memeorandum: Experts wonder whether U.S. has a real Israel strategy or ‘talking points’ (Glenn Kessler/Washington Post)

8:45 PM ET, March 20, 2010

Top Items:

Tea Party Protests: ‘Ni**er,’ ‘Faggot’ Shouted At Members Of Congress — Abusive, derogatory and even racist behavior directed at House Democrats by Tea Party protesters on Saturday left several lawmakers in shock. — Preceding the president's speech to a gathering of House Democrats …

Discussion: Doug Ross, JammieWearingFool, Washington Monthly, Political Byline, Left Coast Rebel, The Nation, DISSENTING JUSTICE, Advocate and ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES

The Hill:

CBC member: Health bill protesters called lawmakers the N-word — Rep. Andre Carson (D-Ind.) claimed Saturday that healthcare protesters at the Capitol directed racial epithets at him Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) as they walked outside. — Carson, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus along with Lewis …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Not Larry Sabato, The Politico, Hullabaloo, AMERICAblog Gay and Joe. My. God.

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

Menacing — Things are getting pretty heated in the Capitol with crowds of anti-Reform/Tea Party activists going through the halls shouting slogans and epithets at Democratic members of Congress. — As our Brian Beutler reports, a few moments ago in the Longworth office building …

Discussion: FrumForum and Salon

Think Progress:

Tea Party sign threatens gun violence if health care passes. — Tea Party activists have gathered on Capitol Hill today for a “Code Red” rally against health care reform. Speakers at the event included Republican Reps. Steve King (IA), Michele Bachmann (MN), and Mike Pence (IN).

Discussion: Fox News, NewsMax.com, Temple of Mut, The Talking Dog, Gateway Pundit, The Confluence, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, INSTAPUTZ and AMERICAblog News

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

True Colors (Even Worse Than We Thought) — It seems that ugly crowd of protestors harassing members of Congress in the Capitol complex this afternoon got even uglier than we thought. As noted earlier, in addition to menacing behavior toward multiple members of Congress …

Discussion: The Corner on National …

Amanda Terkel / Think Progress:
Tea Party protesters reportedly spit on one lawmaker, call others …

Discussion: The Politico, Mother Jones, Washington Wire, Raw Story and Grasping Reality …

Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
Tea Partiers Call Lewis ‘N****r’, Frank ‘F****t’, At Capitol Hill Protest

Discussion: ATTACKERMAN

Ezra Klein:

Health-care updates — The Democrats are looking like they're going to win this one clean. And when I say clean, I don't just mean they seem to have the votes. I mean they seem to have the votes without going the deem and pass route. They're going to take a straight vote on the nine pages …

Molly K. Hooper / The Hill:
‘Stupak dozen’ is now a half-dozen holdouts

Discussion: Firedoglake, news.firedoglake.com, Daily Kos, The Daily Caller, MyDD, Lynn Sweet, Bleeding Heartland, Associated Press and DownWithTyranny!

Robert Costa / The Corner on National Review Online:
Stupak is ‘Finished with Pelosi’ — By: Robert Costa

Discussion: The Politico, The Daily Caller, Firedoglake, Mudville Gazette, Hot Air, Wake up America, The Plum Line, Weekly Standard, The DC Trawler and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Lori Montgomery / Washington Post:
House leaders plan separate health vote, rejecting ‘deem and pass’

Discussion: Daily Kos, The Plum Line, Power Line, Wonkette, Crooks and Liars, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Liberal Values

Washington Post:
House Democrats seeking executive order on abortion funding

Discussion: RHRealityCheck.org, The Page and The Plum Line

Bob Cusack / The Hill:
The 20 House Democrats who will decide the fate of the healthcare reform bill

Discussion: Facing South

Tory Newmyer / Roll Call:
Democrats Picking Off Stupak Supporters

Discussion: Open Left and Pundit & Pundette

Rox / The Hill:
Rep. Engel: Pelosi has abandoned ‘deem and pass’

Discussion: The Corner on National …, Stop The ACLU, NewsReal Blog and The New Republic

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Reid says ‘significant majority’ of Senate committed to health bill fixes

Discussion: Washington Monthly and The New Republic

Washington Post:
Obama delivers plea to ‘help us fix this system’

Discussion: The Confluence, NewsBusters.org, Open Congress and The Mahablog

Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
Stupak Postpones Key Press Conference—But Why?

