memeorandum: Biden backpedals on China remark (Victor Morton/Washington Times)

6:30 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, The New Republic and Gallup

Ian Swanson / Ballot Box: Obama effort to woo independents derailed by debt-ceiling deal

Josh Gerstein / The Politico:

Norman Rockwell painting sends rare White House message on race — President Barack Obama has taken a decidedly low-key approach to racial issues since he became America's first black president two years ago. But in a hallway outside the Oval Office he has placed a head-turning painting depicting …

Discussion: CNN, Gallup, Associated Press, Weasel Zippers, The Greenroom, The Daily Caller and Reuters

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

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

Discussion: The Note

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: NewsBusters.org, Michelle Malkin, Big Government, Campaign 2012 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: Slate, Poynter, Little Green Footballs, The Mahablog, Mediaite, IMAO, Campaign 2012, FrumForum, New York Magazine, LewRockwell.com Blog, Sky Dancing, National Review and Outside the Beltway

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

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

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

Douglas Elmendorf / Director's Blog:
CBO Releases Its Annual Summer Update of the Budget and Economic Outlook

Discussion: Hit & Run and Don Surber

Mark Benjamin / Swampland:

Perry Compared Homosexuality to Alcoholism in 2008 Book — The origin of homosexuality has become something of a political litmus test for presidential candidates, almost akin to their stance on abortion. Candidates are now expected to explain whether or not they believe homosexuality is a hard-wired predisposition.

Discussion: ThinkProgress and New York Magazine

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.

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Perry's problem: His extreme views are right there in black and white

Discussion: Juanita Jean's, Daily Kos, TPMDC, Politics and The Raw Story

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

Todd J. Gillman / Trail Blazers Blog:
Obama team scouts for anti-Perry Texans

Discussion: Campaign 2012

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: Don Surber, Sister Toldjah, Top of the Ticket, The Lonely Conservative and NewsBusters.org

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

Discussion: Firedoglake and The Hill

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

Discussion: ThinkProgress and No More Mister Nice Blog

Matt Cover / CNSNews:

Flashback: Obama in 2008: Adding $4 Trillion to National Debt ‘Unpatriotic’ — (CNSNews.com) - Although the national debt under President Barack Obama has increased $4 trillion since he took office in 2009, as a presidential candidate in 2008 Obama criticized then-President George W. Bush …

Discussion: Sister Toldjah and Pajamas Media

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Flashback: Obama calls adding $4 trillion to national debt “unpatriotic”

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, The Gateway Pundit, RedState, TheBlaze.com and TPMDC

Tim Mak / The Politico:

Cheney kept secret resignation letter — Dick Cheney kept a secret resignation letter locked away in a safe in case he were ever to be incapacitated, the former vice president reveals in his new book. — The letter, which Cheney signed in March of 2001, was written because of the vice president's health.

Discussion: The Note

Halboedeker / The TV Guy:
Dick Cheney tells NBC: My letter of resignation was ready if needed

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's … and emptywheel

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, Weasel Zippers, JammieWearingFool, Hullabaloo and Rumproast

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: Ben Smith's Blog, Pajamas Media, 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: Washington Post and Ricochet Conversation Feed

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, Daily Kos, Weasel Zippers, emptywheel, Booman Tribune, New York Magazine, Outside the Beltway and Gothamist

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, Hatewatch, Joe. My. God., Towleroad News #gay and Shakesville

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: Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Daily Dish, 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: The Other McCain, 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

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

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, Guardian and Daily Kos, more at Mediagazer »

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, Campaign 2012, No More Mister Nice Blog, Washington Monthly, Daily Kos, The Raw Story and TPMDC

William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:

Widener Law School loses major donor over Connell case — I posted on Saturday about Alumni Resignations at Widener Law School In Wake of Connell Case. — I noted that Widener had confirmed that “[a] member of the Board of Overseers for the School of Law and a member of the School …

Discussion: The Volokh Conspiracy