memeorandum: Obama's Weekly Job Approval at 40%, Lowest of Administration (Frank Newport/Gallup)

8:50 AM ET, August 16, 2011

Top Items:

Scott Keyes / ThinkProgress:

Perry on Bernanke: 'I dunno what y'all would do to him in Iowa but we would treat him pretty ugly down in Texas' — Texas Governor Rick Perry, who entered the presidential campaign on Saturday, appeared to suggest a violent response would be warranted should Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke …

Discussion: Commentary Magazine, The Atlantic Online, Washington Monthly, The Hill, Firedoglake, Washington Post, Gawker, Guardian, Talking Points Memo, The Page, Erick's blog, RedState, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, TPMDC and New York Magazine

Josh Dorner / ThinkProgress:

Rick Perry Questions Obama's Patriotism — Speaking to reporters tonight following an event in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Texas Governor Rick Perry appeared to question President Obama's patriotism. In response to a question from Danny Yadron of the Wall Street Journal, who asked Perry …

Discussion: Hullabaloo, Campaign 2012, Right Wing News, New York Times and Ben Smith's Blog

Azi Paybarah / PolitickerNY:

Bill Clinton: Rick Perry is a ‘Good-Looking Rascal,’ But His Platform ‘Is Crazy’ — Bill Clinton at the IAFF conference in Manahttan on August 15, 2011. (photo credit: azi paybarah / observer) — Bill Clinton said newly announced presidential candidate, Republican Governor Rick of Texas was a …

Discussion: Red Dog Report, Mediaite, GOP 12, TPMDC, Weasel Zippers, CNN, The Hill, Pajamas Media, Gothamist and Althouse

Jay Root / The Texas Tribune:

Under Scrutiny, Perry Walks Back HPV Decision … Keywords: - Texas Governor Rick Perry, - Abortion in Texas, - Gay Marriage in Texas, - Perry for President, - Rick Perry Donors, - Rick Perry Issues, - Rick Perry Politics — Updated Monday, 2 p.m. CST: Perry spoke to Des Moines-based …

Discussion: CNN, Washington Post, The Reality-Based Community, Outside the Beltway, The Angle, Indecision Forever, Facing South, Austin American-Statesman, The Raw Story, The Politico, Boston Globe, Washington Monthly, ThinkProgress, New York Magazine, Ben Smith's Blog, TPMDC, The Caucus and msnbc.com

The Note:

Rick Perry On Ben Bernanke: It Would Be ‘Almost Treasonous’ To Print More Money Between Now And The Election — ABC's Michael Falcone and Arlette Saenz report: — CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Texas Gov. Rick Perry capped off his first full day of campaigning in Iowa on Monday by suggesting …

Discussion: CNN, The Atlantic Online, Washington Wire, Salon, Hot Air and The Reality-Based Community

The Note:

Does President Obama Love America? Rick Perry: ‘You Need To Ask Him’ — ABC News' Michael Falcone and Arlette Saenz report: — CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Just hours after presidential candidate Rick Perry said that he would be the kind of president who would be “passionate” about America …

Discussion: Reuters, The Reid Report, Public Policy Polling, The Politico and The Gateway Pundit

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:

Was Perry packing? — Texas Gov. Rick Perry is a leading advocate of gun rights who likes to boast of having dispatched a coyote on a recent jog, so I asked him during today's walking press conference at the Iowa State Fair whether he was armed. — “I never comment on whether I'm carrying a handgun or not,” he said.

Discussion: Washington Post, Gawker, New York Magazine, Althouse and The Note

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:

Perry takes aim at Bernanke — Texas Gov. Rick Perry, making his maiden campaign swing in Iowa after jumping into the race for the Republican presidential nomination, suggested Monday night that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke would be committing an act of treason by printing more money between now and November 2012.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Blogcritics, Daily Kos, Balloon Juice, Washington Monthly and Campaign 2012

Danny Yadron / Washington Wire:
Perry Warns Bernanke: It Could Get ‘Pretty Ugly’ in Texas

Discussion: Real Time Economics

Dave Mann / The Texas Observer:
Can Rick Perry Govern?

Discussion: Marginal Revolution, theGrio, National Review, Washington Post, Daily Kos and New York Times

Matthew Yglesias / ThinkProgress:
Conservatives Whine About Unfairness Of Quoting Rick Perry Accurately

Discussion: The Reality-Based Community, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Lawyers, Guns & Money

A.Killough / CNN:
Perry brushes off Bush comparisons

Discussion: Washington Post, The Politico, Daily Kos, msnbc.com and Swampland

Clifford Krauss / New York Times:
In Texas Jobs Boom, Crediting a Leader, or Luck

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, AlterNet, Pajamas Media and American Power

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:

Bachmann skipped family reunion she cited — On her victory lap of Iowa yesterday, Straw Poll winner Rep. Michele Bachmann paid repeated tribute to her local roots, and repeatedly mentioned her family reunion that day, citing it as an excuse for her late arrival at a local party event in Waterloo.

