memeorandum: EPA Defies Another Subpoena: ‘It May Create Erroneous Impressions’ (Brad/Wonk Room)

9:25 PM ET, April 17, 2008

Top Items:

George Stephanopoulos Responds To Obama, Defends Handling Of Debate — At some point amid the hailstorm of criticism that greeted ABC's handling of yesterday's Dem debate, moderator George Stephanopoulos received an email — one of the many, many missives about the debate he's received — from an Obama adviser.

Discussion: AMERICAblog, American Street, TalkLeft, Multi Medium, The Carpetbagger Report, Democratic Strategist, Booman Tribune and Comments from Left Field

Michael Calderone / The Politico:

Stephanopoulos defends debate performance: ‘We asked tough but appropriate questions’ — Despite criticism, ABC's George Stephanopoulos defended his performance in last night's Democratic debate, which he co-moderated with Charles Gibson. — “We asked tough but appropriate questions,” Stephanopoulos told me by phone this afternoon.

Discussion: James Fallows, The Daily Dish, Hot Air, MSNBC, Sister Toldjah, The Caucus, protein wisdom, Blogometer, NewsBusters.org, Gawker, PERRspectives Blog, AMERICAblog, Daily Kos, FishBowlDC and The Huffington Post

Marc Ambinder:

The Obamaverse v. George Stephanopoulos — This YouTube is making the rounds:

Discussion: The Corner

Faiz / Think Progress:
AUDIO: Hannity Feeds Stephanopoulos Debate Question On Weather Underground

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Huffington Post, Senate Guru, Gateway Pundit, The Huffington Post, Scholars and Rogues, Blog entry, skippy the bush kangaroo, BuzzFlash.org, michellemalkin.com, Emptywheel, Right Voices, JustOneMinute, AlterNet.org, FP Passport, Spin Cycle and No More Mister Nice Blog

The Campaign Spot:
On Saturday Night Live, (Fake) Hillary Told (Fake) Obama To ‘Man Up.’ After Last Night...

Discussion: Perfunction, Cold Fury, Gateway Pundit and NewsBusters.org

Greg Sargent / TPM Election Central:
Obama Criticizes Debate, Says Hillary “Looked In Her Element”

Discussion: Firedoglake and The Democratic Daily

CNN:

Obama: Let's campaign, not have more debates — WASHINGTON (CNN) — Sen. Barack Obama on Thursday suggested he doesn't see any point in having another debate with Democratic rival Sen. Hillary Clinton. — Clinton has agreed to a debate next week, but Obama has not yet accepted the invitation.

Discussion: Newshoggers.com, Wizbang Blue, Stop The ACLU, The Huffington Post and Taylor Marsh

Mike Dorning / The Swamp:

DALEY: DON'T TAR OBAMA FOR AYERS — Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, whose father was famously not so sympathetic to anti-war protesters, is coming to the defense of Barack Obama for his friendship with former Weather Underground member Bill Ayers. — Daley accused Hillary Clinton and other critics …

Discussion: New York Times, Ben Smith's Blogs, Right Wing Nut House, Right Voices and Spin Cycle

Real Clear Politics:

Obama Shaken, Rattled, and Rolled — Just how bad was Barack Obama's debate performance last night? Not as bad as Britney Spears' song-and-dance routine at the MTV Awards. Not as bad as Bill Buckner's legendary error during the '86 World Series. Not as bad as Bob Dylan's music during his God phase.

Discussion: Democratic Strategist, Power Line and Don Surber

media.www.dailypennsylvanian.com:

Opinion Board — Pennsylvania Democrats are confronted with a tragedy of riches: two incredibly appealing candidates for their Party's nomination. — We want to believe that Sen. Barack Obama can accomplish all he promises. His soaring rhetoric and compelling vision have inspired us and many other students.

Discussion: HillaryClinton.com, The Swamp, Pennsylvania Ave. and Top of the Ticket

Philly.com:

VOTE FOR BARACK OBAMA — THE CHOICE in Tuesday's Democratic presidential primary is not only the one between a white woman and a black man. It's a choice between the past and the future. — More specifically, the nation must decide how to face the future racing toward us in the form …

Discussion: The Caucus, Wonkette, The Fix, Ankle Biting Pundits, The Reaction and Balloon Juice

Zogby:
Newsmax/Zogby Poll: Deadlocked in Pennsylvania!

