memeorandum: DID BOB BECKEL GIVE HANNITY THE FINGER? (Breitbart.tv)

2:15 PM ET, February 16, 2010

Top Items:

Secret Joint Raid Captures Taliban's Top Commander — WASHINGTON — The Taliban's top military commander was captured several days ago in Karachi, Pakistan, in a secret joint operation by Pakistani and American intelligence forces, according to American government officials.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Huffington Post, The Daily Dish, Associated Press, Informed Comment, Michael Calderone's Blog, democracyarsenal.org, Registan.net, The Long War Journal, The Washington Independent, Michelle Malkin, The Corner on National …, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, And So it Goes in Shreveport, NPR Blogs, Danger Room, Raw Story, ABCNEWS, Sister Toldjah, Neptunus Lex, Guardian, Betsy's Page, Shakesville, Another Black Conservative, The Majlis, Scared Monkeys, GayPatriot, Politics Daily, Daily Kos, Financial Times, Prairie Weather, MyDD, No More Mister Nice Blog, News Hounds, PoliBlog, The Daily Beast, TigerHawk, Wall Street Journal, Flopping Aces, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Vail Spot, Power Line, The Moderate Voice, FP Passport, Political Punch, Enduring America, JustOneMinute, Hot Air, Outside The Beltway, AMERICAblog News, RedState and Taylor Marsh

Spencer Ackerman / ATTACKERMAN:
It's Extremely Important We Don't Torture Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar

Discussion: The Daily Dish, Washington Monthly, Guardian, democracyarsenal.org, DaTechguy's Blog, Wonkette and The Corner on National …

Rod Nordland / New York Times:
Fighting Slows in Afghan Offensive, Allies Say

Discussion: Washington Post, Danger Room, ATTACKERMAN, The Majlis and Guardian

The Huffington Post:

Evan Bayh's Retirement Leaves Democrats Scarred And Demanding Aggression — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — Senator Evan Bayh's abrupt announcement on Monday that he will retire at the end of his term has further united disparate voices within the Democratic Party behind the idea that legislative action …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Time, SpeakEasy, The Hill, Commentary, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and AMERICAblog News

ABCNEWS:

Evan Bayh Blasts ‘Brain-Dead Partisanship’ — Indiana Senator Rules Out 2012 Presidential Run, Mum on 2016 Ambitions — Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, whose retirement announcement Monday stunned the political world, today assailed partisanship in Congress and said he could achieve much more in the private sector than as a senator.

Discussion: Salon, USA Today, The Caucus, Real Clear Politics, Mediaite, The Moderate Voice, The Page, Donklephant, The Eye, The Politico, Blogcritics and Truthdig

Gautham Nagesh / The Daily Caller:
Democratic Indiana candidate says White House secretly backing Baron Hill

Discussion: Althouse, The Washington Independent and Open Left

Marc Ambinder / The Atlantic Politics Channel:
Democrats Polling For Bayh's Replacement

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight, Emptywheel and Eschaton

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Indiana Dem: White House is conspiring to put Baron Hill in Bayh's spot

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, Gateway Pundit, protein wisdom, The Eye and Riehl World View

Reid Wilson / Hotline On Call:

IN Dem Misses The Deadline — Restaurant owner Tamyra d'Ippolito (D) has enough signatures to make the ballot in the race to replace Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN), she told Hotline OnCall in a brief interview, but an official in a key district says she has failed to reach the threshold.

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, TPMDC, Liberal Values, Swing State Project, Hot Air, The Washington Independent and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Would-Be Dem Replacement For Bayh: The “Machine” Is Out To Get Me!

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, TPMDC, Ben Smith's Blog and Open Left

Eric Kleefeld / TPMDC:
D'Ippolito: I Have Enough Signatures To Get On The Ballot For IN-SEN Dem Primary

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Firedoglake, RedState, Outside The Beltway, Lynn Sweet and The Political Carnival

Erick Erickson / Erick's blog:
Let's help Tamyra D'Ippolito get the 500 votes she needs

Discussion: Real Clear Politics, TPMDC, Firedoglake, Ben Smith's Blog, The Washington Independent, Hot Air and Washington Examiner

David Barstow / New York Times:

Tea Party Lights Fuse for Rebellion on Right — SANDPOINT, Idaho — Pam Stout has not always lived in fear of her government. She remembers her years working in federal housing programs, watching government lift struggling families with job training and education.

Discussion: Little Green Footballs, The Moderate Voice, TPMCafe, The Mahablog, Hullabaloo, No More Mister Nice Blog, Firedoglake, Right Wing Watch, Think Progress, DailyHowler.com, Gawker, Prairie Weather, First Draft, The Reaction, Los Angeles Times, SONICFROG DOT NET and The Eye

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:

Tea party leaders will meet with Steele and other Republican operatives — About 50 leaders of the grass-roots “tea party” movement will meet in Washington on Tuesday with Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele and other top GOP operatives to discuss campaign strategies and conservative principles.

Discussion: The Atlantic Politics Channel, The Note, Hotline On Call, Politics Daily, Riehl World View, The Page and msnbc.com

Domenico Montanaro / msnbc.com:
FIRST THOUGHTS: BYE, BAYH

Discussion: pa2010.com, The Moderate Voice, Guardian, Shot in the Dark, The Fix, The Caucus, Democratic Strategist, Taegan Goddard's … and The Washington Independent

Scott Horton / Harper's:

Does Dick Cheney Want to Be Prosecuted? — After he was indicted for the murder of Alexander Hamilton, vice president Aaron Burr fled to South Carolina, to hide out with his daughter. Another vice president, Spiro Agnew, kept completely silent before pleading nolo contendere on corruption charges.

