memeorandum: BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL — House panel releases initial report … (Mark Tapscott/Washington Examiner)

9:45 PM ET, June 15, 2011

Top Items:

Charlie Savage / New York Times:

War Powers Act Does Not Apply to Libya, Obama Argues — WASHINGTON — The White House is telling Congress that President Obama has the legal authority to continue American participation in the NATO-led air war in Libya, even though lawmakers have not authorized it.

Discussion: The Volokh Conspiracy, Pajamas Media, National Review, Wonkette, Balloon Juice, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The BLT, Hot Air, Outside the Beltway, Mother Jones and HotAirPundit

Reid J. Epstein / The Politico:

Lawmakers sue President Obama over Libya — A bipartisan group of House members announced on Wednesday that it is filing a lawsuit charging that President Obama made an illegal end-run around Congress when he approved U.S military action against Libya. — “With regard to the war in Libya, we believe that the law was violated.

Discussion: Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich, Fox News, Atlas Shrugs, Little Green Footballs, Washington Times, iOwnTheWorld.com, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Indecision Forever, Wake up America and Gothamist

JONATHAN TURLEY:
Members of Congress Challenge Libyan War in Federal Court

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, Outside the Beltway and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

CBS News:
10 U.S. lawmakers sue Obama over Libya strikes

Discussion: New York Magazine

Felicia Sonmez / Washington Post:
Kucinich, other House members file lawsuit against Obama on Libya military mission

Discussion: Salon, Swampland and AmSpecBlog

Jonathan Allen / Reuters:
John Boehner gets into War Powers Act

Discussion: Political Punch, CNN, The Hill, No More Mister Nice Blog, Battleland, The Foundry, Swampland, The Nation, Instapundit, Washington Monthly, The Daily Dish, Balloon Juice, Daily Kos, Booman Tribune, The Agonist, americanthinker.com, Associated Press and ThinkProgress

Michael Isikoff / msnbc.com:

Gingrich's wife at center of presidential campaign turmoil, sources say — New details, including concerns over his third wife, Callista, have emerged about why Newt Gingrich's entire senior campaign staff walked out on the presidential hopeful. NBC's Michael Isikoff reports. — By Michael Isikoff

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Associated Press, Mediaite and Reuters

TMZ.com:

Topless Newt Gingrich — On a Rock, In a Hard Place — TMZ has obtained a photo of a glistening Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich laying topless on a beach in Greece ... days before his campaign staff quit over the timing of his two-week vacation. — The photo was taken on June 2 …

Discussion: The Note, Mediaite, Salon, Gawker, New York Magazine and Hotline On Call

Neil King Jr / Washington Wire:
Gingrich Support Drops, Poll Shows

Discussion: Hot Air, Daily Kos and The Hill

Oliver Tree / Daily Mail:

Judgement day: Weiner's wife returns home to confront errant husband as new images emerge showing congressman cross dressing and ‘oiled up’ — Beleaguered congressman Anthony Weiner is set to face his humiliated wife Huma Abedin after she arrived at the family home in Washington home earlier today.

Discussion: Hot Air, Don Surber, The Hayride, Weasel Zippers, The Jawa Report, Pajamas Media, Fire Andrea Mitchell!, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Other McCain, Fox News, JammieWearingFool, iOwnTheWorld.com and Fox Nation

Kevin Bogardus / The Hill:

Pelosi's wealth grows by 62 percent — House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) saw her net worth rise 62 percent last year, cementing her status as one of the wealthiest members of Congress. — Pelosi was worth at least $35.2 million in the 2010 calendar year, according to a financial disclosure report released Wednesday.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Fox Nation and JammieWearingFool

Jennifer Epstein / The Politico:
Decision time? Weiner's wife returns

Discussion: NY Daily News, TMZ.com, Gawker, NationalJournal.com, Gothamist and The Hill

Chris Jones / Esquire:

Exclusive Interviews: Jon Huntsman Is Tired of Waiting — On Tuesday, Jon Huntsman — the former governor of Utah and, more recently, the U.S. ambassador to China — will officially enter the race for the Republican presidential nomination. But he has already begun to distinguish himself …

Discussion: The Politico, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Los Angeles Times, The Note, Fox News, Hot Air, New York Times, Outside the Beltway, Swampland, Pajamas Media, The Caucus, The Hill, Oliver Willis, Guardian, GOP 12, msnbc.com, New York Times and Daily Kos

Molly Ball / The Politico:

Debbie Wasserman Schultz: ‘We own the economy’ — Democrats are ready to take responsibility for the state of the economy and they deserve credit for putting it on the right track, the party's chairwoman, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, said on Wednesday. — “We own the economy.

