memeorandum: The Syria Lobby — Why Washington keeps giving a pass to the Assad regime. (Wall Street Journal)

1:40 PM ET, April 27, 2011

Top Items:

President Obama's Long Form Birth Certificate — Ed. Note: Read the transcript of the President's remarks following this release or watch the video below: — var params = { allowscriptaccess: “always”, allowfullscreen: “true” }; swfobject.embedSWF("http://www.youtube- nocookie.com/v …

Discussion: News Desk, The Atlantic Online, Little Green Footballs, The Moderate Voice, Michelle Malkin, The White House, Weasel Zippers, The Huffington Post, The Politico, Firedoglake, Washington Wire, Guardian, Ben Smith's Blog, BBC, Wake up America, Salon, Washington Monthly, Colorlines, Washington Post, Feministing, Balloon Juice, The Caucus, Verum Serum, techPresident, The Impolitic, Political Punch, The Daily Caller, The Stir By CafeMom, Indecision Forever, Mediaite, Sky Dancing, The American Independent, Pajamas Media, The Democratic Daily, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Maddow Blog, Runnin' Scared, The Lonely Conservative, Atlas Shrugs, Riehl World View, Wonkette, Taylor Marsh, Oliver Willis, Hit & Run, Shakesville, Gothamist, The Mahablog, National Review, Questions and Observations, No Runny Eggs, ImmigrationProf Blog, Crooked Timber, TMZ.com, Above the Law, NewsBusters.org and Latest Open Salon Blog, more at Mediagazer »

Alexander Mooney / CNN:

White House releases Obama's birth certificate — (CNN) - President Obama released his original birth certificate Wednesday, saying the controversy surrounding the issue had become a “sideshow.” — Obama's birth certificate — “We do not have time for this kind of silliness.

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:

Trump: ‘Very proud of myself’ — Real estate mogul and possible Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump claimed credit Wednesday for President Obama's decision to release his long-form birth certificate. — Trump, speaking in the key GOP primary state of New Hampshire …

Discussion: RealClearPolitics Video Log, Scared Monkeys, Weasel Zippers, Harry's Place, CNN and American Power

Michael D. Shear / The Caucus:

Obama Releases ‘Long-Form’ Birth Certificate — President Obama on Wednesday posted online a copy of his “long-form” birth certificate from the State of Hawaii, hoping to finally end a long-simmering conspiracy theory among some conservatives who have asserted that he was not born …

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Wall Street Journal, TPMDC, Washington Wire, Law Blog, Guardian, Washington Post, Towleroad News #gay, Mediaite, Truthdig, The Daily Caller, Latest Open Salon Blog and Feministe

William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:

Obama Releases “Long Form” Birth Certificate? — So much for our media, which has been telling us — contrary to the actual law as I explained previously— that Obama could not obtain original documents of his own birth records. — Succumbing to the realization — which I also predicted …

Discussion: The Politico, alicublog and Confederate Yankee

Ta-Nehisi Coates / The Atlantic Online:

More Fact Check — Breaking. Sorta: … My understanding was that it was against the law for a person to give out copies of the literal birth certificate. I just looked up the law: … The law then goes on to define “tangible interests” as essentially the registrant, an agent of the registrant …

Discussion: Associated Press and The Daily Dish, more at Mediagazer »

Byron Tau / Ben Smith's Blog:

Birthers unmoved — The theories about President Barack Obama's birth — as we reported last week — have evolved over time from the idea that he was a Muslim to the modern incarnation that he was smuggled into the U.S. from Kenya. With the release of his long-form birth certificate today, they've evolved again.

Discussion: Weigel and Daily Kos

Judd Legum / ThinkProgress:

Trump Adviser: Even If Long-Form Birth Certificate Is Genuine, It Doesn't Prove Anything — This morning, President Obama released his long-form birth certificate from Hawaii. The conspiracy website World Net Daily has written over 600 articles in the last three years questioning Obama's birthplace.

Discussion: Daily Kos and CNN

David Weigel / Weigel:

The Long-Form Birth Certificate of Barack Obama — Here it is, after Barack Obama himself requested it from the state of Hawaii on April 22. — If you've done something with your life since 2008, and haven't tilled the vineyards of birtherism, I will explain why this matters.

Discussion: The Daily Dish and Washington Post

Ian Millhiser / ThinkProgress:

Fox News: White House Releases ‘What It Says’ Is The President's Birth Certificate — Earlier this morning, the White House distributed copies of President Obama's “long form” birth certificate, an effort to quiet anyone in the delusional birther movement who claims that the President was not born in the United States.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, USA Today, msnbc.com, Media Matters for America and Talking Points Memo

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
Why Did Obama Wait So Long?

Discussion: Salon

William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:
Trump Is Doing Major Damage To Obama

Discussion: CNN, Weasel Zippers and Scared Monkeys

Dan Eggenand T.W. Farnam / Washington Post:
Trump's donation history shows Democratic favoritism

Discussion: Boston Globe, ABCNEWS, News Desk, American Power, Prairie Weather, Connecting.the.Dots, The Lonely Conservative and The Caucus

Glenn Reynolds / Instapundit:
TRUMP 1, OBAMA : So I was at the gym when they finally caved …

Discussion: The Daily Caller, ThinkProgress, Pajamas Media, RealClearPolitics Video Log and Hot Air

The Note:
Donald Trump: ‘China Is Raping This Country’

Discussion: Salon and Oliver Willis

Michael Falcone / ABCNEWS:
Donald Trump Claims Credit for Obama's Releasing Birth Certificate

Discussion: Portsmouth Herald, The Nation, The Note and Daily Kos

Evan McMorris-Santoro / TPMDC:
Gingrich On Birth Certificate Release: ‘Why Did It Take So Long?’

