memeorandum: Inflation in China Poses Big Threat to Global Trade (David Barboza/New York Times)

10:10 AM ET, April 18, 2011

Top Items:

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

Let's Not Be Civil — Last week, President Obama offered a spirited defense of his party's values — in effect, of the legacy of the New Deal and the Great Society. Immediately thereafter, as always happens when Democrats take a stand, the civility police came out in force.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, The Reaction, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Other McCain, Daily Kos, Prairie Weather, RedState and Balloon Juice

Washington Examiner:

Mean streak: Obama is not as nice as he looks — Liberal Democrats were often befuddled by President Reagan's “Teflon presidency.” — By their lights, Reagan could commit the most heinous acts, but their criticisms were usually shrugged off by the American people, who judged him a “nice guy” who deserved the benefit of the doubt.

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Taylor Marsh, Zandar Versus The Stupid, Liberal Values, The Moderate Voice, Wizbang, Proof Positive and Pajamas Media

Robin Bravender / The Politico:

President Obama to ignore ‘czar’ ban — President Barack Obama is planning to ignore language in the 2011 spending package that would ban several top White House advisory posts. — House Republicans tacked on language to the contentious spending bill to cut the salaries for four so-called czars …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Scared Monkeys, The Hill, FrumForum, Weasel Zippers and HotAirPundit

Washington Post:

Obama to hit road to rally support for debt reduction plan ahead of budget battles — JASON REED/ REUTERS - President Obama is seen during his remarks at a Democratic Party fundraiser April 14 in Chicago. — President Obama will hit the road this week and forcibly deliver his message …

Discussion: The Lonely Conservative, Right Wing News, Wall Street Journal and The Hill

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:
As debt ceiling vote nears, the pressure's on House Republican freshmen

Discussion: Firedoglake and Balloon Juice

New York Times:
President Heads West to Sell His Deficit Plan

Discussion: FrumForum

ABCNEWS:
‘This Week’ Transcript: Timothy Geithner

Discussion: Washington Monthly, TalkLeft, TPMDC, Zandar Versus The Stupid, CBS News, CNN and Booman Tribune

The Politico:

What's Donald Trump really after? — Despite an almost universal refusal by Republican establishment figures and the press to take him seriously, Donald Trump is taking very concrete steps toward forming - and announcing - a presidential campaign. — He has interviewed at least two people …

Discussion: New York Times, No More Mister Nice Blog, Taegan Goddard's … and GOP 12

Jim Hoft / The Gateway Pundit:

Vandals Break In WI Office - Steal Fleebagger Recall Petitions Hours After It Was Announced Enough Signatures Were Collected (Video) — On Thursday Wisconsin conservatives announced that they had collected enough signatures 15,000 to recall fleebagger Senator Dave Hansen of Green Bay.

Discussion: protein wisdom, theblogprof, The Lonely Conservative, Moe Lane, Left Coast Rebel, Fox Nation, Suburban Guerrilla and Verum Serum

wtaq.com Featured Story News:

Green Bay Police Investigating ‘Recall Hansen’ Office Burglary — photo submitted by organizer David Vander Leest. — GREEN BAY, Wis. (WTAQ) - Police in Green Bay are looking into a burglary at an office used by a group seeking to recall Democratic State Senator Dave Hansen.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

Ross Douthat / New York Times:

The Middle-Class Tax Trap — “Let's tell the truth,” Walter Mondale said, accepting the Democratic nomination in 1984. “Mr. Reagan will raise taxes, and so will I. He won't tell you. I just did.” — Three months later, Mondale lost 49 states, and liberal politicians learned a valuable lesson.

Discussion: Booman Tribune, The New Republic and Mother Jones

Wall Street Journal:
Where the Tax Money Is — Obama targets the middle class …

Discussion: The Lonely Conservative and Betsy's Page

Stephen Ohlemacher / Associated Press:
Super rich see federal taxes drop dramatically

Discussion: Right Wing News and JammieWearingFool

Brandon Gray / Box Office Mojo:

‘Atlas Shrugged’ Derails? — Atlas Shrugged: Part I was the top-grossing limited release of the weekend, generating an estimated $1.7 million at 300 single-screen locations. — For a pure independent release, Atlas Shrugged: Part I's opening was fine. But for the first-ever adaptation …

Discussion: TBogg and No More Mister Nice Blog

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Film review: Atlas Shrugged

Discussion: Pundit Press, American Power, Runnin' Scared, The Lonely Conservative, The Other McCain, alicublog, Hit & Run and Right Wing News

Rebel Pundit:

Unhinged Lunatics Message to Madison Tea Party & Sarah Palin — These protesters at the Madison, Wisconsin Tea Party Protest featuring Andrew Breitbart and Sarah Palin unleashed a furious message in the following video. Unfortunately, we have absolutely no idea what this message means...

Discussion: The Powers That Be, Riehl World View, Conservatives4Palin, Weasel Zippers, Breitbart.tv and The Gateway Pundit

Reuters:

Al-Jazeera has fans in Obama W.H. — In the halls of American power, the Arab Spring has brought Al-Jazeera in from the cold. — Seven years after then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld called the broadcaster's reporting “vicious, inaccurate and inexcusable” and President George W. Bush joked …

Discussion: The Caucus, White House Dossier, JammieWearingFool, FrumForum, Jihad Watch and USA Today

Mary Orndorff / Sweet Home Potomac:

US Rep. Mo Brooks retracts ‘socialist’ remark — WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks of Huntsville withdrew a statement he made Friday morning on the House floor about other members of Congress being socialists, but he said later he did not regret his remarks and thought Democrats who objected to the label were being “thin-skinned.”

Discussion: CNN

Damien McElroy / Telegraph:

Radial Islamist groups gaining stranglehold in Egypt — The rapid spread of Muslim political parties ahead of September's parliamentary elections has strengthened fears that Egyptian democracy will be dominated by radical Islamic movements. — Mohammed Badie, the Muslim Brotherhood's spiritual leader …

Discussion: Questions and Observations, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Weasel Zippers and The Gateway Pundit

Lisa Lerer / Bloomberg:

Ryan Budget Plan Defended as Republicans Return Home to Voters — First-term Representative Bobby Schilling is getting ready for some uncomfortable conversations. — The pizzeria owner-turned-Republican lawmaker supported his party's 2012 budget plan that passed in the House last week …

Discussion: msnbc.com and Los Angeles Times

Craig Whitlock / Washington Post:

U.S. secretly backed Syrian opposition groups, cables released by WikiLeaks show — / AP - Syrian anti-government protesters march in Banias, Syria on Sunday. The Arabic banner at center reads: “All of us would die for our country.” — The State Department has secretly financed Syrian …

Discussion: The Foundry, Global Public Square, Guardian, Israel Matzav and FrumForum

Reuters:

Christian governor named in S.Egypt, protests flare — CAIRO (Reuters) - Muslims in southern Egypt protested for a third day on Sunday over the appointment of a Christian governor, saying his predecessor, also a Christian, had failed to solve their problems.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and Jihad Watch

Alex Guillén / The Politico:

Environmentalists seek gays' advice on President Obama — Young environmentalists looking for a success story in pressuring a Democratic administration to advance their goals have found it from an unusual source: the gay rights movement. — Environmentalists, especially youth activists …

Lydia Saad / Gallup:

Americans Still Split About Whether Their Taxes Are Too High — Majority of wealthy Americans think their taxes are too high and unfair — PRINCETON, NJ — Half of Americans believe the amount they pay in federal income taxes is too high, while 43% consider it about right and 4% too low.

Discussion: Hotline On Call