memeorandum: Leading evangelical halts effort to increase political civility (Dan Gilgoff/CNN)

12:00 PM ET, January 12, 2011

Top Items:

Sarah Palin / Facebook:

America's Enduring Strength — Please click here to view the video of this statement. — Like millions of Americans I learned of the tragic events in Arizona on Saturday, and my heart broke for the innocent victims. No words can fill the hole left by the death of an innocent …

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:

Clyburn: Palin intellectually unable 'to understand what's going on here' — A House Democratic leader on Wednesday lashed out at Sarah Palin, accusing the former Alaska governor of being intellectually incapable of understanding why she's faced criticism related to the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.).

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Jawa Report, Ben Smith's Blog, Weasel Zippers, Patterico's Pontifications, The Gateway Pundit, Booman Tribune, TPMDC and JammieWearingFool

Jennifer Epstein / The Politico:

Sarah Palin charges critics with ‘blood libel’ — Sarah Palin: “America's Enduring Strength” from Sarah Palin on Vimeo. — Sarah Palin released a video statement Wednesday calling the rush to pin blame on conservatives for the Tucson shooting “reprehensible” and a “blood libel.”

Discussion: Politics Daily, PostPartisan, RedState, nancynall.com, Balloon Juice, The New Republic, FrumForum, National Review and Oliver Willis

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:

The origins of ‘blood libel’ — As I noted earlier, I was curious how “blood libel” — historically the specific term for the anti-semitic slur and incitement that Jews prepared ritual food with the blood of Christian children — has made its way into the American political debate …

Discussion: Religion Dispatches, Michelle Malkin, The Politico, The Wire, NewsBusters.org blogs and The Moderate Voice

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:

Palin accuses media of ‘blood libel’ in Giffords shooting aftermath — Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) on Wednesday accused the media of “blood libel” by looking to assign blame for the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.). — Palin offered a pointed defense of herself …

Discussion: Politics Daily, ThinkProgress, iOwnTheWorld.com, AMERICAblog News, The Wire, Taegan Goddard's …, The Maddow Blog and Washington Post

Michael D. Shear / The Caucus:

Palin Calls Criticism ‘Blood Libel’ — Sarah Palin: “America's Enduring Strength” from Sarah Palin on Vimeo. — Sarah Palin, who had been silent for days, on Wednesday issued a forceful denunciation of her critics in a video statement that accused pundits and journalists of “blood libel” …

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Nation, National Post, No More Mister Nice Blog, RHRealityCheck.org, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Guardian

Jonah Goldberg / National Review:

“Blood Libel” — I should have said this a few days ago, when my friend Glenn Reynolds introduced the term to this debate. But I think that the use of this particular term in this context isn't ideal. Historically, the term is almost invariably used to describe anti-Semitic myths …

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, AOL News, alicublog and Harry's Place

Sean J. Miller / Ballot Box:
Angle: Media ‘inappropriately attributing blame’ for Tucson shooting

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, The Reaction, The Politico, The Impolitic and The Hill

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Palin: ‘Blood libel’

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, The Plum Line, National Review and AmSpecBlog, more at Mediagazer »

Alexander Mooney / CNN:
Angle beats back criticism in Arizona shooting aftermath

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …

New York Times:

Police Say They Visited Tucson Suspect's Home Even Before Rampage — TUCSON — The police were sent to the home where Jared L. Loughner lived with his family on more than one occasion before the attack here on Saturday that left a congresswoman fighting for her life and six others dead …

Discussion: Politics Daily, Runnin' Scared, The Daily Caller, The Confluence, Arizona Republic, JammieWearingFool, The Gateway Pundit, Arizona Daily Star, Weasel Zippers, CNSNews, The Atlantic Online, Hot Air, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, FrumForum, The Other McCain, Gawker, Pajamas Media and USA Today

Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:

Massacre, followed by libel — The charge: The Tucson massacre is a consequence of the “climate of hate” created by Sarah Palin, the Tea Party, Glenn Beck, Obamacare opponents and sundry other liberal betes noires. — The verdict: Rarely in American political discourse has there been a charge so reckless …

Discussion: Power Line, The Politico, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Hit & Run, New York Times, NewsBusters.org, The Confluence, Commentary, MyDD, The Atlantic Online, Conservatives4Palin, NewsBusters.org blogs, Salon and The Foundry

John / Power Line:
Paul Krugman, Buffoon

Discussion: Commentary and Pajamas Media

Chris Ariens / mediabistro.com:
Jared Loughner's friend says suspect ‘Did not watch TV ... disliked the news’

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog and Associated Press

Brian Montopoli / CBS News:
Poll: 45% Say Politics Motivated Jared Loughner

Discussion: Washington Monthly, CBS News, Daily Kos, Jezebel, Little Green Footballs, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Runnin' Scared and Valley Fever

Ace of Spades HQ:
How Do You Say Something You Know Isn't True And Avoid Getting Called On It?

