memeorandum: Bibi and Barack, Take Five: Direct Peace Talks ‘In the Coming Weeks’? (Jake Tapper/Political Punch)

5:30 PM ET, July 6, 2010

Top Items:

Obama's worst foreign-policy mistake — Given President Obama's glaring domestic policy missteps, it is understandable that the public has largely been blinded to his foreign policy failings. In fact, these may have been even more damaging to America's future.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Wonk Room, Moonbattery, CNN, Newshoggers.com, Riehl World View, The Foundry, Gawker, The Hill, Eunomia, The Caucus, Taylor Marsh, Conservatives4Palin.com, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog and New York Times

Zombie / Pajamas Media:

Did Huffington Post crop AP photo to give Netanyahu devil horns? — Photo of Netanyahu as it appeared on Huffington Post. — The picture of Benjamin Netanyahu shown to the left appears on the front page of today's Huffington Post, illustrating a story about Israel easing its blockade of Gaza.

Discussion: The Jawa Report, Wonkette and Gateway Pundit

Mike Allen / The Politico:
Biden, on President's Iraq policy: 'We told you what we were going …

Discussion: The Confluence, MyDD, The Caucus, iOwnTheWorld.com and White House.gov Blog Feed

Jake Tapper / Political Punch:
Bibi and Barack, Take Five: Direct Peace Talks ‘In the Coming Weeks’?

Discussion: New York Times, The White House, Washington Monthly, The Plum Line and New York Magazine

Sam Youngman / The Hill:
As Netanyahu visits, White House insists ‘no rift’ between Israel, U.S.

Discussion: The Politico, The Swamp, New York Times, D.C. Now, Washington Post, CNN, Los Angeles Times, Politics Daily, Jerusalem Post, USA Today, Taylor Marsh and Yourish.com

David Brooks / New York Times:

A Little Economic Realism — Let's say you're the leader of the free world. The economy is stuck in the doldrums. Naturally, you want to do something. — Many economists say we need another stimulus bill. They debate about whether the stimulus should take the form of tax cuts or spending increases …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The New Republic, The Atlantic Online, Ezra Klein, Grasping Reality …, Balloon Juice, Swampland, The Moderate Voice and Vox Popoli

Paul Krugman:

Arguments From Authority — A quick note on David Brooks's column today. I have no idea what he's talking about when he says, … Funny, I thought we had a perfectly good explanation: severe downturn in demand from the financial crisis, and a stimulus which we warned from the beginning wasn't nearly big enough.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and driftglass

Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
Productivity and the Recession — David Brooks, writing skeptically …

Discussion: The American Scene and Econbrowser

CEPR:
The Arrogant David Brooks Tells Readers That Stimulus Will Risk National Insolvency

Discussion: Firedoglake, Washington Monthly, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Hullabaloo and ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*

Jerry Markon / Washington Post:

Justice Dept. expected to sue Ariz. on immigration, citing ‘preemption’ grounds — The Justice Department has decided to file suit against Arizona on the grounds that the state's new immigration law illegally intrudes on federal prerogatives, law enforcement sources said Monday.

Josh Gerstein / The Politico:

DoJ sues over Ariz. immigration law — The federal government filed a lawsuit Tuesday aimed at blocking a controversial Arizona law that gives local police and sheriffs the authority to question and arrest anyone suspected of being in the country illegally.

Discussion: CNN, Associated Press, The Washington Independent, TalkLeft and The New Republic

Fox News:
Ex-Official Accuses Justice Department of Racial Bias in Black Panther Case

Discussion: Breitbart.tv

CNN:
Feds file suit against Arizona immigration law

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Paul Krugman:

Confidence Fairies Have Infiltrated The White House — I was on Good Morning America this not-so-good morning, doing what I could. But I was struck by something that George Stephanopoulos said: he claimed to have been speaking to an administration official who asserted that what we need …

Discussion: TalkLeft, The Moderate Voice, Shakesville, Grasping Reality …, AMERICAblog News and Eschaton

Thomas M. Defrank / NY Daily News:

Bad news for Obama: Conservative Justice Kennedy tells pals he's in no rush to leave Supreme Court — WASHINGTON - President Obama may get liberal Elena Kagan on the Supreme Court, but conservative swing-voter Anthony Kennedy says he's not going anywhere anytime soon.

Discussion: Left Coast Rebel, Weekly Standard, Hot Air, Wonkette, No More Mister Nice Blog, Sister Toldjah, The Hill, The Political Carnival, New York Magazine, Outside the Beltway, Wake up America and JammieWearingFool

David G. Savage / Los Angeles Times:
Obama and Supreme Court may be on collision course

Discussion: SCOTUSblog, Questions and Observations, Patterico's Pontifications and New York Times

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:

Tea Party = Republican party? — The scads of media coverage about the burgeoning “tea party” effort has focused heavily on the idea that those who identify themselves as part of the movement are political free agents — dismissive of both parties and Washington in general.

