memeorandum: Group Unleashes Early Ad Against Romney (Jim Rutenberg/The Caucus)

11:10 AM ET, May 20, 2011

Top Items:

Helene Cooper / New York Times:

Obama and Netanyahu, Distrustful Allies, to Meet — WASHINGTON — As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel heads to the White House on Friday for the seventh meeting since President Obama took office, the two men are facing a turning point in a relationship that has never been warm.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Ben Smith's Blog, Global Public Square, Washington Post, Weasel Zippers, Elder of Ziyon, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Guardian, News Desk, The Blaze, Israel Matzav, Wall Street Journal and National Review

Ynetnews:

Behind the scenes: Obama snubs Netanyahu — Sources privy to political atmosphere prior to US president's Mideast policy speech say tension between White House, Jerusalem hit new high — Ynet — The cold relationship between US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister

Discussion: Freedom's Lighthouse, Weasel Zippers and The Gateway Pundit

The Atlantic Online:

Dear Mr. Netanyahu, Please Don't Speak to My President That Way — For whatever reason, I tend to react strongly when a foreign leader disrespects the United States, and its President. I didn't like it when Hugo Chavez of Venezuela insulted President Bush; I don't like listening to Hamid Karzai …

Discussion: The Daily Dish

The White House:
Remarks by the President on the Middle East and North Africa State Department, Washington, DC

Discussion: Power Line, Caroline Glick, washingtoninstitute.org, Washington Post, The Foundry, Political Punch, NewsReal Blog, AmSpecBlog, AlterNet, Balloon Juice, NO QUARTER, The Gateway Pundit, YID With LID, The Huffington Post, Daily Kos, The Daily Dish, PoliPundit.com and Daniel Pipes

John / Power Line: Barack Obama, Neocon?

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Obama ‘disrespected’ Israel, threw it ‘under the bus,’ says Romney

The Atlantic Online:
Nothing New in the Idea That '67 Borders Should Guide Peace Talks (UPDATED)

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Booman Tribune, The Talking Dog, No More Mister Nice Blog, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Eunomia, FrumForum, Associated Press, rubber hose, Outside the Beltway, Hot Air, The Daily Dish, Pirate's Cove, Fox News and Little Green Footballs

Gil Ronen / Arutz Sheva:
Israel Expects Obama to Take Back ‘1967 Lines’ Demand

Discussion: Washington Wire, New York Times, YID With LID, Wizbang, Weasel Zippers, Atlas Shrugs, Freedom's Lighthouse, Don Surber, The Lede, The Gateway Pundit, Pajamas Media, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Conservatives4Palin and Wall Street Journal

New York Times:
Obama Sees '67 Borders as Starting Point for Peace Deal

Frank Newport / Gallup:

For First Time, Majority of Americans Favor Legal Gay Marriage — Republicans and older Americans remain opposed — PRINCETON, NJ — For the first time in Gallup's tracking of the issue, a majority of Americans (53%) believe same-sex marriage should be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Outside the Beltway, The Politico, Hit & Run, Taegan Goddard's …, The Raw Story and The Hill

Andrew Malcolm / Top of the Ticket:
A first: Majority of Americans now supports same-sex marriage, Gallup finds

Discussion: Prop 8 Trial Tracker and Towleroad News #gay

Nicholas Confessore / New York Times:
Conservative Party Is Obstacle to Gay Marriage

Discussion: Capital Tonight

George Stephanopoulos / George's Bottom Line:

Transcript: Exclusive Interview With Jon Huntsman — I sat down for an exclusive interview with Jon Huntsman yesterday. Here is the full transcript and CLICK HERE for the full story. — George Stephanopoulos: Governor, thanks for doing this. — Jon Huntsman: It's an honor.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Yglesias, Washington Monthly, CNN, The Hill, GOP 12, AmSpecBlog, National Review, TPMDC, New York Magazine and ThinkProgress

Kasie Hunt / The Politico:

Huntsman thronged in N.H. debut — HANOVER, N.H. — Jon Huntsman's first stop on the New Hampshire campaign trail Thursday was billed as a cozy meet-and-greet at a small-town restaurant. — It ended up as a big media circus. — TV cameras and dozens of writers and photographers …

Discussion: Hot Air, The Mahablog, CNN, Outside the Beltway, George's Bottom Line and The Note

The Politico:

Jon Huntsman's moves trouble Utah — Orlando, Florida is nearly 2,000 miles away from Salt Lake City as the crow flies, about as far as you can get from Jon Huntsman's old office in the Utah statehouse without dropping off the continental United States entirely.

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:

Dem group attacks Romney ahead of South Carolina visit — An independent Democratic group led by former aides to President Obama launched the first ad of the 2012 cycle with an attack Friday on former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R). — Priorities USA Action, the liberal group founded …

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog

Ronald Brownstein / NationalJournal.com:

Romney's Evangelical Problem — Mike Huckabee's exit from the race makes it more imperative for Mitt Romney to increase his appeal among evangelicals. — Mike Huckabee, judging by the early opinion polls, would have been among the most formidable challengers to Mitt Romney …

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog and Democratic Strategist

Jim Rutenberg / The Caucus:

Group Unleashes Early Ad Against Romney — The new political group co-founded last month by two former aides to President Obama is unleashing its first television broadside against Republicans today, attacking former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts on health care and needling former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in the process.