Discussion: Fox News, Gawker, Comments from Left Field, The Daily Caller, GOP 12, rubber hose and National Review

Bob Unruh / WorldNetDaily:
White House releases Obama ‘birth certificate’

Discussion: New York Magazine, Wonkette and Joe. My. God.

Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute:
Trump Gets Results!

Discussion: Pajamas Media, The Gateway Pundit and The Blaze

Lee Fang / ThinkProgress:
Trump Says Obama Should ‘Get Off His Basketball Court’

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, The Daily Beast and Politics

Sam Youngman / The Hill:
Obama releases birth certificate; condemns ‘carnival barkers’

Discussion: Indecision Forever

Colby Hall / Mediaite:
Eric Cantor Criticizes President Obama For Addressing Birth Certificate Controversy

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Washington Post:
From gulf spills to White House frills, Trump has it covered

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog and Wonkette

Michael Levenson / Boston Globe:

House votes to restrict unions — Measure would curb bargaining on health care — Robert J. Haynes, president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, said the union would fight the legislation “to the bitter end.” (M. McDonald for The Boston Globe) — House lawmakers voted overwhelmingly …

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, Illinois Review, RedState, Weasel Zippers, Hit & Run and National Review

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Latest state to curtail PEU bargaining rights is ... Massachusetts?

Discussion: protein wisdom, Big Government and Pajamas Media

Douglas Stanglin / USA Today:

AP: Panetta to take over Pentagon, Petraeus picked for CIA chief — CIA director Leon Panetta will be named to succeed Robert Gates as secretary of defense and Gen. David Petraeus will be nominated to replace him as CIA director, The Associated Press reports, quoting unidentified sources.

Discussion: Washington Post, Outside the Beltway, Questions and Observations, Booman Tribune and Oliver Willis

New York Times:
Panetta and Petraeus in Line for Top Security Posts

Discussion: The Awl, The Washington Note, The BLT and Balloon Juice

First Read / msnbc.com:
First Thoughts: The heat is on — The town hall heat is on …

Discussion: Gallup and Ben Smith's Blog

Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
Reports: Panetta to be tapped for Pentagon, Petraeus for CIA

Discussion: The Note, Ben Smith's Blog, The Politico, New York Magazine, The Page and Shakesville

Phillip V. Caruso / People.com:

FIRST PHOTO: Julianne Moore As Sarah Palin — Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin in Game Change — Donning the trademark eyeglasses and up 'do, Julianne Moore is proving she's more than all right as former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. — The The Kids Are All Right actress, 50 …

Discussion: CNN, Big Hollywood, Hollywood Reporter and The Page

Lindsay Powers / Hollywood Reporter:

Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin: First Photo … Check out the first photo of Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin in the upcoming HBO film, Game Change. — The actress nails Palin's look with a bright suit, patriotic flag pin and similar glasses. She also ditched her trademark red hair for Palin's brown style …

Discussion: Gothamist, The Daily Caller, Mediaite and GOP 12

Reuters:

Fatah and Hamas agree to historic Palestinian reconciliation deal — Rival groups will form interim government and then move toward setting a date for a general election, four years after their government collapsed when Hamas overran the Gaza Strip. — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's …

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog

The Shark Tank:

Allen West- “You're Not Going to Intimidate Me”, Heckler Arrested at Townhall — Immediately after Allen West took the stage at his Town Hall meeting on Tuesday Evening in Fort Lauderdale, several hecklers who were planted in the crowd began to jeer and interrupt his remarks …

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Post on Politics, Moe Lane, The Other McCain, UrbanGrounds, The Gateway Pundit, Verum Serum, Disrupt the Narrative, The Lonely Conservative, Hot Air and Riehl World View

Jeff Burnside / NBC Miami:

Police Confront Broward Judge at Gunpoint — Confusion on Easter Sunday leads BSO to wrong house — Broward Circuit Court Judge Ilona Holmes, her sister and her sister's family says they were ordered at gun point by several Broward Sheriffs Deputies on Easter Sunday to come out of her sister's home with their hands up.

Matthew Yglesias / Yglesias:

Newt Gingrich's Opponents Accused Him Of Wanting Medicare to “Wither On the Vine” Because That's What He Said He Wante — As others have noted, this bit of Rick Klein concern-trolling is a disaster. My own unique contribution to the genre comes from his retroactive concern-trolling about an incident from 15 years ago.

Discussion: CNN, The Politico, Talking Points Memo and Eschaton

Kevin Johnson / USA Today:

‘Disturbing’ revelations in probe of possible gas price manipulation — An investigation into possible manipulation of gasoline prices has uncovered “disturbing” revelations, Attorney General Eric Holder said today. — “There are a couple things that ... are disturbing,” Holder said, declining to elaborate.

Discussion: Firedoglake

Jennifer Steinhauerand Carl Hulse / New York Times:

House G.O.P. Members Face Voter Anger Over Budget — FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — In central Florida, a Congressional town meeting erupted into near chaos on Tuesday as attendees accused a Republican lawmaker of trying to dismantle Medicare while providing tax cuts to corporations and affluent Americans.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Huffington Post, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Daily Kos and ThinkProgress

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

THE QUESTION FOR BERNANKE THAT MATTERS MOST.... In just a couple of hours, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will do something no Fed chair has ever done: he's going to host a press conference. The point, by all accounts, is to make the Fed more transparent, less secretive, and more accountable.

Discussion: New York Times, The Politico and Free exchange