Discussion: Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo, Washington Monthly and Hot Air

The Hill:
Pelosi: No votes on any side issues, including abortion

Discussion: Roll Call, National Review, Washington Monthly, The Daily Caller, Power Line, The Corner on National …, Daily Kos and Hit & Run

Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
Pelosi: ‘No Separate Vote’ For Stupak...Or Anybody Else

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Washington Monthly, Crooks and Liars, Talking Points Memo and Firedoglake

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Dingell says he'll work to defeat Stupak's abortion efforts

Discussion: The Plum Line, Mother Jones, Washington Monthly, Taylor Marsh, The Huffington Post, American Power, Hullabaloo, The Hill, The Mahablog, Firedoglake and The Politico

Taegan Goddard's Political Wire:
House Will Take Separate Vote on Senate Bill

Discussion: Wonk Room and Open Left

The Hill:

Dems ditch ‘deem and pass’ — Top Democrats confirmed Saturday that the House would hold separate votes on the Senate healthcare bill and the reconciliation bill, making fixes to it. — Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), one of the chief deputy whips, Rep. Melvin Watt (D-N.C.), and Rep. Eliot Engel …

Discussion: The Swamp, The Atlantic Online, Scared Monkeys, Questions and Observations, MyDD, Pajamas Media, Balkinization, Wake up America, The Reaction, CNN and Mad Kane's Political Madness

Byron York / Washington Examiner:

Rules Committee meeting descends into chaos — At the House Rules Committee meeting, Democrats desperate to pass their national health care plan are running into the barrier of basic civics. Here is the problem: The Senate has passed its HCR bill. If the House passes the same bill …

Discussion: Althouse, Hot Air, Atlas Shrugs, Power Line, Michelle Malkin, Wall Street Journal and Wake up America

Michelle Malkin:

Reports: Deem and Pass is dead; keep the no-mentum going — Well, well, well. Breaking news all over that the Dems have now abandoned Demon Pass. — WaPo alert: … The Hill tweets: “Our Roxana Tiron reports Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) told her Pelosi now WILL NOT use ‘deem and pass.’”

Discussion: St. Louis Tea Party, The TrogloPundit and Doug Ross

Ezra Klein:

The president talks — The president gave a rousing, rambling speech before the House Democratic Caucus this afternoon. It wasn't so much a closing argument as it was a summation: of the bill, of the politics, of the moment, of the history, and even of the Democratic Party.

Discussion: Althouse

Prescriptions:
Obama Forcefully Makes Case at Capitol

Discussion: Washington Monthly and Townhall.com

The Politico:
Obama makes final House call

Discussion: CNN, AmSpecBlog, Mother Jones and New York Times

Glenn Reynolds / Instapundit:

PROTESTING OBAMACARE IN WASHINGTON: Reader Barrett Cunningham sends this photo and reports: “It's an incredible turnout Glenn, and people just keep coming.” — And reader Alan Poston sends this pic and reports a crowd estimate of 30,000 was given at the scene. Not sure of the source.

Discussion: Gateway Pundit, Mudville Gazette, HazZzMat and Scared Monkeys

Michelle Malkin:
Day of defiance: Nationwide protests as Slaughter House rushes through Demcare

Discussion: Althouse, protein wisdom, Doug Ross, American Power, RedState, Temple of Mut and Gateway Pundit

Jake Sherman / The Politico:

House Republicans begin victory lap — As Democrats frantically tried to cobble together votes to pass their sweeping health care reform legislation Saturday, House Republicans began a victory lap of sorts. — First, in a meeting of the House Republican Conference, the GOP's leadership rallied …

Discussion: Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog

Walter Alarkon / The Hill: GOP applauds prayer service in Capitol ahead of health vote

Matt Canham / Salt Lake Tribune:

Dem Rep. Matheson to vote against health reform, again — Holding to form, Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, announced Saturday that he would oppose his party's health reform bill, just like he did when the House version came up for a vote late last year. — Matheson, a conservative Democrat …

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Plum Line and The Page

Glenn Kessler / Washington Post:

Experts wonder whether U.S. has a real Israel strategy or ‘talking points’ — The Obama administration signaled Friday that its 10-day spat with Israel may be nearing an end, with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton declaring to the BBC that the confrontation “is paying off” …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Israel Matzav, Commentary and Ben Smith's Blog