memeorandum: Fox Nation Goes Nirther (Little Green Footballs)

3:06 AM ET, May 29, 2009

Top Items:

Sotomayor's Sharp Tongue Raises Issue of Temperament — WASHINGTON — Judge Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama's Supreme Court nominee, has a blunt and even testy side, and it was on display in December at an argument before the full federal appeals court in New York.

Discussion: The Politico, Sisyphus Shrugged, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, DISSENTING JUSTICE, Taylor Marsh, Election Law, How Appealing, TalkLeft, The Volokh Conspiracy, Wall Street Journal and McClatchy Washington Bureau

Josh Gerstein / The Politico:

W.H. urged to address ‘racist’ charge — Some Democrats and political analysts are urging the White House to shift course and concede that Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor made an error when she suggested in 2001 that Hispanic women would make better judges than white men.

Discussion: Firedoglake, Commentary, Crooks and Liars, Balloon Juice, RedState, TBogg, Bench Memos, Don Surber, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Raw Story and The Caucus

Ali Frick / Think Progress:

Tancredo: Sotomayor Is A Member Of The ‘Latino KKK Without The Hoods Or The Nooses’ — Seizing the opportunity to vilify a female, Hispanic Supreme Court nominee, noted bigot Tom Tancredo has emerged from obscurity to denounce Judge Sonia Sotomayor. Earlier this week, Tancredo declared her to be a …

Discussion: Colorado Independent, Crooks and Liars, Burnt Orange Report, DownWithTyranny!, BuzzFlash.org, MyDD, PERRspectives, Immigration Chronicles, Hot Air, WorldNetDaily, TalkLeft and Wonk Room

Matt Corley / Think Progress:

Barnes: Sotomayor ‘benefited’ from affirmative action ‘tremendously.’ — On MSNBC yesterday, Pat Buchanan repeatedly attacked Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor as an “affirmative action candidate,” echoing right-wing claims that she has “been the recipient of preferential treatment for most of her life.”

Discussion: Blogs and Stories

Eric Kleefeld / TPMDC:

Tancredo: Sotomayor Is Member Of “Latino KKK” — The right-wing fear-mongering against Sonia Sotomayor just keeps getting more and more comical. The latest grievance is her membership in the National Council of La Raza, a large national organization that bills itself as …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Colorado Independent, Glenn Thrush's Blog, Donkeylicious and Weasel Zippers

Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
Only Republicans Can Drive Latinos to the Democrats

Discussion: pandagon.net, Democratic Strategist, Feministe, Ta-Nehisi Coates and Alas, a blog

Rasmussen Reports:
87% Expect Sotomayor Will Be Confirmed, 45% Say She Should Be

Discussion: Daily Kos, Think Progress, The Atlantic Politics Channel, Don Surber, Open Left, FiveThirtyEight, Taylor Marsh, theblogprof, American Power, JammieWearingFool and TPMDC

Michael O'Brien / The Hill's Blog Briefing Room:
First GOP senator pledges vote against Sotomayor

Discussion: The Hill, New York Times, Washington Times, Washington Post, TalkLeft and DownWithTyranny!

Christina Hoag / NBC Los Angeles:

Kicking & Screaming: Journo Dragged From Near AF1 — A reporter for a small newspaper was forcibly removed from a press area near Air Force One shortly before President Barack Obama arrived at Los Angeles International Airport to depart California early Thursday.

Discussion: Newsbroke, Joe. My. God., FishBowlDC, Hot Air, Raw Story, Riehl World View, INSTAPUTZ and Stop The ACLU

Kerry Eleveld / Advocate:

White House Not Moving on DADT — White House press secretary Robert Gibbs was asked twice during Thursday's press briefing about the military's “don't ask, don't tell” policy. Both times, he reverted to his standard talking points on the subject. — When would the White House push Congress to repeal the policy, asked on reporter?

