memeorandum: Letter from the Attorney General to Congress on Litigation Involving the Defense of Marriage Act (The United States Department of Justice)

4:25 PM ET, February 23, 2011

Top Items:

Murphy / The Beast:

Koch Whore — Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker answers his master's call — “David Koch”: We'll back you any way we can. What we were thinking about the crowd was, uh, was planting some troublemakers. — Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker: You know, well, the only problem with that—because we thought about that...

Adam Weinstein / Mother Jones:

Did Scott Walker Get Crank-Call Pwned? (AUDIO) — Is that really Scott Walker? A New York-based alt-news editor says he got through to the embattled Wisconsin governor on the phone Tuesday by posing as right-wing financier David Koch...then had a far-ranging 20-minute conversation about the collective bargaining protests.

Discussion: Ezra Klein, The Huffington Post, Hullabaloo, New York Times, National Review, Mediaite, Donklephant, Obsidian Wings, Plunderbund, Joe. My. God., BuzzFlash.org, msnbc.com, Taylor Marsh, The Politico, Pam's House Blend and Guardian

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:

Governor Walker's office confirms prank Koch call — The Internet is burning up with the news that Governor Scott Walker may have been pranked by a caller claiming to be David Koch, and a spokesman for the Governor, Cullen Werwie, emails a statement confirming the call is legit:

Discussion: Mediaite, Crooks and Liars, Daily Kos, Althouse and New York Magazine

Ezra Klein:

What a prank call proves about Wisconsin — Gonzo journalist Ian Murphy noticed one of Wisconsin's Senate Democrats complaining that Gov. Scott Walker was impossible to reach on the phone. So Murphy came up with a prank call: He posed as right-wing financier David Koch and called Walker's receptionist.

Discussion: Yglesias and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

David Weigel / Slate:

Did Scott Walker Reveal His Crisis-Ending Ruse to a Prank Caller? — MADISON, Wisc. — The governor's main line is busy, so I'll have to grab an in-person spokesman confirmation or denial in a bit. * Until then: Ian Murphy of the Buffalo Beast claims to have posed as “David Koch” …

Discussion: CNN, The Hill, Associated Press and AmSpecBlog

Michelle Malkin:

The Howard Stern-ing of the Wisconsin showdown — A left-wing website that specializes in pranking celebrities, pundits, and politicians — a la Howard Stern — is doing a Snoopy dance over a fake call its operatives made to GOP Gov. Scott Walker. — The hoaxer pretended to be David Koch, the progs' favorite capitalist target.

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, Salon, WFRV-TV and Whiskey Fire

The Huffington Post:

Top Six Revelations in the Call Between Fake David Koch and Governor Scott Walker … The call made by a Buffalo blogger pretending to be billionaire right-wing activist David Koch to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is quickly making an impact on the news cycle. (You can listen to the call on YouTube: Part 1 |

Discussion: JSOnline, The Blaze, campaignmoney.org, Verum Serum, Booman Tribune and msnbc.com

Sam Stein / Reuters:

Gov. Walker Informed That Bill Targeting Unions May Cost State $46 Million In Federal Funds … WASHINGTON — Budget referees and transportation officials in Wisconsin have informed Gov. Scott Walker (R) that if he were to pass his controversial anti-union legislation into law …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Outside the Beltway, Daily Kos and AFL-CIO NOW BLOG

Tim Fernholz / NationalJournal.com:
Bait and Switch? — Walker's budget plans don't fix what he says is the crisis.

Discussion: Firedoglake, FiveThirtyEight, The Plum Line, Wonk Room, TPMDC, The Atlantic Online, Saint Petersblog, The Raw Story and Yglesias

Devin Dwyer / ABCNEWS:
Wisconsin Governor Pranked by Reporter Posing as Billionaire Conservative Activist

Discussion: The Note, No More Mister Nice Blog, Prairie Weather and American Power

David Dayen / Firedoglake: Wisconsin Governor Walker Punked by Fake Koch Call

Michael Barone / Washington Examiner:
Public unions force taxpayers to fund Democrats

Discussion: Big Government, Pajamas Media, Cold Fury, The Gateway Pundit, Coffee & Markets, Betsy's Page, theblogprof and NewsBusters.org

Jason Linkins / The Huffington Post:
Scott Walker Gets Punked By Journalist Pretending To Be David Koch

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Mediaite and Balloon Juice

Judith Davidoff / host.madison.com:
Koch brothers quietly open lobbying office in downtown Madison

Discussion: AOL News, Weigel, The Awl, Sky Dancing, Guardian, Sunlight Foundation Blog and Minneapolis Star Tribune

The United States Department of Justice:

Statement of the Attorney General on Litigation Involving the Defense of Marriage Act — WASHINGTON - The Attorney General made the following statement today about the Department's course of action in two lawsuits, Pedersen v. OPM and Windsor v. United States, challenging Section 3 of the Defense …

Marc Ambinder / NationalJournal.com:

Obama Won't Go to Court Over Defense of Marriage Act — An opponent of California's Prop 8 holds an American flag and gay pride flag during a demonstration outside of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Dec. 6, 2010 in San Francisco. — President Obama believes that the Defense …

Discussion: JOSHUAPUNDIT, Emptywheel, National Review, The Daily Dish, Indecision Forever and Gawker

New York Times:

U.S, in Shift, Sees Marriage Act as Violation of Gay Rights — WASHINGTON — President Obama, in a major legal policy shift, has directed the Justice Department to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act — the 1996 law that bars federal recognition of same-sex marriages — against lawsuits challenging it as unconstitutional.

