memeorandum: Pope ‘did not cover up abuse claims’ (John Hooper/Guardian)

5:25 AM ET, March 14, 2010

Top Items:

Kill the Bill! — The Minneapolis Star Tribune headlines tonight: Thousands rally at State Capitol to kill health care bill. The crowd, gathered on short notice on a cold March day, was impressive: … I'm no expert, but the photos certainly seem to indicate a crowd in the thousands.

Discussion: Riehl World View

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:

“Thousands” rally at Minnesota capital to “Kill the Bill” — Give the Star Tribune credit; they actually report that “thousands” attended a rally in freezing weather today to demand an end to the ObamaCare effort. Minnesota Majority staged the rally on the state capital mall to hear …

Discussion: The Lonely Conservative and Pundit & Pundette

Bob Von Sternberg / Minneapolis Star Tribune:

Thousands rally at State Capitol to kill health care bill — With the American flag draped on her shoulder, Catherine Turner of Wayzata held up her sign in protest of the health care bill Saturday afternoon at the Capitol in St. Paul. Rally organizers said 4,000 people attended …

Discussion: Associated Press

Walter Alarkon / The Hill:

Obama pollster: U.S. will like healthcare bill, despite poll numbers — President Barack Obama's pollster said the healthcare bill will win over public support once it becomes law despite polls showing Americans against the plan. — The argument by Joel Benenson, Obama's lead pollster …

Discussion: Another Black Conservative, Doug Ross, Michelle Malkin, The Political Carnival and Dennis the Peasant

Ray LaHood / Chicago Tribune:

Beyond politics — Why Republicans should support health care reform — I've been a Republican all my life, when I served in the Illinois legislature, when I worked for members of Congress and when I served in Congress. During the 2008 presidential election, I supported Republican Sen. John McCain.

Discussion: The Politico, The Hill, The Moderate Voice and JammieWearingFool

Thomas C. Fox / ncronline.org:
Pro-life group urges Congress to pass Senate health care bill

Discussion: The Lonely Conservative, Think Progress, Gateway Pundit, The Political Carnival, Washington Monthly, The Other McCain, Prescriptions and Left Coast Rebel

Joel Benenson / Washington Post:
Most Americans want health care reform

Discussion: The Huffington Post, ProfessorBainbridge.com and NewsBusters.org

Alan Colmes' Liberaland:

Dan Riehl Says I'll Rot In Hell. He's Probably Right. See You There, Dan! — I apparently have gotten under Dan Riehl's skin. Amazingly, I've done it, according to Riehl, without saying too much. But if all I did is basically link him without saying much, as he claims …

Discussion: The Other McCain

Alan Colmes' Liberaland:

Conservative Blogger: “Isn't It Time To Euthanize Reid's Wife?” — Right-wing blogger Dan Riehl wonders if the left wants to abort babies, why care about someone who has a broken back and neck at age 69? Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's wife and daughter were in an auto accident …

Discussion: Riehl World View, Media Matters for America, Raw Story, Mediaite, The Political Carnival, The Impolitic, The Other McCain, CNN and The Lonely Conservative

Sam Dillon / New York Times:

Obama Calls for Sweeping Overhaul in Education Law — The Obama administration on Saturday called for a broad overhaul of President George W. Bush's No Child Left Behind law, proposing to reshape divisive provisions that encouraged instructors to teach to tests, narrowed the curriculum …

Discussion: Mish's Global Economic …, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS and Truthdig

Nia-Malika Henderson / The Politico:
W.H. plan to remake education law

Discussion: Townhall.com and The Hill

Jesse Lee / White House.gov Blog Feed:
Weekly Address: Education for a More Competitive America & Better Future

Discussion: Politics Daily and SENATUS

John Hooper / Guardian:

Pope ‘did not cover up abuse claims’ — Benedict XVI's spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, suggests ‘tenacious’ plot to implicate pontiff in cover-up — The pope's spokesman has launched a vigorous counter-attack against a report linking Benedict XVI to a sex abuse cover-up while he was archbishop of Munich from 1977 to 1981.

Discussion: AMERICAblog News, Firedoglake, Pam's House Blend and New York Times

New York Times:

Vatican Sees Campaign Against the Pope — ROME — As new details emerged on allegations of child sexual abuse by priests in the Munich archdiocese then led by Pope Benedict XVI, the Vatican spoke out on Saturday to protect the pope against what it called an aggressive campaign against him in his native Germany.

Discussion: The Daily Dish, The Confluence, Emptywheel, The Agonist, Advocate, Fausta's Blog and The Lede

Timberly Ross / Associated Press:

Lesbian sgt. discharged after police tell military — Former Air Force sergeant Jene (jeh-NAY') Newsome says she played by the rules. She never told anyone in the military that she was a lesbian. — But Newsome was discharged earlier this year under the military's “don't ask, don't tell” …

Discussion: DISSENTING JUSTICE, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Mudville Gazette

Robert Gehrke / Salt Lake Tribune:

House Majority Leader Kevin Garn resigns amid hot tub scandal — House Majority Leader Kevin Garn announced Saturday that he was resigning from the Utah Legislature, two days after revelations of a nude hot-tubbing incident with a minor 25 years ago and a payment to keep it quiet.

Wall Street Journal:

Road to the Nut House — It was 1976 and I was interviewing Democratic presidential candidates as they came through Boston for the Massachusetts primary. One of them was Sen. Henry “Scoop” Jackson, who came into our radio studios with a small entourage. The Washington state Democrat talked about his issues, mostly national defense.