memeorandum: Durbin Calls On Gingrich To Apologize For Attacking The CIA In 2007 (Amanda Terkel/Think Progress)

4:55 PM ET, May 24, 2009

Top Items:

Durbin Calls On Gingrich To Apologize For Attacking The CIA In 2007 — Last week, former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich called on Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to resign her current position as Speaker. He said that she “disqualified herself” over her comments that the CIA was “misleading” Congress.

Discussion: Doug Ross

Mike Allen / The Politico:

Durbin: ‘supermax’ Gitmo inmates — Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), the assistant majority leader, said Sunday on NBC's “Meet the Press” that he would accept Guantanamo detainees in his home state as long as they were held in super-maximum prisons, where inmates are held 23 hours a day in small cells with slits for windows.

Discussion: theblogprof, Progress Illinois, Washington Monthly and Macsmind

Andy Barr / The Politico:

Steele critics: RNC chair finding mojo — Not so long ago, after Michael Steele's rocky start as Republican National Committee chairman, there were rumors of impending coups and evidence of deep dissatisfaction within the GOP ranks. — But after a shaky debut marked by a series of gaffes …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, PoliGazette and MyDD

MSNBC:
May 24: Durbin, Gingrich, political roundtable

Discussion: Crooks and Liars and The Raw Story

Mike Allen / The Politico:
Senate GOP: Not so fast on Court pick

Discussion: New York Times, The Page and DownWithTyranny!

Andie Coller / The Politico:
GOP Rep. rips ‘reprehensible’ video

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, The Strata-Sphere, Wake up America, Think Progress, Crooks and Liars and Firedoglake

Alexander Mooney / CNN:

Ridge takes aim at Limbaugh — (CNN) — Pennsylvania Republican Tom Ridge is taking direct aim at Rush Limbaugh, telling CNN's John King the conservative talk radio host can be “shrill” and uses language in a way “that offend very many.” — “Rush Limbaugh has an audience of 20 million people.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Say Anything, DownWithTyranny! and Think Progress

Michael Goodwin / Fox News: Powell Defends GOP Credentials, Calls for More Inclusive Party

Rogene Fisher / New York Times:
Answering Critics, Powell Says G.O.P. Needs Change

Discussion: NewsBusters.org

Fareed Zakaria / Newsweek:

They May Not Want The Bomb — And other unexpected truths. … From the magazine issue dated Jun 1, 2009 — Everything you know about Iran is wrong, or at least more complicated than you think. Take the bomb. The regime wants to be a nuclear power but could well be happy …

Discussion: NewsBusters.org, ATTACKERMAN, Newshoggers.com, Swampland, Macsmind, JammieWearingFool and Hyscience

Jennifer Parker / George's Bottom Line:

Military Chief: Gitmo ‘Needs to Be Closed’ — President Barack Obama's top military adviser said the Pentagon is working to meet the president's deadline of closing Guantanamo Bay by January 2010. — “I've advocated for a long time now that it needs to be closed,” Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman …

Discussion: ABCNEWS, Firedoglake and Washington Monthly

Clark Hoyt / New York Times:

The Writers Make News. Unfortunately. — IT has been a busy week or two for the ethics police — those within The Times trying to protect the paper's integrity, and those outside, ready to pounce on transgressions by Times journalists. — Thomas Friedman, the star columnist …

Discussion: Michael Calderone's Blog, Felix Salmon, Media Matters for America, Don Surber, TigerHawk, Grasping Reality …, PoliGazette, Clusterstock and Megan McArdle

Louise Armitstead / Telegraph:

British banks revolt against Obama tax plan — British banks and stockbrokers may refuse to take on American clients if new international tax proposals outlined by President Obama are passed. — The decision, which would make it hard for Americans in London to open bank accounts and trade shares …

Discussion: Say Anything, Don Surber and The Rhetorican

Matthew Alexander / The Huffington Post:

Former Senior Interrogator in Iraq Dissects Cheney's Lies and Distortions — As a senior interrogator in Iraq (and a former criminal investigator), there was a lesson I learned that served me well: there's more to be learned from what someone doesn't say than from what they do say.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars

Detroit Free Press:

Watson paid pittance for taxes on ‘nonexistent’ Detroit house — Detroit City Councilwoman JoAnn Watson paid only $68 in property taxes this year because city records say her well-kept, brick Tudor-style home doesn't exist. Although the home has occupied its west-side plot since 1926 …

Discussion: theblogprof, Don Surber and The New Editor

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

How Much Do Safe Havens Matter? — I'm still trying to decide what I think about this question. But given how much strategic focus we're giving to Afghanistan, I'm confident we haven't given the question enough collective thought. Matt Yglesias had a post a couple months ago asking a basic question …

Frank Rich / New York Times:

La Cage aux Democrats — THE most potent word in our new president's lexicon — change — has been heard much less since his inspiring campaign gave way to the hard realities of governing. But on Tuesday night, the irresistible Obama brand made an unexpected and pointed cameo appearance …

Discussion: Pam's House Blend