memeorandum: Romney, Thompson criticize Confederate flag (CNN Political Ticker)

10:50 AM ET, November 29, 2007

Top Items:

Digging out more CNN/YouTube plants: Abortion questioner is declared Edwards supporter (and a slobbering Anderson Cooper fan); Log Cabin Republican questioner is declared Obama supporter; lead toy questioner is a prominent union activist for the Edwards-endorsing United Steelworkers

Jonathan Martin / The Politico:

A powerful moment — A retired Army general, Keith Kerr, just listed all his military credentials and then left the crowd silent by saying at the end of his video that he is "an openly gay man" and wants to know why gays can't serve in the military. — Romney was hit by Anderson Cooper …

Discussion: The Swamp, CNN Political Ticker, michellemalkin.com, All Spin Zone, The Plank, Instapundit.com and Whiskey Fire

Richelieu / Weekly Standard:

A Depressing Debate — What a depressing debate. CNN's long slide into mediocrity accelerates. Is this what running for president of the greatest democracy in the world has become? Standing in front of CNN's corporate logo in a hall full of yowling Ron Paul loons and enduring clumsy webcam questions …

Discussion: Outside The Beltway, The Atlantic Online, CNN, Pirate's Cove, PrestoPundit, Fausta's blog, Power Line, Firedoglake, TBogg, Taylor Marsh, Washington Monthly, Publius Endures, DownWithTyranny! and ScrappleFace

New York Times:

The Republican Debate — Following is a transcript of the Republican Presidential debate in St. Petersburg, Fla., as provided by the Federal News Service. — PARTICIPANTS: — FORMER NEW YORK MAYOR RUDY GIULIANI — FORMER ARKANSAS GOVERNOR MIKE HUCKABEE

Discussion: Shakespeare's Sister, The Carpetbagger Report, Booman Tribune, Better Living, THE LIBERAL JOURNAL and The Atlantic Online

Allahpundit / Hot Air:

Video: Debate questioner is affiliated with Hillary's — and Kerry's — campaigns; Update: Plantmania! — As incredible as it may seem, given all the flak they took for not vetting questioners after the last debate, CNN not only approved a question from someone affiliated …

Discussion: Six Meat Buffet, Suitably Flip, Confederate Yankee, Gateway Pundit, GINA COBB, Stop The ACLU, The American Mind, Liberty Pundit, A Blog For All, Riehl World View and Assorted Babble

Mark Finkelstein / NewsBusters.org:

Scarborough: 'Total Crap' CNN Didn't Know Gay Questioner Is Clinton Campaigner — Update | 8:05 AM: Hillary's Howard tries to weasel out. See update at foot. — Like Rudy and Romney going after each other over immigration last night at the GOP debate, MSNBC was taking some jabs …

Discussion: Macsmind and Hot Air

Adam Yoshida:

Why is a Hillary Clinton Campaign Member Asking Questions at a Republican Debate? — So, the fellow who just asked the Republican candidates about Don't Ask, Don't Tell, retired Brigader General Keith Kerr, is a member of Hillary Clinton's campaign for the Presidency.

Discussion: TownHall Blog, The Corner, Political Machine, About.com US Politics, Lonewacko, Gateway Pundit, Macsmind and No Runny Eggs

Matthew Balan / NewsBusters.org:

CNN Fails to Mention Retired Gay General's Endorsement of Hillary — [Update: Keith Kerr was known to CNN as a gay activist as far back as December 2003, when he was featured in this CNN article.] — CNN, as part of its Republican debate with YouTube, failed to mention that retired general Keith Kerr …

Discussion: Wizbang, Bluey Blog, BizzyBlog, MoJoBlog, Daily Pundit, The Atlantic Online, Hot Air and Cheat Seeking Missiles

Kenneth P. Vogel / The Politico:
'Gay question' general linked to Clinton

Discussion: The Corner

CNN Political Ticker:
General from GOP debate linked to Democratic campaign

Discussion: The Opinionator, Right Wing Nut House, Think Progress and PrezVid

CNN:
Transcript: CNN/YouTube debate Part I

Discussion: CBS News, Right Wing News, TPM Election Central, Liberty Pundit, Dick Polman's American Debate, Threat Level, Flopping Aces, PoliPundit.com, Boston Globe and The Politico

Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:
CNN/YouTube Debate — CNN Wins (Update: A Major Error Mars Their Night)

Discussion: Townhall.com, New York Times, The Fix, MSNBC, TechRepublican.com, Spin Cycle and Fausta's blog

Bryan / Hot Air:
At CNN, November is planting season; Update: Plant video edit added!

