memeorandum: Supreme Court rules First Amendment protects church's right to picket funerals (Robert Barnes/Washington Post)

1:00 PM ET, March 2, 2011

Top Items:

Phil / Dane101:

Wisconsin GOP Senator Glenn Grothman chased, trapped by hecklers, saved by Dem. Rep. Hulsey — Phil Ejercito is a 29 year old freelance photographer based in Madison, WI. His primary photographic services include (but are by no means limited to) live music, event coverage, politics and activism …

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, The Lonely Conservative, UrbanGrounds, Nice Deb, Pajamas Media and Raw Replay

Michelle Malkin:

Mob rule video: Unhinged crowd corners Wisconsin GOP senator shouting “F**k you,” “Shame!” ; Update: A Fleebagger returns? ; Plus: Sen. Grothman speaks — Scroll for updates... I got bad chills up and down my spine watching this group of crazed, pro-union Madison thugs gang …

Discussion: The Jawa Report, The Gateway Pundit, Nice Deb, Fire Andrea Mitchell!, The American Mind, Pundit & Pundette, Patterico's Pontifications and The Lonely Conservative

host.madison.com:

Vital Signs: Crowd chases Sen. Grothman around Capitol — Dozens of protesters, some shouting “Shame! Shame! Shame,” chased Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend, around the Capitol Tuesday evening as he banged in vain on closed windows and locked entrances trying to get in.

Discussion: Firedoglake, JSOnline, Sister Toldjah, Shows and AMERICAblog News

Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Video: Wisconsin Dem intervenes to protect GOP senator threatened by mob

Discussion: Breitbart.tv, Althouse, JustOneMinute, Da Techguy's Blog, Moonbattery and theblogprof

Jim Hoft / The Gateway Pundit:
Breaking: Wisconsin GOP Senator Glenn Grothman Mobbed at Wisconsin Capitol (Video)

Discussion: RedState and Whiskey Fire

Robert Barnes / Washington Post:

Supreme Court rules First Amendment protects church's right to picket funerals — A nearly unanimous Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that the First Amendment protects even hurtful speech about public issues and upheld the right of a fringe church to protest near military funerals.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Huffington Post, The Raw Story, New York Magazine and Booman Tribune

Adam Liptak / New York Times:

Justices Rule for Protesters at Military Funerals — WASHINGTON — The First Amendment protects hateful protests at military funerals, the Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday in an 8-1 decision. — “Speech is powerful,” Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote for the majority.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Outside the Beltway, Feministe and Christianity Today

Kevinliptak / CNN:
Supreme Court rules for anti-gay church over military funeral protests

Discussion: AOL News and The Political Carnival

Jkavcnn / This Just In:
High court upholds outspoken church's right to protest

Discussion: In the Arena, The Page, BLACKFIVE and Joe. My. God.

Jennifer Epstein / The Politico:

Fox News suspends Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum — Fox News has suspended contributors Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum effective immediately until they decide whether to run for president. — Anchor Bret Baier announced on air late Wednesday morning that the network “has suspended …

Discussion: CNN, The Note, Ben Smith's Blog, Media Matters for America and FrumForum

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:

Obama strong in Virginia — Virginia seems like a state Republicans almost have to win next year if they want to take back the White House but if the voting was today Barack Obama would take it again by a margin comparable to or greater than what he won in 2008. — Obama leads Mitt Romney by 6 points in the state at 48-42.

Discussion: GOP 12

Colby Hall / Mediaite:
Breaking: Fox News Suspends Contributors Newt Gingrich And Rick Santorum

Discussion: TPM LiveWire and The Raw Story, more at Mediagazer »

Ruth Marcus / Washington Post:

Obama's 'Where's Waldo?' presidency — For a man who won office talking about change we can believe in, Barack Obama can be a strangely passive president. There are a startling number of occasions in which the president has been missing in action - unwilling, reluctant or late to weigh in on the issue of the moment.

