memeorandum: DNC playing role in Wisconsin protests (Ben Smith/Ben Smith's Blog)

9:05 PM ET, February 17, 2011

Top Items:

BREAKING: Wisconsin Dems Hiding At Best Western in Rockford, IL ...Update: TEA PARTY WINS! Chases WI Dems Out of Rockford ...Update: WI Dem Says They're Still in IL (Video) — The Wisconsin senate democrats fled the state today rather than vote on a budget repair bill.

Discussion: Rockford Register Star, WREX-TV, Hot Air, No More Mister Nice Blog, Big Government, iOwnTheWorld.com, Da Techguy's Blog, Doug Ross, Riehl World View and GayPatriot

JSOnline:

Search for lawmakers continues as Senate adjourns without quorum — Democrats said to be at Rockford, Ill., resort — By Jason Stein, Patrick Marley and Steve Schultze of the Journal Sentinel — Madison — Law enforcement officers are searching for Democratic senators boycotting …

Discussion: WisPolitics Budget Blog, National Review, Firedoglake, Crooks and Liars, The Plum Line, Hit & Run, Chicago Boyz, AFL-CIO NOW BLOG and msnbc.com

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:

DNC playing role in Wisconsin protests — The Democratic National Committee's Organizing for America arm — the remnant of the 2008 Obama campaign — is playing an active role in organizing protests against Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's attempt to strip most public employees of collective bargaining rights.

Brian Beutler / TPMDC:

Wisconsin Gov. Walker Ginned Up Budget Shortfall To Undercut Worker Rights — Wisconsin's new Republican governor has framed his assault on public worker's collective bargaining rights as a needed measure of fiscal austerity during tough times. — The reality is radically different.

Discussion: New York Times, Ezra Klein, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Plum Line, Taylor Marsh, Talking Points Memo, Hullabaloo, Oliver Willis, msnbc.com and Crooks and Liars

Ann Althouse / Althouse:

After all those efforts to paint Tea Partiers as using violent images and rhetoric, these pictures from Madison have got to hurt. — The Wisconsin GOP made a nice montage: — And here's a picture I took today: — I asked the woman if she thought Scott Walker was like Hitler, and she said “Yes.”

Discussion: Pajamas Media, Hot Air and The Blast

WTMJ:

Budget Battle: Democrats Who Left State are Located — MADISON - Democratic State Senators who protested the budget repair bill by leaving the state have been found. — The lawmakers are in the Best Western Clock Tower in Rockford Illinois. — Law enforcement officials have been looking …

Discussion: National Review, host.madison.com, TPMDC, Hot Air, Talking Points Memo, Weasel Zippers, The Hill, Pajamas Media, iOwnTheWorld.com, New York Magazine, Wonkette, Nice Deb, The Greenroom and WisPolitics Budget Blog

Mary Katharine Ham / The Daily Caller:

Wisconsin budget fight escalates as Dems flee Madison to avoid vote — A three-day-long stand-off at the Wisconsin state capitol between union supporters and those backing the Republican governor's budget cuts just went to another level Thursday as Democratic senators apparently fled the state …

Discussion: Cubachi, Associated Press, Conservatives4Palin, RedState, Sky Dancing, Althouse, Liberty Pundits Blog, Michelle Malkin and New York Times

JSOnline:

Unions want to overturn election result — Say you generally liked Gov. Scott Walker's move to rein in government labor costs but had a few doubts on his method. The last few days should have cleared that up nicely. — The public-sector union tantrums, meant to make lawmakers wobble …

Discussion: National Review, TPMDC, Power Line, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, Biased BBC, Hot Air, Swampland, Daily Kos, AOL News, Faithful Progressive and host.madison.com

Ann Althouse / Althouse:

How much respect did the demonstrators show for the State Capitol grounds? — Here are some photographs taken yesterday by Meade (my husband) at the demonstration against Gov. Scott Walker's budget plan: — “If I'm a GREAT worker WHY are you treating me THIS WAY?” — an abandoned sign pleads.

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Publius Forum, Moe Lane and Instapundit

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
The historical illiteracy of Wisconsin teachers; Update: Crosshairs, “Reload”

Discussion: The Politico, The Sundries Shack, Pajamas Media, The Atlantic Online, Big Government, The Anchoress, The Daily Caller, Althouse, The Blast, Pundit & Pundette, The Right Scoop, Michelle Malkin and Instapundit

Michelle Malkin: Watch Wisconsin, Part IV: Salary info Big Labor doesn't want you to see; statewide strike looms …

WKOW 27: Law enforcement sent to bring Democrats back to session

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Missing Wisconsin Dem speaks: We're MIA until GOP drops assault on workers rights

Discussion: Daily Kos

Mary Katharine Ham / The Daily Caller:
AWOL Wisconsin Democrat calls CNN with list of demands

Discussion: National Review, Weasel Zippers and Pajamas Media

ABCNEWS:
Wisconsin Dems Hide in ‘Hard ... to Find’ Place; Governor Rips ‘Theatrics’

Discussion: The Note, Political Punch and National Review

WISN Milwaukee's Channel 12:
Walker Calls Boycott By Democrats A Stunt

Discussion: TPMDC and Talking Points Memo

Michelle Malkin:
Watch Wisconsin, Part III: A state government employee speaks; Madison schools, plus 7 …

Discussion: CNN, WISC-TV, Fox Nation, The Awl, Left Coast Rebel, The Jawa Report, The Gateway Pundit, Herald Times Reporter, SEIU, MOMENT OF CLARITY, GayPatriot, Associated Press and theblogprof

Lbentzterp / CNN:

Palin talks 2012, mocks Michelle Obama — Woodbury, New York (CNN) - Sarah Palin addressed a variety of issues Thursday at a gathering of business officials in Long Island, New York including her 2012 plans, first lady Michelle Obama, President Obama's proposed budget, the crisis in Egypt, and her feelings on the media.

