memeorandum: Crist: Rubio campaign the ‘greatest fraud perpetrated on people’ — By: Robert Costa (Robert Costa/The Corner on National …)

5:25 PM ET, March 4, 2010

Top Items:

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:

Gregg suggests Obama may renege on fixing Senate health bill — The White House may renege on passing fixes to the Senate's healthcare bill once the House has passed it, Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) claimed Thursday. — Gregg, the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee …

Discussion: The Politico, The New Republic, Taylor Marsh, JOSHUAPUNDIT, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Lonely Conservative, Commentary, TalkLeft, Another Black Conservative, The Political Carnival and Salon

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:

Another House Dem A “No” On Senate Bill; A Previous “Yes” Now Undecided — Okay, a bit more bad news for the prospects of passing the Senate bill out of the House. — Rep Frank Kratovil of Maryland, a previous No vote who was now said to be undecided, will vote No on the Senate health reform proposal, his spokesman confirms.

Discussion: Jeff Mapes on Politics, Washington Monthly, Hot Air, TalkLeft, TPMDC, Open Left, Riehl World View, Political Punch and Crooks and Liars

Jennifer Bendery / Roll Call:

Obama Summons Waffling Members to White House to Talk Health Care — A day after giving his final major push to Congress to get the job done on health care, President Barack Obama is already ramping up his campaigning on the Hill by summoning to the White House a motley group of Democrats who are wavering on his proposal.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Confluence, The New Republic, About.com US Liberal Politics, The Political Carnival and AMERICAblog News

Chris Frates / The Politico:
Some Republicans criticize judge pick

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Think Progress, The White House, Wonk Room, Main Justice, Right Wing Watch and Weekly Standard

Kevin Woster / Rapid City Journal:
Herseth Sandlin says no to Senate health bill, reconciliation

Discussion: The Hill and Political Punch

The Atlantic Online:
Perfect Storm Nearly Killed Health Reform; Another Storm May Save It

Discussion: The Daily Dish and Taegan Goddard's …

The Politico:
W.H. warns Dems: Don't flip-flop

Discussion: CNN, The Hill, Los Angeles Times, The Note, The Foundry, Time, Roll Call, Bloomberg, Washington Post, The Fix, Sister Toldjah, Open Congress, Associated Press, Taylor Marsh, Wake up America and ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*

RADAR:

EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts Considering Stepping Down — Update: RadarOnline.com has obtained new information that Justice Roberts will NOT resign. The justice will be staying on the bench. — John Roberts, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court …

Discussion: Don Surber, Above the Law, Little Green Footballs, Wonkette, Mediaite, Another Black Conservative, The Daily Caller, The Lonely Conservative, FIRST ONE, The Political Carnival and Dependable Renegade

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:

Breaking: Is John Roberts about to resign from the Supreme Court? Update: Drudge source: “News to me”; Update: Radar retracts — Update II: Radar retracted the story a few minutes ago: … Nice work, Radar. Original post follows ... According to Radar Online, the next Supreme Court justice …

Pareene / Gawker:

Chief Justice John Roberts Resigning, According to Internet's Favorite Source of Octomom News — RadarOnline.com has learned exclusively that Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts is considering stepping down. “RadarOnline.com has been told that Roberts, 55, could announce his decision at any time.”

Discussion: MediaMemo, Media Decoder and Lawyers, Guns and Money

CBS13/CW31:

Anti-Gay Lawmaker At Gay Club Before DUI Arrest — SACRAMENTO (CBS13) ― Sources tell CBS13 a state senator from Southern California was arrested for allegedly driving drunk after leaving Faces, a gay nightclub in midtown Sacramento, early Wednesday morning.

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, TPMMuckraker, Talking Points Memo, The Bilerico Project, CBS News, LA Daily, Advocate, Breitbart.tv, Right Pundits, The Moderate Voice, The Awl, Wake up America, Wonkette, The Political Carnival, At-Largely and Gawker

Christine Bedell / Bakersfield Californian:
Sen. Roy Ashburn “deeply sorry” after DUI arrest

Discussion: TPMMuckraker and The Other McCain

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Entering the Larry Craig Pantheon

Discussion: pandagon.net, KMPH-TV and Indecision Forever

Jay Heflin / The Hill:

Second Ways and Means boss ousted; Levin replaces Stark — Rep. Sandy Levin (D-Mich.) will be the acting chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced to her caucus on Thursday. — The startling announcement comes a day after Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) …

Discussion: The Politico, The Hill, MyDD, Hot Air and YID With LID

The Politico:

Stark hands off gavel — Rep. Sander Levin will take over as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee after Rep. Pete Stark, who held the gavel for a day, stepped aside. — The dominoes fell after Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) resigned the chairmanship of the powerful tax-writing panel Wednesday …

Discussion: Washington Times, Wizbang, Left Coast Rebel, Another Black Conservative, theblogprof, The Note, CNN and Pajamas Media

Tory Newmyer / Roll Call:
Levin to Succeed Rangel as Ways and Means Chairman

Discussion: Right Pundits, Hot Air, Gawker, Michelle Malkin, Real Clear Politics and Politics Nation

Alex Isenstadt / The Politico:

Left rallies against Lincoln — Organized labor and liberals have committed more than $5 million to Sen. Blanche Lincoln's primary election opponent, Bill Halter, signaling that the Arkansas Democratic Senate primary is shaping up, for the left, as a hill to die on.

Discussion: Open Left, CNN, The Fix, Wonkette, Pajamas Media and Arkansas News

Ellen R. Malcolm / The EMILY's List Blog:
Surprised about Blanche Lincoln's fight for survival? I'm not.

