memeorandum: LAST NIGHT'S lecture on the higher-education bubble went well … (Glenn Reynolds/Instapundit)

2:35 PM ET, September 23, 2010

Top Items:

Erick Erickson / RedState:

Perhaps the Most Ridiculous Thing to Come Out of Washington Since George McClellan — The House Republicans' “Pledge to America” is out. A thrill will run up the leg of a few Chris Matthews' types on the right. As Dan noted on Twitter, the Contract with America was 869 words and this is 21 pages.

Ezra Klein:

The GOP's bad idea — “America is more than a country,” begins the GOP's ‘Pledge to America.’ America, it turns out, is an “idea,” an “inspiration,” and a “belief.” And the GOP wants to govern it. — Their policy agenda is detailed and specific — a decision they will almost certainly come to regret.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Ballot Box, The Impolitic, Economist's View, Grasping Reality … and The Washington Independent

The Huffington Post:

GOP ‘Pledge For America’ Director Lobbied For AIG, Exxon, Pfizer, Chamber — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — The Republican Party's 21-page blueprint, “Pledge to America,” was put together with oversight by a House staffer who, up till April 2010, served as a lobbyist for some of the nation's most powerful oil …

Discussion: Washington Post, Wonk Room, The Daily Caller, White House.gov Blog Feed, The Gavel, Think Progress, Hullabaloo, Oliver Willis, AmSpecBlog and Politerati

CBS News:

“Pledge to America” Unveiled by Republicans (Full Text) — CBS News has obtained a final draft of House Republicans' legislative agenda for the next Congress, a 21-page “Pledge to America” that they will formally unveil Thursday morning at a Virginia hardware store.

Club for Growth:

The Milquetoast GOP “Pledge” — I want to like the new GOP Pledge to America. I want to endorse it, but it's so milquetoast that it proves to me that these guys just aren't ready to lead. — In order to prevent a return of the big-spending Republican ways during the Bush years …

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Liberty Pundits Blog, RedState, Hit & Run and msnbc.com

National Review:
We'll Take the Pledge — All year long, conservatives …

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Ross Douthat, Power Line, The Hill, AmSpecBlog, Outside the Beltway, Balloon Juice, Hotline On Call, Riehl World View and Ben Smith's Blog

Marc Ambinder / The Atlantic Online:
Why Republicans Don't Need a ‘Pledge’

Discussion: The New Republic, JustOneMinute, Weekly Standard, The Hill, The Washington Independent and Firedoglake

Mike Lillis / The Hill:
Boehner offers no solutions on Medicare, Social Security reform

Discussion: Washington Monthly, CNN, Think Progress and Taegan Goddard's …

Ezra Klein:
The Democrats need a plan, too

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias

Hogan / RedState:
The Pledge to Nowhere

Discussion: Firedoglake

Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
The “Pledge for America” — John Boehner wants to cut …

Discussion: The New Republic

Brian Beutler / TPMDC:

House Dems Also Punt On Upper-Income Bush Tax Cuts — The Senate's decision not to address the Bush tax cuts until after the election is the strongest indication yet that the game is over. After a House Democratic caucus meeting this morning — but before the news broke on the Senate side …

Discussion: The New Republic, Speakeasy, Daily Kos, Hullabaloo, Mock, Paper, Scissors, First Draft and Talking Points Memo

TPMDC:

Senate Dems Ready To Shelve Tax Cut Vote — A senior Senate Democratic aide told TPM today there won't be a vote on extending the Bush tax cuts in the upper chamber before the November election, a blow to party leaders and President Obama who believed this would have been a winning issue.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Talking Points Memo, Guardian, The New Republic and Daily Kos

Frank Knapp, Jr / Congress Blog:
End tax cuts for the wealthiest

Discussion: The Politico and CNN

Russell Berman / The Hill:
Pelosi and Hoyer split on holding tax vote before November elections

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Balloon Juice, Liberty Pundits Blog, FrumForum, TPMDC and FoxNews.com

Quinnipiac University:

Little-Known New York Attorney General Candidates Tied, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Gillibrand Up By Only 6 Points — Two little-known candidates for New York State Attorney General, Democratic State Sen. Eric Schneiderman and Republican Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan …

Discussion: WGRZ-TV, Weekly Standard, The Daily Politics, National Review, Hot Air, RedState, Power Line, Pollster.com All Content, New York Magazine, Washington Wire, Capital Tonight, Commentary, the albany project, Capitol Confidential and FrumForum

Taegan Goddard's Political Wire:
Very Different Poll Results in New York

Discussion: New York Magazine

Harriet Johnson Brackey / Sun-Sentinel:

Man's home sold out from under him in foreclosure mistake — (Robert Duyos, Sun Sentinel / September 22, 2010) — When Jason Grodensky bought his modest Fort Lauderdale home last December, he paid cash. But seven months later, he was surprised to learn that Bank of America had foreclosed on the house …

Discussion: Fortune, Boing Boing, Geekosystem and Calculated Risk

Barry Ritholtz / The Big Picture: Man without Mortgage Loses Home in Foreclosure

Washington Post:

Two of Obama's closest advisers among those likely to leave in White House shuffle — In his nearly two years in office, President Obama has relied on a very small clique of advisers that serves as his most trusted sounding board on politics and policy. — Members of his staff describe Obama …

Discussion: Ezra Klein, Wall Street Journal, Commentary, New Deal 2.0, Pam's House Blend, AMERICAblog Gay, Politerati, The Confluence, Prairie Weather, Althouse and The Page

Bill Plante / CBS News:

Axelrod Leaving WH; Emmanuel Likely Next — Sources say President's 2 Closest Advisors Heading for Other Pursuits in Latest News on Pending D.C. Shakeup — (CBS) President Obama's inner circle will likely be losing some key players. CBS News senior White House correspondent Bill Plante reports …

Discussion: Questions and Observations, Yourish.com and Sweetness & Light

Josh Margolin / New Jersey Online:

Gov. Christie confronts heckler at California GOP candidate's political rally — LOS ANGELES — True to his tough-guy persona, Gov. Chris Christie mixed it up today with a political naysayer, who heckled California Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman at a political rally.

