memeorandum: Suggested By ... Glenn Beck? (Digby/Hullabaloo)

9:10 PM ET, August 27, 2009

Top Items:

PREDICTING POLITICIZATION.... It looks like word went out yesterday about what leading conservative voices should say about Ted Kennedy's death: complain about the memorial service that hasn't happened yet. … All of this came the same day Kennedy's death was announced.

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The TrogloPundit, Democratic Strategist and Riehl World View

Andy Barr / The Politico:

Romney won't run for Kennedy's seat — Former Massachusetts GOP Gov. Mitt Romney will not seek the Senate seat vacated by Ted Kennedy's death, a Romney spokesman said Thursday. — Responding to speculation that Romney may be interested in the seat—which he challenged Kennedy for in 1994 …

Discussion: Liberal Values, The Atlantic Politics Channel, The Caucus, Swing State Project, Flopping Aces, Ben Smith's Blog, Let Freedom Ring, The Page, The Hill, The Strata-Sphere, Right Wing News, TPMDC, Moonbattery, Boston Globe, GOP 12, Hot Air, The Fix and Townhall.com

Ben Smith / The Politico:

A ‘Wellstone effect’ for Kennedy? — Key conservative voices have begun to charge in the day after Sen. Ted Kennedy's death that Democrats are inappropriately politicizing the senator's death, his memorial and his legacy. — Kennedy was that ultimate political creature, a “lion of the Senate …

Discussion: The Washington Independent, Talking Points Memo, MyDD, About.com US Liberal Politics, Don Surber, The HSA Coalition, Open Congress and The Note

Media Matters for America:

Conservative media invoke Wellstone memorial smear in predicting politicization of Kennedy's death — Following Sen. Ted Kennedy's death, conservative media figures have returned to the smear that the memorial service for Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-MN) became “a political rally” …

Discussion: Democracy in America, Taylor Marsh, Minnesota Independent, Hullabaloo and The Politico

Mark Leibovich / New York Times:
After Diagnosis, Determined to Make a ‘Good Ending’

Discussion: Washington Post, The Politico, Prairie Weather, CNN, The Caucus, Associated Press, NewsBusters.org, San Francisco Chronicle, Michael Calderone's Blog, TalkLeft, The Plank, msnbc.com, New York Times, Boston Globe and ABCNEWS

Jennifer Robison / Las Vegas Review-Journal:
Reid speaks to Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce as protesters picket outside

Discussion: The Hill's Blog Briefing Room and Congress Matters

David Waldman / Daily Kos:
Name the public option, not the bill, after Kennedy

Discussion: Firedoglake, AMERICAblog News, TPMDC and Pacific Views

David Weigel / The Washington Independent:

Obtained: The RNC's Health Care Survey — I just chatted with Raymond Denny, the 64-year-old La Center, Wash., man who received the RNC's “2009 Future of American Health Survey,” which alleged that President Obama's health reform plans might discriminate against Republicans. Here's the survey question:

Discussion: Glenn Thrush's Blog, Think Progress, Washington Monthly, TPMDC, Swampland, Salon and Runnin' Scared

Digby / Hullabaloo:

Suggested By ... Glenn Beck? — Dave Weigel catches a remarkable mailing from the Republican National Committee: … You can't dismiss this as fringe weirdos or “entertainment,” can you? The official Republican Party is telling its members that Democrats may use voting registration information to identify and kill them.

Discussion: The Washington Independent and Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog!