Discussion: Washington Monthly

Mike Allen / The Politico:
Biden: No Dem ‘debacle’ in November

Discussion: CNN, Don Surber, Questions and Observations and Beltway Confidential

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Tea Partiers' concerns are virtually identical to those of Republicans, poll shows

Discussion: Think Progress, Weasel Zippers, The Hill, Daily Kos, Power Line and Hot Air

Fox News:

NASA Official Softens Claim Muslim Outreach Is ‘Foremost’ Mission — NASA Administrator Charles Bolden testifies before the House Science and Technology committee on Capitol Hill in Washington May 26. (Reuters Photo) — A NASA official on Tuesday stood by Administrator Charles Bolden's statement …

Discussion: Gateway Pundit, The Corner on National …, Weekly Standard, Weasel Zippers, The Other McCain, Pajamas Media, NASA Watch and Washington Examiner

John Derbyshire / The Corner on National Review Online:
NASA's True Mission — By: John Derbyshire

Discussion: NASA Watch, Grim's Hall, Cold Fury and ParaPundit

Byron York / Washington Examiner:
NASA's new mission: Building ties to Muslim world

Discussion: Jules Crittenden, Fausta's Blog, Beltway Confidential, NewsBusters.org, The Daily Caller, Sister Toldjah, Althouse and The TrogloPundit

Reid Wilson / Hotline On Call:

GOP Moves Toward West Virginia Suit — Top GOP strategists are plotting ways to force WV to hold a special election this year, in hopes of giving the party a better chance to pick off the seat of the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV), according to several party sources.

Discussion: Swing State Project, TPMDC and SENATUS

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Will Michael Steele stay or go?

Discussion: CNN, The Daily Dish, No More Mister Nice Blog, Ballot Box, NO QUARTER, Daily Kos and Outside the Beltway

Jess Mancini / Parkersburg:
Dem: Manchin favored for seat

Discussion: Politics Daily and The Caucus

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:

McCain favors immigration reform that would deport ‘many’ illegals — Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said on Tuesday he would favor immigration reform that would deport most of the residents of the U.S. who are here illegally. — McCain, who at one point had been the top Republican advocate …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Online NewsHour, Wonkette, Gawker, Pat Dollard, Weasel Zippers and TPMDC

New York Times:

Are Profits Hurting Capitalism? — A STREAM of disheartening economic news last week, including flagging consumer confidence and meager private-sector job growth, is leading experts to worry that the recession is coming back. At the same time, many policymakers, particularly in Europe …

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, MyDD, The Glittering Eye and EconLog

Yves Smith / naked capitalism:
Our New York Times Op Ed on the Corporate Savings Glut

Discussion: Rortybomb

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:

Kentucky Senate race knotted — Kentucky voters don't think much of Rand Paul and as a result the race to replace Jim Bunning in the Senate is tied. Paul and Jack Conway are getting 43% each. — The more Kentucky voters get to know Rand Paul, the less they like him.

Discussion: Ballot Box, TPMDC, RedState and Daily Kos

Rep. Barney Frank / The Huffington Post:

Why We Must Reduce Military Spending — As members of opposing political parties, we disagree on a number of important issues. But we must not allow honest disagreement over some issues interfere with our ability to work together when we do agree. — By far the single most important …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Glittering Eye and TPMCafe

Metro.co.uk:

Rare 1970s BP board game promises oil ‘thrills’ comes back to haunt them — A rare 1970s BP game - yes, that's the company badge on the box - promises all the ‘thrills of drilling’ offshore, with the first player to earn $120million being crowned the winner. — BP - Beyond Parody: The game's cover has an ‘overall sense of doom’.

Discussion: Climate Progress, Think Progress, Swampland and JammieWearingFool

David Carr / New York Times:

Outspoken Is Great, Till It's Not — Wanted: Political blogger covering the conservative movement. Must be provocative and write with a strong point of view although not in a way that would reveal bias or offend any of your potential subjects. Social media a plus until it's not.

Discussion: FAIR Blog, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Hullabaloo

Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
A Hypothetical — David Carr makes an excellent point …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and Balloon Juice

San Francisco Chronicle:

Sugary-drink ban starts to affect S.F. sites — Coca-Cola is out, and soy milk is now part of San Francisco's official city policy. — Under an executive order from Mayor Gavin Newsom, Coke, Pepsi and Fanta Orange are no longer allowed in vending machines on city property, although their diet counterparts are - up to a point.

Discussion: Hit & Run, Hot Air, Newsalert and NewsBusters.org

Mark Hemingway / Washington Examiner:

NLRB's Becker is already under investigation — When it comes to President Obama and Democrats on Capitol Hill, what Big Labor wants, Big Labor gets. Unions spent $400 million electing Democrats in 2008, so they demanded to select which fox gets to guard the henhouse overseeing organized labor.

Discussion: Michelle Malkin and Moe Lane