memeorandum: Andrew Breitbart and the unwilling suspension of disbelief

12:20 AM ET, June 9, 2011

Top Items:

Weiner's Wife Is Pregnant — Their marriage has become the subject of intense speculation and scrutiny amid an embarrassing online sex scandal. — Now, Representative Anthony D. Weiner and Huma Abedin are about to make news of a different kind: they are expecting their first child.

Fox News:

It's Out: Purported X-Rated Weiner Photo on Internet — It only took two days. — After Andrew Breitbart, publisher of the conservative BigGovernment.com and other sites, claimed Monday he had an X-rated photo of Rep. Anthony Weiner, the purported image has surfaced on the Internet.

Discussion: Pajamas Media, Outside the Beltway, Fox Nation, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Little Green Footballs, Patterico's Pontifications and Wake up America

Kirsten Powers / The Daily Beast:

Anthony Weiner's Ex: He Lied to Me — THE DAILY BEAST ON: — Anthony Weiner's former girlfriend, Kirsten Powers, defended him on TV to millions of people after he insisted to her that he didn't send lewd photos on Twitter. Now she takes him to task for his rampant misogyny—and says he must resign immediately.

Discussion: CNN, Datechguy's Blog, BizzyBlog, National Review, Althouse, Mediaite, Fox Nation, The Politico, Washington Post, The Daily Beast, The Reid Report and JammieWearingFool

Adrian Chen / Gawker:

Anthony Weiner's Cock Shot Emerges — Nobody really expected the week to end without Anthony Weiner's penis splashed all over the internet. And here it is: Andrew Breitbart showed a couple of radio DJs a picture of what is likely Anthony Weiner's dick, then they leaked it on Twitter.

Discussion: The Other McCain, Weigel, The Note, The Nation, Taylor Marsh, Weasel Zippers, The Raw Story, REPUBLICAN REDEFINED, TPMDC, Datechguy's Blog, Gothamist, FishbowlDC, American Power and USA Today

Jonathan Allen / The Politico:

Dems start bailing on Weiner — The dam is breaking on Rep. Anthony Weiner as he battles to save his career from a sex scandal made for the Internet age. — Several prominent Democratic officials, including two former chairmen of the Democratic National Committee, have called on him to resign from the House.

Andrew Breitbart / Big Government:

Statement on Opie & Anthony's Illicit Capture and Release of Photograph — Earlier today, a photograph resembling one that I had withheld from publication in the Weinergate saga was released without my knowledge or permission. — Prior to the publication of our story on BigGovernment.com …

Discussion: Mediaite, Little Green Footballs, The Reid Report, Politisite, Doug Ross and The Daily Beast

Dan Gillmor / Guardian:

Andrew Breitbart and the unwilling suspension of disbelief | Dan Gillmor — Despite Anthony Weiner's denials, Breitbart was vindicated on the lewd photo story. But does that make him a trusted source? — When liberal American Congressman Anthony Weiner confessed that he had: a) …

Discussion: Boing Boing, NewsBusters.org, Salon and The Confluence

Sean J. Miller / Ballot Box:

Rep. Weiner's failure to pay party dues may haunt him — Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) has failed to help his party financially in past election cycles, which is another infraction on the growing list of Democratic grievances with the lawmaker. — Weiner is known as a lone wolf …

Discussion: The Politico, Washington Post, The Hill, TPMDC and The Hill

The Huffington Post:
Anthony Weiner Penis Photo Released By Opie And Anthony [UPDATED]

Discussion: Wonkette, Zandar Versus The Stupid and The Daily Caller

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Final Weiner pic leaks onto the Internet; Update: DCCC official calls for Weiner's resignation

Discussion: Gawker, The Atlantic Wire, Salon, Pajamas Media, Althouse and Fox News

Daniel Strauss / The Hill:
Rangel: Weiner should focus on ‘keeping his wife and family together’