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Whoops! RNC Admits Screwing Up With Suggestion That Health Care …

Discussion: Glenn Thrush's Blog

Taylor Gandossy / CNN:

Girl taken in 1991 surfaces; couple held — (CNN) — A 29-year old woman walked into a northern California police station, saying she was abducted 18 years ago, authorities said Thursday. Two people are being held in connection with the case. — Jaycee Dugard is in good health …

Discussion: ChattahBox News Blog, Scared Monkeys, Riehl World View and Shakesville

Karl Rove / Wall Street Journal:

Obama Targets Medicare Advantage — Seniors would lose with health ‘reform,’ and seniors vote. — Printer — Friendly — President Barack Obama was wise to vacation this week on Martha's Vineyard. Not because it's one of the few places in America where his health-care plan is still popular …

Discussion: Hot Air and Prescriptions

Robert Moore / Coloradoan Online:
Markey: Medicare will take hit

Discussion: Townhall.com and Hot Air

Mary Katharine Ham / Weekly Standard: Dem. Rep. Betsy Markey: Yep, Medicare Will Take a Hit

Adam Serwer / American Prospect:

The Onion Wins The Internet. — First, there was the article on the “afterbirthers” demanding to see Obama's placenta. Now, we have an Onion segment discussing whether or not using a minotaur to gore detainees is, in fact, torture. Obviously there are two sides to the question.

Discussion: Onion News Network, Hot Air and DISSENTING JUSTICE

Adam Serwer / American Prospect: Andy McCarthy's Unwavering Defense Of Torture.

Justin Elliott / TPMMuckraker:

Pastor Of Gun-Toter At Obama Event Prayed For Obama To Die — Chris Broughton, the man who brought an assault rifle and a handgun to the Obama event in Arizona last week, attended a fiery anti-Obama sermon the day before the event, in which Pastor Steven Anderson said he was going to …

Discussion: ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, pandagon.net and Talking Points Memo

Megan McArdle:
My Last Word on Guns — Jason Zengerle indicates that the real point …

Discussion: In The Agora and The Plank

Amanda Terkel / Think Progress:

Steele Confused, Overwhelmed By NPR Interview: 'Now Wait A Minute. Hold up. ... You're Trying To Be Cute.' — In an interview with Michael Steele, NPR's Steve Inskeep repeatedly asked the RNC chairman to explain why Republicans keep defending Medicare at the same time they claim …

Discussion: Opinion L.A., The Moderate Voice, No More Mister Nice Blog, Prescriptions, Talking Points Memo, Washington Monthly, Democratic Strategist and Balloon Juice

ColorOfChange.org:

Ten New Companies Pledge Not to Run Additional Ads on Glenn Beck Program — Vonage, Bank Of America, Kraft Among Latest To Distance Themselves from FNC Host as the Network Struggles to Fill Beck's Advertising Space — OAKLAND, Calif.—Adding to an increasing list of companies distancing themselves …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Little Green Footballs and Media Matters for America

Matea Gold / Show Tracker:
UPDATED: As boycott continues, Glenn Beck's audience swells

Discussion: BuzzFlash.org, Mediaite, The Swamp and Michael Calderone's Blog

CNSNews:

Howard Dean: Democrats Left Tort Reform Out of Health Care Bill Because They Feared ‘Taking On’ Trial Lawyers — (CNSNews.com) - Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, a medical doctor who served as governor of Vermont, said at a town hall meeting on Tuesday night …

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Video: Dean says no tort reform because trial lawyers too intimidating

Discussion: Stop The ACLU

Erica Werner / Associated Press:

Key Democrat suggests party moderates ‘brain dead’ — WASHINGTON (AP) - A key House liberal suggested Thursday that party moderates who've pushed for changes in health care legislation are “brain dead” and out for insurance company campaign donations. — Moderate Blue Dog Democrats …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and JammieWearingFool

Joshua Rhett Miller / Fox News:

ABC, NBC Won't Air Ad Critical of Obama's Health Care Plan — The refusal by ABC and NBC to run a national ad critical of President Obama's health care reform plan is raising questions from the group behind the spot — particularly in light of ABC's health care special aired in prime time last June hosted at the White House

Discussion: American Power, Gateway Pundit, Hot Air, RealClearPolitics Video Log and Weasel Zippers

Ellis Goodwin / Chickasha Daily-Express:

Inhofe slams health reform — At a town hall meeting Wednesday Sen. Jim Inhofe told Chickasha residents he does not need to read the 1,000 page health care reform bill, he will simply vote against it. — “I don't have to read it, or know what's in it. I'm going to oppose it anyways,” he said.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, ChattahBox News Blog, Think Progress, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room and Sunlight Foundation

gqrr.com:

Corzine Closes Gap in New Jersey Governor Race — Stan Greenberg, Al Quinlan and Drew Lieberman — Democracy Corps — Research Categories … Executive Summary — A new survey conducted for Stan Greenberg and James Carville's organization Democracy Corps by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Swing State Project, Scorecard's Blog, TalkLeft, TPMDC and MyDD

Hamilton Nolan / Gawker:

Wall Street Journal Unbelievably Keeping Mark Penn as Columnist — Yesterday we reported that Microtrend-spouting flack Mark Penn's PR firm was using his Wall Street Journal column to drum up PR business. Penn is ethically compromised. But today, the WSJ tells us they're keeping Penn on as a columnist.

Discussion: The Nation and Michael Calderone's Blog

CBS News:

Democratic Health Care Bill Divulges IRS Tax Data — Posted by Declan McCullagh One of the problems with any proposed law that's over 1,000 pages long and constantly changing is that much deviltry can lie in the details. Take the Democrats' proposal to rewrite health care policy …

Discussion: Flopping Aces, Hot Air, Ben Smith's Blog, Riehl World View, The Volokh Conspiracy and Wake up America

Fox News:

Richardson Probe ‘Was Killed in Washington’ — New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and former high-ranking members of his administration won't be criminally charged in a federal investigation into pay-to-play allegations. — SANTA FE, N.M. — New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and former high-ranking members …

Discussion: Hot Air, Bloomberg, Michelle Malkin, New Mexico Independent, TPMMuckraker, Ben Smith's Blog, Scared Monkeys, Don Surber, Raw Story, Townhall.com, Riehl World View, ChattahBox News Blog, Macsmind and The Page

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:

Even The New Republic now calls for a party purge of corporate-owned “centrists” — The New Republic, 2004, endorsing Joe Lieberman for President: … TNR's Jonathan Chait, in The Los Angeles Times, 2006, viciously condemning those who mounted a primary challenge against Lieberman (an “anti-Lieberman jihad"):

Discussion: Daily Kos, Matthew Yglesias and The New Republic

Anchorage Daily News:

Palin won't show at fundraiser, denies accepting invitation — TONIGHT: Spokeswoman says ex-governor was never asked. — Organizers of an Anchorage event that has been billing Sarah Palin for weeks as a star speaker were left scrambling Wednesday after learning that the former governor …

Discussion: The Mudflats, Politics Daily, Top of the Ticket, Conservatives4Palin.com, TBogg, Christian Science Monitor, Washington Monthly, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, Think Progress, Wonkette, The Washington Note, GOP 12 and msnbc.com

Michael Goldfarb / Weekly Standard:

Obama's Uncles — They seem kind of hostile to the president. First there was Uncle Charlie, who Obama claimed had liberated Auschwitz (he'd helped liberate Buchenwald). And when Charlie was asked, months later, about Obama's visit to Buchenwald, he took a rather cynical view of the president's motives:

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog and Pundit & Pundette

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:

Mary Mapes knew Bush volunteered for Vietnam: CBS report — This story by Bernard Goldberg certainly takes me back to the early days of my blogging career. Shortly after the 2004 Republican convention, Mary Mapes produced a segment for 60 Minutes II that alleged that George W. Bush …

Discussion: Power Line, The Moderate Voice, Little Green Footballs, Dean's World, QandO, theblogprof and Crooks and Liars

Reid Wilson / The Hill:

FEC allows Club to go after Specter donors — Donors upset with Sen. Arlen Specter's (D-Pa.) decision to bolt the Republican Party earlier this year will have the opportunity to get their money back, thanks to a Federal Election Commission decision issued Thursday.

Discussion: Club for Growth and TPMDC