Discussion: Fox News, Althouse and Hot Air

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
DeMint won't rule out backing Romney

Discussion: The Note, CNN, Washington Post and GOP 12

Jason Clayworth / Iowa Caucuses:

Newt Gingrich's ringtone: ‘Dancing Queen’ — Ames, Ia. - Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich briefly stopped a campaign event here to shut off his phone as his ringtone sounded ABBA's “Dancing Queen.” — Gingrich today in Ames. — The song is from the musical “Mamma Mia.”

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and Mediaite

Alex Pareene / Salon: How Gingrich can still win the GOP nomination — and the presidency

Benjy Sarlin / TPMDC:
Newt: Campaigns Like Mine Are But Once A Century

Discussion: ThinkProgress and Washington Monthly

O. Kay Henderson / Radio Iowa:
Gingrich: voters will decide election, not “Washington news media”

Discussion: Reuters, Hot Air, Pajamas Media, New York Magazine, The Daily Caller and The Page

Ashley Parker / New York Times:

Make My Bed? But You Say the World's Ending — The Haddad children of Middletown, Md., have a lot on their minds: school projects, SATs, weekend parties. And parents who believe the earth will begin to self-destruct on Saturday. — The three teenagers have been struggling to make sense …

Discussion: New York Magazine, Fausta's Blog, City Room, Runnin' Scared, The Awl and Prairie Weather

Dana Bash / CNN:

Washington (CNN) — President Obama may be on the brink of breaking the law. — At issue: The 1973 War Powers Act, which says if the president does not get congressional authorization 60 days after military action, the mission must stop within 30 days. — The president formally notified Congress …

The Hill: Lawmakers largely silent on war powers authority in Libya

Byron York / Washington Examiner:

Eye-for-an-eye filibuster stops Democratic nominee — TAGS: - Barack Obama - Byron York - Gang of 14 - George W. Bush - goodwin liu - Harry Reid - john cornyn - Miguel Estrada - ninth circuit court of appeals - patrick leahy - Politics - Priscilla Owen - Robert Bennett - robert bork - samuel alito - Ted Kennedy - tom coburn

Discussion: Betsy's Page and FrumForum

Ryan J. Reilly / TPMDC:
Cornyn: Democrats To Blame For Republican Filibuster Of Goodwin Liu

Discussion: ACS Blog, Democratic Strategist and The Reality-Based Community

Carl Hulse / New York Times:
G.O.P. Blocks Judicial Nominee in a Sign of Battles to Come

Discussion: CNN and The Page

Stuart Rothenberg / Roll Call:

Republicans Face No-Win Situation in New York — Republican strategists are now praying that they never, ever have another special election in New York state. — First they failed to win a 2009 special election to take back Democrat Kirsten's Gillibrand's open seat (which they won back last year).

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's … and msnbc.com

Alex M. Parker / US News:
Democrats Play Offense with Medicare in NY 26

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Huffington Post and Daily Kos

The Atlantic Online:
Gingrich: I Wasn't Talking About Ryan's Plan on ‘Meet the Press’

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, The Reaction, Connecting.the.Dots, Liberal Values, Swampland, TPMDC, Hot Air, Pajamas Media, Fox News, Washington Post, The Huffington Post, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, RADAMISTO, Weasel Zippers, Fox Nation, USA Today, The Daily Caller and Left Coast Rebel

Wall Street Journal:

No Pink Slip for Ronald McDonald — McDonald's Corp. is standing by its clown. — The 48-year-old, red-haired mascot has come under fire from health-care professionals and consumer groups who, in recent days, have asked the fast-food chain to retire Ronald McDonald.

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, Jezebel and HotAirPundit

CBS News:

Ex-Teammate: I saw Lance Armstrong use EPO — Tyler Hamilton tells Scott Pelley that Armstrong used banned drug in 1999, the first year he won the “Tour de France” — BY: — Have Your Say - Tweet It Retweet It - More — A former teammate of perhaps the world's greatest cyclist …

Discussion: This Just In and The Lede

Juliet Macur / New York Times:
Armstrong Accused of Drug Use by Ex-Teammate

Discussion: New York Magazine and TalkLeft

Cy Ryan / Las Vegas Sun:

Judge sides with GOP, rules against free-for-all special election — CARSON CITY — A district judge sided today with the Republican Party, ruling against a free-for-all special election to fill the 2nd Congressional District seat of Rep. Dean Heller, who was elevated to the U.S. Senate.

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Laura Myers / Las Vegas Review-Journal:
Judge overturns Miller decision on open special election

Discussion: Ballot Box and Hotline On Call

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, The Blaze and Gawker

The Atlantic Online:

Willie Nelson Endorses Gary Johnson for President — Country music legend and avid pot smoker Willie Nelson has a horse in the 2012 race: former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson (R), the most prominent marijuana-legalization candidate in the field. — From a press release put out Tuesday by Nelson's Teapot Party:

Discussion: Salon