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, Politics Daily, Outside the Beltway, National Review and Power Line

James C. McKinley Jr / New York Times:

A Claim of Pro-Islam Bias in Textbooks — HOUSTON — Some conservative members of the Texas Board of Education assert that the history books used in this state have a pro-Islamic bias, and they are upset about it. — Never shy about wading into the culture wars, they are planning …

Discussion: msnbc.com, Wonkette, Jihad Watch, Open Left and Ò"

CBS News:
Texas Board of Ed: Textbooks Are Anti-Christian

Discussion: Little Green Footballs, Gawker and FrumForum

David Axelrod / Washington Post:

The election campaigners we can't see — All of Washington is in a frenzy, speculating about the outcome of the fall elections. Yet the development that could most tip the scales is getting far too little public attention. That hidden factor is the audacious stealth campaign being mounted …

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, MyDD, culturekitchen, Commentary, The Huffington Post, Sunlight Foundation and The Page

Wcbsmark / CBS New York:

Cuomo Caught Lying About Voting For Bloomberg? — NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — There has been a dramatic development in the race for New York governor. — A new poll has Republican Carl Paladino within striking distance of Democrat Andrew Cuomo as voters say they want to elect someone who will stop the circus in Albany.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Scared Monkeys, Capital Tonight, RedState, NewsBusters.org, Weasel Zippers and Liberty Pundits Blog

Nicholas Confessore / New York Times:
Cuomo's Image as Unstoppable Suffers a Blow

Discussion: City Room, Politics Daily, Gothamist, Wonkette, Politics on the Hudson, Capitol Confidential, TPMDC, Capital Tonight, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog and FrumForum

Glen Bolger / Public Opinion Strategies:

National Survey Highlights Dem Problems in Key Seats — Last week, I conducted a national survey for American Action Network. The two key political environment questions show the significant opportunity Republicans have this year. While the overall numbers on the President's approval rating …

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog and Hot Air

Mark S. Smith / Associated Press:

Obama heckled on AIDS, gay rights at fundraiser — NEW YORK — President Barack Obama got heckled at a fundraiser Wednesday night by protesters pushing for more funding for AIDS programs and quicker action to allow gays to serve openly in the military. — Activists yelled slogans …

Discussion: Wonkette, Joe. My. God. and The Political Carnival

Gail Sheehy / The Daily Beast:
Obama's Fire Sale

Discussion: The Politico, CBS New York and Liberty Pundits Blog

Keith Bradsher / New York Times:

Amid Tension, China Blocks Vital Exports to Japan — HONG KONG — Sharply raising the stakes in a dispute over Japan's detention of a Chinese fishing trawler captain, the Chinese government has blocked exports to Japan of a crucial category of minerals used in products like hybrid cars, wind turbines and guided missiles.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Daniel W. Drezner, FP Passport, Angry Bear, Washington Post, Telegraph, naked capitalism and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Alexander C. Hart / The New Republic:

Lying With Graphs, Republican Style — The Republican “Pledge to America” is out, and I'll give them some credit: there are more concrete policies in there than I've seen Republicans suggest in a long while. Sure, they ideas are largely terrible, overly simplistic, or some combination of the two.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Ezra Klein and A plain blog about politics

People-Press.org:

Independents Oppose Party in Power ... Again — More Conservative, More Critical of National Conditions — For the third national election in a row, independent voters may be poised to vote out the party in power. The Republican Party holds a significant edge in preferences …

Discussion: Politics Daily and Taegan Goddard's …

Kevin Sack / New York Times:

For Many, Health Care Relief Begins Today — Sometimes lost in the partisan clamor about the new health care law is the profound relief it is expected to bring to hundreds of thousands of Americans who have been stricken first by disease and then by a Darwinian insurance system.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Time, Washington Post, The Caucus, Wonk Room, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, National Review and TalkLeft

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:

The GOP's Fiscal Fraudulence — One tiny part of me hoped that after the GOP spending binge of the Bush years, and the alleged Tea Party commitment to turn the page on growing government, the Republicans, like the Tories in Britain, would run on a clear platform of massive spending cuts …

Discussion: Hit & Run and Balloon Juice

Mike Allen / Associated Press:

Bill Clinton to John F. Harris: Obama's way to win in 2010, 2012 - Obama at U.N.: ‘teachings of tolerance’ can help Israeli-Palestinian standoff - House GOP ‘Pledge to America’: Cut Congress' budget — DAVID AXELROD e-mails JON WARD: “I'll be here well into 2011.

Discussion: TPMDC

Catherine Whittenburg / TBO News Breaking:

Sink leads Scott 47-40 in new Mason-Dixon poll — TALLAHASSEE - Democrat Alex Sink commands a seven-point lead over GOP candidate Rick Scott in the Florida governor's race, new poll results show. — Sink, Florida's chief financial officer, leads Scott, a multimillionaire businessman …

Discussion: Politics Daily