memeorandum: Cut Clinton some slack (Dana Milbank/Washington Post)

11:40 AM ET, February 3, 2016

Top Items:

Iowa's nightmare revisited: Was correct winner called? — It's Iowa's nightmare scenario revisited: An extraordinarily close count in the Iowa caucuses — and reports of chaos in precincts and computer glitches — are raising questions about accuracy of the count and winner.

Discussion: CNN, Outside the Beltway, Hot Air, Scared Monkeys, USA Today, Mediaite, Truth Revolt, Vox, Liberal Values, American Power, The Week, Washington Post, Guardian, Politico and Common Dreams

Rebecca Savransky / The Hill:

Sanders won't debate Thursday unless Clinton agrees to future debates — Bernie Sanders' campaign says he won't participate in Thursday's planned Democratic presidential debate unless Hillary Clinton agrees to the Sanders campaign's conditions on future debates.

Discussion: Mediaite, The Daily Caller, The Week, The Slot, New York Times, Talking Points Memo, Vox, Slantpoint, The Right Scoop, Business Insider and KWQC-TV

Dana Milbank / Washington Post:

Cut Clinton some slack — NASHUA, N.H. — Q: When is a win not a win? — A: When the winner is Hillary Clinton. — The Iowa Democratic Party confirmed in its final tally Tuesday that Clinton had won Monday night's caucuses. She got more votes than any other candidate …

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Shakesville and Balloon Juice

Jesse Byrnes / The Hill:

Sanders says he'll debate Clinton on Thursday — Bernie Sanders said Wednesday morning that he would participate in a Democratic debate this week in New Hampshire after some negotiating between his campaign and presidential rival Hillary Clinton. — “The answer is yes,” …

Discussion: Politico and Daily Kos

Sandra Sobieraj Westfall / People.com:

Hillary Clinton Blasts Donald Trump: ‘We Were Not Friends’ — Hillary Clinton may have been all-smiles-for-the-camera at Donald Trump's 2005 wedding. But ask her today if, after Trump has made her husband's past infidelity a 2016 campaign issue, she could ever be friendly with the billionaire businessman again, Clinton is blunt.

Discussion: The Week

Rebecca Traister / New York Magazine:
In Iowa, Hillary Shows She's Learned Something About Running While Female

Discussion: Washington Monthly and The Atlantic

John Wagner / Washington Post:
Sanders not ready to concede Iowa or confirm appearance in Thursday night debate

Discussion: RH Reality Check

Ruby Cramer / BuzzFeed:
Clinton Sends Brooklyn HQ Staff To New Hampshire

Discussion: Politico, Washington Post and Political Wire

Rebecca Savransky / The Hill:
Sanders raised $3M in 24 hours, his biggest single day yet

Discussion: RedState and Washington Post

John Wagner / Washington Post:
In 24 hours after Iowa caucuses, Sanders donors pony up $3 million, aides say

Discussion: ABC News, Common Dreams, The Mahablog, Political Wire and The Week

Frank Bruni / New York Times:
Hillary Clinton's Dutiful Slog

Discussion: Washington Post, Slantpoint, The Great Debate, Seeing the Forest and JustOneMinute

Scott Stump / TODAY.com:
Bernie Sanders looks to New Hampshire after Iowa loss: We have ‘momentum’

Discussion: Politico, Political Wire, ABC News and Common Dreams

Karen Tumulty / Washington Post:
Clinton supporters prepare for a long battle after her close call in Iowa

Discussion: Hullabaloo, Truth Revolt, Los Angeles Times and The Week

Ronald Brownstein / The Atlantic:
The Great Democratic Age Gap

Discussion: CityLab, American Power, Washington Post, Vox, BuzzFeed and New York Times

Des Moines Register:
Last Slide — In an unknown number of Iowa Democratic caucus …

Discussion: The Week, Politico, Talking Points Memo, The Hill, Iowa Starting Line, Bleeding Heartland and KLFY-TV

Nick Gass / Politico:

Trump accuses Cruz of ‘fraud,’ calls for new Iowa election — Donald Trump on Wednesday accused Ted Cruz of committing fraud, and called for a new election in Iowa. — Ratcheting up his rhetoric after his loss in the Iowa caucuses on Monday, Trump first tweeted an accusation that the Texas senator had …

Discussion: RedState, Patterico's Pontifications, The Right Scoop, The Daily Caller, Joe.My.God., Fox17, Business Insider, ABC News, LifeNews.com and Hot Air

Caitlin MacNeal / Talking Points Memo:

Cruz On Carson's ‘Dirty Trick’ Claim: I'm Not Gonna Scapegoat My Staff — Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Wednesday said he would not discipline any campaign staffers for notifying Iowa caucusgoers that Ben Carson had plans to drop out of the race even though the retired neurosurgeon only had plans for a quick trip home to Florida.

