memeorandum: Giuliani: Imam behind NYC mosque plan puts ‘confrontation’ first (Ben Geman/The Hill)

7:55 PM ET, September 12, 2010

Top Items:

David Herszenhorn / New York Times:

House G.O.P. Leader Signals He's Open to Obama Tax Cut — WASHINGTON — The House Republican leader, Representative John A. Boehner of Ohio, said on Sunday that he was prepared to vote in favor of legislation that would let the Bush-era tax cuts expire for the wealthiest Americans …

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Outside the Beltway, The Confluence, Economist's View and Washington Wire

David S Morgan / CBS News:

Boehner: I'll Drop Tax Cut for Rich If I Have To — House Minority Leader Disputes Obama's Claim GOP Blocks Tax Cuts for Middle Class; Says Spending Cuts Only Way to Create Jobs — (CBS) The leading Republican in the House, and a vocal proponent of allowing an extension of the Bush-era tax cuts …

Discussion: Political Punch, The Caucus, Raw Story, AMERICAblog News and New York Times

The Politico:

John Boehner speaks of tax compromise — A Senate Democratic leadership aide, meanwhile, sought to use Boehner's remarks to turn the pressure on Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, telling POLITICO, “It's encouraging to see that Boehner is where a majority of the American people are when it comes to extending Bush era tax cuts.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Douglass K. Daniel / Associated Press:
Boehner says he'd support a middle-class tax cut

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Huffington Post and Sweetness & Light

Bridget Johnson / The Hill:
Boehner would vote for limited tax cuts if that's ‘the only option’

Discussion: Washington Monthly and CNN

The Hill:
New chairman: Unemployment ‘going to stay high’ in near term

Discussion: ABCNEWS, Gateway Pundit and Raw Story

CNN:
Boehner says he'd vote for Democratic tax proposal

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, Mediaite, The Politico and GayPatriot

Sam Youngman / The Hill:
Gingrich predicts Republican takeover that could trump party's gains in 1994

Discussion: The Politico

James Fallows / The Atlantic Online:

A Harsh Thing I Should Have Said (Martin Peretz Dept) — Usually you regret the harsh things you say more than the harsh things you decide not to say. At least, that's how it usually turns out for me. — Here's an exception. Earlier this week I wrote an item about an incredible instance …

Discussion: The Reality-Based Community, Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog! and Balloon Juice

WBRZ-TV:
Letter: Obama's no Muslim, but so what?

Discussion: Crooks and Liars and The Political Carnival

Nicholas D. Kristof / New York Times:
Is This America? — For a glimpse of how venomous and debased …

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias, TPMMuckraker, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Balloon Juice

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

WHEN GINGRICH LOSES HIS MIND.... Obama Derangement Syndrome can take some strange people to some strange places. Disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), in all his pseudo-intellectual glory, has become so enveloped in his own garbage, he appears to have suffered some kind of severe head trauma.

Robert Costa / National Review:
Gingrich: Obama's ‘Kenyan, anti-colonial’ worldview

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Politerati, Obsidian Wings, NO QUARTER, No More Mister Nice Blog, Mediaite, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Raw Story, The Reality-Based Community, alicublog, Angry Bear, Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog! and GOP 12

Jeremy Schulman / Media Matters for America:
Gingrich: Obama is engaged in “Kenyan, anti-colonial behavior”

Discussion: driftglass and Mother Jones

Alaska_Politics / Anchorage Daily News:

Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck appear together in Anchorage — Former Gov. Sarah Palin and her “buddy” Glenn Beck appeared in front of thousands of fans in Anchorage on Saturday night, Palin's first big speaking appearance in Alaska since she resigned after two and a half years as governor last summer.

Discussion: Washington Wire and Wonkette

Mark Leibovich / The Caucus:
A Dream Team Addresses Alaska

Discussion: Mediaite, Gawker and GOP 12

John McCormick / Bloomberg:
Palin Welcomes Murkowski to Alaskan Election Race, Calls Effort ‘Futile’

Discussion: Conservatives4Palin.com and The Hill

Ben Geman / The Hill:

Giuliani: Imam behind NYC mosque plan puts ‘confrontation’ first — Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) on Sunday strongly criticized Feisal Abdul Rauf, the imam seeking to build an Islamic community center and mosque near Ground Zero. — “He seems by his actions to be more interested …

Bridget Johnson / The Hill:
Imam: Palin on mosque was ‘disingenuous’; controversy exploited

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and The Politico

The Politico:

GOP W.H. contenders map slow start — For decades it has been a truism that presidential campaigns just keep starting earlier and earlier. The 2012 Republican contest is hitting the brakes on that historic trend. — Even with President Barack Obama's numbers slipping …

Discussion: Guardian and GOP 12

Maureen Dowd / New York Times:
When Peggy Left Barry

Discussion: Don Surber, Questions and Observations, Commentary and Daily Kos

Frank Rich / New York Times:
Time for This Big Dog to Bite Back

Discussion: Firedoglake, Balloon Juice and Prairie Weather

Clifford J. Levy / New York Times:

Russia Uses Microsoft to Suppress Dissent — IRKUTSK, Russia — It was late one afternoon in January when a squad of plainclothes police officers arrived at the headquarters of a prominent environmental group here. They brushed past the staff with barely a word and instead set upon the computers before carting them away.

Discussion: Engadget, Prairie Weather and AMERICAblog News, more at Techmeme »

John McCormack / Weekly Standard:

Citing “Mental Anguish,” Christine O'Donnell Sought $6.9 Million in Gender Discrimination Lawsuit Against Conservative Group — Court documents obtained Saturday by THE WEEKLY STANDARD reveal surprising new details about the gender discrimination and wrongful termination lawsuit filed …

Discussion: Riehl World View and Patterico's Pontifications

BBC:

Turkey backs constitutional changes — Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan (left) and Turkish President Abdullah Gul cast their votes — Turkish voters have given strong backing to a package of constitutional changes. — With nearly all votes in the referendum counted, about 58% had voted “Yes” to amending the constitution.

Discussion: Jihad Watch and PoliBlog

Shane D'Aprile / Ballot Box:

Delaware Senate contest will hinge on turnout — WILMINGTON, Del. — For supporters of Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.), all eyes will be on Delaware's New Castle County Tuesday where the level of turnout in the state's contested GOP Senate primary could make or break the longtime congressman.

Discussion: The Politico