POLITICAL HOT TOPICS: Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Compiled by Jonathan Helman
CNN Washington Bureau

CNN: Clinton Narrowly Takes Indiana, CNN Projects
Sen. Hillary Clinton will narrowly win in Indiana, CNN projects, edging out Sen. Barack Obama by a 2-percent margin.

NY Times: For the Republicans, It’s McCain (and Others)
Amid the chatter about whether the Democrats would be able to unite around one of their candidates was an interesting nugget. Incomplete returns on Tuesday night showed that more than 20 percent of those who voted in the Republican primary in Indiana voted for someone other than Senator John McCain, the party’s presumptive nominee.

Washington Post: Clinton Aides Doubtful About Future
After failing to win the decisive sweep in North Carolina and Indiana that could have reshaped the Democratic race, disappointed aides to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton conceded it would be difficult for her to catch Sen. Barack Obama in either delegates or overall votes in the six remaining contests.

The Hill: Superdelegates Say, We Will Decide
Uncommitted Democratic superdelegates in Congress overwhelmingly say they won’t necessarily back the presidential candidate who wins the most primary delegates. Instead, electability will be very important in their decision.

Washington Post: McCain Says He Would Put Conservatives on Supreme Court
Highlighting an issue he plans to use aggressively in the general election campaign, Sen. John McCain on Tuesday decried "the common and systematic abuse of our federal courts by the people we entrust with judicial power" and pledged to nominate judges similar to the ones President Bush has placed on the bench.

WSJ: Candidates Look to Final Five States And Puerto Rico for Victory
Even before polls closed in Indiana and North Carolina, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were shifting their attention to the five states and one territory that have yet to vote.

NY Times: Options Dwindling for Clinton
In this case, a split was not a draw. Despite narrowly winning Indiana, while losing North Carolina, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton did not fundamentally improve her chances of securing the Democratic presidential nomination. If anything, Mrs. Clinton’s hopes for overtaking Senator Barack Obama dwindled further on Tuesday night.

LA Times: Nuns Are Turned Away From Indiana Polls Under Voter ID Law
A dozen nuns and an unknown number of students were turned away from polls Tuesday in the first use of Indiana's stringent voter ID law since it was upheld last week by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Washington Times: Among Undecideds, Superdelegates Now Outnumber Pledged
Since both White House hopefuls have failed to translate their moments of front-runner status into a coronation, the fate of the Democratic nomination now rests with superdelegates and their interpretation of electability.

NY Times: Clinton Vows to Continue Her Run
With a sizable share of votes yet to be counted and the outcome in the balance, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton claimed victory Tuesday night in the Indiana primary and vowed to push on to the remaining contests on the nearly finished Democratic presidential nominating calendar.

Washington Post: Waiting for the Game to Change
The Democrats are putting the "stale" in stalemate. Barack Obama needed to "close the deal" by beating Hillary Clinton in Indiana and North Carolina. Clinton needed a "game-changer" so that she could have a viable path to the presidential nomination. But no deal closed and no game changed Tuesday night.