memeorandum: Critics weigh Blumenthal's words (Neil Vigdor/News-Times)

8:45 PM ET, May 20, 2010

Top Items:

David Weigel / Right Now:

Rand Paul, telling the truth — If we use “gaffe” in its proper, Kinsleyan form, that's what U.S. Senate candidate Rand Paul issued to NPR yesterday, and that's what he defended on Rachel Maddow's show last night. He told the truth about his stance on the Civil Rights Act.

Ezra Klein:

Rand Paul may not be a racist, but he is an extremist — Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy — It's safe to say Rand Paul's first few days as the Republican nominee for the open Senate seat in Kentucky are not going well.

The Huffington Post:

Rand Paul On Civil Rights Controversy: I Shouldn't Have Talked To Rachel Maddow [UPDATED] — See new updates below. — The morning after he declined to endorse the totality of the Civil Rights Act in his much-discussed appearance on the Rachel Maddow Show, Dr. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) …

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, The Politico, Raw Story, TPMDC, The Moderate Voice, Newsweek Blogs, The Corner on National …, Balkinization, Beltway Confidential, Pam's House Blend and Swampland

Lee Fang / Think Progress:

Exclusive: DeMint Says He Disagrees With Rand Paul On Civil Rights, Needs To ‘Talk To Rand About His Positions’ — Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) endorsed anti-government extremist Rand Paul (R-KY) in the Kentucky US Senate primary, funneling money and resources for his successful campaign.

Discussion: Right Now, Washington Monthly, Hot Air, Balloon Juice, TPMDC, The Rachel Maddow Show, Page One, The Hill, Barefoot and Progressive, Firedoglake, Confederate Yankee, Shakesville and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Mike Memoli / Real Clear Politics:

Paul: I Support the Civil Rights Act — Reacting to an avalanche of criticism over his perceived views of the Civil Rights Act, Rand Paul's campaign issues this statement today: … Sphere It!

Discussion: The Politico, Crooks and Liars, Think Progress, MyDD, TPMMuckraker, TPMDC, Below The Beltway, The Reaction, Daily Kos, The Rachel Maddow Show, Outside The Beltway, The Awl, AMERICAblog News and bastard.logic

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:

Paul blames ‘loony left’ for civil rights focus — Rand Paul lashed out at the “loony left” for pressing him on his view of the 1964 Civil Rights Act in an interview with Laura Ingraham this morning. — “I've never really favored any change in the Civil Rights Act,” he said.

Discussion: CNN, Page One, Newsweek Blogs, Firedoglake, TPMDC, Barefoot and Progressive and The Moderate Voice

Jake / Page One:

Rand Paul Made Same Racial Comments in 2002 — Rand Paul's appearance last evening on Rachel Maddow wasn't the first time he made comments about racial discrimination. — In a May 30, 2002 letter to the editor of the Bowling Green Daily News about the Federal Fair Housing Act …

Discussion: CNN, The Hill, Little Green Footballs, Right Now and TPMDC

David Weigel / Right Now:

Rand Paul in '02: I may not like it, but ‘a free society’ will allow ‘hate-filled groups to exclude people based on the color of their skin’ — Here's another wrinkle in the controversy over U.S. Senate candidate Rand Paul's arguments, made Wednesday to NPR and Rachel Maddow …

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, The Plum Line, New York Times and MyDD

Ezra Klein:
Area politician has some explaining to do

Discussion: USA Today and The Daily Dish

Bruce Bartlett / Capital Gains and Games blogs:
Rand Paul is No Barry Goldwater on Civil Rights

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Erick's blog, Washington Monthly, Newsweek Blogs, Page One, Cato @ Liberty, Facing South, Right Now, Mother Jones and The American Conservative

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Paul won't back repeal of 1964 act

Discussion: The Politico, CNN, DISSENTING JUSTICE, TPMDC and Taylor Marsh

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Rand Paul spox: Fed gov't should bar businesses from discriminating

Discussion: Washington Monthly, TPMDC, Washington Post, Crooks and Liars and Ben Smith's Blog

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
In Defense Of Rand Paul (Kinda)

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Washington Monthly, Outside The Beltway, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Other McCain and Althouse

Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
Rand Paul causes Civil Rights Act controversy with desegregation remarks

Discussion: The Politico

James Taranto / Wall Street Journal:
Rand Paul and Civil Rights

Discussion: Salon, The Speakers Lobby, American Power, Guardian, Politics Daily, Democratic Strategist and The Corner on National …

Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
Freedom as White Supremacy

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog

Daniel Foster / The Corner on National Review Online:
Paul Calls Maddow Appearance ‘Mistake,’ Civil Rights ‘Settled’ — By: Daniel Foster

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Newsweek Blogs, Little Green Footballs and alicublog

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
What do Rand Paul's patrons think of Civil Rights talk?

Discussion: TPMMuckraker, TPMDC, The Swamp and TPM LiveWire

Howard Fineman / Newsweek Blogs:
Rand Paul and D. W. Griffith

Discussion: NPR Topics and NewsBusters.org

Adam Nagourney / The Caucus:
Paul's Views on Civil Rights Cause a Stir

Discussion: TPMDC, Gothamist, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, New York Times and FrumForum

Political Punch:

Exclusive: President Obama To Replace Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair* — ABC News has learned that President Obama will replace the Director of National Intelligence, Admiral Dennis Blair (ret.) His resignation will come as soon as tomorrow, sources tell ABC News.

