memeorandum: The Public Pension Shakedown (Wall Street Journal)

10:00 AM ET, April 20, 2009

Top Items:

Sources: Wiretap Recorded Rep. Harman Promising to Intervene for AIPAC — Rep. Jane Harman , the California Democrat with a longtime involvement in intelligence issues, was overheard on an NSA wiretap telling a suspected Israeli agent that she would lobby the Justice Department reduce espionage …

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

Must Read — This story is so radioactive it's hard to know which of fifty different directions to go with it. In brief, Jeff Stein at CQ has a much, much more detailed account of that story, first reported in 2006, of Rep. Jane Harman getting caught on a wiretapped phone call allegedly discussing …

Discussion: PoliGazette, The Western Experience, Emptywheel, TPMCafe and Corrente

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

Walking and Chewing Gum — In my comments on the Harman story, you'll see I'm giving probably as much focus to the hows and whys of the government's role surveilling Harman as I am to what she's accused of. So let me early on make this point clear — one issue does override or trump the significance of the other.

Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:

Harman, AIPAC, Wiretapping — Here's a triple-wow story from Jeff Stein at CQ. It seems that back during the heady days of the AIPAC spy case, Representative Jane Harman (D-CA) had a conversation with a “suspected Israeli agent” in which Harman promised to intervene on behalf of the suspected spies …

Discussion: ATTACKERMAN, The Washington Independent and Lawyers, Guns and Money

Jeff Stein / CQ Politics:
Sources: Wiretap Recorded Rep. Harman Promising to Intervene for AIPAC

Discussion: Emptywheel and CANNONFIRE

Sam Stein / The Huffington Post:

Boehner Cites Cow Farts To Downplay Global Warming (VIDEO) — Minority Leader John Boehner described the overwhelming scientific consensus that carbon dioxide is contributing to climate change as “comical” during an appearance on Sunday, noting that cow flatulence contributes CO2 to the environment all the time.

Discussion: JustOneMinute, Wall Street Journal, Environmental Capital, Political Machine and Guardian

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
THE MAN WHO WOULD BE SPEAKER.... One of the difficulties …

Discussion: Gateway Pundit, Political Machine and Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog!

ABCNEWS:
Transcript: Rahm Emanuel and Rep. John Boehner

Discussion: The Washington Note, AfterDowningStreet.org and Crooks and Liars

Steven R. Hurst / Associated Press:

Analysis: Obama gores foreign policy ox … WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama has gone abroad and gored an ox—the deeply held belief that the United States does not make mistakes in dealings with either friends or foes. — And in the process, he's taking a huge gamble both at home and abroad …

Discussion: Associated Press, NewsBusters.org, Fausta's Blog, Agence France Presse, Breitbart.tv and Don Surber

Peter Nicholas / Los Angeles Times:
Obama defends greeting Hugo Chavez

Discussion: Six Meat Buffet, FP Passport, DownWithTyranny! and CNN

Scott Shane / New York Times:

Waterboarding Used 266 Times on 2 Suspects — C.I.A. interrogators used waterboarding, the near-drowning technique that top Obama administration officials have described as illegal torture, 266 times on two key prisoners from Al Qaeda, far more than had been previously reported.

CNN:
Ex-CIA chief: Obama risks national security

Discussion: And So it Goes in Shreveport

C. J. Chivers / New York Times:

A Blast, an Ambush and a Sprint Out of a Taliban Kill Zone — ALIABAD, Afghanistan — The two Army lieutenants crouched against boulders beside the Korangal River. Taliban gunfire poured down from villages and cliffs above, hitting tree branches and rocks and snapping as the bullets passed over the officers' helmets.

Discussion: Moon of Alabama, Jules Crittenden and PrairiePundit

Michael A. Fletcher / Washington Post:

Obama to Order Cabinet to Quickly Cut $100 Million From Department Budgets — President Obama plans to convene his Cabinet for the first time today, where he will order members to identify a combined $100 million in budget cuts over the next 90 days, according to a senior administration official.

Discussion: The Corner, The Politico, The Fix, TIME.com and Greg Mankiw's Blog

Brian Knowlton / New York Times:
Obama Advisers Challenge G.O.P. to Offer Alternatives

Discussion: Anne Schroeder's Blog and The New Ledger

Fox News:

Administration Could Relieve Banks By Taking Ownership Stake — Regulators now are putting the nation's 19 largest banks through tests to determine their ability to withstand worsening economic conditions. Officials say some banks will need more bailout money. — FOXNews.com

Wall Street Journal:

Americas Summit: Missed Opportunity — If President Barack Obama's goal at the fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago this weekend was to be better liked by the region's dictators and left-wing populists than his predecessor George W. Bush, the White House can chalk up a win.

Discussion: Sister Toldjah and CNN

MSNBC:
April 19: Summers, roundtable

Discussion: Politicker NY and Betsy's Page

Carl Hulse / New York Times:

Obama's Revenue Plans Hit Resistance in Congress — WASHINGTON — President Obama is running into stiff Congressional resistance to his plans to raise money for his ambitious agenda, and the resulting hole in the budget is threatening a major health care overhaul and other policy initiatives.

Discussion: Washington Post and Commentary

Wall Street Journal:

The Public Pension Shakedown — Why would a smart guy invest in a movie named ‘Chooch’? — President Obama's auto fix-it man, Steven Rattner, is in the news as one of the Wall Street financiers hit up for big money as part of New York state's unfolding pension-kickback scandal.

Discussion: naked capitalism, Betsy's Page and PrairiePundit

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

Erin Go Broke — “What,” asked my interlocutor, “is the worst-case outlook for the world economy?” It wasn't until the next day that I came up with the right answer: America could turn Irish. — What's so bad about that? Well, the Irish government now predicts that this year G.D.P …

Discussion: The Mahablog and Corrente