memeorandum: Stephen Colbert's Free Speech Problem (Wall Street Journal)

8:30 PM ET, May 19, 2011

Top Items:

Obama Sees '67 Borders as Starting Point for Peace Deal — WASHINGTON — Seeking to harness the seismic political change still unfolding in the Arab world, President Obama on Thursday publicly called for the borders prevailing before the 1967 Israeli-Arab war to be the starting point for talks …

Discussion: The Hill, The Republic, AmSpecBlog, Haaretz, Sky Dancing, The Daily Caller, Gothamist, Indecision Forever, Guardian, Outside the Beltway, Booman Tribune, Newshoggers.com and The Gateway Pundit

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:

Obama ‘disrespected’ Israel, threw it ‘under the bus,’ says Romney — President Obama “disrespected” Israel and threw it “under the bus” in a wide-ranging speech on the Middle East on Thursday, GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney charged. — Romney strongly criticized Obama, who …

Discussion: American Prospect, Firedoglake, The Note, Haaretz, ABCNEWS, Ben Smith's Blog, Eunomia, GOP 12, The Hill, Freedom's Lighthouse, Pajamas Media and FrumForum

NationalJournal.com:

Obama: ‘The Status Quo is Not Sustainable’ — Following is President Obama's Middle East speech, as prepared for delivery: — I want to thank Hillary Clinton, who has traveled so much these last six months that she is approaching a new landmark - one million frequent flyer miles.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Caucus, Guardian, Washington Post, The Nation, Questions and Observations, Politics, The Moderate Voice, Mediaite and The Other McCain

The Atlantic Online:

Nothing New in the Idea That '67 Borders Should Guide Peace Talks (UPDATED) — I'm amazed at the amount of insta-commentary out there suggesting that the President has proposed something radical and new by declaring that Israel's 1967 borders should define — with land-swaps — the borders of a Palestinian state.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and The Daily Dish

Fox News:

Netanyahu Rejects Obama Call for Palestinian State Based on 1967 Borders — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu swiftly rejected President Obama's call Thursday for Israel to pull back to the borders that existed before the 1967 Six-Day War, calling those lines militarily “indefensible.”

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, The Jawa Report, Daled Amos, RedState, POWIP, Freedom's Lighthouse and Pajamas Media

Facebook:

PMO Announcement following President Obama's speech — Israel appreciates President Obama's commitment to peace. Israel believes that for peace to endure between Israelis and Palestinians, the viability of a Palestinian state cannot come at the expense of the viability of the one and only Jewish state.

Discussion: Arutz Sheva, Freedom's Lighthouse, Weasel Zippers and Pajamas Media

Simon Wiesenthal Center:

SWC: Israel Should Reject a Return to 1967 ‘Auschwitz’ Borders — The Simon Wiesenthal Center commended President Obama's call for further democratization in the Arab world but expressed deep disappointment that he called for Israel's return to the pre-June 1967 borders.

Ethan Bronner / New York Times:

Netanyahu Responds Icily to Obama Remarks — JERUSALEM — President Obama's endorsement on Thursday of using the 1967 boundaries as the baseline for a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute — the first by an American president — prompted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel …

Discussion: Yglesias, The Lede and The Daily Dish

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Obama's Cairo II speech: Cheering democratization ... in general; Update: No, Obama didn't …

Discussion: AmSpecBlog, Commentary Magazine, Pirate's Cove, The Daily Dish and Jihad Watch

Laura Meckler / Wall Street Journal:
Jewish Donors Warn Obama on Israel

Discussion: Washington Wire, The Daily Dish, National Review, Pajamas Media, Washington Post, Salon, neo-neocon, The Gateway Pundit and Mondoweiss

Josh Rogin / Foreign Policy:
Obama alters U.S. policy, tells Israel to start with '67 borders

Discussion: Wonk Room, FrumForum, Politics, Hot Air, The Foundry, Firedoglake, The Daily Caller and Moe Lane

Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
After Obama speech, Israel rejects return to 1967 borders

Discussion: Pajamas Media, The Politico, Ben Smith's Blog and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Associated Press:
Obama says Palestine must be based in 1967 borders

Discussion: Atlas Shrugs, Don Surber, Little Green Footballs, Conservatives4Palin and Pajamas Media

Alexander Marquardt / ABCNEWS:
Obama Mideast Speech Faces Disappointed and Disillusioned Arab World

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …, Washington Post, The Politico, Guardian, CNN, New York Magazine and Political Punch, more at Mediagazer »

Walter Russell Mead / Via Meadia:
Obama Embraces His Inner Bush

Discussion: Washington Post, The Huffington Post, The Daily Caller, Neptunus Lex, TigerHawk, The Atlantic Online and The Daily Dish

Meredith Shiner / The Politico:

Senate GOP filibusters Goodwin Liu — Senate Republicans staged the first successful filibuster of a judicial nominee since 2005 on Thursday, dealing a blow to the Obama administration on the long-stalled nomination of Goodwin Liu to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Discussion: The Hill, The BLT, Balkinization, Weasel Zippers, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Erick's blog and iOwnTheWorld.com

Sen. Mitch McConnell / Judicial:
Why the Senate should reject Goodwin Liu

Discussion: The Note

Ian Millhiser / ThinkProgress:
Sen. Grassley Accuses Asian-American Judicial Nominee Of Holding ‘Communist’ Chinese Worldview

Discussion: Daily Kos and Wonk Room

Morgen / Verum Serum:
In Liu of Victory... Defeat, finally, for Goodwin Liu's nomination …

Discussion: LifeNews.com, DownWithTyranny!, Nice Deb, Sacramento Bee and Pajamas Media

Ian Millhiser / ThinkProgress:
After Calling Judicial Filibusters Unconstitutional, Republican Senators Line Up Behind Judicial Filibuster