Discussion: Hot Air, National Review and Pajamas Media

Al Gore / Al's Journal:

Good for Mitt Romney — though we've long passed the point where weak lip-service is enough on the Climate Crisis — While other Republicans are running from the truth, he is sticking to his guns in the face of the anti-science wing of the Republican Party: “It seemed like a straightforward question …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Washington Post, Little Green Footballs, The Politico, ThinkProgress, Michelle Malkin, Conservatives4Palin, The Daily Caller and Fox Nation

Jordan Fabian / Ballot Box:
Gore lauds Romney on climate position

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, The Politico and Conservatives4Palin

The New Republic:
Mitt Romney: The Campaign Within the Conservative Movement to Take Him Down

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, The Politico, The Hill, DownWithTyranny!, Washington Monthly, PERRspectives, Healthwatch and Weekly Standard

Lewis Page / The Register:

Earth may be headed into a mini Ice Age within a decade — Physicists say sunspot cycle is ‘going into hibernation’ — What may be the science story of the century is breaking this evening, as heavyweight US solar physicists announce that the Sun appears to be headed into a lengthy spell of low activity …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, National Geographic, Liberal Values, Hot Air, PoliPundit.com, YID With LID, Vox Popoli, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, americanthinker.com, AMERICAN DIGEST, Power Line, Dot Earth, RedState, Transterrestrial Musings, The Jawa Report, The Lonely Conservative and Barcepundit

CNN:

John Edwards' mug shot released — (CNN)-Former U.S. Senator John Edwards, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and campaign law violations in early June. His mug shot was obtained by CNN following a Freedom of Information Act request. — The plea came after a federal grand jury indicted him on six counts …

Discussion: Big Journalism, Runnin' Scared, Patterico's Pontifications and Mediaite

TMZ.com:

Weiner: 'You Aren't Giving My Package Due Credit' — Ginger Lee — the former porn star, current “featured dancer” and aspiring real estate agent — just told reporters about her relationship with Congressman Anthony Weiner, saying he repeatedly texted her about his “package” but denies she ever sexted him.

Discussion: The Note, The Gateway Pundit, Weasel Zippers, The Daily Caller and iOwnTheWorld.com

Mark Egan / Reuters:
Former porn star says Weiner asked her to lie

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, TMZ.com and New York Magazine

John / Power Line: If He's Lost Ginger Lee...

Michelle Goldberg / The Daily Beast:

Michele Bachmann's Unrivaled Extremism — THE DAILY BEAST ON: — Her anti-gay platform has alienated parts of her family. A mentor she described as a “great influence” has a history of addresses to white supremacists. A book she collaborated on advocates theocracy.

Discussion: The New Republic, Wall Street Journal, Little Green Footballs, Towleroad News #gay, Salon, Weigel, Queerty, A plain blog about politics, Guardian, Democratic Strategist, Pharyngula, New York Magazine and The Daily Beast

The Politico:

Obama donors net government jobs — Telecom executive Donald H. Gips raised a big bundle of cash to help finance his friend Barack Obama's run for the presidency. — Gips, a vice president of Colorado-based Level 3 Communications, delivered more than $500,000 in contributions for the Obama war chest …

Discussion: americanthinker.com, New York Magazine and FrumForum

Sjohnson / iWatch News:
Obama rewards big bundlers with jobs, commissions, stimulus money, government contracts, and more

Discussion: The Politico, Sister Toldjah, Fox News, Political Punch, Hot Air, Lynn Sweet, The Raw Story, The Daily Caller, The Lonely Conservative, White House Dossier and Wake up America

William Heisel / IHME:

Life expectancy in most US counties falls behind world's healthiest nations — The most current county-level analysis finds large disparities nationwide. Women fare worse than men, and people in Appalachia, the Deep South, and Northern Texas live the shortest lives.

Discussion: Washington Post, The Daily Dish, The Reality-Based Community, The Incidental Economist, Healthwatch, ThinkProgress, Wonkette and Prairie Weather

Noam N. Levey / Los Angeles Times:
Life expectancy of U.S. women slips in some regions

Discussion: Unfogged

JSOnline:

Unions file suit to halt collective bargaining legislation — Madison - One day after the Wisconsin Supreme Court ordered the reinstatement of collective-bargaining legislation that potentially affects thousands of public-sector employees, a coalition of unions filed suit in federal court seeking to block it.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and The Volokh Conspiracy

Yinka Adegoke / Reuters:

Cable worried about poverty, not Netflix — (Reuters) - For all the talk about competitive threats from the likes of Netflix Inc or Apple Inc, it is rising poverty among households that TV executives say is their biggest source of concern. — Executives from News Corp, Comcast Corp and Time Warner Inc …

Discussion: The Awl, The Consumerist and The Impolitic, more at Mediagazer »

Mark Tapscott / Washington Examiner:

BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL — House panel releases initial report on ATF ‘Fast and Furious’ gun scandal — “Fast and Furious” is the moniker for the Obama administration program that purposely released hundreds of sophisticated rifles, handguns and other weapsons to members of the Mexican drug cartels …

Discussion: Instapundit

CNN:
Lawmakers zero in on ATF gun trafficking operation

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Pajamas Media, Hot Air and Moe Lane

Ann Althouse / Althouse:

Does Wisconsin Secretary of State Doug La Follette have the power to delay publication of the collective-bargaining law until June 28th? — “La Follette said he had consulted with his own attorney as well as his own staff to make sure he followed proper procedure.

Discussion: JSOnline, Reuters, Moe Lane and Hot Air

David Carr / New York Times:

America's Favorite Talking Hothead — Keith Olbermann likes looking into a camera. The return of its gaze animates him and reminds him that he has a million friends on the other side of it. But he doesn't picture those people. He talks directly to the camera.

Discussion: Runnin' Scared and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »

Nicko Margolies / Sunlight Foundation Blog:

Announcing Sarah's Inbox — Today the Sunlight Foundation is proud to unveil Sarah's Inbox, our attempt to make Sarah Palin's recently released email records easier to use with a searchable function and an interface similar to Gmail. It builds on Elena's Inbox, our wildly popular project …

Discussion: Guardian, Sunlight Labs blog, The Note and Anchorage Daily News