Discussion: Salon, TalkLeft and ABCNEWS

Susie Madrak / Crooks and Liars:

Maybe Eric Holder Should Pay Attention To Dick Cheney's Boasts — Yoo hoo, Mr. Holder! Gee, after reading this post by Scott Horton, it seems like Dick Cheney is just asking to be prosecuted - why not give him what he wants?

Joseph Curl / Washington Times:

Sens. seek Obama boost on campaign trail — GOP hopes to see him on stump — President Obama kicks off what might be called his “Save the Senate” tour this week, heading west to campaign for two embattled Democrats trailing badly against Republican challengers - including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

Discussion: BizzyBlog, The Politico, AmSpecBlog, QandO, The Lonely Conservative, GayPatriot and USA Today

David Catanese / The Politico:
Five ways to lose the Senate majority

Discussion: Don Surber, Scared Monkeys and ABCNEWS

Jane Taber / The Globe and Mail:

Romney threatened on flight out of Vancouver — Republican politician Mitt Romney was physically threatened by a violent passenger on an Air Canada flight leaving Vancouver this morning. — Mr. Romney, who has been in Vancouver since Friday for the Olympic Winter Games, did not respond to the attack.

Discussion: CBS News, Left Coast Rebel, New York Magazine, Talking Points Memo, Michelle Malkin, Gateway Pundit and TPMDC

Jake Gibson / Fox News:

Romney Assaulted on Flight Leaving Olympics — A passenger became “physically violent” when the former Massachusetts governor asked him to move his seat upright for take-off.

Discussion: Indecision Forever and NewsReal Blog

Jeffrey Young / The Hill:

Most Americans think Congress should start over on healthcare reform, poll says — In a brutal assessment of the Democratically authored healthcare reform bills pending in Congress and the party's approach to healthcare, more than half of the respondents to a new Zogby International-University …

Discussion: AmSpecBlog and The Corner on National …

CNN:
CNN Poll: Anti-incumbent fever at record high

Discussion: New York Times and msnbc.com

John / Power Line:

What's the Deal? — One of the most intriguing news stories of the past week is the murder of Hamas terrorist Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai. The team that carried out the assassination allegedly included eleven members, ten men and a woman. They were evidently traveling on fake passports …

Telegraph:
Dubai Hamas assassination: Irish citizens not involved, Ireland says

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Sam Youngman / The Hill:

Obama announces $8.3 billion program for two new nuclear plants — In an effort to embrace a keystone of Republican energy proposals, President Barack Obama announced Tuesday that his administration will make available $8.3 billion in loan guarantees for the construction of two new nuclear power plants.

Discussion: The Politico

Tom Doggett / Reuters:
Obama to announce loan help for U.S. nuclear power

Discussion: The Atlantic Business Channel and The Corner on National …

Jim Hoft / Gateway Pundit:

FAIL... Just 6% of Americans Believe Obama's $787 Billion Stimulus Created Jobs — In December the Obama Administration announced they had “saved or created” 1.1 million jobs. — In January the Obama Administration announced they had “saved or created” 2 million jobs.

Discussion: Hot Air, The Atlantic Politics Channel, Another Black Conservative, The Hill, Outside The Beltway, Scared Monkeys and protein wisdom

Andrew Orlowski / The Register:

Now IPCC hurricane data is questioned — Open science: Got Excel? Debunk this — More trouble looms for the IPCC. The body may need to revise statements made in its Fourth Assessment Report on hurricanes and global warming. A statistical analysis of the raw data shows that the claims …

Discussion: Mudville Gazette, theblogprof, Hot Air, The Strata-Sphere, Gateway Pundit, EU Referendum, Orange County Register, YID With LID, Weasel Zippers, GayPatriot and Nice Deb

Michael Calderone / Michael Calderone's Blog:

Milbank writing Beck book: ‘Tears of a Clown’ — Dana Milbank recently wrote how a Fox News star has really “captured the moment,” before posing the question: “Is Glenn Beck America?” — Milbank, who only had about 750 words to tackle that question in his Washington Post column …

Discussion: Raw Story, Mediaite, Gawker and Romenesko

Keith Olbermann / msnbc.com:

Beware fear's racist temptation — Don't blame your fear of the future on Obama's skin color — SPECIAL COMMENT — Finally tonight, as promised, a Special Comment on this Presidents' Day celebrating George Washington, and the Founding Fathers he represents and Abraham Lincoln, and the Emancipation he represents.

Discussion: Left Coast Rebel, The Moderate Voice and Raw Story

Kevin Sack / New York Times:

In California, Exhibit A in Debate on Insurance — LOS ANGELES — When Bernhard Punzet opened the dreaded envelope from Anthem Blue Cross one recent Saturday, it ruined his weekend. — Although he had no known medical problems, the company was raising the premium on his individual health insurance policy …

Discussion: CBS News, The Huffington Post and The Reality-Based Community

Sergio Bendixen / The Huffington Post:

Democrats' Chance to Win in Florida in 2010 — Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart's announcement on Thursday that he would not seek re-election this November set off one of the rarest games of musical chairs in American politics. Within minutes of Diaz-Balart's announcement, his brother …

Discussion: Washington Wire

Joseph Brean / National Post:

Conference on Muslims in the media too hot for some of its speakers — Stouffville, Ont. — Western media have a “spiteful policy” toward Iran of inventing “fraudulent” news to “increase false national expectation” and “encourage disturbance,” according to the cultural attaché in the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Discussion: The Jawa Report, NewsReal Blog and Blazing Cat Fur