memeorandum: Hayworth to be Tea Party spokesman (Jay Heflin/Ballot Box)

10:20 AM ET, September 19, 2010

Top Items:

Bill Maher's witch hunt — and the missing context for O'Donnell's remarks — Narcissism. Blackmail. Distortion. All wrapped in his trademark smirk of pallor. Yes, it's tired old liberal “comedian” Bill Maher trying to get Senate GOP primary candidate Christine O'Donnell to come …

Discussion: Ruby Slippers, TPMDC, Althouse, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Liberal Values

John / Power Line:

Christine O'Donnell's Career, RIP — Christine O'Donnell's campaign went off the rails today when Bill Maher announced that he has previously-unseen clips of O'Donnell from the late 1990s when she appeared several times on his show. In one clip, she says that she once “dabbled into witchcraft.”

Discussion: HillBuzz, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Paul Mulshine, Riehl World View, The Other McCain, NewsReal Blog, Right Wing News, Political Byline, Left Coast Rebel, Think Progress and Pajamas Media

Maureen Dowd / New York Times:

Myth and Madness — Christine O'Donnell is in a fantasy world. Literally. — The pretty Palin Mini-Me identifies with the women of Middle Earth, comparing herself to the female characters in the “Lord of the Rings” novels by J. R. R. Tolkien. — “Look at the significance that he gives to Eowyn …

Discussion: NewsBusters.org and Prairie Weather

Jeff G. / protein wisdom:

Wow. — No, really, wow. — Christine O'Donnell's candidacy is evidently dead because of something she said on “Politically Incorrect” (quick, take note of the show's freakin' name) in the 1990s — but only because Tea Partiers are evidently small-minded religious bigots who will be so OUTRAGED …

Discussion: Classical Values, The Other McCain, Bookworm Room, Riehl World View and Doug Ross

Patterico's Pontifications:
Christine O'Donnell in 1999: I Dabbled in Witchcraft

Discussion: The Reality-Based Community and Doug Ross

Faiz Shakir / Think Progress:
Following Revelation Of ‘Witchcraft’ …

Discussion: Wonkette, News Hounds, CBS News, The Reaction, No More Mister Nice Blog and New York Magazine

Nafeesa Syeed / Associated Press:
Senate hopeful O'Donnell cancels national TV spots

Discussion: Ballot Box, Riehl World View, The Hill and FrumForum

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
O'Donnell cancels “Face the Nation” appearance

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Crooks and Liars, Mediaite, TVNewser and The Huffington Post

Taegan Goddard's Political Wire:
O'Donnell Said She Practiced Witchcraft

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Matt DeLong / Washington Post:
Christine O'Donnell in 1999: ‘I dabbled into witchcraft’

Discussion: Pam's House Blend, Mediaite, The Impolitic, Washington Monthly, The Page, CNN, TPMDC, JustOneMinute and Politerati

Jay Heflin / Ballot Box:

Hayworth to be Tea Party spokesman — The Tea Party is expected to announce that former Rep. JD Hayworth (R-Ariz.) will become a national spokesperson for the movement, a source close to the matter told The Hill. — Despite Hayworth's unwavering support of tax cuts enacted by President George W. Bush …

Bridget Johnson / Ballot Box:

DeMint rips Murkowski as ‘big-tent hypocrite’ — Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) ripped into Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) as a “big-tent hypocrite” in a fundraising e-mail for Tea Party favorite and GOP nominee Joe Miller on Saturday. — Murkowski announced Friday that, after the primary defeat …

Discussion: CNN

Raven Brooks:

About that Tea Party convention... canceled — Back in June we learned that the much hyped Tea Party Unity convention was being canceled and rescheduled to October 14-16 in Las Vegas. This barely registered a blip with the media at the time and I called them out on it and set the record straight on what this was really about.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Crooks and Liars and DownWithTyranny!

Michael Barbaro / New York Times:
Bloomberg Pushes Moderates in National Races

Discussion: Politics Daily, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS and FrumForum

Brad DeLong / Grasping Reality with Both Hands:

In Which Mr. Deling Responds to Someone Who Might Be Professor Todd Henderson — I had published a link and a long excerpt from Michael O'Hare's rant after reading University of Chicago Law Professor Todd Henderson. — And now somebody purporting to be University of Chicago Professor Todd Henderson writes:

Discussion: Paul Krugman and Obsidian Wings

Michael O'Hare / The Reality-Based Community:
The whining of the rich — Through Glenn Reynolds …

Discussion: Economist's View and Hullabaloo

Michael A. Memoli / Los Angeles Times:

Pence edges out Huckabee, Romney in conservatives' straw poll for president — Indiana Rep. Mike Pence is the top choice in a field of more well-known GOP figures, including Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin, with 24% of the vote at this weekend's Values Voter Summit.

Discussion: Daily Kos, LewRockwell.com Blog and Joe. My. God.

Evan McMorris-Santoro / TPMDC:
Gingrich Calls For Federal Ban On Shariah Law In US

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Think Progress, Raw Story and The Politico

CNN:
Gingrich declares dual threat of terrorists and Dem establishment

Discussion: Washington Monthly, JammieWearingFool, Politics Daily and Ballot Box

CNN:
Pence wins Values Voter straw poll

Discussion: The Politico, Hot Air and Ballot Box

Daily Mail:

Britain goes halal... but no-one tells the public: How famous institutions serve ritually slaughtered meat with no warning — A Mail on Sunday investigation - which will alarm anyone concerned about animal cruelty - has revealed that schools, hospitals, pubs and famous sporting venues …

Discussion: Daled Amos, Weasel Zippers and Vox Popoli

Des Moines Register:

Reaction to Sarah Palin speech by Iowa Republican activists — Should former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin decide to make a presidential bid, Iowa Republicans voting in the leadoff caucuses would have the opportunity to give her candidacy a major boost or a setback. Here are reactions from key activists after her speech Friday night.

TEApublican / The Iowa Republican: Sarah Palin Shines in Iowa Foreshadowing of 2012 Return

Craig Whitlock / Washington Post:

Members of U.S. platoon in Afghanistan accused of killing civilians for sport — AT JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WASH. The U.S. soldiers hatched a plan as simple as it was savage: to randomly target and kill an Afghan civilian, and to get away with it. — For weeks, according to Army charging documents …

Discussion: Prairie Weather and FrumForum

Nicholas Riccardi / Los Angeles Times:

Internal memo accuses Sheriff Arpaio's department of wrongdoing — The Arizona lawman's No. 2 man and other top officials are accused of using the anti-corruption unit to conduct politically motivated investigations and to surveil campaign rivals. — Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio received a 63-page memo from a deputy chief.

Discussion: The Reality-Based Community, skippy the bush kangaroo and Truthdig