Discussion: Democrats.senate.gov, Yglesias, Washington Monthly and Blue Mass Group

Tina Korbe / Hot Air:
GOP senators might filibuster Obama's ‘most controversial judicial nominee’ Update: GOP filibuster successful

Discussion: Washington Post, Fox News, Moe Lane, Public Secrets and National Review

People For the American Way:
Flashback: GOP Senators Claim Filibusters of Judicial Nominees are Unconstitutional

Discussion: Firedoglake, Washington Monthly, Los Angeles Times, Left In Alabama, The Politico and Daily Kos

The Atlantic Online:

Gingrich: I Wasn't Talking About Ryan's Plan on ‘Meet the Press’ — Newt Gingrich said today that he wasn't referring to Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-Wisc.) Medicare plan when he uttered the words “right-wing social engineering” last Sunday — a comment that has earned the former House speaker …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Pajamas Media, Hot Air, TPMDC, Weasel Zippers, Fox News, The Daily Caller and Fox Nation

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Senator McConnell leaves House Republican budget twisting in the wind

Discussion: The Politico, Crooks and Liars, Daily Kos, Outside the Beltway, ThinkProgress and msnbc.com

Judd Legum / ThinkProgress:
Gingrich Tells Limbaugh That His Phrase ‘Right-Wing Social Engineering’ Was Not A Reference To Ryan Plan

Discussion: Washington Monthly, USA Today and Daily Kos

The Politico:
Leaders reach Patriot Act deal

Discussion: CNN

Sam Stein / The Huffington Post:

Mitch Daniels Not Only Took ObamaCare Funds, He Pushed Similar Reforms … Mitch Daniels , Health Care Reform , Medicaid , Daniels Affordable Care Act , Daniels Obama Policy , Daniesl Obamacare , Health Care Indiana , Indiana Health Care , Mitch Daniels Health Care , Mitch Daniels Mandate , Politics News

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Hot Air, National Review, msnbc.com, Erick's blog, CNN and The Daily Caller

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Romney, Daniels feel ‘death hug’ on their healthcare records

Discussion: CNN, Comments on, Left Coast Rebel, Washington Monthly, GOP 12 and The Daily Caller

Gail Collins / New York Times:
The Year of Living Adulterously

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, The Note, Washington Monthly, Prairie Weather and Balloon Juice

Sean J. Miller / Ballot Box:
Daniels to decide '12 bid by month's end

Discussion: Swampland and FrumForum

Wall Street Journal:

Stephen Colbert's Free Speech Problem — The comedian runs up against campaign-finance law in an attempt to lampoon the Supreme Court. — Comedy Central funnyman Stephen Colbert, like most of his friends and allies on the left, thinks that last year's Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. FEC is, literally, ridiculous.

Discussion: Don Surber, Human Events, Hot Air, Patterico's Pontifications, Michelle Malkin, Ben Smith's Blog, Betsy's Page, Cold Fury and Election Law

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:

Nancy Pelosi: 'We have a plan. It's called Medicare.' — “It is a flag we've planted that we will protect and defend. We have a plan. It's called Medicare.” — That's from Nancy Pelosi, who called me from Wisconsin, where she's holding events today defending Medicare in Paul Ryan's back yard.

Discussion: National Review, Speaker, Hot Air, The Confluence, Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality …, Daily Kos, Hullabaloo, Eschaton and Taylor Marsh

People.com:

Sarah Palin's Son Track Gets Married! — Duane and Elizabeth Hanson, Britta Hanson, Track Palin, Sarah and Todd Palin — The Palin family is growing! — Sarah Palin's eldest son, Track, 22, recently married his high school sweetheart, Britta Hanson, 21, in a small ceremony in Hatcher Pass, Alaska.

Discussion: The Note, Conservatives4Palin and The Blaze

Michael A. Memoli / Los Angeles Times:
Sarah Palin: Newt Gingrich fell into ‘lamestream media’ trap

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Outside the Beltway and Opinion L.A.

Steve / Teapot Party Blog:

Willie Nelson Changes His Tune — The Teapot Party began two days after Willie Nelson was arrested for marijuana possession in Texas on Nov. 28. He sent me an email suggesting the need for an alternative to the Tea Party - the “Teapot” Party. I started the Facebook page and and within 48 hours …

Discussion: Weigel, The Daily Caller, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Mediaite, Ben Smith's Blog, Left Coast Rebel, Hit & Run, TPMDC and Hotline On Call

Derek Wallbank / MinnPost:

What Bachmann is thinking about as she considers a run for president — Michele Bachmann at the 2011 Time 100 Gala ceremony in April. — WASHINGTON — As she mulls over a run for the White House, Rep. Michele Bachmann says she is spending time reading books about presidential campaigns …

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, The Blotter, Derek Wallbank, GOP 12, National Review, A plain blog about politics and Gawker

John Eligon / New York Times:

Bail Granted to Ex-I.M.F. Chief in Assault Case — A judge granted Dominique Strauss-Kahn bail on Thursday, allowing the former managing director of the International Monetary Fund to be freed from Rikers Island to stay in a Manhattan apartment while his sexual assault case is pending.

Discussion: Telegraph and Outside the Beltway

New York Times:
A Favorite Emerges for Helm of I.M.F.

Discussion: IMF, Time, Gothamist, This Just In, New York Magazine, Taylor Marsh, Runnin' Scared, Outside the Beltway, TalkLeft, FrumForum and Washington Post

Harold Hongju Koh / Opinio Juris:

The Lawfulness of the U.S. Operation Against Osama bin Laden — [Harold Hongju Koh is the Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of State.] — I write in response to those who have raised questions regarding the lawfulness of the recent United States operation against Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.