memeorandum: Memos shed light on CIA use of sleep deprivation (Greg Miller/Los Angeles Times)

12:55 PM ET, May 10, 2009

Top Items:

Obama Delivers the Zingers at Journalists' Dinner — When President Obama made his debut as the nation's Stand-Up-in-Chief last night — the star attraction at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner — no one in his administration was safe from his one-liners.

Discussion: The Caucus, Washington Monthly, PERRspectives, Political Byline, At-Largely, Outside The Beltway, The Moderate Voice, Taylor Marsh, Comments from Left Field, The Impolitic, Jules Crittenden and TRAIL BLAZERS

The Huffington Post:

White House Correspondents Dinner: Wanda Sykes Knocks Limbaugh, Hannity — Wanda Sykes, the comic featured as tonight's entertainer at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, took a couple of shots at Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. She speculated that Limbaugh was actually the 20th hijacker …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Rumproast, Gateway Pundit, theblogprof, On Deadline, Swampland, Redhot and News Hounds

Ken Tucker / EW.com:
President Obama and Wanda Sykes knock 'em dead at the White House …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Fred Barnes / Weekly Standard:

Be the Party of No — It's the route to Republican landslides. — Republican leaders in Congress have created something called the National Council for a New America (NCNA). It describes itself as “not a Republican-only forum” but one that seeks to “engage people in a discussion …

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, The New Republic, Riehl World View, Let Freedom Ring and American Power

Greg Miller / Los Angeles Times:

Memos shed light on CIA use of sleep deprivation — Though widely perceived as more effective and less objectionable than other interrogation methods, memos show it's harsher and more controversial than most realize. And it could be brought back. — Reporting from Washington …

Discussion: War in Context, Fox News and Raw Story

Las Vegas Review-Journal:

Pelosi's amnesia — Either that or she slept through CIA briefings — Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been a leading critic of the Bush administration for authorizing the “torture” (waterboarding) of three captured al-Qaida leaders, despite the fact that former Vice President Dick Cheney …

Qassim Abdul-Zahra / Associated Press:
Pelosi wants US to strengthen intelligence in Iraq

Discussion: The Hill's Blog Briefing Room and The Page

Leonard Doyle / Telegraph:

Barack Obama's rich supporters fear his tax plans show he's a class warrior — Some of Barack Obama's richest supporters fear they have elected a “class warrior” to the White House, who will turn America's freewheeling capitalism into a more regulated European system.

Discussion: Wake up America, TigerHawk and Moe Lane

The Wall Street Journal / Fox News:

Obama to Propose More Taxes From Estates, Firms to Fund Health Care Reform — The measures total $60 million, but administration officials describe the plan as eliminating ‘tax loopholes’ rather than hiking taxes — WASHINGTON — The Obama administration will propose $60 billion …

Discussion: PoliGazette, Gateway Pundit and American Power

Frank Rich / New York Times:

The American Press on Suicide Watch — IF you wanted to pick the moment when the American news business went on suicide watch, it was almost exactly three years ago. That's when Stephen Colbert, appearing at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner, delivered a monologue accusing …

Discussion: AMERICAblog News, The Field on the Narcosphere, Bark Bark Woof Woof and The Fix

Amanda Terkel / Think Progress:

Cheney: As a Republican, I choose Rush Limbaugh over Colin Powell. — Last week, former Secretary of State Colin Powell said that the Republican Party is in “deep trouble” because it is “getting smaller” and being led by far right polarizing figures. Specifically, he said that Rush Limbaugh …

Discussion: The Swamp

John Romano / Big Hollywood:

Obama Bans the Commonfolk from Normandy — A lot of the difference, the change if you will, between Obama and Bush has much to do with the word humility. — George Bush is and was a humble man. Obama thinks the world counts on him and him alone to lead us. Bush went to church and prayed often.

Discussion: And So it Goes in Shreveport, BLACKFIVE, The Strata-Sphere, Right Wing News, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Don Surber, Flopping Aces and Gateway Pundit

Jennifer Parker / George's Bottom Line:

Edwards Staff Had Affair ‘Doomsday’ Strategy — During our Roundtable discussion on “This Week” we discussed Elizabeth Edwards' candid interview with Oprah about her husband's affair. — ABC columnist George Will suggested former Sen. John Edwards was irresponsible to campaign for the Democratic Party nomination.

Discussion: Washington Monthly and MyDD

Fox News:

Petraeus: Al Qaeda No Longer Operating in Afghanistan — Gen. David Petraeus says affiliated organizations still have “enclaves and sanctuaries” in the country. — FOXNews.com — The head of U.S. Central Command said Sunday that Al Qaeda is no longer operating in Afghanistan …