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

Justin Elliott / Salon:
Purported X-rated Weiner image released

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Balloon Juice and Little Green Footballs

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:
If scandal doesn't get Weiner, New York legislators might

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's … and FiveThirtyEight

Chris Good / The Atlantic Online:
Weiner's Wife Is Pregnant; Democrats Call for His Resignation

Discussion: CBS News and Big Government

Devlin Barrett / Wall Street Journal:
Democrats Push Weiner to Go

Discussion: CNN, American Power and Verum Serum

Elspeth Reeve / The Atlantic Wire:
Breitbart's X-Rated ‘Insurance Policy’ Photo of Weiner Leaks

Discussion: Pajamas Media, Gawker and CBS News

Jon Bershad / Mediaite:
It Gets Worse: Opie And Anthony Post Alleged Raw Picture Of Weiner's Penis

Discussion: CBS New York, The Reid Report and Runnin' Scared

William Kristol / Weekly Standard:

Rudy's Running — I'm told by two reliable sources that Rudy Giuliani intends to run for the GOP nomination for president in 2012. He may throw his hat in the ring soon. — Rudy's theory of the race: In the fall of 2007, he decided he couldn't compete with both Mitt Romney and John McCain …

Discussion: Balloon Juice, Outside the Beltway, Hot Air, AmSpecBlog, ThinkProgress, GOP 12, Pajamas Media and New York Magazine

Leigh Paynter / KXTV:

Education officials break down Stockton man's door — “I look out of my window and I see 15 police officers,” Wright said. — Wright came downstairs in his boxer shorts as a S.W.A.T team barged through his front door. Wright said an officer grabbed him by the neck and led him outside on his front lawn.

Matt Welch / Hit & Run:
Dept. of Education SWAT Raid Update: Not for a Student Loan, DoE Says

Discussion: ABA Journal Daily News

Matt Welch / Hit & Run:
No Really: SWAT Team Raids House at 6 AM and Handcuffs Father of Three Young Kids to Execute …

Discussion: American Times, Above the Law and Pajamas Media

Ann Althouse / Althouse:

Wisconsin protesters disrupt a Special Olympics ceremony! — In front of the Capitol today, protesters dressed as zombies stood between Governor Scott Walker and the group of Special Olympics participants he was honoring. — Quite aside from the unbelievable rudeness …

Discussion: Power Line and Sister Toldjah

Allahpundit / Hot Air:
It's come to this: Wisconsin liberals protest Scott Walker at ... Special Olympics ceremony

Discussion: The Lonely Conservative, Washington Post, New York Times and Weasel Zippers

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:

Palin chief blasts Rollins, expects ‘retraction’ — Sarah Palin's chief of staff blasted Michele Bachmann strategist Ed Rollins today after Rollins criticized the former Alaska governor and suggested to POLITICO that his candidate would benefit by comparison to her

Discussion: Firedoglake, Hot Air, CNN, The Politico, Mediaite, Weigel, Washington Post, The Page, Guardian, Top of the Ticket, Salon, Daily Kos, Lisa Graas, The Daily Dish, New York Magazine, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and National Review

Maggie Haberman / The Politico:

Bachmann adviser: ‘My misstep’ on Palin — Michele Bachmann adviser Ed Rollins' response to the sharp criticisms from Sarah Palin's world just now was to “let it go.” — But he didn't go quietly, telling me, “I haven't lived in Washington D.C. in 15 years, and I've been taken to the woodshed by the big boys.”

