memeorandum: Palin Hires Lawyer for Trooper-Gate Investigation (Kate Klonick/TPMMuckraker)

8:30 AM ET, September 2, 2008

Top Items:

Elisabeth Bumiller / New York Times:

Disclosures on Palin Raise Questions on Vetting Process — ST. PAUL — A series of disclosures about Gov. Sarah Palin, Senator John McCain's choice as running mate, called into question on Monday how thoroughly Mr. McCain had examined her background before putting her on the Republican presidential ticket.

Jaketapper / Political Punch:

Members of ‘Fringe’ Alaskan Independence Party Say Palin Was a Member in 90s — The campaign of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., likes to herald the independence of its new running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. — Officials of the Alaskan Independence Party say that Palin was once so independent …

NY Daily News:

Bristol Palin's pregnancy was an open secret back home — He's a superhunky bad-boy ice hockey player from cold country; she's a chestnut-haired beauty and popular high school senior. — Soon the all-American teen twosome will make GOP vice presidential pick and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin …

Discussion: Althouse, Right Pundits, Slog, The Other McCain, Time, American Spectator and TBogg

Jeralyn / TalkLeft:

Pool: What Day Will Sarah Palin Drop Out? — The day John McCain appointed Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential nominee, I wrote: … It had nothing to do with Eagleton's particular problems, but how McGovern came to choose him, failed to adequately vet him, and then waffled when the problems arose …

Discussion: Althouse, Outside The Beltway, BlogHer, Corrente, Real Clear Politics, Pajamas Media and NO QUARTER

Greg Sargent / TPM Election Central:

The Palin Meltdown in Slo-Mo — On the same day that the Republicans were forced to dramatically cut back their convention activities, the Palin Meltdown unfolded with extraordinary speed. It's worth pondering the totality of what happened today, in a mere half day...

Discussion: The Nation and American Street

Liz Sidoti / Associated Press:

McCain camp's detailed review of Palin — ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Sarah Palin's path to the Republican ticket started with her name on a list — and a team of some 25 people poring through public records searching for trouble spots without her knowledge. Then came the 70-question survey and a nearly three-hour interview.

Discussion: Associated Press, Firedoglake, marbury, Yahoo! News and Right Pundits

Charles Mahtesian / The Politico:

New Palin details may help, not hurt — ST. PAUL, Minn. — Fishing permit violations. A blue-collar husband who racked up a DUI citation as a 22-year-old. An unmarried teenage daughter who is pregnant and a nasty child custody battle involving a family member.

Discussion: The Opinionator, New York Times, National Review, The Next Right, The Strata-Sphere, Jules Crittenden and Prairie Weather

Paul Kane / Washington Post:

Palin's Small Alaska Town Secured Big Federal Funds — Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin employed a lobbying firm to secure almost $27 million in federal earmarks for a town of 6,700 residents while she was its mayor, according to an analysis by an independent government watchdog group.

Discussion: Hullabaloo, TIME.com and Oliver Willis

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

FACE IT: THEY DIDN'T VET HER — Earlier I noted Andrea Mitchell's reference to reports that the McCain camp had just sent a team of GOP lawyers up to Alaska to do what I guess you'd call a post-vetting of Sarah Palin. Now George Stephanopoulos appears to have more.

Discussion: The Daily Dish, Buck Naked Politics and The Anonymous Liberal

Richard Cohen / Washington Post:
Republicans Rush In — One of the great sights of American …

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias and The RBC

New York Times:
A New Twist in the Debate Over Mothers

Discussion: Macleans.ca Blog Central

Eugene Robinson / Washington Post: The Cynicism Express — ST. PAUL, Minn. — Has anyone noticed …

Rebecca Sinderbrand / CNN:
Evangelicals rally behind Palin after pregnancy news

Discussion: The Huffington Post, alicublog, Connecting.the.Dots and The Moderate Voice

Azi Paybarah / New York Observer:
Levy on Palin Pregnancy: All Good

Discussion: Hot Air and American Spectator

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
OUT OF ORDER?