Discussion: Hot Air, Daily Kos, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Impolitic and Iowa Caucuses

Roger Simon / The Politico:

Ron Paul remains media poison — I admit I do not fully understand Ron Paul and his beliefs. But I do understand when a guy gets shafted, and Ron Paul just got shafted. — On Saturday, the Ames Straw Poll was conducted in Iowa amid huge media interest and scrutiny.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Mother Jones, Booman Tribune, The Note, Mediaite, The Raw Story, Truthdig, CNN and New York Times, more at Mediagazer »

Michelle Goldberg / The Daily Beast:

A Christian Plot for Domination? — Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry aren't just devout—both have deep ties to a fringe fundamentalist movement known as Dominionism, which says Christians should rule the world. — With Tim Pawlenty out of the presidential race, it is now fairly clear …

Discussion: Zandar Versus The Stupid, The Democratic Daily, Newshoggers.com, And So it Goes in Shreveport, Sister Toldjah, Wonkette, Pirate's Cove, Weasel Zippers, Crooks and Liars, Off the Kuff, NewsBusters.org blogs, Suburban Guerrilla, The Daily Dish, Hullabaloo, New York Times, ThinkProgress, Shakesville and The New Republic

Keach Hagey / The Politico:
Ron Paul supporters decry media neglect

Discussion: New York Magazine

Timothy P. Carney / Washington Examiner:
Will no one rid the GOP of this troublesome congressman?

Discussion: Campaign 2012, Outside the Beltway, LewRockwell.com Blog and AmSpecBlog

Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:

Congressional Job Approval Ties Historic Low of 13% — Disapproval rating of 84% highest in Gallup annals — PRINCETON, NJ — Americans' evaluation of the job Congress is doing is the worst Gallup has ever measured, with 13% approving, tying the all-time low measured in December 2010.

Discussion: The Hill, The Politico, Top of the Ticket, Hotline On Call and Political Punch

Frank Newport / Gallup:
Obama's Weekly Job Approval at 40%, Lowest of Administration

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, TPMDC, Firedoglake, Weasel Zippers, Hotline On Call, Poll Watch Daily, blogs.telegraph.co.uk, Truthdig and Real Clear Politics

Byron York / Campaign 2012:

Obama: I reversed recession until ‘bad luck’ hit — At a town hall meeting on his campaign-style tour of the Midwest, President Obama claimed that his economic program “reversed the recession” until recovery was frustrated by events overseas. And then, Obama said, with the economy …

Discussion: The Strata-Sphere, Betsy's Page, Right Wing News, Power Line, RedState, The POH Diaries, Wizbang, Weasel Zippers and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

John Hinderaker / Power Line:

Obama: I'm Just Like Lincoln! — Byron York is chronicling the outrages committed by President Obama on his taxpayer-funded campaign swing through Iowa and the Midwest. I was in the midst of a post on Obama's whine that he is the victim of “bad luck,” as reported by Byron …

Discussion: Betsy's Page, Campaign 2012 and Pajamas Media

Byron York / Campaign 2012:
Obama compares woes to Lincoln

Discussion: Hot Air, PERRspectives and Weasel Zippers

Andrew Restuccia / The Hill:

Obama to automakers: 'You can't just make money on SUVs and trucks' — The country's automakers should ditch their focus on SUVs and trucks in favor of smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles, President Obama said Monday. — “You can't just make money on SUVs and trucks,” …

Discussion: The Sundries Shack, NO QUARTER, Weasel Zippers, ProfessorBainbridge.com, Pajamas Media and The Lonely Conservative

Paul Krugman:

MMT, Again — In a way, I really should not spend time debating the Modern Monetary Theory guys. They're on my side in current policy debates, and it's unlikely that they'll ever have the kind of real — and really bad — influence that the Austrians have lately acquired.

Discussion: TheMoneyIllusion, PRAGMATIC CAPITALISM and naked capitalism

Zachary A. Goldfarb / Washington Post:

On mortgage rates, Obama wants proposal for how government can keep big role — PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES - The Freddie Mac office in McLean, Va. — President Obama has directed a small team of advisers to develop a proposal that would keep the government playing a major role …

Discussion: CEPR and The Heritage Foundation

Michael Barone / Wall Street Journal:

The Fall of the Midwest Economic Model — In 1970, the future seemed to belong to Michigan's example of big companies and big unions. Not anymore. — President Obama has kicked off a three-day bus tour of Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois, where the corn is high and at least some factories are spewing smoke.

Discussion: CARPE DIEM

Fox News:

Rep. Wilson Claims He Was Right on Illegal Immigrant Coverage When He Shouted ‘You Lie’ — Nearly two years after he infamously accused President Obama of lying about his health care overhaul, Republican Rep. Joe Wilson claims he was right all along. — The South Carolina congressman …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

What a president ‘looks like’ — In advance of the 2008 presidential campaign, many high-profile figures in the media described Mitt Romney as someone who “looks like a president.” It was as if news outlets were thinking of central casting, and imagining who looked the part.

Discussion: Washington Post, The Moderate Voice, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Atlantic Online, Paul Krugman and Booman Tribune

Zachary A. Goldfarb / Washington Post:

Obama kicks off Midwest bus tour with harsh words on the economy — CANNON FALLS, Minn. —President Obama used some of his harshest words of the burgeoning 2012 presidential campaign Monday, criticizing the Republican candidates for their opposition to raising taxes as part of a deal to lower the nation's debt.

Discussion: NewsBusters.org blogs, Prairie Weather, Let Freedom Ring Blog and White House Dossier

Kevin D. Williamson / National Review:

Paul Krugman Is Still Wrong about Texas — Paul Krugman continues his campaign to discredit the economic success of Texas, and, as usual, he is none too particular about the facts. Let's allow Professor K. to lay out his case: … What, indeed, does population growth have to do with job growth?

Discussion: Weekly Standard, AmSpecBlog, The TrogloPundit, Outside the Beltway and Salon

Nouriel Roubini / Project Syndicate:

ROUBINI: Is Capitalism Doomed? Karl Marx was right, it seems, in arguing that globalization, financial intermediation run amok, and redistribution of income and wealth from labor to capital could lead capitalism to self-destruct. So what can be done to prevent that outcome?

Discussion: American Power and Truthdig