memeorandum: “Competitiveness” — Sigh. So it appears that President Obama … (Paul Krugman)

4:25 PM ET, January 22, 2011

Top Items:

Bill Carter / Media Decoder:

Olbermann Leaves ‘Countdown’ on MSNBC — Updated Keith Olbermann, the highest-rated host on MSNBC, announced abruptly on the air Friday night that he is leaving “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” immediately. — The host, who has had a stormy relationship with the management of the network for some time …

Howard Kurtz / The Daily Beast:

Keith Olbermann Quits Countdown — MSNBC's liberal crusader abruptly resigned on air tonight, ending a provocative eight-year run. Howard Kurtz on Olbermann's career highlights and his clashes with network brass. — The cable channel confirmed his unexpected departure as Olbermann …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, AmSpecBlog, The Daily Beast, Questions and Observations, The Wire, Gothamist, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Seeing the Forest and Pajamas Media

TMZ.com:

Keith Olbermann's Exit — Secret Deal — Keith Olbermann saw the handwriting on the wall with the new owner of NBC and cut a deal for his exit that will give him money and options — sources tell TMZ. — Here's how it went down. Sources familiar with the situation tell us …

Discussion: Epicenter and YID With LID

Glynnis MacNicol / The Wire:

So Why Did MSNBC Just Dump Keith Olbermann? Hint: COMCAST — Okay. Wow. That was shocking. — But now that we've had a few minutes to contemplate a MSNBC world without Olbermann let's indulge in some speculation. — Why now? — Bill Carter reports at the NYT that Olbermann …

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, New York Magazine, Daily Kos, Firedoglake, First Draft and Poynter, more at Mediagazer »

Mark Joyella / Mediaite:
Why Keith Olbermann Is Out (Update)

Discussion: The Wire, Weasel Zippers, The BRAD BLOG and TVbytheNumbers

Sam Schechner / Wall Street Journal:
MSNBC, Olbermann Call It Quits, Cancel Show

Discussion: No Left Turns, Doug Ross and Speakeasy

David Bauder / Associated Press:
Keith Olbermann gives abrupt goodbye to MSNBC show

Discussion: Moonbattery and FrumForum

msnbc.com:
Olbermann signs off msnbc

Discussion: New York Post, Mixed Media, Pajamas Media, NewsBusters.org blogs, The Nation, Scripting News, Runnin' Scared, Scared Monkeys, The Daily Caller, NewsBusters.org, Jesus' General and Verum Serum

Richard Adams / Guardian:
NBC sacks Keith Olberman

Discussion: Media Decoder, Washington Post, Liberty Pundits Blog, Raw Story, Firedoglake and The Daily Caller

Colby Hall / Mediaite:
Coincidence? Keith Olbermann Departs MSNBC Day After FCC Approves Comcast Takeover

Discussion: skippy the bush kangaroo, Taylor Marsh and News Hounds

Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Breaking: Olbermann announces the end of “Countdown”; Update …

Discussion: Mediaite, Political Byline, Da Techguy's Blog, Z on TV, theblogprof, CNN, NewsBusters.org blogs, Michelle Malkin, Nice Deb, HotAirPundit, Pajamas Media, Pam's House Blend, Patterico's Pontifications, The Gateway Pundit and Conservatives4Palin

Alex Dobuzinskis / Reuters:
MSNBC and anchor Keith Olbermann abruptly part ways

Discussion: AMERICAblog News, Informed Comment and TMZ.com

Brian Stelter / New York Times:

Spotlight From Glenn Beck Brings a CUNY Professor Threats — On his daily radio and television shows, Glenn Beck has elevated once-obscure conservative thinkers onto best-seller lists. Recently, he has elevated a 78-year-old liberal academic to celebrity of a different sort, in a way that some say is endangering her life.

