memeorandum: Obama takes direct aim at anti-government rhetoric (Associated Press)

10:00 PM ET, May 1, 2010

Top Items:

Editorial: Unanswered Questions on the Oil Spill — President Obama has ordered a freeze on new offshore drilling leases as well as a “thorough review” into what is almost sure to be the worst oil spill in this country's history — exceeding in size and environmental damage the calamitous Exxon Valdez disaster in 1989.

Discussion: Beltway Confidential, Weasel Zippers, CNN, Recent Updates for Gulf …, NewsBusters.org, Doug Ross, Mediaite, Clusterstock, theblogprof, LA Times Environment Blog, Taylor Marsh, JammieWearingFool, Associated Press, The Huffington Post, Facebook and Paul Krugman

Noel Sheppard / NewsBusters.org:

Bill Maher: 'Why Isn't Barack Obama Getting More S—t For This' Oil Spill? — HBO's Bill Maher on Friday asked an extraordinary question of his guest panel: “Why isn't Barack Obama getting more s—t' for the oil spill in the Gulf? — Almost as surprising, the studio audience applauded after the “Real Time” host said this.

Discussion: Breitbart.tv, Hot Air, Washington Post and The Other McCain

Helene Cooper / New York Times:

White House Memo: Shadow of Katrina Hangs Over Official Response to Spill — WASHINGTON — There's a world of difference between the impact of an oil spill and a deadly hurricane. And the White House hopes it stays that way. — As President Obama stepped up his administration's response …

Discussion: The Politico, CNN, The Caucus, Left Coast Rebel, Washington Monthly, Media Matters for America, The Confluence, The Plum Line, The Hill, Breaking News … and New York Times

Mark Silva / The Swamp:
Obama inspecting oil-spill: Gulf crisis

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and D.C. Now

New York Times:
BP Is Criticized on Spill, but U.S. Missed Chances to Act

Discussion: NewsBusters.org, The Caucus and The Daily Caller

Associated Press:
Gulf oil spill balloons, could move east

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Firedoglake, USA Today, New Orleans Times-Picayune, Gothamist, Associated Press, Time, Reuters, msnbc.com, Bloomberg and New York Magazine

Kevin Bogardus / The Hill:

Rep. Gutierrez arrested outside of White House in immigration protest — Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) was arrested outside the White House on Saturday during a May Day protest for immigration reform. — Guiterrez had been speaking to a crowd of hundreds at Lafayette Square when he announced …

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, CNN and The Page

Associated Press:

Obama takes direct aim at anti-government rhetoric — ANN ARBOR, Mich. - In a blunt caution to political friend and foe, President Barack Obama said Saturday that partisan rants and name-calling under the guise of legitimate discourse pose a serious danger to America's democracy, and may incite “extreme elements” to violence.

Discussion: Atlas Shrugs, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Riehl World View

Michael Muskal / D.C. Now:

Obama uses commencement speech to explain politics and government — President Obama on Saturday urged graduates at the University of Michigan to participate in public life as the president forcefully defended an activist role for government in dealing with society's problems.

Discussion: Top of the Ticket and Weasel Zippers

Julian Walker / Virginian-Pilot:

Cuccinelli opts for more modest state seal — Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli apparently isn't fond of wardrobe malfunctions, even when Virginia's state seal is involved. — The seal depicts the Roman goddess Virtus, or virtue, wearing a blue tunic draped over one shoulder, her left breast exposed.

Discussion: Think Progress, Below The Beltway and Pharyngula

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:

Sen. Sherrod Brown says he lacks votes on ‘too big to fail’ banking amendment — Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said he lacks the votes right now to advance his amendment limiting the size of banks. — Brown held out hope that the measure, which he's offered along with Sen. Ted Kaufman …

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:

On my desk: The Manchurian President — My friend Aaron Klein, now a WABC radio host who has done some amazing work in probing Islamist terrorism in the Middle East, and Brenda Elliott have turned their attention to domestic politics and Barack Obama in his latest book, The Manchurian President …

Discussion: The Confluence, JustOneMinute, Freedom's Lighthouse and Balloon Juice

Ian Shapira / Washington Post:

Unification Church will put Washington Times up for sale — Washington Times executives are negotiating to sell the newspaper, after the Rev. Sun Myung Moon's family cut off most of the annual subsidy of about $35 million that has kept the Unification Church-backed paper afloat, company officials said.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Washington Monthly and Romenesko

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

CAN YOU HEAR THEM NOW?.... They're unlikely to get the kind of attention Tea Party events generate, but there will be quite a few folks turning out today for nationwide events on immigration policy. … Attendance at May 1 events have varied in recent years, but it was just a few years ago …

Discussion: Associated Press, The Moderate Voice and Balloon Juice

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:

Why does the Wall Street regulation overhaul give FTC authority over the Internet? — Earlier this week, the Washington Post reported on another little Easter egg in a bill cruising through Congress that would normally have followed Nancy Pelosi's policy of discovery ex post facto.

National Enquirer:

OBAMA CHEATING SCANDAL — PRESIDENT OBAMA has been caught in a shocking cheating scandal after being caught in a Washington, DC Hotel with a former campaign aide, sources say. — And now, a hush-hush security video that shows everything could topple both Obama's presidency and marriage to Michelle!