memeorandum: Gettelfinger Motors — The mauling of GM's bondholders reveals Treasury's political hand. (Wall Street Journal)

9:00 AM ET, April 30, 2009

Top Items:

G.O.P. Debate: A Broader Party or a Purer One? — WASHINGTON — A fundamental debate broke out among Republicans on Wednesday over how to rebuild the party in the wake of Senator Arlen Specter's departure: Should it purge moderate voices like Mr. Specter and embrace its conservative roots …

Discussion: The Politico, AmSpecBlog, Balloon Juice, Power Line and Associated Press

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Top Dems rebel on Specter — Senior Senate Democrats are objecting to the deal Majority Leader Harry Reid made with Sen. Arlen Specter, saying they will vote against letting the former Republican shoot to the top of powerful committees after he switches parties.

Discussion: The Note, Bloomberg, Washington Post, The Hill's Pundits Blog and Hullabaloo

Brad Jackson / The New Ledger:

Is the NRSC Going to Abandon Toomey? — NRSC Vice-Chairman Orrin Hatch said today that he doesn't believe former Congressman Pat Toomey has a chance to beat newly turned Democrat Arlen Specter in next year's Senate race in Pennsylvania. Hatch even suggested that the NRSC may seek to recruit a candidate to run against Toomey.

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Politics Daily, The Moderate Voice, The Campaign Spot, Senate Guru and Erick's blog

Eric Kleefeld / TPMDC:
NRSC Launches Calls To Remind Pennsylvania Dem Voters Of Specter's GOP Roots

Discussion: MSNBC, MyDD, Pennsylvania Ave. and Townhall.com

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Reid's Specter deal stirs senior Dems' anger

Discussion: The Politico, Commentary, Washington Post, Top of the Ticket, TalkLeft, The New Ledger, Hot Air and Flopping Aces

John / Power Line:
John Cornyn: What the Specter Switch Means

Discussion: Scorecard's Blog and TPMDC

Dan Balz / Washington Post:
Will GOP Sleep Through Wake-Up Call?

Discussion: Capitol Briefing, AMERICAblog News, Climate Progress, Taegan Goddard's …, Wall Street Journal, CBS News and The Fix

CNN: Pelosi tells Republicans to ‘take back their party’

Wall Street Journal:

Chrysler Chapter 11 Is Imminent — Creditor Talks Collapse as Hedge Funds Balk at Deal; Fiat Waiting in the Wings — WASHINGTON — Talks between the Treasury Department and lenders aimed at keeping Chrysler LLC out of bankruptcy broke down Wednesday, making it all but certain the car maker …

Discussion: Dealbreaker, Clusterstock, Guardian, The Big Picture and New York Times

New York Times:

Chrysler Bankruptcy Looms as Deal on Debt Falters — DETROIT — Last-minute efforts by the Treasury Department to win over recalcitrant Chrysler debtholders failed Wednesday night, setting up a near-certain bankruptcy filing by the American automaker, according to people briefed on the talks.

Discussion: The Politico, Wheels, The Baseline Scenario, American Street and naked capitalism

Washington Post:
Sources: Chrysler Bankruptcy Plan Would Oust CEO, Install Fiat Management

Discussion: TPMMuckraker and Salon

New York Times:

President Obama's 100th-Day Press Briefing — Following is a transcript of President Obama's press briefing as he marks his 100th day in office, as transcribed by Federal News Service. — PRESIDENT OBAMA: Before we begin to tonight, I just want to provide everyone with a few brief updates …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Slate, 24Ahead and MoJo Blog Posts

Michael Goldfarb / Weekly Standard:

Dead Certain — Tonight President Obama said he was “absolutely convinced” that he had made the right decision in putting an end to the use of the harsh interrogation techniques employed by the Bush administration. After eight years of President Bush, it certainly is refreshing to have a leader …

Discussion: Macsmind

Calvin Woodward / Associated Press:

