memeorandum: 1776: A letter from husband to wife (Michelle Malkin)

6:10 PM ET, July 4, 2009

Top Items:

William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:

It Always Has Been About Trig — I waited a whole day before posting about the Sarah Palin resignation. Well, not a whole day, but longer than almost everyone else in the blogosphere. Here's my take as of this moment in time, subject to change: — I don't know why Sarah Palin resigned …

Discussion: No Sheeples Here!, Conservative Political Report, Piece of Work In Progress, Riehl World View, Lawyers, Guns and Money, theblogprof, Polimom, Too, KN@PPSTER, Confederate Yankee, The Reaction and Gateway Pundit

Bruce Reed / Slate:

In Sarah Palin's GOP, the leaders keep quitting and the troubles don't. — “It may be tempting and more comfortable to just keep your head down [and] plod along,” Sarah Palin said Friday, in an attempt to suggest that serving her full term as governor would add to the nation's apathy.

Discussion: Ezra Klein, BitsBlog, Washington Monthly, The Atlantic Politics Channel, AndrewHalcro.com and Atlas Shrugs

Phoebe Connelly / American Prospect:

SARAH PALIN INSISTS YOU PAY ATTENTION TO THE INTERNET ON HOLIDAY. — Never a slow news day with these Republicans. — Couple of quick hits — it's worth re-reading Ann and Tim's initial reactions to the arrival of Sarah Palin on the national political scene as McCain's VP. (Shorter Tim: it's a gimmick.

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias and Talking Points Memo

Fox News:
Options Abound for Palin After Alaska Governorship

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Midwest Voices and NY Daily News

Erick Erickson / Erick's blog:
A few additional and hopefully final thoughts on Sarah Palin

Discussion: Macsmind, The New Ledger, Whiskey Fire, Washington Wire, Obama Foodorama, NewsBusters.org, Sadly, No!, The Confluence, The Huffington Post and Pajamas Media

Matthew Cooper / The Atlantic Politics Channel:
Three Theories of Palin's Resignation

Discussion: ProfessorBainbridge.com

Mickey Kaus / Kausfiles:
5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,11, 12, 13, 14 Palin Theories

Discussion: Doug Ross, JustOneMinute and The American Scene

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Surreality Only Beginning — As David noted below …

Discussion: Jezebel, Washington Monthly, Wizbang, The Huffington Post, The Reaction, The New Ledger, Newshoggers.com and NO QUARTER

Matthew Continetti / Weekly Standard:

More on Palin — I spoke to a few friends in Alaskan Republican politics yesterday. None of them had a clue that Palin was going to resign her office, and none has any idea what her motivation might be in doing so. It was widely assumed in Alaska that Palin wouldn't run for a second term.

Discussion: Associated Press

CBS News:

Palin A “Shooting Star Crashing To Earth”? — GOP Strategist Ed Rollins Says Her Resignation Hurts Any 2012 White House Run She Might Be Mulling — (CBS) If Sarah Palin thinks quitting the Alaskan statehouse is going to help a 2012 presidential campaign which some pundits speculate she's mulling …

Discussion: Little Green Footballs and NewsMax.com

The Huffington Post:
Sarah Palin Resignation Speech: FULL VIDEO, TEXT

Discussion: PoliBlog, marbury, Politics Daily, Gateway Pundit and Open Left

Los Angeles Times:
Sarah Palin's exit as Alaska governor stuns, puzzles observers

Discussion: The Swamp, Megan McArdle and Washington Post

New York Times:
Palin's Move Shocks G.O.P. and Leaves Future Unclear

Discussion: WTOP.com, Erick's blog, Taegan Goddard's …, The Caucus, Big Brass Blog, TPMCafe, The Page, Washington Monthly, The Huffington Post and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

The Daily Beast:
Did a Scandal Sink the U.S.S. Palin?