Discussion: snapped shot

Mary Katharine Ham / TownHall Blog: More Plants at the CNN Debate

Stephen Green / Pajamas Media:
GOP YOUTUBE DEBATE: NO SNOWMAN, BUT A QUESTION PLANTED BY HILLARY

Discussion: Political Machine, Information Dissemination and VodkaPundit

John O'Connor / The State:

Giuliani, Clinton slip in SC polls — Romney leads in S.C. poll; Obama, Clinton virtually tied — New Yorkers Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton are beginning to lose ground in South Carolina, according to a Clemson University Palmetto Poll released Wednesday.

Discussion: CNN Political Ticker

Eric Dienstfrey / Pollster.com:
POLL: INSIDERADVANTAGE POST DEBATE SURVEYS

Discussion: MyDD, The American Street, The Atlantic Online and No More Mister Nice Blog

CNN Political Ticker:
Romney, Thompson criticize Confederate flag

Discussion: Stop The ACLU, NewsBusters.org and The American Mind

Fred Barnes / Weekly Standard:
Two Hours of Humiliation — When the CNN-You Tube debate among …

Discussion: PrairiePundit

Perry Bacon Jr / Washington Post:

Foes Use Obama's Muslim Ties to Fuel Rumors About Him — In his speeches and often on the Internet, the part of Sen. Barack Obama's biography that gets the most attention is not his race but his connections to the Muslim world. — Since declaring his candidacy for president in February …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos, The Swamp, Crooks and Liars and PrairiePundit

Tim Novak / Chicago Sun Times: Obama helped ex-boss get $1 mil. from charity

Digby / Hullabaloo:
Pssst. Pass It On — It doesn't matter if it's true or not.

Discussion: Sadly, No!

William Neikirk / Chicago Tribune:

Henry Hyde dies at 83 — Henry J. Hyde — known for his courtly manners, oratorical skills and historical knowledge during 32 years as the conservative voice of the western suburbs in Congress — died today, according to the office of House Republican Leader John Boehner. He was 83.

Discussion: On Deadline

John Bresnahan / The Crypt's Blogs:

Henry Hyde dies — Former Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) died early Thursday morning in a Chicago-area hospital, according to congressional sources. He was 83. — Hyde underwent open-heart surgery back in July and never completely recovered from the procedure, said a source close to Hyde.

Discussion: CNN Political Ticker and The Swamp

The Corner:
A Honorable American Moves On [Kathryn Jean Lopez]

Discussion: Stubborn Facts and Redstate

Steven A. Camarota / cis.org:

Immigrants in the United States, 2007 — A Profile of America's Foreign-Born Population — This Backgrounder provides a detailed picture of the number and socio-economic status of the nation's immigrant or foreign-born population, both legal and illegal. The data was collected by the Census Bureau in March 2007.

Discussion: The Corner and Bill Hobbs

Julia Preston / New York Times:
Immigration at Record Level, Analysis Finds

Discussion: Washington Post, PrairiePundit and ImmigrationProf Blog

Juan Forero / Washington Post:

Old Allies Abandon Chávez as Constitution Vote Nears — CUMANA, Venezuela — Few associates had been as loyal to President Hugo Chávez as the governor of the coastal state of Sucre, Ramón Martínez. And few are now more determined to defeat Chávez …

Discussion: PoliBlog (TM) and Right Voices

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:

ACU President David Keene Endorses Romney — Less than 24 hours after former Gov. Mitt Romney (Mass.) jousted with his rivals over his conservative credentials at the CNN/YouTube debate in Florida, he is set to receive the endorsement from American Conservative Union President David Keene.