Discussion: Law Dork, 2.0, Pam's House Blend and AMERICAblog News

Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
Washington Sketch: What Did Sotomayor Mean by That?

Discussion: New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Reuters, Bookworm Room, DailyHowler.com, The Foundry, Commentary, The TrogloPundit, The Politico and Bloomberg

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

THERE IS NO CAR-DEALER CONSPIRACY.... A whole lot of right-wing blogs are worked up today over a report about the political affiliations of Chrysler dealers who've been shut down. … Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.), who has a dealership that will close, called this “an outrage.”

Discussion: Comments from Left Field, MoJo Blog Posts, NO QUARTER, Hot Air, D-Day, Atlas Shrugs, protein wisdom and PoliBlog

Ryan Powers / Think Progress:
Fox News Embraces Right-Wing Theory That Obama Is Forcing GOP …

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, JustOneMinute, QandO and .. …

Michelle Malkin:
Dealergate and the MSM — I talked about Dealergate on Fox and Friends this morning.

Discussion: Flopping Aces, Doug Ross, Gateway Pundit, Washington Post, PoliBlog, Stop The ACLU, NewsBusters.org, Outside The Beltway, It's a Kwazy Life, Right Wing News and Right Wing Nut House

Little Green Footballs:

Fox Nation Goes Nirther — At the Fox Nation website, unrestrained Nirth Certifikit insanity runs rampant in the comments for a video of Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs answering a question from a Nirther journalist (not sure who it is): Should Obama Release Birth Certificate? Or Is This Old News?

Discussion: Hot Air

The Huffington Post:

Nelson Now Open To Public Health Care, Baucus Will Fight For It — The push to include a public health care option as part of a system-wide overhaul benefited from two major boosts Wednesday. Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), the chairman of the Finance Committee and lead health care negotiator …

Discussion: Billings Gazette, Think Progress, D-Day, Hullabaloo, Daily Kos, Left in the West, The Hill, Washington Monthly and TPMDC

Margery A. Gibbs / Associated Press:
Senator Nelson becomes target of ad campaign

Discussion: AMERICAblog News and Firedoglake

Erick Erickson / Erick's blog:

The Peter Principle — We hang together or hang separately. … All of us, every single person regardless of political persuasion who reads this, have a tendency to deny our friends and fellow travelers at times. All of us. — Peter, under pressure and fear, denied Christ not just once, but three times.

Discussion: Jesus' General, World-O-Crap, The Moderate Voice, Sadly, No!, Wonkette, The Mahablog, Whiskey Fire, alicublog, Firedoglake, Salon and GOP 12

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Peter, Jesus, Rush

Discussion: Off the Kuff and The Moderate Voice

Marc Lynch:

Why did Obama add Saudi Arabia to his itinerary? — The Arab media is buzzing today over the announcement that President Obama will travel to Riyadh before arriving in Cairo for his big address to the Islamic world. Why the late addition to his itinerary?

Discussion: Blogs and Stories, Taylor Marsh and ATTACKERMAN

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:

Sestak: Not Even Obama Can Talk Me Out Of Challenging Specter — In another sign of his determination to challenge Arlen Specter in the 2010 Democratic primary, Joe Sestak just told me in an interview that not even a personal plea from President Obama himself could dissuade him from making the race.

Discussion: Open Left, The Other McCain, Early Returns, Quinnipiac University, Washington Monthly, The Fix, Washington Wire, CBS News, Scorecard's Blog, TPMDC, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, MyDD, Politics Daily and Real Clear Politics

The New Majority:

OBAMA: BUYER'S REMORSE — Admittedly, I was one of the moderate conservatives who was wooed by Obama during his PR campaign to become the country's next president. Sadly, even though I was still unsure of my vote until the week before the election, I know better now.

Discussion: Wizbang and Hot Air

MSNBC:

Evidence mounts that recession may be ending — But the economy's bounce along the bottom may be a very bumpy ride — msnbc.com staff and news service reports — The economy is throwing off signals that it may be bumping along the bottom, and the ride is likely to be rough.