Discussion: Laura Rozen's Blog, The Atlantic Online, Talking Points Memo, Newsweek Blogs, The Corner on National …, Hot Air, Israel Matzav, Daily Kos, TPMDC, NO QUARTER and The Washington Independent

Eileen Sullivan / Associated Press:

National intelligence director resigning — WASHINGTON - National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair said Thursday he is resigning, ending a tumultuous 16-month tenure marked by intelligence failures and turf wars among the country's spy agencies. — Blair, a retired Navy admiral …

Discussion: Outside The Beltway and newsfeed.time.com

Agence France Presse:
Obama's intelligence czar to resign: US official

Discussion: Townhall.com and The Jawa Report

reason-contest.s3.amazonaws.com:

And The Winner of The Everybody Draw Mohammad Contest is... To remind readers of the stakes: In recent months, a Swedish cartoonist that sketched Mohammed as a “roundabout dog” as part of a planned street installation was assaulted during a lecture and, the following week, two extremists attempted to burn his house down.

Discussion: Instapundit, Hot Air, Townhall.com, Dean's World and Washington Post

Mark Steyn / The Corner on National Review Online:
Everybody Draws Mohammed Day — By: Mark Steyn

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, The Jawa Report, Hot Air, RedState, The Daily Caller, Liberty Pundits Blog, Don Surber, Gateway Pundit, Hit & Run and Blazing Cat Fur

Zombie / Pajamas Media:
The New Free Speech Movement

Discussion: Big Hollywood, Telegraph and The Jawa Report

Jordy Yager / The Hill:

GOP lawmaker blasts Mexican pres. comments as inappropriate — Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) blasted Mexican President Felipe Calderon on Thursday, calling the visiting dignitary's remarks on Arizona's recently implemented immigration law “inappropriate.” — Earlier Thursday …

Discussion: Hot Air, The Note, RedState, The Corner on National … and Weasel Zippers

Rasmussen Reports:

71% in Arizona Now Support State's New Immigration Law — Arizona voters now support the state's new immigration law more than ever and are still more inclined to think the law will be good for the state's economy rather than bad. A lot of voters in the state are thinking it's payback time …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Liberty Pundits Blog, Scared Monkeys and National Review

Neil Vigdor / News-Times:

Critics weigh Blumenthal's words — “I wore the uniform in Vietnam and many came back to all kinds of disrespect. Whatever we think of war, we owe the men and women of the armed forces our unconditional support.” — The occasion was the Stamford Veterans Day parade Nov. 9, 2008.

Discussion: The Plum Line, Hot Air, The Day newspaper, The Daily Caller, Liberty Pundits Blog, Outside The Beltway, Beltway Confidential, Weasel Zippers, Colin McEnroe, Moonbattery, Daily Ructions, JONATHAN TURLEY, Washington Post, Instapundit, Ben Smith's Blog, Townhall.com and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Ann Coulter / Human Events:
Republicans on Track to Snatch Defeat From Jaws of Victory

Discussion: Swampland

Ed O'Keefe / Federal Eye:

Mother of student who questioned Michelle Obama will not face action — Your Browser DoesNot Support IFrames. — The mother of a Maryland second-grader who questioned First Lady Michelle Obama about the Obama administration's immigration policy will not be deported, federal officials said Thursday.

Discussion: Politics Daily, Gothamist, Beltway Confidential, Washington Post and Immigration Chronicles

The Huffington Post:

Little Girl Who Challenged First Lady Is Right: Obama Is Deporting More Immigrants Than Ever — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — A little girl became the face of the nation's immigration debate on Wednesday, when she told First Lady Michelle Obama about her mother's fear.

Discussion: Don Surber and Suburban Guerrilla

Victoria Gill / BBC:

Scientists make ‘artificial life’ — The synthetic cell looks identical to the “wild type” — Scientists in the US have succeeded in developing the first synthetic living cell. — The researchers constructed a bacterium's “genetic software” and transplanted it into a host cell.

Discussion: Don Surber and Truthdig

JCVI: First Self-Replicating Synthetic Bacterial Cell

David M. Herszenhorn / New York Times:

Bill to Overhaul Financial Rules Clears Hurdle in Senate Vote — WASHINGTON — The Senate voted on Thursday afternoon to close debate on a far-reaching financial regulatory bill, putting Congress on a glide path to approving a broad expansion of government oversight of the increasingly complex …

Discussion: DealBook, Ezra Klein, The Other McCain, Gawker, Washington Monthly and Washington Post

Brady Dennis / Washington Post: Senate clears way to vote on financial reform

Glenn Thrush / The Politico:

Gibbs mum on Sestak job offer — Don't ask the White House if Obama aides tried to force Joe Sestak out of the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate primary by offering him a job. They are keeping mum on the controversy. — Press Secretary Robert Gibbs deflected a barrage of questions about reports …

Discussion: Weekly Standard, CBS News, Associated Press, Beltway Confidential and Right Now