Discussion: Zandar Versus The Stupid, Sky Dancing, The Reaction, Outside the Beltway, Prairie Weather, TPMCafe, iOwnTheWorld.com, Balloon Juice, Hullabaloo, ccrjustice.org and News Hounds

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

WHEN BECK'S MINIONS GET THE MESSAGE.... Glenn Beck doesn't just rail against perceived enemies, whom he considers dangerous villains who must be stopped; he also chooses obscure enemies he considers worthy of his rage. — It's one of the many oddities of Beck's bizarre message.

Discussion: Left Coast Rebel and American Power

Big Journalism:

Washington Post Organizes News Boycott of Sarah Palin; Starts Twitter Campaign Against GOP Star — The Washington Post is engaging in online political activism by encouraging its readers to boycott news coverage of Sarah Palin. — The Post has picked up the call initiated this morning …

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Publius Forum, Outside the Beltway, Liberty Pundits Blog, Weasel Zippers, Guardian, The Huffington Post, Hot Air, The Wire, The Reaction, The Nation, Mediaite and The Democratic Daily

Alexander Burns / The Politico:

First in nation, last with Sarah Palin — If Sarah Palin decides to run for president, she could quickly find that it's not Arizona, but New Hampshire that poses the bigger threat to her candidacy. — That's because in all of her travels since the 2008 election - during the midterm campaign …

Discussion: Conservatives4Palin, CNN, The Wire, TPMDC, Cubachi and Pajamas Media

Kasie Hunt / The Politico:

Mitt Romney wins N.H. GOP straw poll — DERRY, N.H. - Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney won the first presidential straw poll of the 2012 cycle, kicking off New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary election race. — Romney won with 35 percent, beating second-place finisher Ron Paul …

Discussion: FrumForum

Wall Street Journal:

Obama to Push New Spending — State of Union Speech to Call for Boosting ‘Competitiveness’ While Nodding to Need for Budget Cuts — President Barack Obama and GE's Jeffrey Immelt, left, with plant manager Kevin Sharkey, visited a GE factory Friday to talk about green jobs.

Discussion: Firedoglake, blogs.telegraph.co.uk, Weasel Zippers, Fox News, protein wisdom, The Gateway Pundit, Fausta's Blog, Pajamas Media and FrumForum

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
House liberals urge Obama to draw hard line: “Hands off Social Security!”

Discussion: The Impolitic, AMERICAblog News and Firedoglake

Paul Krugman:

“Competitiveness” — Sigh. So it appears that President Obama is going to make “competitiveness” his main economic theme. To be fair, he could (and may well) do worse. But this is hackneyed stuff, and involves a fundamental misconception about the nature of our economic problems.

CNN:

Former U.S. lawmaker assisting Duvalier — Port-Au-Prince, Haiti (CNN) — A former U.S. congressman was among a group of American attorneys accompanying former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier as he spoke in the country's capital Friday. — Former Republican Congressman Bob Barr …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Eunomia, Little Green Footballs and Outside the Beltway

Kathie Obradovich / Des Moines Register:

Bachmann impresses some top Iowa Republicans — Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann received strong reviews from some top Iowa Republicans tonight but left them guessing about her intentions for the 2012 presidential race. — I live-tweeted her remarks. There's also Register coverage at Iowa Politics Insider.

Discussion: Cubachi, CNN, Liberty Pundits Blog, Derek Wallbank and Raw Story

Mike Stopa / Boston Globe:

The reality of death panels — ObamaCare's end-of-life planning comes down to economics — SUPPORTERS OF President Obama's health care reform law have relentlessly derided Sarah Palin's notion of “death panels” as a vulgar rhetorical technique, with no basis in reality …

Discussion: Conservatives4Palin and Don Surber

Reza Sayah / CNN:

Women soccer fans in Iran may be banned from live broadcasts — (CNN) — Iranian authorities have ordered a ban on women from watching live broadcasts of soccer matches at public movie theaters, the semi-official ILNA news agency reported. — A state police agency that monitors Iranian businesses called …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and Jihad Watch