memeorandum: Ukraine to join in US-led missile shield in Europe (Radio Netherlands Worldwide)

3:15 PM ET, August 17, 2008

Top Items:

Chuck Todd / MSNBC:

MCCAIN'S BACK IN THE SADDLEBACK — From NBC's Chuck Todd — Normally, on a night like tonight, we here at First Read would have been liveblogging every moment of Rick Warren's presidential forum. But with the Olympics and the fact this is THE Saturday Michael Phelps will be making history, we kept our liveblogging in check.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, About.com US Liberal Politics, American Power, NewsBusters.org, Commentary, Hot Air, Wake up America, marbury, TIME.com, pandagon.net, The Reaction, Althouse and CNN

Mark Hemingway / The Corner:

McCain As Good As Obama Was Bad — I don't want to get to overheated about what occurred tonight, but I do think McCain had a clear and decisive victory over Obama. It all comes down to something that Phil Bredesen, the Democratic governor of Tennessee recently said about Obama …

Discussion: JustOneMinute, American Power, Deadline USA, INSTAPUTZ and New York Times

Carpetbagger / The Carpetbagger Report:

The candidates define ‘rich’ — At last night's forum at Saddleback Church, the Rev. Rick Warren asked a nearly identical set of questions to Barack Obama and John McCain, but one of the more memorable inquiries was just two words: “Define rich.” — Obama started with a joke at Warren's expense …

Discussion: American Power

Ed Stoddard / Tales from the Trail:

Obama says pointed abortion query “above his pay grade” — DALLAS - U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama side-stepped a pointed query about abortion on Saturday by “mega-pastor” Rick Warren during a televised forum. — Asked at what point a baby gets “human rights,” Obama …

Discussion: Pajamas Media, Althouse, GetReligion, QandO, Fox News, Commentary, Macsmind, Ross Douthat and Gateway Pundit

Carla Marinucci / San Francisco Chronicle:
Obama, McCain appear before religious voters

Discussion: NewsBusters.org, Riehl World View, Guardian and Washington Post

Los Angeles Times:
Barack Obama, John McCain discuss faith, issues at Saddleback Church forum

Discussion: Political Punch, Guardian, Electoral-vote.com, Commentary and Don Surber

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
Live-Blogging Saddleback - Obama

Discussion: Power Line and Althouse

CBN.com:

EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Barack Obama — Attention Brody File readers. — I was just granted an exclusive one on one interview with Barack Obama here at the Saddleback Civil Forum. CBN News was the only media outlet to go behind the scenes and conduct an interview.

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blogs, The Caucus, Hot Air, www.redstate.com, TownHall Blog, TIME.com and Macsmind

CBN.com:

Obama Gets Heated on Born Alive Infant Protection Act — It seems like Barack Obama's heated answer about The Born Alive Infant Protection Act is making some headlines out there. The Brody File has decided to break out this clip of video by itself rather than having you sit through the whole 5 minute interview.

Discussion: The Corner, The Campaign Spot and Political Punch

Noam Scheiber / The New Republic:

The Rick Warren Forum — I just saw CBN's David Brody proclaim McCain the winner of tonight's joint appearance at Saddleback Church, saying (essentially) that McCain hit it out of the park. I didn't think McCain did as well as Brody did—a lot of his answers sounded pretty stilted and canned, like obviously recycled stump shtick.

Discussion: Marc Ambinder, Firedoglake, The Carpetbagger Report and Betsy's Page

Joe Lauria / The Huffington Post:

Did McCain Help Bait Russia into Georgia? — Now that the dust is settling the big question about the dust-up in Georgia remains: Why was Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili so stupid to start this war? — There are a couple of theories. One is Saakashvili was under the mistaken impression …

Discussion: Los Angeles Times and American Power

New York Times:

In Ukraine, Fear of Being a Resurgent Russia's Next Target — KIEV, Ukraine — For 17 years now, several former satellites and republics of the Soviet Union have cherished their democracies, all made possible by the simple premise that the days of Russian dominance were over.

Discussion: ParaPundit

Kevin Drum / Washington Monthly:
BUSH AND SAAKASHVILI....Josh Marshall on the Russo-Georgian war:

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Outside The Beltway, TigerHawk and FP Passport

John Amato / Crooks and Liars:

Bill Kristol's weekly moment of shame “...if countries don't have confidence in our ability to help them, it's going to be a much more dangerous world.” — By: John Amato @ 10:00 AM - PDT — (video and post sent in by PublEuS via email)

Mark Silva / The Swamp:

Condi Rice: Russian reputation in ‘tatters’ — by Mark Silva and updated. — For Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state and an expert on international relations with the Russians, it's a remarkable statement - the one she made today - that, as a result of the conflict with Georgia, Russia's reputation is “in tatters.”

Discussion: The Crypt's Blogs

Washington Post:
Russia Leaves Troops in Georgia, Despite Conditions of Peace Deal

Discussion: Hot Air and TIME.com

Megan K. Stack / Los Angeles Times: Russia agrees to truce; key Georgia bridge blown up

Josh White / Washington Post:

Kaine's Push for Obama Rolls Into Loudoun — U.S. Is ‘Ready for Excellence,’ Governor Says, Adding That State Will Play Key Role in November — Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine spoke with groups of ardent Barack Obama supporters yesterday in Washington's outer suburbs …

Discussion: TIME.com and Extreme Mortman

Bob Ewegen / Denver Post:

McCain suggests raiding Colorado's water — Memo to: John McCain. — From: Five million thirst-crazed Coloradans. — Yes, fellow citizens of the state whose official motto is “Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting,” John McCain has thunk the unthinkable — and proposed renegotiating the 1922 Colorado River Compact.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and Moue Magazine

Mike Saccone / Daily Sentinel:
State officials assail McCain's remarks on Colorado River Compact

Discussion: The Huffington Post, The Moderate Voice, Pueblo Chiefton and FiveThirtyEight.com

Jackie Kucinich / The Hill:

GOP rejects Pelosi's energy proposal — Republicans lambasted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) energy plan Saturday advising her to “get out of the way” if she was not going to accept GOP solutions to the energy crisis. — In her Saturday radio address Pelosi announced that Democrats …

Discussion: Hot Air

Ian Talley / Wall Street Journal:
Pelosi Softens Offshore Drilling Stance

Discussion: Power Line

Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute:

What Does Michael Phelps Do For An Encore? — What will Michael Phelps do after winning eight gold medals in Beijing? He plans on going to London - in 2012. And why not? He won six gold medals at age nineteen, another eight at age twenty-three, and there is no reason …

Discussion: Hot Air

Karen Crouse / New York Times:
Phelps's Epic Journey Ends in Perfection

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and Gateway Pundit

Radio Netherlands Worldwide:

Ukraine to join in US-led missile shield in Europe — Ukraine has agreed to take part in a missile defence system designed by the United States to protect Western countries. The government in Kiev defended its decision for military co-operation with the West, saying Russia cancelled a bilateral treaty with Ukraine earlier this year.

Discussion: Firedoglake

Matt / Think Progress:

Will: Lieberman's Office Says He Was ‘Wrong’ To Vote Against Alito In '06 — Earlier this week, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said he wouldn't rule someone out as a potential vice presidential running mate just because they are pro-choice. On ABC's This Week today, former Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson called …

Washington Post:

Justice Dept. Moves Toward Charges Against Contractors in Iraq Shooting — Federal prosecutors have sent target letters to six Blackwater Worldwide security guards involved in a September shooting that left 17 Iraqi civilians dead, indicating a high likelihood the Justice Department will seek …

Discussion: The Raw Story and At-Largely