John Derbyshire / The Corner:

Give Montana Girls a Chance — A reader vents: Derb — I've been hoping that someone might be bold enough to rain on the Sotomayor “compelling life story” parade. The woman grew up in the capital of the world, went to two Ivy League schools, and was blessed by Providence …

Discussion: alicublog and Talking Points Memo

Reuters:

Pentagon denies report Iraq prison photos show rape — The Pentagon on Thursday denied a British newspaper report that photographs of Iraqi prisoner abuse, whose release U.S. President Barack Obama wants to block, include images of apparent rape and sexual abuse.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, MoJo Blog Posts, Raw Story, Hullabaloo, FP Passport, Michael Calderone's Blog, Washington Post, Politics Daily, D-Day, At-Largely, Truthdig and Telegraph

New York Times:

U.S. Presses China for Tough Response to North Korea — WASHINGTON — The United States is pressing China to consider taking a variety of severe sanctions against North Korea, including the inspection of suspect ships and planes, as it tries to ratchet up the global response …

Jeff Zeleny / The Caucus:

Obama Rings Up Cash Among the Stars — The president basked in the glow of his Hollywood supporters. — BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - The state budget may be severely overdrawn, but the California political A.T.M. seems to be working just fine. — President Obama arrived at a back-to-back fund-raising dinner …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Political Punch, AMERICAblog News, Pam's House Blend, .. …, The Daily Dish, Fox News, Ben Smith's Blog, #gay, Top of the Ticket, The Politico, Shakesville and Townhall.com

Los Angeles Times:
President Obama touts early progress

Discussion: Hot Air and Washington Post

Carlos Watson / The Stimulist:

The 10 Most Powerful Political Daughters — For more from Carlos, check out “How the Prop 8 Ruling Will Help Gay Marriage” and “Torture Won't Be Solved on Cable News.” — Father's Day — is still a few weeks off, but in the loving world of politics—some daughters have already given generous gifts to Dad.

Discussion: MSNBC

Anita Kumar / Virginia Politics:

Nader Accuses McAuliffe of Suppressing Votes — Consumer activist Ralph Nader accused Terry McAuliffe Thursday of orchestrating an effort to remove him from the presidential ballot in 2004 when McAuliffe was chairman of the Democratic National Committee. — Nader said that McAuliffe offered …

Discussion: Salon, The Nation, Daily Kos, MyDD and Raw Story

New York Times:

Pentagon Plans New Arm to Wage Wars in Cyberspace — WASHINGTON — The Pentagon plans to create a new military command for cyberspace, administration officials said Thursday, stepping up preparations by the armed forces to conduct both offensive and defensive computer warfare.

Discussion: PrairiePundit

Sean Cockerham / Anchorage Daily News:

Costs of dismissed Palin ethics complaints pile up — Personnel board member says tab is “close to about a third of a million dollars.” — scockerham@adn.com — The Alaska Personnel Board, clearly frustrated with the pile of ethics complaints filed against Gov. Sarah Palin, wants to publicize the cost of dealing with them.

Discussion: Texas for Sarah Palin, Associated Press, Conservatives4Palin.com, Eye on 2010, Washington Wire and GOP 12

New York Times:

New G.M. Plan Gets Support From Key Bondholders — As General Motors moved closer to a bankruptcy filing, possibly early next week, attention on Thursday turned again to the bondholders, the most important group that the company has yet to win over for its efforts to start fresh.

Discussion: DealBook

Mark Hemingway / National Review:

Speaking Bluntly — On Tuesday, Senate majority leader Harry Reid threw one heck of a book party. His memoir, The Good Fight: Hard Lessons from Searchlight to Washington, just came out in paperback, and to celebrate the occasion the Nevada senator held a fundraiser at Caesar's Palace.