Discussion: RADAMISTO

Marc Ambinder:
Palin And The Alaska Independence Party

Discussion: Obsidian Wings, Firedoglake, DownWithTyranny!, The Shotgun, Ballot Access News, Liberal Values and The Poor Man Institute

Agence France Presse:
Scrutiny engulfs McCain's VP pick

Discussion: Wonkette, MyDD and Roger Ailes

Kate Klonick / TPMMuckraker:
Palin Hires Lawyer for Trooper-Gate Investigation

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight.com

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:

Scenes from St. Paul — Democracy Now's Amy Goodman arrested — Following up on this weekend's extreme raids on various homes, at least 250 people were arrested here today in St. Paul, Minnesota. Beginning last night, St. Paul was the most militarized I have ever seen an American city be …

Discussion: Open Left, DNC - RNC, Corrente, Unqualified Offerings, Jack & Jill Politics, Brilliant at Breakfast, Crooks and Liars, Associated Press, At-Largely, American Street and Campaign Silo

Democracy Now! Blog:
Amy Goodman and Two Democracy Now! Producers Unlawfully Arrested At the RNC

Discussion: New York Times, The Nation, The Huffington Post, Buck Naked Politics, Boing Boing, The BRAD BLOG, Pharyngula and Campaign Silo

Holly Watt / Washington Post:
Democracy Now! Host and Producers Arrested at Republican Convention

Discussion: Newshoggers.com, Amygdala, Boing Boing, Philly.com and skippy the bush kangaroo

David Brooks / New York Times:

What the Palin Pick Says — John McCain is not a normal conservative. He has instincts, but few abstract convictions about the proper size of government. He's a traditionalist, but is not energized by the social conservative agenda. As Rush Limbaugh understands, but the Democrats apparently do not …

Discussion: Eunomia

Gateway Pundit:

BUS ATTACK IN ST. PAUL!!... Anarchists Attack RNC Busses! (Video) ...Update: Cub Scouts Attacked! — WELCOME TO MINNESOTA! — Anarchists in St. Paul attacked RNC busses today in route to the Excel Center. — The anarchists and Leftists knew when the busses would be heading to the convention and were waiting for them.

Discussion: The Everyday Republican, Associated Press, Founding Bloggers, Ladies Logic, Atlas Shrugs and The Drunkablog

Hindrocket / Power Line:
THE FACE OF EVIL — The first day of the RNC was fun but muted.

Discussion: Gateway Pundit, michellemalkin.com and Bob McCarty Writes

Sara Just / Political Radar:

Bush to Speak to Republican Convention — ABC's George Stephanopoulos reports: After skipping the opening day of the Republican National Convention to personally check the emergency response to Hurricane Gustav, President George W. Bush will keep his appointment with the party faithful.

Arnab Datta / Political Punch:

McCain Hires GOP Operative Who Helped Smear Him in South Carolina in 2000 — Former officials of Sen. John McCain's 2000 campaign expressed shock and disbelief Monday to learn than the GOP presidential nominee had hired South Carolina political consultant Tucker Eskew.

Discussion: Don Surber, The Politico and Talking Points Memo

Adam Nagourney / New York Times: In Political Realm, ‘Family Problem’ Emerges as Test

Michael Asher / DailyTech:

Sun Makes History: First Spotless Month in a Century — Drop in solar activity has potential effect for climate on earth. — The sun has reached a milestone not seen for nearly 100 years: an entire month has passed without a single visible sunspot being noted.

Discussion: Vox Popoli and Flopping Aces

Peter Robinson / Wall Street Journal:

Why McCain Still Has a Chance To Win — With Barack Obama already established as a skillful rhetorician, people keep asking me, a former White House speechwriter, about John McCain. Can he say anything — anything at all — that might place him in the company of Ronald Reagan, the president for whom I used to work?

Discussion: Little Miss Attila

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

THAT'S ORIGINAL — I just saw McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds on CNN with a new line on Gov. Palin's foreign policy experience: McCain and Palin have more combined military command experience than Obama and Biden put together. — (ed.note: We're actually getting a flood of emails …

Discussion: Newshoggers.com and RADAMISTO

Natalie Gewargis / Political Punch:

Just Askin'... What would the response be if Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, and his wife Michelle had a pregnant unmarried teenage daughter? — jpt

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and Philosoraptor