Discussion: National Review, Washington Post, Pajamas Media, Swampland, Firedoglake, CNN, MoJo Articles, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Note and Little Green Footballs

David G. Savage / Los Angeles Times:

Judges sharply challenge healthcare law — Skeptical questions from three federal judges in Atlanta suggest they may be ready to declare unconstitutional all or part of the healthcare law promoted by the Obama administration and passed last year by Congress.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Cato @ Liberty, Outside the Beltway, Patterico's Pontifications, The Lonely Conservative and TalkLeft

Jennifer Haberkorn / The Politico:
Panel ponders striking individual mandate

Discussion: Healthwatch, ThinkProgress, The New Republic and Hot Air

Mark Mazzetti / New York Times:

U.S. Is Intensifying a Secret Campaign of Yemen Airstrikes — WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has intensified the American covert war in Yemen, exploiting a growing power vacuum in the country to strike at militant suspects with armed drones and fighter jets, according to American officials.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and FrumForum

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:

Arab-American group blocks musician over ‘freedom’ song — A leading Arab American group dropped a prominent Syrian-American musician from performing at their annual convention in a dispute over a freedom-tinged song that he was set to perform. — The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee …

Chris Hubbuch / La Crosse Tribune:

Former county GOP leader to challenge Shilling as Democrat — Republicans have found a spoiler candidate to challenge Rep. Jennifer Shilling in this summer's recall election, which would force a Democratic primary and extend the campaign by nearly a month. — James Smith, until recently …

Discussion: Firedoglake, TPMDC, Daily Kos and JSOnline

Glenn Thrush / The Politico:

President Obama's campaign adjusts its 2012 map — CHICAGO — President Barack Obama's campaign team is gaming out complex state-by-state scenarios for 2012 that anticipate uphill battles in recession-ravaged blue states — and new opportunities in Arizona and Georgia.

Discussion: Booman Tribune and FrumForum

Mj Lee / The Politico:

Barack Obama's visits benefit local eateries — Nearly a week after President Barack Obama's unannounced visit to a Rudy's Hot Dog joint in Toledo, Ohio, the residents of Five Points are still abuzz about the unexpected presidential visit to their neighborhood.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:

Santorum Would Support Constitutional Amendment Outlawing Gay Marriage If Elected President — During an appearance on CNN this evening, GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum (R-PA) hinted that he would push for a federal constitutional amendment outlawing same-sex marriage if he were elected president …

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:

Billionaire Israeli donor: Obama is not anti-Israel — When billionaire Israeli American Haim Saban, one of the DNC's top contributors, was recently reported to have vowed not to give money to Obama's reelection campaign over his Israel stance, conservatives pounced.

Discussion: Israel Matzav, ThinkProgress, The Debate Link, Ben Smith's Blog and The Daily Dish

Julian Borger / Guardian:

'The day after Iran's first nuclear test is a normal day' — A bizarre article on a Revolutionary Guard website breaks a taboo by anticipating the impact of an Iranian bomb — Any mention of an Iranian nuclear weapon is taboo in the Islamic Republic, which insists that its nuclear programme is entirely for peaceful, civil purposes.

Discussion: Bookworm Room

Jennifer Preston / New York Times:

A Twitter Group Warned About Weiner — Three months before Representative Anthony D. Weiner sent a photo from his Twitter account to a 21-year-old Washington State college student named Gennette Cordova, a small group of determined, self-described conservatives were warning young women on Twitter …

Discussion: Althouse, Wonkette, Pajamas Media and City Room

Richard Johnson / The Daily:

Baldwin sees Weiner's implosion as opportunity for him in 2013 — Alec Baldwin is mulling a run for mayor of New York City now that kinky Congressman Anthony Weiner appears to have sexted himself out of the 2013 race. — The “30 Rock” star, who has long talked about running for political office …

Discussion: PopWatch, Top of the Ticket, PopEater, Firedoglake, The Smoking Gun, REPUBLICAN REDEFINED, newsfeed.time.com, Weasel Zippers, New York Magazine, ThinkProgress, Mediaite, The Daily Caller, Gothamist and JammieWearingFool

John T. Bennett / The Hill:

White House redefines ‘winning’ in Afghanistan ahead of review — Obama administration officials and lawmakers are lowering the bar for success in Afghanistan ahead of the first strategic review of war policy in the post-Osama bin Laden era. — Washington has largely shed words like …