memeorandum: Obama begins Midwest bus trip, hoping for economic jump-start (Richard Wolf/USA Today)

8:40 AM ET, August 15, 2011

Top Items:

Rick Perry's Ruthless Drive to Win — Rick Perry has called Social Security unconstitutional and presided over the execution of a man who was probably innocent. But as Paul Begala argues, that's just the beginning. — I first met Rick Perry in 1985. He was a Democratic freshman state rep …

Discussion: Let Freedom Ring Blog, Taylor Marsh, Firedoglake, Hullabaloo, The Reality-Based Community and NO QUARTER

The Politico:

Rick Perry schools Michele Bachmann in Waterloo — WATERLOO, Iowa — Rick Perry came to Michele Bachmann's home town Sunday evening and schooled the newly minted Iowa front-runner in her native state's demanding retail political culture. — The day after Perry announced his candidacy …

Discussion: GOP 12, No More Mister Nice Blog, New York Magazine and The Note

New York Times:

After Iowa, Republicans Face a New Landscape — WATERLOO, Iowa — The leading Republican presidential candidates scrambled to take command of a new landscape on Sunday after Tim Pawlenty abruptly ended his campaign and a three-way race began taking shape to find a nominee who can emerge as the strongest challenger to President Obama.

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, The Politico, Washington Post and The Caucus

TBogg:

Rick Perry Is Now Sorry He Banned Parental Honor Killings — Godbotherer and probably Notre Dame football fan Joshua Mercer is unleashing a sigh of relief that Texas dick adjuster Rick Perry is apologizing for mandating that all girls in Texas become whores at age eleven or, I don't know, move to Utah and get married or something:

Discussion: Eschaton

Maggie Haberman / The Politico:
Perry makes first campaign outing

Discussion: The Note and CNN

Frank Bruni / New York Times:
Adrift in Iowa: Tired Rituals in Tough Times

Discussion: National Review, Daily Kos and Washington Post

ABCNEWS:
Pawlenty Drops Out of Presidential Race After Disappointing Straw Poll Finish

Discussion: Top of the Ticket, LGBTQ Nation, Wizbang, Radio Iowa, Iowa Caucuses, Online NewsHour, Washington Monthly, The Caucus and The Reaction

Scott Conroy / Real Clear Politics:
Palin-Bachmann Rancor Heats Up Below the Surface

Discussion: Althouse, ABCNEWS, Conservatives4Palin, The Brody File, Power Line, Mediaite, The Politico and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Toby Harnden / blogs.telegraph.co.uk: 10 things to take away from Ames. What Michele Bachmann's win means

Lucy Madison / CBS News:
DNC chair: Texas economy no credit to Perry

Discussion: Harry's Place, Washington Wire and Associated Press

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill:
Bachmann says she can win independents in general election

Discussion: Greg's Opinion, The Politico, CNN, The Sundries Shack, The Note, New York Magazine and Washington Monthly

Warren E. Buffett / New York Times:

Stop Coddling the Super-Rich — OUR leaders have asked for “shared sacrifice.” But when they did the asking, they spared me. I checked with my mega-rich friends to learn what pain they were expecting. They, too, were left untouched. — While the poor and middle class fight for us in Afghanistan …

Discussion: AmSpecBlog, Liberal Conspiracy, New York Magazine, Guardian and Clusterstock

The Politico:

Buffett: I beg you to raise my taxes — Warren Buffett, the third wealthiest man in the world with a net worth of around $80 billion, is demanding the U.S. government make the rich like him pay higher taxes and says they should no longer be protected like endangered “spotted owls.”

Discussion: CNN and JammieWearingFool

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Tea Party's heyday may be coming to an end, say political experts — The reign of the Tea Party may be coming to an end in Washington, according to academic political experts who say polls show a backlash against the conservative movement. — Two national polls released this month by CNN …

Discussion: Don Surber, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Reality-Based Community and The Impolitic

Michael A. Memoli / Los Angeles Times:

Gallup: Obama job rating sinks below 40% for first time — President Obama's summer woes have dragged his approval rating to an all-time low, sinking below 40% for the first time in Gallup's daily tracking poll. — New data posted Sunday shows that 39% of Americans approve of Obama's job performance, while 54% disapprove.

Discussion: Brilliant at Breakfast, Wizbang, NewsBusters.org blogs, Weasel Zippers, Michelle Malkin, Let Freedom Ring Blog, Outside the Beltway, TalkLeft, The POH Diaries, Scared Monkeys, Conservatives4Palin, Wake up America and HotAirPundit

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Obama approval rating hits new low in latest Gallup tracking poll

Discussion: The Caucus, blogs.telegraph.co.uk, The Daily Caller, Truthdig and New York Magazine

Reuters:

Pakistan gave China access to secret U.S. aircraft involved in bin Laden raid, paper says — ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan gave China access to the previously unknown U.S. “stealth” helicopter that crashed during the commando raid that killed Osama bin Laden in May despite explicit requests …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and The Gateway Pundit

Anna Fifield / Financial Times:
Pakistan lets China see US helicopter

Discussion: This Just In and Via Meadia

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:

Perry running to restore military ‘respect’ for presidency — Rick Perry strayed from a tribute to military service to tell an audience in Waterloo, Iowa, that he's running in part to restore the respect of the military to its civilian leaders. — “One of the reasons that I'm running …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

John Stevens / Daily Mail:

Bernie Madoff ditched by his wife of 52 years as she seeks reconciliation with son — The wife of Bernard Madoff has severed ties with the disgraced Wall Street financier and not seen him for more than six months, it has been revealed. — Ruth Madoff, who has been married to the convicted fraudster …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Clusterstock

Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:

You Want Compromise? Sure You Do — Sheryl Gay Stolberg is a reporter in the Washington bureau of The New York Times. — WASHINGTON — THROUGHOUT the debt-ceiling debacle, poll after poll has shown that Americans want politicians in Washington to compromise.

Discussion: Booman Tribune, The Atlantic Online and Prairie Weather

Eric Lichtblau / New York Times:

A Businessman in Congress Helps His District and Himself — VISTA, Calif. — Here on the third floor of a gleaming office building overlooking a golf course in the rugged foothills north of San Diego, Darrell Issa, the entrepreneur, oversees the hub of a growing financial empire worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Discussion: The Page