memeorandum: Captive journalists walk free from Tripoli hotel (CNN)

5:00 PM ET, August 24, 2011

Top Items:

Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:

Perry Zooms to Front of Pack for 2012 GOP Nomination — Leads Romney by 29% to 17% — PRINCETON, NJ — Shortly after announcing his official candidacy, Texas Gov. Rick Perry has emerged as rank-and-file Republicans' current favorite for their party's 2012 presidential nomination.

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:

Perry leads nationally — In PPP's first national poll since Rick Perry's official entry into the Presidential race he's jumped out to a double digit advantage. Perry's at 33% to 20% for Mitt Romney, 16% for Michele Bachmann, 8% for Newt Gingrich, 6% for Herman Cain and Ron Paul, 4% for Rick Santorum, and 3% for Jon Huntsman.

Discussion: GOP 12, Outside the Beltway, Gallup and The New Republic

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

Perry equates homosexuality with alcoholism — The book Rick Perry wrote less than a year ago has proven to be a valuable source of information about the governor's worldview, but as Time's Mark Benjamin notes today, “Fed Up!” wasn't Perry's first work as a published author.

Robin Bravender / The Politico:
Inhofe: Mitt ‘mushy’ on environment

Discussion: The Hill, Weasel Zippers and ThinkProgress

Mark Benjamin / Swampland:
Perry Compared Homosexuality to Alcoholism in 2008 Book

Discussion: Washington Post, ThinkProgress and New York Magazine

Paul Krugman:

Identity Theft — Well, this is interesting. I hear that the not-so-good people at National Review are attacking me over something I said on my Google+ page. Except, I don't have a Google+ page. — This is the third incident I'm aware of — there may well be more — in which people are claiming to be me.

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, NewsBusters.org, Big Government and Hit & Run

Campaign Fix:

Paul Krugman's Google+ Account is Fake, I Know because I Created It — Approximately a month ago, having been laid off and having too much time on my hands, I finally decided to create my own personal account on Google+. I found it to be extremely boring, mostly because no one I knew …

Discussion: The Mahablog, IMAO, Campaign 2012, FrumForum, New York Magazine, LewRockwell.com Blog, Sky Dancing, Outside the Beltway and National Review

Allahpundit / Hot Air:

Krugman(?): If only the earthquake had done more damage, the economy would have gotten a boost; Update: Not Krugman — Via Timothy Carney, this appears to be real. — Is it real or just a goof? Kevin Williamson isn't sure and neither am I, but given that this is the same guy …

Discussion: Pajamas Media, Man Are We Screwed, rubber hose, Weasel Zippers, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Paul Krugman

David Weigel / Slate:
The Krugman Google+ Saga: Or, Why Fact-Checking is Important

Discussion: Little Green Footballs, Mediaite, Slate Magazine, Campaign 2012 and Paul Krugman

Damien Gayle / Daily Mail:

Fears for Nancy Reagan, 90, as she slips and falls on way in to watch speech by Tea Party favourite Marco Rubio — Nancy Reagan last night lost her balance and fell as she arrived to watch a speech by Republican freshman senator and Tea Party darling Marco Rubio

Discussion: Sister Toldjah

Jonathan Chait / The New Republic:
Marco Rubio And The New Republican Consensus

Discussion: ThinkProgress and No More Mister Nice Blog

Gschwarzcnn / CNN:
TRENDING: Jeb Bush: 'You can't just be against the president'

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, ThinkProgress and The Politico

Conor Friedersdorf / The Atlantic Online:
Is Marco Rubio the Future of the Republican Party?

Discussion: Firedoglake and The Hill

Tamara Abraham / Daily Mail:

Expensive massages, top shelf vodka and five-star hotels: First Lady accused of spending $10m in public money on her vacations — The Obamas' summer break in Martha's Vineyard has already been branded a PR disaster after the couple arrived four hours apart on separate government jets.

Discussion: The Lonely Conservative, Proof Positive, Weasel Zippers, The Gateway Pundit and UrbanGrounds

Devin Dwyer / ABCNEWS:
Obama Hobnobs With Friends on Vineyard Family Vacation

Discussion: The Note

CBO's Latest 10 Documents:

BUDGET AND ECONOMIC OUTLOOK: AN UPDATE — Text-only. — The United States is facing profound budgetary and economic challenges. At 8.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), the $1.3 trillion budget deficit that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects for 2011 …

Discussion: Washington Post, Real Time Economics, Speaker, SFGate, AmSpecBlog, Campaign 2012, The Heritage Foundation, Hot Air, National Review, The Glittering Eye and Politics

Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
Worse Than It Looks: CBO Says Economic Outlook More Dire Than Reported

Discussion: Hit & Run

Ali Gharib / ThinkProgress:

Leaked Cable: McCain Promised Qaddafi To Help Secure Military Equipment From U.S. — For all the braying by the Senate's top three hawks about how the U.S. wasn't doing enough to oust Libyan dictator Col. Muammar Qaddafi from power, one might be surprised to learn that exactly two years ago …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Business Insider and Daily Kos

New York Times:
Rebels Offer Bounty for Qaddafi as Journalists Are Freed

Discussion: ThinkProgress and Daily Kos

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:

Publisher's ‘social’ ties pushed RedState toward Allen — A leading conservative blogger and commentator, Erick Erickson, said he shifted his stance in a key Senate race because the company that publishes his RedState.com is “socially connected” to former Virginia Senator George Allen.