Discussion: protein wisdom, National Review, Right Wing News, Betsy's Page, PoliPundit.com and Cafe Hayek

Mark Mellman / The Hill:

OPINION: Wisconsin governor is waging ‘jihad’ against unions — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's (R) jihad against public employee unions is about 30 years late and likely to make Republicans even less popular with voters, who endorse collective bargaining rights for public employees — professionals for whom they have abiding respect.

Discussion: Da Techguy's Blog, JammieWearingFool, Pirate's Cove, Daily Kos and Public Policy Polling

Josh Kraushaar / NationalJournal.com:
That Vision Thing — As bold as Gov. Walker has been in calling …

Discussion: protein wisdom and The Atlantic Online

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
DeMint: Collective bargaining has no place in government

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Cubachi, Associated Press, Liberty Pundits Blog and Weasel Zippers

BBC:

Frankfurt airport shooting: Two dead and two injured — Police told German media the shooting took place inside the bus — Two people have died after a gunman opened fire on a bus carrying American soldiers at Frankfurt airport, police say. — The driver of the bus and a US soldier …

Discussion: Associated Press, Sky News, The Jawa Report, Hot Air and Pajamas Media

Spiegel Online:
US Soldier Believed Among Dead in Killings

Discussion: Guardian, Jihad Watch and Gawker

Aaron Marshall / Plain Dealer:

Fetuses to be presented as witnesses before Ohio House committee considering abortion restrictions — COLUMBUS, Ohio - Two fetuses will be presented as witnesses before an Ohio legislative committee that is hearing a bill to outlaw abortions after the first heartbeat can be detected inside a woman's womb.

Discussion: f2a.org, RHRealityCheck.org, Taylor Marsh, Shakesville, The Raw Story, Pharyngula, Sister Toldjah and The Agonist

Dan Nolan / Aljazeera:

Fierce battles rage in Libya — Pro- and anti-government forces fight for control of strategic towns including Brega, which houses a key oil facility. — Forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, are reported to have regained control of two strategic towns in the country's northwest …

Discussion: Informed Comment, AOL News and FrumForum

New York Times:
Libyan Rebels Said to Repulse Mercenary Attack

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, CNN, Wall Street Journal and New York Magazine

Jack Shafer / Slate:

Unless they're paying beaucoup bucks, his transfer to New York makes no sense to me. … Like This Story — Follow Slate's Press Box … - The U.S. Has Frozen $30 Billion of Qaddafi's Assets. Can We Spend It? - John Roberts Writes the Funniest Sentence in Supreme Court History …

Discussion: The Other McCain, Balloon Juice, Prairie Weather, Poynter, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Yahoo! News, Mediaite, Gawker and New York Magazine

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Conceding defeat this time, Senate Dems pledge to win next round — Senate Democrats conceded Tuesday that House Republicans won round one of the budget fight, but they are vowing a bigger battle later this month. — Anticipating that showdown, Senate Democratic leaders are scrambling …

Discussion: Firedoglake, 2chambers, CNN, Heritage Action for America, Daily Kos, ThinkProgress, Wonkette and FrumForum

Daniel Strauss / The Hill:

Huckabee says he misspoke in radio interview — Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) misspoke when he said in a recent radio interview that President Obama grew up in Kenya, he said Tuesday. — “As I have stated on page 1 of my new book ‘A Simple Government’ and in numerous interviews …

Discussion: Media Matters for America and CNN

Huck PAC:
Statement From Mike Huckabee Regarding WOR Radio Interview

Discussion: Politics Daily, The Reality-Based Community, Weigel, NewsBusters.org, The Note, The Caucus and The Hill

BBC:

Pakistan Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti shot dead — Watch: Shahbaz Bhatti predicted his death as he defended his faith four months ago — Pakistani Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti has been shot dead by gunmen who ambushed his car in broad daylight in the capital, Islamabad.