Discussion: JustOneMinute, Hot Air, Newsweek, Weasel Zippers, Bookworm Room, Pat Dollard, NewsBusters.org blogs and Verum Serum

Robert Wright / Opinionator:
First Comes Fear — People on the left and right have been wrestling …

Discussion: Human Events, Blog For Arizona, Daily Kos and Slate

Mike Lillis / The Hill:

Boehner opposes new gun-control bill — Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) is rejecting gun-control legislation offered by the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee in response to the weekend shootings of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) and 19 others in Arizona.

Discussion: The Politico, New York Times, Hot Air, Pirate's Cove, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Prairie Weather, The Page, FrumForum and The Moderate Voice

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
Did Democrats Give Up in the Gun Control Debate?

Discussion: The Daily Dish, DownWithTyranny!, Salon, The Confluence and AOL News

Carl Hulse / New York Times:
For Boehner, Rampage Imposes Its Own Agenda

Discussion: Sweetness & Light, The Caucus and The Note

Monica Davey / New York Times:

Illinois Legislators Approve 66% Tax Increase — CHICAGO — With only hours left before new state lawmakers were to take over, Illinois's State Legislature narrowly approved early on Wednesday an increase of about 66 percent in the state's income tax rate. — The vast size of the increase …

Discussion: Sweetness & Light, Outside the Beltway and The Page

Clout St: Quinn congratulates Democrats on income tax increase

Free Times:

THIS JUST IN — A South Carolina gun and accessories company is selling semi-automatic rifle components inscribed with “You lie” - a tribute to the infamous words of 2nd District Republican Congressman Joe Wilson when he shouted at President Barack Obama during a congressional speech …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Raw Story, Daily Kos, The Impolitic, TPMMuckraker and Balloon Juice

The Huffington Post:
Joe Wilson ‘You Lie’ Slogan Etched Onto Line Of Assault Rifle Components

Discussion: Firedoglake, Washington Monthly and Balloon Juice

Christian Heinze / GOP 12:

Christie: Retired Rudy in “peanut gallery” — On Morning Joe today, Chris Christie fought back against Rudy Giuliani's recent claim that Christie should have been in his state during the holiday snowstorm. … And here's the Giuliani broadside from January 7 that prompted Christie's reply.

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog

Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
Christie swipes at Giuliani over snowstorm criticism

Discussion: The Politico

Edythe Jensen / Arizona Republic:

Gabrielle Giffords' Arizona shooting prompts resignations — A nasty battle between factions of Legislative District 20 Republicans and fears that it could turn violent in the wake of what happened in Tucson on Saturday prompted District Chairman Anthony Miller and several others to resign.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Raw Story, Blog For Arizona and Balloon Juice

The Politico:

The false rush to cry ‘balance’ — So Democrats have noted that Republicans have advocated armed sedition while Republicans have noted that Democrats sometimes attempt to portray themselves as victims in order to stifle debate. Neither side has a monopoly on virtue. Balance!

Discussion: The Atlantic Online

Dan Gilgoff / CNN:

Leading evangelical halts effort to increase political civility — At a moment when many Americans are decrying the overheated tone of American politics, an influential evangelical voice said Tuesday he is folding a project he helped found to increase political civility.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Paul Colford / ap.org:

AP and Shepard Fairey announce agreement in Obama poster case — The Associated Press, Shepard Fairey and Mr. Fairey's companies Obey Giant Art, Inc., Obey Giant LLC, and Studio Number One, Inc., have agreed in principle to settle their pending copyright infringement lawsuit over rights in the Obama Hope poster and related merchandise.

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …

host.madison.com:

Feingold on life after the Senate — Russ Feingold is not running for anything, not for president or even for the Senate. Not now, at least. After 18 years in Washington, he's coming home to Wisconsin. Last week, Feingold took time to discuss the next chapter — make that chapters — in his life story:

Discussion: The Hill

Cindy Perman / Pony in Here Somewhere Blog:

Housing Market Slips Into Depression Territory — As the economy revs back to life, with signs of hiring on the horizon, the housing market is being left behind like Macaulay Culkin in “Home Alone.” — In the past few years, we've all been careful to choose our words carefully …

Discussion: Hot Air

Andrew Malcolm / Top of the Ticket:

Gabrielle Giffords first photos from her hospital room — Due to the overwhelming sympathetic response from the public following the near-fatal shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson on Saturday, her office tonight released two photos from her hospital room in the University Medical Center.

Discussion: Runnin' Scared and Elizabeth Scalia

Jennifer Epstein / The Politico:

Sharron Angle defends herself, tea party — Former Nevada Republican Senate candidate Sharron Angle is blasting those blaming her for inciting the Arizona shooting that injured Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killed six others, saying the accused shooter went off the deep end long before the tea party movement started.

Discussion: The Hill and TPMDC

Wall Street Journal:

Postings of a Troubled Mind — Accused Shooter Wrote on Gaming Site of His Job Woes, Rejection by Women — Last May 9, at two in the morning, Jared Lee Loughner typed a question to a group of about 50 online gamers located around the world: “Does anyone have aggression 24/7?”

Discussion: News Desk and TPMMuckraker