memeorandum: Retail sales drop 2.4% in April (Los Angeles Times)

4:24 AM ET, May 12, 2007

Top Items:

Brian Montopoli / Public Eye:

CBS News Asks Batiste To Step Down As Consultant — Last night, retired Army Maj. Gen. John Batiste appeared on MSNBC's "Countdown With Keith Olbermann." Batiste has been a CBS News consultant, but last night it was disclosed that he has been asked to leave that position due to his participation in an ad criticizing President Bush.

Discussion: Hot Air, Gateway Pundit, Heading Right, Blue Crab Boulevard, NewsBusters.org, Romenesko and Think Progress

Talking Points Memo:

Another CBS News Consultant "Advocated" For Surge And Against Congressional Action — Okay, we have another CBS News Consultant who has repeatedly advocated in favor of President Bush's war policies, and against Congressional action — Mideast scholar Fouad Ajami.

Discussion: Think Progress

Faiz / Think Progress:
CBS Has Allowed McCain Campaign Aide To Advocate For McCain On Air

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report

Greg Sargent / Horses Mouth:
As MSNBC reported late yesterday, retired General John Batiste …

Discussion: Digg, Think Progress, Daily Kos, Crooks and Liars and The Carpetbagger Report

Joseph Spector / Democrat And Chronicle: CBS cuts ties with local retired general

MSNBC:
'Countdown with Keith Olbermann' for May 10, 2007

Discussion: NO QUARTER

Brian / TVNewser:

CNN International Chyron: "Bush Resigns" — Following up on this post, it did happen. Here's a screen grab from CNN International around midnight ET: — This appeared on screen for 12 seconds. (Two seconds before, President Bush had appeared on screen, but the chyron accurately said "Pressure over Iraq.")

Discussion: The Gun Toting Liberal™ and NewsBusters.org

Real Clear Politics:

Plan B For Iraq: Winning Dirty — Without prejudging whether President Bush's "surge" policy will work, the administration and its critics ought to be seriously thinking about a Plan B, the "80 percent solution" - also known as "winning dirty." Right now, the administration is committed …

Discussion: Right Wing Nut House, Weekly Standard and War and Piece

Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Mort Kondracke's Plan B for Iraq: Ethnic cleansing by Shiites

Discussion: Riehl World View, Think Progress, Done With Mirrors and New Pairodimes

Eric Lipton / New York Times:

Colleagues Cite Partisan Focus by Justice Official — Two years ago, Robin C. Ashton, a seasoned criminal prosecutor at the Department of Justice, learned from her boss that a promised promotion was no longer hers. — "You have a Monica problem," Ms. Ashton was told, according to several Justice Department officials.

Discussion: Balkinization, The Heretik and Cliff Schecter

Matt Apuzzo / Associated Press:
Judge OKs Immunity Deal in Firings Probe

Discussion: Yahoo! News, politburo diktat 2.0 and On Deadline

WorldNetDaily:

'Vote for Romney is vote for Satan' — Christian leader follows up Sharpton attack on Mormons — While some evangelical Christians are defending the presidential candidacy of Mormon Mitt Romney from an attack by Al Sharpton, another prominent pastor is going further in his condemnation …

Discussion: DownWithTyranny!, The Nation, NewDonkey.com, Preemptive Karma and The Atlantic Online

Ronald Kessler / NewsMax.com:

Romney to the Rescue — Mitt Romney's Got the — Right Stuff for 2008 — NewsMax Magazine has just released its April 2007 cover story. Please take a moment to read Ronald Kessler's exclusive story on the former Massachusetts governor. Also check out our FREE offer for our Romney edition with a special gift — Click Here Now.

Discussion: Taylor Marsh and TAPPED

Andrew Sullivan / The Atlantic Online:

Petraeus Comes Through — It's a stunning letter. And it's one of the most important letters to come from a senior military official in a very long time. The very fact that it is necessary reveals the extent of the damage that Bush and Rumsfeld and Cheney have done.

Discussion: The Newshoggers

Marty Lederman / Balkinization: General Petraeus on Torture and "Other Expedient Methods"

MSNBC:

FBI probes Nevada governor for corruption — Did Jim Gibbons accept cash and gifts in exchange for defense contracts? — Then-Congressman Jim Gibbons, seated, toasts with Dennis Montgomery during a March 2005 cruise. Montgomery has now accused Gibbons of accepting cash on the trip.

Discussion: DownWithTyranny!, WorkingForChange, TPMmuckraker and Wonkette

FIRE:

Tyranny at Tufts — Breaking Promises of Free Expression, University Punishes Student Publication for Political Satire — Showing profound disregard for free speech and freedom of the press, Tufts University has found a conservative student publication guilty of harassment and creating …

Discussion: The Volokh Conspiracy, The Belmont Club and Michelle Malkin

Eugene Volokh / The Volokh Conspiracy:
The New Anti-Blasphemy Rules, Again:

Discussion: FIRE

Allison Hoffman / Fresno Bee:

New charges filed against former top CIA official, contractor — New charges have been filed alleging that the CIA's former No. 3 official used his influence in that role to support a proposed $100 million government contract for his best friend, a defense contractor, in return for lavish vacations …

Discussion: Pacific Views

Mark Blumenthal / Pollster.com:

IRAQ WAR: LOSING OR LOST? — Thanks to Washington Post blogger Dan Froomkin for tipping me off to this exchange from yesterday's press briefing by presidential press secretary Tony Snow that leads indirectly to some fundamental questions regarding public opinion and the Iraq War: … Is Snow right?

Discussion: The Newshoggers, Daily Kos and First Draft

Jose Lambiet / Palm Beach Post:

FBI agent steps into Coulter voting case — Conservative pundit Ann Coulter has been cleared of allegations that she falsified her Palm Beach County voter's registration and voted illegally — this, after a high-level FBI agent made unsolicited phone calls to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office to vouch for Coulter.

Discussion: The BRAD BLOG, TalkLeft, CANNONFIRE, Editor and Publisher, The Reaction, The Huffington Post and Preemptive Karma

ACLU:

ACLU Victory in House Intelligence Authorization, House Affirms No Domestic Eavesdropping Without Warrant — WASHINGTON, DC -The American Civil Liberties Union today cheered an amendment to the House Intelligence Reauthorization Bill that would prevent illegal domestic wiretapping by the government.

Discussion: Booman Tribune, Daily Kos and TalkLeft

Randolph E. Schmid / Associated Press:

Stamp prices to go up Monday — WASHINGTON - It will cost a bit more to mail letters and parcels starting Monday. A first-class letter will go up 2 cents to 41 cents. — But there is also some good news — folks will be able to buy "forever" stamps that remain valid regardless of any future increase.

Discussion: On Deadline and PoliBlog (TM)