memeorandum: Paul Ryan Not Running for President (Stephen F. Hayes/Weekly Standard)

9:10 PM ET, August 22, 2011

Top Items:

Frank Newport / Gallup:

Obama in Close Race Against Romney, Perry, Bachmann, Paul — Romney has slight edge over Obama, Bachmann slightly lags — PRINCETON, NJ — President Barack Obama is closely matched against each of four possible Republican opponents when registered voters are asked whom they would support …

Stephen F. Hayes / Weekly Standard:

Paul Ryan Not Running for President — Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan has decided for a final time that he will not run for president in 2012, THE WEEKLY STANDARD has learned. Ryan, who began seriously considering a bid in late May after Indiana governor Mitch Daniels took himself out of the race …

Gschwarzcnn / CNN:

Huntsman criticizes rivals in prime time interview — (CNN) - For a second straight day, Jon Huntsman is going after his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination. — In an interview to run Monday and Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on CNN's “Piers Morgan Tonight,” the former Utah governor …

Discussion: Washington Wire, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Note, Facebook, Piers Morgan, The Politico, Ben Smith's Blog, Politics, FP Passport and The Moderate Voice

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:

There's Room for More G.O.P. Candidates — Rather than douse speculation about which additional Republicans might enter the presidential sweepstakes, Rick Perry's announcement that he would seek the White House seemed only to stoke the fire. At least five prominent Republicans — Sarah Palin …

Discussion: A plain blog about politics and Politics

Justin Sink / The Hill:

Huntsman says he could join Bachmann as VP candidate — Republican presidential candidate and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman won't rule out joining the Republican ticket as a vice presidential nominee — even if it means partnering with a Tea Party candidate like Michele Bachmann.

Discussion: The Political Carnival

Rasmussen Reports:

Obama 50%, Palin 33% — Will she or won't she? Sarah Palin has a busy schedule leading up to a major public event in Iowa on September 3, and Republican insider Karl Rove predicts she's about to enter the race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.

Discussion: Hot Air, Outside the Beltway, Wonkette, GOP 12, The Daily Caller, Big Government and Conservatives4Palin

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Gallup: Obama trails Romney, ties Perry

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Don Surber and National Review

Fox News:
Clues Dropped on Potential Palin Run, but Decision Still a Secret

Discussion: Burnt Orange Report, GOP 12 and Real Clear Politics

Adam Serwer / Washington Post:

The right's bizarre response to Libya events — With the regime of Libyan dictator Moammar Ghadafi seemingly toppled by the rebels, the Obama administration is feeling vindicated in its decision to intervene. But the right can't decide whether to be happy Ghadafi is gone or miserable that Obama had something to do with it.

Discussion: Salon, Hit & Run, The Heritage Foundation, The Politico, Washington Monthly, AmSpecBlog and Donklephant

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

The ‘thank America last’ crowd — Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) issued a joint statement last night on the developments in Libya. It's worth taking a look at the lede. … Remember hearing about the “blame America first” crowd? Well, say hello to the “thank America last” crowd.

Discussion: New York Times, RedState, ThinkProgress, Democracy in America, Wonkette, Outside the Beltway, New Atlanticist, Jeff Weintraub, The Daily Dish, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Mock, Paper, Scissors, iOwnTheWorld.com and Daily Kos

Ian Swanson / The Hill:

Obama hails Gadhafi's end after enduring lawmakers' criticism — The fall of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi after a NATO bombing campaign and a six-month civil war would represent a significant foreign policy victory for President Obama. — Despite opposition and heavy criticism …

Discussion: Reuters, The Politico and JammieWearingFool

Faiz Shakir / ThinkProgress:
PHOTOS: Libyans Applaud President Obama And International Allies With Large Thank You Sign

Discussion: Associated Press, The Political Carnival, Booman Tribune and Babylon & Beyond

Juan / Informed Comment:
Top Ten Myths about the Libya War

Discussion: Arabist.net, Guardian, The Atlantic Online, FP Passport, Daniel W. Drezner, Mother Jones, New Atlanticist, Firedoglake and Daily Kos, more at Mediagazer »

Ezra Klein / Washington Post:

What could Obama have done? — (Andrew Harrer - Bloomberg) As Jon Chait says, the New York Times tried to run a feature in which they “asked a range of Americans who don't labor in politics or the media what they'd do if they were president” and returned with a feature in which an range …

Discussion: Firedoglake, RedState and Ricochet Conversation Feed

Jonathan Chait / The New Republic:
The Cult Of The Presidency In Action

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money, TalkLeft, New York Times, A plain blog about politics, Balloon Juice and Washington Monthly

Matthew Yglesias / ThinkProgress:
Imagining Better Yesterdays

Discussion: A plain blog about politics

Brooks Boliek / The Politico:

FCC finally kills off fairness doctrine — The FCC gave the coup de grace to the fairness doctrine Monday as the commission axed more than 80 media industry rules. — Earlier this summer FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski agreed to erase the post WWII-era rule, but the action Monday puts …

Discussion: Shakesville, Sister Toldjah, The Political Carnival, Balloon Juice, Mediaite, A plain blog about politics and Pajamas Media, more at Mediagazer »

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:

The Libya War argument — In April, 2003, American troops entered Baghdad and Saddam Hussein was forced to flee; six months later, the dictator was captured ("caught like a rat in a hole," giddy American media outlets celebrated) and eventually hanged. Each of those incidents caused massive numbers …

Discussion: Campaign 2012, The Moderate Voice, Hit & Run, News Desk, The Other McCain and Taylor Marsh

Matt Welch / Hit & Run:
Libya, End Zone Taunting, and the Success Curse

Discussion: Democracy in America and The New Republic

Walter Russell Mead / Via Meadia:
W Gets A Third Term In The Middle East

Discussion: The Daily Dish

Political Punch:

US Military Intervention in Libya Cost At Least $896 Million — ABC News' Luis Martinez (@LMartinezABC) reports: The cost of U.S. military intervention in Libya has cost American taxpayers an estimated $896 million through July 31, the Pentagon said today.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

Andrew Solomon / News Desk:
Enigmas and Lies in Libya

Discussion: About.com US Liberal Politics, Reuters, Balloon Juice and Booman Tribune

Jasonhanna / This Just In:
Live blog: Gadhafi son reappears in Tripoli

Discussion: Babylon & Beyond, The Daily What, Salon, BBC, The Huffington Post, Battleland, Washington Post, ProPublica, CNN and Mudville Gazette

Mark Hemingway / Weekly Standard:

Joe Biden: ‘I Fully Understand’ China's One Child Policy — Good news, reproductive rights advocates and neo-Malthusian environmentalists! Vice President Joe Biden has no problem with the government forcibly sterilizing people and compelling abortions. From his remarks at Sichuan University …

Discussion: nation.foxnews.com, Sister Toldjah, Hot Air, Moe Lane and National Review

IIP Digital:
Remarks by Vice President Biden on U.S.-China Relations

Discussion: National Review

Ian Millhiser / ThinkProgress:

Just One Week Into His Campaign, Rick Perry Disavows His Nine-Month-Old Book — Last November, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) published Fed Up, a 240-page ode to tentherism, which argues that everything from child labor laws to the Clean Air Act to Medicare violates the Constitution.

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, TPMDC, Taegan Goddard's …, Wonkette, Firedoglake, Washington Monthly, alicublog, Daily Kos, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Little Green Footballs, The Political Carnival, Shakesville and The Washington Independent

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Perry: Nevermind — Rick Perry wrote in his book, “Fed Up,” …

Discussion: Washington Post, Swampland, Politics, Man Are We Screwed, Outside the Beltway, GOP 12, Liberal Values and The Daily Dish

City Room:

Prosecutor Asks Court to Drop Charges Against Strauss-Kahn — Prosecutors in the office of Cyrus R. Vance Jr., the Manhattan district attorney, have filed papers requesting that all charges be dropped against Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former head of the International Monetary Fund.

Discussion: TalkLeft, New York Times, News Desk, Runnin' Scared, Gothamist, FT Alphaville, New York Magazine and Clusterstock

Laura Italiano / New York Post:
DA filing to reveal new ‘bombshells’ about DSK accuser's credibility

Discussion: Guardian, New York Times, TalkLeft, The Awl and The Politico

Mercury News:

Opinion: Subsidizing Netflix — One of the success stories of the Internet era has been Netflix, the company that provides movies and TV shows to home viewers. In its earlier years, Netflix was a snail-mail-only service. You ordered a movie. It showed up in your mailbox.

Discussion: TalkLeft and The Enterprise Blog, more at Techmeme »

Matthew Yglesias / ThinkProgress: Is The Free Market ‘Subsidizing’ Netflix?

Andrea Shalal-Esa / Reuters:

Goldman CEO hires high-profile defense attorney — (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein has hired Reid Weingarten, a high-profile Washington defense attorney whose past clients include a former Enron accounting officer, according to a government source familiar with the matter.

Discussion: Clusterstock, DealBook, Booman Tribune, Mish's Global Economic …, MarketBeat and Dealbreaker

Tanya Somanader / ThinkProgress:

South Carolina Tea Party Chair Posts Joke About Killing The Obamas On Facebook — Shery Lanford Smith, the chairwoman of Sumter Tea Party in South Carolina is under fire after posting a joke about killing President and First Lady Obama on her Facebook profile last Thursday.

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland

The Politico:

Jason Chaffetz is out, but Orrin Hatch isn't in the clear — After publicly dangling the prospect for months, GOP Rep. Jason Chaffetz was set to announce Monday he won't challenge Sen. Orrin Hatch next year, removing a menacing threat to the six-term senator's reelection prospects.

Discussion: The Note and Michelle Malkin

Glenn Thrush / The Politico:

Freeman to POTUS: ‘Get pissed off’ — When President Obama jumped on the back nine of the celebrity-clogged Vineyard Golf Club course on Sunday, he ran into none other than Morgan Freeman, Oscar winner and Obama backer. — Freeman, it turns out, was as free with advice for Obama …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and JammieWearingFool

Gretchen Morgenson / New York Times:

Attorney General of N.Y. Is Said to Face Pressure on Bank Foreclosure Deal — Eric T. Schneiderman, the attorney general of New York, has come under increasing pressure from the Obama administration to drop his opposition to a wide-ranging state settlement with banks over dubious foreclosure practices …