memeorandum: NC worst hit by powerful storm that spun off twisters from Okla. to Va., killing at least 45 (Associated Press)

4:10 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: The Moderate Voice, RedState, Balloon Juice and Weasel Zippers

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, Liberal Values, The Moderate Voice, Proof Positive and Pajamas Media

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 — While some people waited excitedly for the premiere of the first cinema installment of Ayn Rand's seminal novel Atlas Shrugged, I have to admit that I didn't hold out high expectations for the film. The book was a smashing exercise in philosophical, economic, and political study — absolutely brilliant.

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

Gschwarzcnn / CNN:

Sen. Paul: Both sides need to give in — Washington (CNN) - To reach a deal in Congress over the national debt, Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said both political parties need to make concessions, excluding higher tax rates. — “The compromise is for conservatives to admit …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Liberty Pundits Blog, Cubachi, The Politico, Connecting.the.Dots, Left Coast Rebel and Don Surber

Sam Youngman / The Hill:

Geithner: GOP leaders told White House the'll vote to raise the debt ceiling — Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner boldly predicted that Congress will vote to raise the debt ceiling next month, warning that failure to do so would bring “catastrophic” consequences for the U.S. and global economies.

Discussion: The Politico, FrumForum, Weasel Zippers and HotAirPundit

ABCNEWS:
‘This Week’ Transcript: Timothy Geithner

Discussion: TPMDC, Zandar Versus The Stupid and Booman Tribune

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: wtaq.com Featured Story News, The Lonely Conservative, Moe Lane, Left Coast Rebel, Weasel Zippers and Verum Serum

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: Conservatives4Palin, Weasel Zippers, Breitbart.tv and The Gateway Pundit

Carolyn Kellogg / Jacket Copy:

Rick Santorum says he had ‘nothing to do with’ campaign slogan taken from Langston Hughes poem — Former Republican Sen. Rick Santorum announced Wednesday that he was forming an exploratory committee for a possible presidential run. His slogan was, and remains on his website, “Fighting to make America America again.”

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, FrumForum and Balloon Juice

Daily Mail:

‘Wear a headscarf or we will kill you’: How the ‘London Taliban’ is targeting women and gays in bid to impose sharia law — Women who do not wear headscarves are being threatened with violence and even death by Islamic extremists intent on imposing sharia law on parts of Britain, it was claimed today.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and Vox Popoli

Michael Barone / Washington Examiner:

President Whatever finds things not going his way — Senior Political Analyst Follow Him @MichaelBarone — Barack Obama is a politician who likes to follow through on long-term strategies and avoid making course corrections. That's how he believes he won in 2008 and since then he's shown that he's not much into details.

New York Post:

Holder's 4G tax lax — US Attorney General Eric Holder and his brother failed to pay the property taxes on their childhood home in Queens, which they inherited last August after their mother died, The Post has learned. — And because their ailing mom, Miriam, was already behind …

Discussion: Reuters

JammieWearingFool:
Eric Holder, Tax Deadbeat

Discussion: New York Post, Michelle Malkin and The Lonely Conservative

Gschwarzcnn / CNN:

Trump: I'm ‘much bigger’ than Romney — (CNN) - Real estate mogul Donald Trump touted his net worth as a selling point over likely presidential contender and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. — “I'm a much bigger business man and have (a) much, much bigger net worth.

Discussion: The Political Carnival, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Gothamist and Balloon Juice

Jim Geraghty / National Review:

Will Liberals Learn to Love Ricardo Sanchez? — Democrats think they have a candidate who can win Texas' open Senate seat: Retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez. … As far as your usual Senate candidates go, Sanchez will indeed have a more interesting life story and resume: rising from humble roots …

Discussion: Hot Air, Pajamas Media and Moe Lane