Discussion: Public Policy Polling, American Street, Indecision 2008, The Moderate Voice, MyDD and TalkLeft

Byron York / The Corner:
Clinton, Obama, and Bill Ayers, Day Two

Discussion: NO QUARTER and The Daily Dish

Martine Powers / Yale Daily News:

For senior, abortion a medium for art, political discourse — Art major Aliza Shvarts '08 wants to make a statement. — Beginning next Tuesday, Shvarts will be displaying her senior art project, a documentation of a nine-month process during which she artificially inseminated herself …

Discussion: The Corner, Majikthise, The XX Factor, Dr. Melissa Clouthier, Redstate, Neptunus Lex, Gawker, Sister Toldjah, Hot Air, TownHall Blog, Cassy Fiano and Vox Popoli

AMERICAN DIGEST:

Aliza Shvarts: Abortion Goo Girl Rants Against the “Patriarchal Heteronormative” — [Note: Yale now claims this was all a hoax. See below.] — [Note: Yale Advisor removes video from YouTube. See below.] — VIDEO UPDATE: Like cockroaches running for the den when the lights go on …

Discussion: protein wisdom, The XX Factor, Cassy Fiano, Rachel Lucas, The Jawa Report, Instapundit.com and TownHall Blog

Josh Gerstein / New York Sun:
Yale: Student's Art Project Only ‘Creative Fiction’

Discussion: NewsBusters.org and Writes Like She Talks

Steven Ertelt / LifeNews.com Pro-Life Headlines:
Yale Student Engages in Shocking Self-Induced Abortion Art Display

Discussion: Wake up America

Ben Smith / The Politico:

Obama on debate: ‘Sen. Clinton looked in her element’ — Just now in Raleigh, Obama took issue with ABC News' conduct during last night's debate, and used it to link Clinton to traditional political tactics.

Discussion: TownHall Blog, Liberal Values, The Swamp, Ben Smith's Blogs, The Democratic Daily and The Daily Dish

Ed OKeefe / Political Radar: Bill Clinton: No ‘Whining’ from Hillary

Beth Fouhy / Associated Press:
Obama says debate focused on ‘gotcha,’ not policy issues

Discussion: Roger L. Simon

Andy Polk / house.gov:

U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick — Representing North Carolina's Ninth District — Rep. Myrick Calls for Former President Jimmy Carter's Passport to be Revoked — (Washington, D.C.) - Today, Rep. Sue Myrick (NC-9) called on Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to revoke former President Jimmy Carter's passport.

Discussion: GayPatriot, TBogg, The Opinionator, Articles by the … and Gateway Pundit

Robert Naiman / The Huffington Post:
Jewish Liberals Launch Counterweight to AIPAC

Discussion: Prospects for Peace and Commentary

Fox News:
Lawmaker Calls for Stripping of Taxpayer Funds to Carter Center

Discussion: Blue Crab Boulevard, PoliPundit.com and Israel Matzav

Matthew Yglesias:

Dirt off Your Shoulder — This business is pretty cool. Somewhere between a dog whistle to the kids and a reverse Sister Souljah. Check out Obama at 2:20: — And now Jay-Z: — Good stuff, thought I guess rap scold Douthat wouldn't approve.

Discussion: Ross Douthat and TPMCafe

Spencer / Attackerman: You Gotta Get (Get) That (That) Dirt Off Your Shoulder

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:

Democratic Operative Takes on McCain's Age — Despite a recent promise from Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean not to make Sen. John McCain's age — he turns 72 in August — an issue in the presidential campaign, a senior Democratic operative has started a new website designed to draw attention to just that fact.

Discussion: Hot Air and Ben Smith's Blogs

Michael Goldfarb / Weekly Standard Blog: McCain Is Old, So Are Voters

Big Tent Democrat / TalkLeft:

Would A Dem Say This? — Would a Democrat say: — There's really no difference between what happened in the Bush years and the Clinton years; that there's not much difference in how small-town Pennsylvania fared when Clinton was president, and in this decade when Bush was President.

Discussion: Tom Watson, MyDD, Booman Tribune, Anglachel's Journal, CANNONFIRE and The Democratic Daily

Big Tent Democrat / TalkLeft:
How Not To Unify The Party — Our friend Markos approvingly quotes …

Discussion: Lynn Sweet, MyDD and The Democratic Daily

Philip Klein / American Spectator:

Axelrod Reacts to Hamas Endorsement of Obama — In the spin room following the debate, I asked Barack Obama's chief strategist, David Axelrod, to respond to a report that a top Hamas official had endorsed Obama. — “I have no idea about that, I have not heard that,” Axelrod replied.

Discussion: Power Line, Hot Air and The American Mind

Michael Goldfarb / Weekly Standard Blog: Obama Campaign “Flattered” by Hamas Endorsement

Max Bergmann / democracyarsenal.org:

GAO Slams Bush on Terrorism - says Al Qaeda attack likely and we have no plan — Here is the title of a report from the Government Accountability Office on combating terrorism released today: … That is not some line buried in the report. That is the title. Wow.