memeorandum: Meet Israel's Alinskyites: How Radicals Infiltrated a New Protest Movement (Jonathan Spyer/Pajamas Media)

10:05 AM ET, August 15, 2011

Top Items:

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: Washington Monthly, Mediaite, emptywheel, NewsBusters.org blogs, AmSpecBlog, New York Magazine, Liberal Conspiracy, Guardian, The Raw Story and Balloon Juice

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, Weasel Zippers and JammieWearingFool

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: NY Daily News, msnbc.com, Campaign 2012, GOP 12, The Caucus, No More Mister Nice Blog, CNN, New York Magazine, The Note, Real Clear Politics, Weekly Standard, Washington Monthly and The Hill

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: Washington Monthly, CNN, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Politico and The Caucus

Wall Street Journal:

Bachmann-Perry Overdrive — GOP voters are still searching for a unifying candidate. — The fight for the Republican Presidential nomination is finally getting underway in earnest, with Texas Governor Rick Perry bull-riding his way into the race and Michele Bachmann winning Saturday's straw poll in Iowa.

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

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

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

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

Discussion: Daily Kos, National Review and Washington Post

Maggie Haberman / The Politico:
Perry makes first campaign outing

Discussion: The Note and CNN

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

The Texas Unmiracle — As expected, Rick Perry, the governor of Texas, has announced that he is running for president. And we already know what his campaign will be about: faith in miracles. — Some of these miracles will involve things that you're liable to read in the Bible.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, ThinkProgress, Paul Krugman and Prairie Weather

Rick Perry / The Daily Beast:

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, Connecting.the.Dots, Taylor Marsh, Firedoglake, Hullabaloo, The Reality-Based Community and NO QUARTER

TBogg:
Rick Perry Is Now Sorry He Banned Parental Honor Killings

Discussion: Eschaton

Associated Press:

Romney defends his comments about corporations — MANCHESTER, N.H. - At a friendly Republican gathering here last night, presidential candidate Mitt Romney defended his recent comment in Iowa that “corporations are people” and said Democrats fundamentally misunderstand corporations' makeup.

Discussion: ThinkProgress and The Huffington Post

Sam Youngman / The Hill:

Obama returns to the campaign trail with Midwest bus tour — President Obama, itching to spend more time outside of Washington, begins a three-day bus tour of the Midwest on Monday afternoon in Minnesota. — Obama will fly to St. Paul, Minn. on Monday morning and will hold two town-hall events …

Discussion: CNN

CBS News:
With dismal approval polls, Obama hits the road

Discussion: Associated Press

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

Discussion: The Other McCain and JammieWearingFool

Peter Nicholas / Los Angeles Times: Democrats urge Obama to be more aggressive on jobs

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: Crooks and Liars and The Page

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:

Obama approval rating hits new low in latest Gallup tracking poll — President Obama's approval rating hit an all-time low on Sunday in the Gallup Poll's rolling average of public opinion of the president. — Thirty-nine percent of Americans said they approve of the way Obama is handling …

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

Michael A. Memoli / Los Angeles Times:
Gallup: Obama job rating sinks below 40% for first time

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

Fox News:
Obama's Approval Rating Drops to Lowest Ever, According to Gallup

Discussion: Hit & Run, Hotline On Call and Campaign 2012

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

The Official Google Blog:

Supercharging Android: Google to Acquire Motorola Mobility — Since its launch in November 2007, Android has not only dramatically increased consumer choice but also improved the entire mobile experience for users. Today, more than 150 million Android devices have been activated worldwide …

Discussion: TechCrunch, Clusterstock, AllThingsD, Globe and Mail, New York Magazine and FT Alphaville, more at Techmeme »

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: The Moderate Voice, Outside the Beltway and The Gateway Pundit

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

Discussion: This Just In and Via Meadia

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