memeorandum: STATE OF THE UNION WITH JOHN KING (CNN)

7:15 AM ET, May 25, 2009

CQ Transcripts: Former Secretary of State Colin Powell Responds to Republican Critics on CBS's ‘Face the Nation’ — CQ Transcriptswire — SPEAKERS: BOB SCHIEFFER, HOST FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL — [*] SCHIEFFER: Today on FACE THE NATION, an exclusive interview with Colin Powell …

Discussion: AMERICAblog News and Crooks and Liars

CNN:
Powell: ‘I am still a Republican’

Discussion: Raw Story and Say Anything

Daniel Carty / CBS News:
Powell: Cheney's “Misinformed”

Discussion: Politics Daily and Gothamist

Erick Erickson / RedState:
Tom Ridge Lies

Discussion: The Next Right and TBogg

Andy Barr / The Politico:
Steele critics: RNC chair finding mojo

Discussion: MyDD, PoliGazette and Crooks and Liars

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

Discussion: American Power

Alexander Mooney / CNN:
Ridge takes aim at Limbaugh

Discussion: PoliGazette, The Swamp, Say Anything, The Moderate Voice, Think Progress, DownWithTyranny! and Taylor Marsh

Choe Sang-Hun / New York Times:

North Korea Claims to Conduct 2nd Nuclear Test — SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea announced on Monday it had successfully conducted its second nuclear test, defying international warnings and drastically raising the stakes in a global effort to get the recalcitrant Communist state to give up its nuclear weapons program.

Discussion: Associated Press, Michelle Malkin, Agence France Presse, Stop The ACLU, MyDD and The Page

BBC:

North Korea conducts nuclear test — North Korea has staged a “successful” underground nuclear test, the state-run KCNA agency reports. — The agency says it was more powerful than the previous one in October 2006. — A number of external agencies have confirmed a powerful explosion took place …

Discussion: Don Surber and Stinque

Associated Press:

N. Korea says it conducted nuclear test — South Korea's president calls an emergency security session — SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea defiantly declared Monday that it carried out a powerful underground nuclear test — a major provocation less than two months after launching …

Adm. Mike Mullen / ABCNEWS:

Transcript: Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen — Exclusive Interview with President Barack Obama's Top Military Official — ABC'S “THIS WEEK WITH GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS” SPEAKERS: GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, HOST — STEPHANOPOULOS (voice-over): Good morning, and welcome to THIS WEEK.

Discussion: The Huffington Post and Washington Monthly

Fareed Zakaria / Newsweek:
They May Not Want The Bomb

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

Jennifer Parker / George's Bottom Line:
Military Chief: Gitmo ‘Needs to Be Closed’

Discussion: Crooks and Liars and Firedoglake

New York Times: Have We Already Lost Iran?

Amanda Terkel / Think Progress:

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.

MSNBC:
May 24: Durbin, Gingrich, political roundtable

Discussion: Raw Story, Democrats.com, D-Day and Crooks and Liars

Mike Allen / The Politico:
Durbin: ‘supermax’ Gitmo inmates

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Progress Illinois, PoliGazette, Macsmind, theblogprof and Washington Monthly

Annie Karni / New York Post:

DE'TAT'CHED ATTITUDE — JOB SEEKERS ERASING BODY ART TO COMPETE — When the Dow is low, the “tramp stamp” has to go. — Dermatologists across the city are reporting a boom in tattoo laser removals, as body-art fanatics fretting over their professional image rush to erase their inky mistakes.

Discussion: TigerHawk, Clusterstock and Don Surber

Reza Sayah / CNN:

Thousands gather to hear, cheer Iran's Michelle Obama — TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) — Dancing in public is not allowed in Iran, but thousands could hardly contain themselves at a recent presidential campaign rally in the capital city, Tehran. — On this day, the deafening cheers …

Discussion: Unqualified Offerings

Glenn Kessler / Washington Post:

Clinton to Announce Benefits for Partners of Gay U.S. Diplomats — Draft Memo Outlines New Foreign Service Policies for All Unmarried Couples — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will soon announce that the partners of gay U.S. diplomats are eligible for many benefits currently denied …

Discussion: The Page

Guardian:

Row at RBS over bonuses — • Institutions seek tougher performance criteria — • Goodwin's successor at centre of controversy — Royal Bank of Scotland is under fire over new bonus schemes for its chief executive, Stephen Hester, and other top bankers amid concern …

Discussion: AMERICAblog News

Reuters:

Discussion: The Huffington Post

Charlie Savage / New York Times:

New Justice Could Hold the Key to Presidential Power — WASHINGTON — As President Obama prepares to replace Justice David H. Souter on the Supreme Court, conventional wisdom says his nominee will have little chance to change the court because all the contenders appear to share Justice Souter's approach …

Isabel Reynolds / Reuters:

Japan panel wants “first strikes” against enemies — TOKYO (Reuters) - A Japanese ruling party panel is to propose that pre-emptive strikes against enemy bases be allowed despite the country's pacifist constitution, Kyodo news agency said on Monday, weeks after a North Korean missile launch.

Discussion: The Agonist