Rachel D'Oro / Associated Press:
Palin resigning as Alaska governor on July 26

Discussion: Daily Pundit, Paco Enterprises, RealClearPolitics Video Log, Hot Air, Associated Press and Gawker

Ceci Connolly / Washington Post:

Advocacy Groups Should Halt Attacks on Moderate Democrats, Obama Says — Advocates Should Turn Attention to Promoting Legislation, President Says — President Obama, strategizing yesterday with congressional leaders about health-care reform, complained that liberal advocacy groups ought …

Discussion: DownWithTyranny!, Corrente, Hullabaloo, D-Day, The Impolitic, The New Republic, The Rhetorican, TPMDC and Campaign Silo

Jane Hamsher / Campaign Silo:

Will MoveOn Cave To Obama's Pressure? — MoveOn has been running strong ads in Louisiana against Mary Landrieu, who — as Chris Bowers notes — is against anything resembling a public plan. — Obama wants them to stop: … But Maxine Waters says the Landrieu campaign has been very effective, and encourages MoveOn to keep going.

Discussion: AMERICAblog News

Glenn Reynolds / Instapundit:

READERS ARE SENDING PHOTOS FROM TEA PARTY PROTESTS AROUND THE COUNTRY. Here's one from Perrysburgh, Ohio, sent by reader Chris Zarecki, who reports about 3,000 people attending. — Here's one from Bel Air, Maryland, sent by reader Maya Leonetti. The Debt Star makes another appearance!

Discussion: Christian Science Monitor, Founding Bloggers, Michelle Malkin and theblogprof

Jared M. Rhoads / The Lucidicus Project:
July 4th Tea Party

Discussion: Gateway Pundit

David Weigel / The Washington Independent:
Tea Party Movement Loses Steam

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Mahablog and Democratic Strategist

Randy Barnett / The Volokh Conspiracy:

July 5th Oration by Frederick Douglass: Tomorrow I am hoping to attend a recreation of Frederick Douglass's Independence Day oration at his home in Anacostia, DC. … Today, historian Jonathan Bean has a nice essay on National Review Online entitled, The Party of Lincoln, and of Douglass …

Discussion: Sentencing Law and Policy and Opinio Juris

Rachel L. Swarns / New York Times:

‘Family Friendly’ White House Is Less So for Aides — WASHINGTON — When President Obama talks up the family-friendly vibe at the White House — the nightly family dinners, the flexibility to attend school presentations and join impromptu plunges in the pool with his girls — his chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, sets him straight.

Discussion: Writes Like She Talks and Weekly Standard

Victoria Gill / BBC:

Honeybee mobs overpower hornets — Honeybees mount a very effective mobbing defence — Honeybee hordes use two weapons - heat and carbon dioxide - to kill their natural enemies, giant hornets. — Japanese honeybees form “bee balls” - mobbing and smothering the predators.

WhiteHouse.gov Blog:

WEEKLY ADDRESS: President Obama Celebrates Independence Day and the American Spirit — WASHINGTON - In his weekly address, President Barack Obama celebrated the unyielding American spirit that has defined our past and will lead us into the future. Even as we face daunting challenges …

Discussion: Cato @ Liberty, Obama Foodorama and Daily Kos

Mark Silva / The Swamp:
Obama summons spirit of independence

Discussion: Macsmind, The Politico and Villainous Company

Mark Steyn / The Corner:

Cutting bait — With respect to many of the Palinologists below, I think they're getting way too hepatomantic over the entrails. As a political move for anything other than the 2010 Senate race, today's announcement is a disaster. And I'm not sure it's a plus for the Senate - and …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Flopping Aces, Cold Fury, Power Line and BizzyBlog

Ashley Seager / Guardian:

Costa Rica greenest, happiest country — Latin American nation tops index ranking countries by ecological footprint and happiness of their citizens — Costa Rica is the greenest and happiest country in the world, according to a new list that ranks nations by combining measures …

Discussion: Fausta's Blog

Tracy Wilkinson / Los Angeles Times:

Tensions mount as Honduras defies OAS — Supporters of the new government, lead by Roberto Micheletti, rallied at the presidential palace as the Honduran army maintained control. Ousted President Manuel Zelaya is set to return to the country over the weekend; Micheletti has threatened to arrest him.

Discussion: Not Tucker Carlson and A Gut Reaction