Discussion: The Plum Line, The Eye, Swing State Project, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, TPMDC, Politics Nation and DownWithTyranny!

Art Beast / The Daily Beast:

Does Anybody Still Like Karl Rove? — Home - Cheat sheet - Buzz board - Big Fat Story - Blogs & stories - Videos - Galleries - Crossword — Blogs and Stories — As the “Turd Blossom” peddles his new book, even name-brand conservatives are taking shots at him. Plus, Rove's secret stint as Harold Ford's guru.

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, The New Republic and Taegan Goddard's …

Peter Baker / New York Times:
Ultimate Bush Insider Lifts Veil on Presidency

Discussion: msnbc.com, Reliable Source, Washington Post, The Page, Mudville Gazette, Politics Daily and PERRspectives

Ezra Klein:

‘I will take our troops out of the war zone and put them into space’ — Introduction Video from Kesha for Congress on Vimeo. — Kesha Rogers is a Larouchie who just won the Democratic nomination in Texas's 22nd district. Her triumphant statement is pretty sweet:

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog

Adam / Kesha Rogers for Congress:
The Ides of March are coming: Pro-Impeachment Democrat wins nomination in Texas

Discussion: The Daily Dish, Democracy in America, Houston Press and Wonkette

Manu Raju / The Politico:

Dick Durbin: Let GOP filibuster — Senate Democrats may be ready to actually make Republicans carry out filibusters. — Basking in their political victory over Sen. Jim Bunning's (R-Ky.) blockade of an extension of unemployment insurance, Democrats say that they may force Republicans …

Discussion: Washington Monthly

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Howard Dean: Health bill hangs Dem incumbents and Obama out to dry in elections

Discussion: The Politico

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:

Who are the actual “crazy” people in American politics? — My Salon colleague, Mark Benjamin, writes about last night's Larry King Show — featuring a debate between Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson and GOP Rep. Michelle Bachmann — and does so by repeatedly branding Grayson as being every bit as “crazy” as Bachmann.

Discussion: TalkLeft

Peterhamby / CNN:

Steele: Leaked RNC presentation ‘unfortunate’ — Congressional GOP aides expressed their frustration over their perception that Michael Steele is using his book tour to undermine the party's political message. — Washington (CNN) - Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele …

Discussion: The Politico

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Republicans sign on to bill targeting RNC mailers

Discussion: Federal Eye and The Moderate Voice

Leslie Kaufman / New York Times:

Darwin Foes Add Warming to Targets — Critics of the teaching of evolution in the nation's classrooms are gaining ground in some states by linking the issue to global warming, arguing that dissenting views on both scientific subjects should be taught in public schools.

Discussion: Little Green Footballs, The Enterprise Blog, Pharyngula, The Moderate Voice, Matthew Yglesias, Dot Earth, Politics Daily, Liberal Values, Achenblog and The Reality-Based Community

Jim Galloway / Political Insider:

Citing health care, Deal delays departure from Congress — U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal will delay his resignation from Congress by three weeks, citing intense pressure from House Republican leaders to remain and vote against President Barack Obama's plan to overhaul the nation's health care system.

Discussion: The New Republic, Peach Pundit and Real Clear Politics

Ezra Klein:

Exclusive: ‘Wellpoint would be a primary beneficiary’ if reform fails, investment firm says — “Of course, healthcare reform is a double-edged sword for Wellpoint shares. Should reform fail, Wellpoint would be a primary beneficiary.” — That comes from the first page of the Cowen and Co.'s assessment …

Discussion: TPMDC and The New Republic

Adam J. Rose First / The Huffington Post:

Palin At Oscar Gift Suite: Sarah Palin And Entourage ‘Like Locusts’ — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — Sarah Palin aligns her public image with the heartland, but it appears the former Alaska Governor has gone Hollywood. And when she leaves, she may be taking some of it with her.

Discussion: Conservatives4Palin.com, Hollywood Insider, Ministry of Gossip, In The Pink, Top of the Ticket, Raw Story, Mock, Paper, Scissors, JammieWearingFool and Gawker

Pamela Geller / Atlas Shrugs:

Pigs Flying Moment on Hannity: “Moderate islam Does Not Exist” — Someone pinch me. Hannity actually let Mosab Hassan Yousef, brave heroic apostate out of Islam, speak uninterrupted on his show about Islam. This subject matter is never spoken of honestly on Fox, let alone on Hannity. They fear it.

Discussion: The Jawa Report, Jihad Watch, American Conservative …, Weasel Zippers and Israel Matzav

Juliet Eilperin / Washington Post:

Rockefeller pushes to rein in EPA — Sen. John D. Rockefeller (D-WVa.) will introduce legislation Thursday to impose a two-year moratorium on the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to regulate greenhouse gases from power plants and other stationary emitters, a move that could undermine …

Discussion: Open Congress, Politics Daily and PostPartisan

The Huffington Post:

American Family Association: Stone To Death Killer Whale Who Killed Trainer — What's Your Reaction: … The American Family Association, a religious right group, is urging that Tillikum (Tilly), the killer whale that killed a trainer at SeaWorld Orlando, be put down, preferably by stoning.

Discussion: Think Progress, The Reaction, Crooks and Liars, Raw Story and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Robert Costa / The Corner on National Review Online:

Crist: Rubio campaign the ‘greatest fraud perpetrated on people’ — By: Robert Costa — Gov. Charlie Crist (R., Fla.) tells National Review Online that he is “disappointed” with President Obama and Marco Rubio, his opponent in Florida's GOP Senate primary. Crist calls the president's push for …

Discussion: CNN