Discussion: GOP 12, Ballot Box, The Daily Caller and Conservatives4Palin

Amie Parnes / The Politico:

Sarah Palin slams Michelle Obama over nursing — Sarah Palin followed in Rep. Michele Bachmann's footsteps and took a swipe at Michelle Obama on Thursday, mocking her efforts to get mothers to breastfeed their children. — “No wonder Michelle Obama is telling everybody 'You'd better breastfeed your baby …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and FrumForum

Katrina Trinko / National Review:

Palin Talks 2012, Birthers, and Government Shutdown — Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin isn't ready to commit to a presidential run, but she indicated that she might decide soon, citing the need to connect with individual voters. — “Nothing is more effective than being actually …

Discussion: Conservatives4Palin

Maggie Haberman / The Politico:
Sarah hints at WH run, slams Obamas

Discussion: New York Magazine and iOwnTheWorld.com

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Palin knocks breastfeeding initiative

Discussion: NY Daily News

Jeff Zeleny / The Caucus:
Palin, on Long Island, Answers Budget and Worldview Questions

Discussion: New York Times, msnbc.com, USA Today, Gothamist and City Room

New York Times:

Out of Control in the House — Are there any adults in charge of the House? Watching this week's frenzied slash-and-burn budget contest, we had to conclude the answer to that is no. — First Speaker John Boehner's Republican leadership proposed cutting the rest of the 2011 budget by $32 billion.

Discussion: Firedoglake, NationalJournal.com, Chicago Boyz, Don Surber, Questions and Observations, Hullabaloo, The Hill, Associated Press and Pajamas Media

Russell Berman / The Hill:
GOP escalates showdown with Obama over funding measure

Discussion: The Politico, Maggie's Notebook, ABCNEWS, CNN, Booman Tribune and The Hill

Corey Boles / Washington Wire:
Senate Democrats Jab Boehner on Pledge to Cut Spending

Discussion: Wall Street Journal

Sean J. Miller / Ballot Box:
Freshman Republican: 'I've never worked harder'

Discussion: CNN

Jake Sherman / The Politico:
Boehner ups chance of shutdown

Discussion: The Note, The Hill, USA Today, CNN, Swampland and New York Magazine

Christian Heinze / GOP 12:

Rove: Confront birthers now — Savvy GOP strategist Karl Rove says a poll signaling that a majority of likely GOP primary voters have questions about Barack Obama's birthplace is “lousy”. — But last night, he urged prominent conservatives to stand up forcefully (and quickly) to kill birther talk.

Discussion: The Hill, Salon, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, New York Magazine, Right Wing Nut House and Ben Smith's Blog

Jennifer Epstein / The Politico:
Karl Rove: Birther rumors discredit GOP

Discussion: NewsReal Blog and FrumForum

Michael D. Shear / The Caucus:
Guest List for Obama's Dinner With Technology Leaders

Discussion: Sunlight Foundation Blog and Swampland

Ken Jennings / Slate:

My Puny Human Brain — Jeopardy! genius Ken Jennings on what it's like to play against a supercomputer. — When I was selected as one of the two human players to be pitted against IBM's “Watson” supercomputer in a special man-vs.-machine Jeopardy! exhibition match, I felt honored, even heroic.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, A Smarter Planet Blog, Balloon Juice, Outside the Beltway, The Moderate Voice, The Huffington Post, Sense of Events, Runnin' Scared and The Awl

John Markoff / New York Times:

Computer Wins on ‘Jeopardy!’: Trivial, It's Not — YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, N.Y. — In the end, the humans on “Jeopardy!” surrendered meekly. — Facing certain defeat at the hands of a room-size I.B.M. computer on Wednesday evening, Ken Jennings, famous for winning 74 games in a row on the TV quiz show, acknowledged the obvious.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, GigaOM, CNN, Time, ComPost, The BLT, Hot Air, neo-neocon, The Moderate Voice, L.A. Times Tech Blog, Wired Campus, Gawker and National Review, more at Techmeme »

Barbarossa / The Jawa Report:

Jihadist attorney takes aim at the Jawa Report, the Jawas go to federal court seeking protective order — ***Sticky until Saturday. Please scroll down for more recent updates. Back in September we reported that blogger Pamela Geller of Atlas Shrugs and attorney John Stemberger had been sued …

Discussion: Big Peace

Blue Texan / Firedoglake:

Chris Christie's Idea of “Doing Big Things” — I continue to be baffled by all the love New Jersey's Republican governor Chris Christie's getting among the chattering class. Here's a typically fawning piece about his speech at AEI yesterday. … “Big things” to Christie simply means less money …

Discussion: UrbanGrounds, The Politico and Taylor Marsh

Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
Chris Christie isn't pretty, and he tells ugly truths

Discussion: CNN, Yglesias and NewsBusters.org

Evan McMorris-Santoro / TPMDC:

Dem Rep Receives Threat Over NASCAR Proposal (DOCUMENT) — Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) alerted Capitol Police Thursday after a threatening fax arrived at her office attacking her proposal to strip Pentagon sponsorship from NASCAR teams. — McCollum's staff tells TPM this is the first time they've alerted …

Discussion: Salon, Booman Tribune, Hullabaloo and NationalJournal.com