Discussion: The Right Scoop

Caitlin MacNeal / Talking Points Memo:
Trump: Skipping The Fox Debate May Have Cost Me First Place In Iowa (VIDEO)

Discussion: CNN, The Slot, Daily Kos and CNNMoney

Des Moines Register:
Cruz won Iowa the old-fashioned way: He earned it

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Telegraph, Morning Consult and USA Today

CNN:
First on CNN: Ted Cruz apologizes to Ben Carson

Allie Morris / Concord Monitor:
After being bested by Ted Cruz in Iowa, Donald Trump's front-runner status comes into question

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog and Washington Post

Michael Falconre / ABC News:
The Note: Gearing Up In the Granite State

Discussion: Washington Post, Hot Air and The Week

Daniel Strauss / Politico:

Rand Paul drops out of White House race — Rand Paul dropped out of the 2016 president race on Wednesday, short on cash and support, two days after finishing with under 5 percent in the Iowa caucuses — less than one quarter of the support his father had drawn four years earlier.

Discussion: American Spectator, Morning Consult, Outside the Beltway, Business Insider, Maryland Scramble, CNN, Vox Popoli and New York Times

CNN:

First on CNN: Rand Paul dropping out of presidential race — (CNN)Rand Paul, the libertarian-minded freshman senator who was once viewed as a formidable presidential contender, is suspending his White House bid on Wednesday, several sources close to Paul told CNN.

Discussion: Courier-Journal, BizPac Review, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Washington Free Beacon

Meridith McGraw / ABC News:

Rand Paul Suspends 2016 Presidential Campaign

Discussion: WCTX-TV and TVNewser

Allegra Kirkland / Talking Points Memo:

Rand Paul Drops Out Of 2016 Race — Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) announced the suspension of his 2016 presidential campaign in a public statement on Wednesday. In the statement, reposted by CNN, Paul said it was an “honor” to run and pledges to “continue to carry the torch for Liberty in the United States Senate.”

Discussion: Salon

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:

In New Hampshire, GOP governors take aim at a resurgent Marco Rubio — BEDFORD, N.H. — Marco Rubio's surprisingly strong showing in the Iowa caucuses reshuffled the already intense competition here in New Hampshire among the Republican establishment candidates, leading some to sharpen …

Discussion: The Atlantic, Daily Kos and The Week

Jameson Parker / addictinginfo.org:
Rubio Copied One Of Obama's Most Famous Speeches - And Obama's Speechwriter Just Called Him On It

Discussion: RedState, Bipartisan Report, Mediaite and The Week

New York Times:
Jeb Bush, an Also-Ran in Iowa, May Be Pivotal in New Hampshire

Discussion: Business Insider

Kyle Cheney / Politico:
Full-page Bush ad takes aim at Rubio

Discussion: Florida Politics, Associated Press and New York Times

Jeremy W. Peters / New York Times:
Marco Rubio Campaign Dispatches Its Army and New Lines of Attack

Discussion: Political Wire, Politico and Florida Politics

Cristian Farias / The Huffington Post:

Ted Cruz Is A ‘Natural Born Citizen,’ Board Of Election Finds — “Further discussion on this issue is unnecessary.” — Legal Affairs Reporter, The Huffington Post — On the same day he won the Republican Iowa caucus, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas got a favorable decision from the Illinois Board of Elections …

Discussion: RedState, Washington Post, Slantpoint, The Daily Caller and Althouse

Erin Kelly / USA Today:

House fails to override president's veto of Obamacare repeal — WASHINGTON — The House on Tuesday failed to override President Obama's veto of a bill that would have repealed key provisions of Obamacare and stripped federal funding from Planned Parenthood.

Discussion: The Week

Peter Sullivan / The Hill:
House fails to override ObamaCare veto

Discussion: Politico and Daily Kos

Greg Bensinger / Wall Street Journal:

Amazon Plans Hundreds of Brick-and-Mortar Bookstores, Mall CEO Says — Online giant Amazon.com is planning to open as many as 400 brick-and-mortar bookstores, according to the chief executive of mall operator General Growth Properties.

Discussion: New York Magazine, New York Times, VentureBeat, BGR, Engadget, New Republic, CNBC, The Atlantic, WCTX-TV and Marginal REVOLUTION, more at Mediagazer »

Kellan Howell / Washington Times:

Donald Trump nominated for Nobel Peace Prize — Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump is reportedly in the running to receive the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize. — Mr. Trump, who has attracted international backlash over his controversial rhetoric and call to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. …

Discussion: AOL, The Independent, The Week and addictinginfo.org