memeorandum: G.O.P. Insider Fuels Tea Party and Suspicion (New York Times)

1:00 AM ET, September 20, 2010

Top Items:

Obama Advisers Weigh Offensive Against the G.O.P. — WASHINGTON — President Obama's political advisers, looking for ways to help Democrats and alter the course of the midterm elections in the final weeks, are considering a range of ideas, including national advertisements …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, No More Mister Nice Blog, Nice Deb, FrumForum, Conservatives4Palin.com and Pajamas Media

New York Times:

G.O.P. Insider Fuels Tea Party and Suspicion — WASHINGTON — In the days leading up to the Delaware primary, Sal Russo hosted a radio fund-raiser, organized a political rally and pressed the case with reporters that Christine O'Donnell was the Tea Party's choice for the United States Senate.

Discussion: naked capitalism, FoxNews.com, FrumForum, The Mahablog, Politerati, The Huffington Post and Politics Daily

CNN:
Murkowski: I was victim of ‘smear’ campaign

Discussion: The Reaction, The Hill, The Politico, protein wisdom, Talking Points Memo, Hotline On Call and Ballot Box

Roxana Tiron / The Hill:
Rove: Murkowski's write-in campaign is ‘sad and sorry’

Discussion: Chicago Boyz, Raw Story and Left Coast Rebel

Elise Viebeck / The Hill:
Bloomberg: Tea Party is a ‘boomlet’

Discussion: iOwnTheWorld.com and NewsReal Blog

Raven Brooks:
About that Tea Party convention... canceled

Discussion: Firedoglake, Washington Monthly and Crooks and Liars

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

Discussion: The Caucus, Politics Daily, The Eye, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS and FrumForum

Randall Chase / Associated Press:

O'Donnell makes light of witchcraft comment — LINCOLN, Del. - Republican Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell is making light of comments she made more than a decade ago when she was in high school about having dabbled in witchcraft. — “How many of you didn't hang out with questionable folks …

Discussion: Think Progress, NewsBusters.org, iOwnTheWorld.com and The Moderate Voice

Bruce Drake / Politics Daily:

Karl Rove Says Christine O'Donnell Needs to Explain Witchcraft ‘Dabbling’ to Voters … Karl Rove, political mastermind for former President Bush said Sunday that Christine O'Donnell, the Tea Party insurgent who won an upset victory in Delaware for the GOP Senate nomination, “can't simply ignore” …

Discussion: The Daily Dish, delawareonline, Riehl World View and Liberty Pundits Blog

Glenn Reynolds / Instapundit:

SCOTT JOHNSON: If Al Franken was able to overcome his personal record to become a United States Senator, Christine O'Donnell certainly can. “O'Donnell has the additional advantage of having a man who formerly advertised himself as the bearded Marxist for her opponent.”

Discussion: Gateway Pundit, Power Line, Classical Values and INSTAPUTZ

William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:
Memo to the Right: “The Lombardi Rule” Is In Effect

Discussion: Riehl World View, Pundit & Pundette and Don Surber

Faiz Shakir / Think Progress:
O'Donnell On ‘Witchcraft’ …

Discussion: Gawker and The Huffington Post

The Hill:

Clinton says he was wrong on healthcare bill's popularity — Former president Bill Clinton, a champion of healthcare reform, admitted on Sunday that he made the wrong prediction about the popularity of President Obama's healthcare bill. — Initially, Clinton had predicted that the polls …

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, Questions and Observations, Scared Monkeys, Don Surber, Left Coast Rebel and Weasel Zippers

Bridget Johnson / The Hill:

Bill Clinton: Tea Party is ‘general revolt against bigness’ — Former President Bill Clinton said Sunday that the Tea Party movement “reflects the feeling of a lot of Americans that they're getting the shaft,” but isn't clear what it stands for. — On CBS' “Face the Nation,” …

Discussion: The Mahablog, Left Coast Rebel and Gateway Pundit

Motoko Rich / New York Times:

For the Unemployed Over 50, Fears of Never Working Again — VASHON ISLAND, Wash. — Patricia Reid is not in her 70s, an age when many Americans continue to work. She is not even in her 60s. She is just 57. — But four years after losing her job she cannot, in her darkest moments …

Discussion: Economist's View

Media Decoder:

Newsweek's Howard Fineman to Join The Huffington Post — Howard Fineman, one of the more recognizable pundits on cable television and a correspondent for Newsweek for 30 years, is leaving the magazine to become a senior editor at The Huffington Post. — Mr. Fineman's move from a print medium …

Discussion: Mediaite, NewsBusters.org, New York Magazine and Gawker, more at Mediagazer »

Get_involved / Associated Press:

Colin Powell: Illegal Immigrants Fix My House — Former Secretary of State Urges Republicans to Support Path to Legal Status for Undocumented Workers — (AP) Former Secretary of State Colin Powell says illegal immigrants do essential work in the U.S. and he has firsthand knowledge of that - because they fix his house.

Discussion: TalkLeft

Carrie Budoff Brown / The Politico: Colin Powell critical of President Obama

Roxana Tiron / The Hill:
Powell holds off on next endorsement, says Obama should focus on ‘governing’

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

Marianne Moran / Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Give States a Tool to Check Federal Power — Richmond, Va. — George Mason and James Madison were two Virginians who, while initially differing on the wisdom of adding a Bill of Rights to the Constitution, ended up working together to craft the first 10 amendments.

Discussion: Dean's World and Left Coast Rebel

DownWithTyranny!:

What's A Wanker To Do? —by Noah — I think Christine O'Donnell has ruined masturbation for me. She's in my thoughts now, polluting my inner world. — The teabaggers, Republicans, republikooks, or whatever we're supposed to call our culture's wackjob element these days are always fine ones …

Discussion: American Power and Hullabaloo