FACT CHECK: Obama disowns deficit he helped shape — WASHINGTON - “That wasn't me,” President Barack Obama said on his 100th day in office, disclaiming responsibility for the huge budget deficit waiting for him on Day One. It actually was him — and the other Democrats controlling Congress …

Discussion: PoliGazette and PERRspectives

Tom Shales / Washington Post:

Obama Deftly Handles Another Prime-Time News Conference — The questions put to Barack Obama at his news conference last night covered nearly every topic but the Craigslist Killer, and if that had come up, Obama probably would have answered it in stride. You ask, he'll answer — earnestly …

Discussion: Fausta's Blog, Pundit & Pundette and NewsBusters.org

CNN:

GOP set to launch rebranding effort — WASHINGTON (CNN) - Coming soon to a battleground state near you: a new effort to revive the image of the Republican Party and to counter President Obama's characterization of Republicans as “the party of ‘no.’” — CNN has learned that the new initiative …

Discussion: TBogg, DISSENTING JUSTICE, Ben Smith's Blog, Roger Ailes, 24Ahead, Vanity Fair and Newshoggers.com

who.int:

Swine influenza — The situation continues to evolve rapidly. As of 18:00 GMT, 29 April 2009, nine countries have officially reported 148 cases of swine influenza A/H1N1 infection. The United States Government has reported 91 laboratory confirmed human cases, with one death.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, CBS News, Scientific American, Blue Crab Boulevard, Liberal Values and Sydney Morning Herald

New York Times:
Mexico Limits Public Services as Flu Alerts Are Increased

Discussion: Guardian and Political Punch

STRATFOR:

A Chilling Effect on U.S. Counterterrorism — Over the past couple of weeks, we have been carefully watching the fallout from the Obama administration's decision to release four classified memos from former President George W. Bush's administration that authorized “enhanced interrogation techniques.”

Discussion: Doug Ross, Israel Matzav and The Rhetorican

Wall Street Journal:

Gettelfinger Motors — The mauling of GM's bondholders reveals Treasury's political hand. — Printer — Friendly — President Obama insisted at his press conference last night that he doesn't want to nationalize the auto industry (or the banks, or the mortgage market, or . . .).

Discussion: Betsy's Page and Kausfiles

Celeste Katz / NY Daily News:

Elizabeth Edwards write about husband's affair in book … Campaign cad John Edwards' cheating ways made his wife, Elizabeth, sick to her stomach - literally. — After the former presidential hopeful confessed his betrayal, Elizabeth Edwards writes in her new book, “I cried and screamed, I went to the bathroom and threw up.”

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …

New York Times:

Obama ‘Gravely Concerned’ About Pakistan — WASHINGTON — President Obama said Wednesday that he was “gravely concerned” about the stability of the Pakistani government but that he was confident Pakistan's nuclear arsenal would not fall into the hands of Islamic militants.

Discussion: Washington Post, Hullabaloo, Top of the Ticket and The Moderate Voice

Media Matters Action Network:

Rep. Virginia Foxx Called Matthew Shepard Hate Crime “A Hoax” … Matthew Shepard's Death Was A Hate Crime, Not Simply A Robbery — Rep. Foxx: “The bill was named after a very unfortunate incident that happened, where a young man was killed, but we know that that young man was killed in the commitment of robbery.

Discussion: AMERICAblog News, The Sleuth, Glenn Thrush's Blog, Good As You, pandagon.net, Colorado Independent, DownWithTyranny!, Sister Toldjah, Pam's House Blend, First Draft, Congress Matters, Shakesville, D-Day and The Moderate Voice

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
Can someone explain to Rep. Foxx the difference between hate crimes …

Discussion: Library Grape, The League of Ordinary …, Townhall.com and Good As You

Peter Hecht / Sacramento Bee:

Field Poll: California voters oppose five of six May 19 ballot measures — Voters strongly oppose five special election measures being sold as a budget-reform elixir for California's burgeoning $40 billion deficit. — But voters in a new Field Poll overwhelmingly support a measure …

Discussion: American Power and Hot Air