Discussion: Cubachi, Guardian, Liberty Pundits Blog, AOL News, FrumForum, Harry's Place and The Page

Jonathan Strong / The Daily Caller:

Congressional bosses from Hell: Sheila Jackson Lee — A lot of politicians give nicknames to their aides. George W. Bush famously referred to his attorney general, Alberto Gonzalez, as “Fredo.” Mitch Daniels, then head of the Office of Management and Budget, was known as “The Blade.”

Discussion: Wonkette, Weasel Zippers, Moe Lane and Betsy's Page

Rich Lowry / National Review:

‘I already know I could win’ — Dan already wrote a piece about it, but Chris Christie was in the office last week. I just wanted to quote him more extensively on 2012. I asked him whether he knew that, given the moment, there is a serious chance he could win the Republican nomination if he ran.

Discussion: Right Turn, Mediaite, Hot Air, CNN, Ballot Box, The Political Carnival, Connecting.the.Dots, New York Magazine, Don Surber, GOP 12 and Capitol Quickies

Glenn Kessler / Fact Checker:

Haley Barbour's Medicaid fantasy — “We have people pull up at the pharmacy window in a BMW and say they can't afford their co-payment.” — Haley Barbour's colorful remark, made to The Washington Post while attending a National Governors Association meeting in Washington this week …

Discussion: American Prospect, Kaiser Health News, Washington Monthly, Guardian and Eschaton

Ann Althouse / Althouse:

“You are a person against all of us. The whole nation is looking at you." — says an old woman with a “Solidarity” sign who gets right up in Meade's face... ... when Meade asks her why he should “be ashamed” of himself. That's at the end of this uncut 7 1/2-minute video, shot outside the Capitol this afternoon.

Discussion: Moe Lane

Digby / Hullabaloo:

They Know Their Audience — ... isn't that bright. — What's wrong with this picture? — If you guessed the snowless ground and palm trees in Wisconsin you win a big prize. Your sanity. — h/t to @JoshuaHolland — .

Discussion: Washington Monthly, ThinkProgress, pandagon.net and Weigel

Quinnipiac University:

American Voters Split On Government Shutdown, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Democrats, Republicans Divided On Gov't Worker Pay — American voters are split as 46 percent say it would be a good thing and 44 percent say it would be a bad thing if the U.S. government shut …

Discussion: Politics Daily, Hot Air and TPMDC

Jennifer Epstein / The Politico:

RNC launches TV ad linking Obama, unions — The Republican National Committee is calling on Wisconsin voters to help “stop Obama and his union bosses” in a TV ad being rolled out in the state on Wednesday. — Linking unions' financial support for President Barack Obama …

Discussion: CNN

Sam Youngman / Ballot Box:

Late 2012 GOP start a boon for Obama — Hey, Newt, what's the rush? — That's what senior Democrats and White House officials enjoying the time off between campaigns are saying as former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) readies an announcement he is forming an exploratory committee for a White House run.

Discussion: The Note

Jay Cost / Weekly Standard:

Morning Jay: Is Obama in Better Shape for 2012? … Drill it down, and you get these reasons why Obama is looking better: … My reaction is twofold: first, Obama looks no more or less beatable now than he did four months ago; second, he looks fairly vulnerable. Let's look at each claim in turn.

Discussion: Pajamas Media

Michael Froomkin / Discourse.net:

We Write Letters (to the WashPo Ombudsman) — Just sent this to the Washington Post's Ombudsman: — Today's lead editorial on the Al-Kidd v. Ashcroft case blindly repeats a piece of government propaganda that has been decisively falsified in the court proceedings of that very case.

Discussion: Crooked Timber and Grasping Reality …

Dana Milbank / Washington Post:

Issa press aide scandal is like bad reality TV — If Washington's political culture gets any more incestuous, our children are going to be born with extra fingers. — The latest symptom of our deformed political-journalistic complex presented this week, when news broke that the office of Rep. Darrell Issa …