MORNING READ

A new national CBS/New York Times poll with good news for Democrats has bloggers buzzing, a day before the next round of Democratic primaries. They also weigh in on Hillary Clinton’s turn away from economists, Barack Obama’s impact on congressional races and the bills piling up before Congress.

The poll shows both Clinton and Obama leading John McCain by double digits. Just a few days ago, Clinton led McCain by five points and Obama was tied, prompting The Corner’s Kathryn Jean Lopez wonders if the economy is hurting Republicans more than expected. The poll also shows that 60 percent of voters approve of Obama’s handling of his Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s remarks and that should signal it’s time to move onto issues, writes DemFromCT on Daily Kos. But the Clinton-backing Jeralyn at TalkLeft points to a USA Today/Gallup poll that has Obama behind Clinton as evidence that Obama’s former pastor has “significantly hurt” the Illinois senator.

Clinton takes heat from a former ally and The New Republic for dismissing the “elite opinion” of economists who oppose her plan for a gas tax holiday. Robert Reich, who once dated Clinton and served in her husband’s cabinet, writes that Clinton isn’t listening to her own advisers, including one who called her proposal “politics as usual.” Clinton, however, did embrace economists when she was pushing her health care plan, recalls The Plank’s Jonathan Cohn.

While liberals go after Clinton, conservatives focus fire on Obama. A Democratic victory in a special House election in Louisiana Saturday hasn’t dissuaded GOP operatives from believing Obama will hurt Democrats in more liberal districts, notes Matt Lewis. And though Obama told Fox News that he would work with Republicans on some issues, he privately told the Teamsters he supports loosening federal regulation of the union, writes Amanda Carpenter.

And with less than three weeks before Congress’s Memorial Day recess, lawmakers need to get started on war funding and foreclosure relief bills, notes Carl Hulse at The Caucus. But first comes the farm bill, which Congress is expected to vote on this week, Hulse writes.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Re: The CBS Poll – Kathryn Jean Lopez, The Corner
CBS/NYT: Voters Approve Obama’s Handling – DemFromCT, DKos
USA Today/Gallup: Obama ‘Significantly Hurt’ – Jeralyn, TalkLeft
Hillary Clinton Doesn’t Listen To Economists – Robert Reich’s Blog
Clinton Once Thought Experts Mattered – Jonathan Cohn, The Plank
A GOP Problem Or A Jenkins Problem? – Matt Lewis, Townhall.com
Bait And Switch: Obama And Teamsters – A. Carpenter, Townhall
Thumb On The Scales: Superdelegates – J. Marshall, TPM
Obama: ‘That’s My Patriotism’ – Todd Beeton, MyDD
Bill Clinton, Selling Product in Small-Town N.C. – B. York, The Corner
Let’s Start Calling Them ‘McCainoCrats’ – P. Yousefzadeh, RedState
Obama Didn’t Pander, Before He Did – Jerome Armstrong, MyDD
Clinton Camp Considering Nuclear Option – T. Edsall, HuffPo
Congress Looks To Advancing Bills – Carl Hulse, The Caucus

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
In Poll, Obama Survives Furor, But Fall Is The Test – New York Times
Dueling Appeals On Taxes From Obama, Clinton – Washington Post
Dem And GOP Healthcare Plans Offer Clear Choices – Los Angeles Times
Obama Is Getting Back To Getting Close To Voters – Wall Street Journal