Discussion: Poliglot, Runnin' Scared, TPMMuckraker, The Volokh Conspiracy, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Outside the Beltway, White House Dossier and Above the Law

The United States Department of Justice:

Letter from the Attorney General to Congress on Litigation Involving the Defense of Marriage Act — WASHINGTON - The Attorney General sent the following letter today to Congressional leadership to inform them of the Department's course of action in two lawsuits, Pedersen v. OPM and Windsor v. United States …

Discussion: The Volokh Conspiracy, JONATHAN TURLEY, Balkinization, Box Turtle Bulletin and Runnin' Scared

Pete Yost / Associated Press:
Gov't drops defense of anti-gay marriage law

Discussion: Little Green Footballs, Box Turtle Bulletin and Maryland Politics

The Volokh Conspiracy:
DOMA and the Individual Mandate

Discussion: msnbc.com, protein wisdom and PointOfLaw Forum

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Breaking: Obama to abandon DOMA defense

Discussion: National Review

Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
Boehner Spox: It's Not The Appropriate Time To Nix DOMA Defense

Discussion: Wonk Room

Sam Youngman / The Hill:
In reversal, Obama orders Justice to stand down on gay marriage

Discussion: The Politico

Ryan J. Reilly / TPMMuckraker:
Obama, DOJ Say Part Of DOMA Is Unconstitutional, Will Not Defend It In Court

Discussion: TPMDC and Guardian

Adam Weinstein / Mother Jones:

Indiana Official: “Use Live Ammunition” Against Wisconsin Protesters — A conservative deputy AG let his emotions get out of hand. It wasn't the first time. — Post Comment — On Saturday night, when Mother Jones staffers tweeted a report that riot police might soon sweep demonstrators …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Little Green Footballs, msnbc.com, Weigel, Outside the Beltway, Hullabaloo, AFL-CIO NOW BLOG, TPMDC, The Raw Story, New York Magazine, Mother Jones and Shakesville

WLFI-TV:
Deputy AG loses job after tweet drama

Discussion: Balloon Juice

Jay Bookman: A call for armed counterprotesters to Atlanta labor rally

George Zornick / ThinkProgress:
Indiana Official On Wisconsin Protestors: ‘Use Live Ammunition’

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland and The Daily Dish

Emily Schultheis / The Politico:

Newt Gingrich confronted over affair — PHILADELPHIA — Newt Gingrich's speech at the University of Pennsylvania Tuesday night quickly took a turn for the dramatic when the first student to question him brought up his admitted extra-marital affair and accused him of being “hypocritical” for espousing moral values.

Discussion: Firedoglake, Outside the Beltway, nancynall.com, Right Turn, Salon, The Other McCain, The Moderate Voice, CNN, Wonk Room, Wonkette, New York Magazine, Dependable Renegade and Jay Bookman

Mary Beth Schneider / Indianapolis Star:

Indiana Senate leader says right-to-work bill is dead — Daniels clarifies statements on pending legislation — Gov. Mitch Daniels this morning toughened his words about House Democrats who have fled the state is protest of Republican legislative proposals.

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, Washington Monthly, USA Today, AFL-CIO NOW BLOG, The Daily Caller, Little Green Footballs and Swampland

Jennifer Epstein / The Politico:
Indiana kills ‘right-to-work’ bill

Discussion: The American Independent and Politics

The Politico:

GOP crafts two-week stopgap — House Republicans plan to pass a two-week stopgap spending bill next week that would keep the government running past March 4 at reduced levels, GOP aides told POLITICO Wednesday. — The measure comes on the heels of last week's seven-month appropriation bill …

Discussion: FrumForum

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Tea Party senator: House GOP funding bill ‘not even close’ on cuts

Discussion: Cubachi and Liberty Pundits Blog

Molly Ball / The Politico:
Harry Reid's prostitution lecture bombs

Discussion: Wonkette

Zaid Jilani / ThinkProgress:

Fox Reverses Results Of Gallup Poll To Claim Americans Oppose Union Collective Bargaining Rights — Yesterday, USA Today and Gallup released a new poll that found that a whopping 61 percent of Americans oppose efforts like those of Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) to strip public sector unions of collective bargaining rights.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Balloon Juice and AFL-CIO NOW BLOG

Scott Walker / PolitiFact:
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker says he campaigned on his budget repair plan, including curtailing collective bargaining

Discussion: Reuters, Outside the Beltway, BizTimes Daily, Firedoglake, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, JSOnline and The Daily Dish

Chicago Tribune:

Chicago's next mayor: Emanuel — Ex-presidential adviser avoids runoff with 55% — Rahm Emanuel, a top adviser to two U.S. presidents who returned to Chicago just months ago, swept into the mayor's office Tuesday, inheriting a city reeling from recession and promising to reshape City Hall.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, The Glittering Eye, NewsBusters.org, Indecision Forever and Shakesville

Chris Bury / ABCNEWS:
Rahm Emanuel Elected Mayor of Chicago

Discussion: The Politico

Chicago Sun Times:
Rahm Emanuel wins Chicago mayor race

Discussion: The Hill and Balloon Juice

John McCormack / Weekly Standard:

Video: The Daily Show Tortures a Camel in Madison — Madison, Wisc. — No joke: The Daily Show brought a camel to the protests in Madison the other day, presumably to help make fun of the Cairo/Madison comparisons. As this video shows, the gag didn't turn out so well:

Discussion: JSOnline, The Jawa Report, Breitbart.tv, iOwnTheWorld.com and The Gateway Pundit

Linda Borg / Providence Journal:

Providence plans to pink slip all teachers — PROVIDENCE — The school district plans to send out dismissal notices to every one of its 1,926 teachers, an unprecedented move that has union leaders up in arms. — In a letter sent to all teachers Tuesday, Supt.