Discussion: The Other McCain, RedState and AmSpecBlog

Erick Erickson / RedState:
Regarding Jamie Radtke

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog

U.S. Federal Election Commission:

2012 CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES RAISE OVER $285 MILLION IN FIRST HALF OF 2011 — WASHINGTON - 2012 Candidates for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives reported raising a total of $285.2 million from January 1 through June 30, 2011, according to disclosure reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.

Discussion: Ballot Box, Politics and Campaign 2012

Thomas L. Friedman / New York Times:

Obama, Tiger, Golf and Politics — Despite the carping by critics, I'm glad the president went on vacation because one of the most useful things he could do right now is play golf — a lot of golf — but not that friendly foursome thing with his aides that he usually does.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, The New Republic, Hullabaloo, Rumproast, Weasel Zippers and JammieWearingFool

Walter Shapiro / The New Republic:

Rick Perry: The God-Fearing, Know-Nothing, Pistol-Packing Embodiment of Liberals' Worst Nightmares — What Rick Perry has achieved in his inaugural strut on the political stage is unprecedented in the annals of modern conservative history from Barry Goldwater to Sarah Palin.

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Taylor Marsh, The Note, Betsy's Page and Wake up America

Jim Treacher / The Daily Caller:

If you're a famous guy with a head full of deep thoughts and nobody to tell you when it might be in your own best interest not to express them, Twitter is the best thing ever. As long as you've got your iPhone in hand, you can give the whole world instant, unfiltered access to your keenest insights …

Discussion: Pajamas Media, Ben Smith's Blog, The Other McCain, New York Magazine and nation.foxnews.com

Robert J. Barro / Wall Street Journal:

Keynesian Economics vs. Regular Economics — Food stamps and other transfers aren't necessarily bad ideas, but there's no evidence they spur growth. — Keynesian economics—the go-to theory for those who like government at the controls of the economy—is in the forefront of the ongoing debate on fiscal-stimulus packages.

Discussion: Ricochet Conversation Feed

G-A-Y / Good As You:

NOM's featured press conference speaker: ‘There is a direct connection between earthquakes and homosexuality’ — At a recent press conference on the steps of the State Capitol in Albany, the National Organization For Marriage opened up their coalition to include one Rabbi Yehuda Levin.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Joe. My. God., Towleroad News #gay and Shakesville

Halboedeker / The TV Guy:

Dick Cheney tells NBC: My letter of resignation was ready if needed — Dick Cheney, left, introduces George W. Bush at a groundbreaking ceremony for Bush's presidential library in Dallas in November. Photo credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images — Dick Cheney tells NBC News that he had a letter …

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's … and emptywheel

Matthew Yglesias / ThinkProgress:

Ron Paul's Strange Freedom — For the past couple of weeks I've seen some complaints from liberty-minded friends and acquaintances that Ron Paul isn't getting the level of media attention he deserves. My view is that the media is probably ignoring him because he's a crank who obviously won't be the GOP nominee.

Discussion: The Daily Dish, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Althouse, Democracy in America and The Atlantic Online

Jennifer Epstein / The Politico:

Washington Monument cracked in quake — The earthquake didn't cause widespread damages or injuries, but it did put a crack in the Washington Monument. — After unconfirmed reports suggested the monument was tilting, park officials said Tuesday night that the 550-foot obelisk suffered …

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Above the Law, Outside the Beltway, CNN and Fox News Insider

Joel Braunold / Haaretz:

With more than 10,000 millionaires, why is Israel still a charity case? — At what point should the Diaspora communities say to Israelis that enough is enough- we will give, but we will not allow those in your own society to shirk their responsibilities? — The past few years have seen …

Discussion: The Reaction

Des Moines Register:

Steffen Schmidt: Some Dems think the unthinkable: Not Obama — I recently had drinks with respected senior Democrats in New Hampshire. They were Barack Obama supporters in 2008 and now have serious buyer's remorse. — They were alarmed at the lack of leadership, which they feel Obama showed …

Discussion: Don Surber, Power Line, The Gateway Pundit and National Review

Adam Goldman / Associated Press:

With CIA help, NYPD moves covertly in Muslim areas — NEW YORK (AP) — In New Brunswick, N.J., a building superintendent opened the door to apartment No. 1076 one balmy Tuesday and discovered an alarming scene: terrorist literature strewn about the table and computer and surveillance equipment set up in the next room.

Discussion: TalkLeft, Outside the Beltway, Weasel Zippers, emptywheel, Booman Tribune, New York Magazine and Gothamist

Alison Gendar / NY Daily News:

Zadroga 9/11 health law shouldn't cover volunteers sickened at Ground Zero, GOP hopeful Turner says — The GOP hopeful running for ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner's seat says the $4.3 billion Zadroga 9/11 health law is too broad - and shouldn't cover volunteers sickened at Ground Zero.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Ballot Box, Washington Monthly, Campaign 2012, No More Mister Nice Blog, Daily Kos, The Raw Story and TPMDC

Ezra Klein / Washington Post:

It's the household debt, stupid — Ken Rogoff wants to call our economic malaise “the Great Contraction.” Richard Posner wants us to at least call it “a depression.” I tend to dismiss arguments over semantics, but in this case, I agree. If it were up to me, we would call what we're in a …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Rortybomb, FT Alphaville, The Glittering Eye and Eschaton