open Left:

Obama As A Reflection Of The Current Incarnation Of The Progressive Movement — This article synthesizes several extant arguments that have appeared on Open Left into a new hypothesis. Despite the consternation that I, and others, have shown over Obama altering the progressive movement …

Discussion: Air America Radio blogs and Booman Tribune

Washington Wire:

McCain Backer John Hagee Apologizes to Catholics — Elizabeth Holmes reports on the presidential race. — John Hagee, the controversial evangelical pastor who endorsed John McCain, will issue a letter of apology to Catholics today for inflammatory remarks he has made …

Discussion: The Swamp, Catholic League, Think Progress, PERRspectives Blog, MSNBC, Talking Points Memo, The Carpetbagger Report and Hot Air

Marc Ambinder:

MS-01 Watch — The most important election taking place today is not in West Virginia. It's in Mississippi, for the first congressional district, a seat held since the Republican revolution of 1994 by Republican Roger Wicker. Wicker's moving up to take Trent Lott's seat …

Discussion: TPM Election Central