memeorandum: Down Atlantic, a Refrain: It Could Have Been Worse (New York Times)

12:40 AM ET, August 29, 2011

Top Items:

A Hurricane of Hype — Irene fell far short of the media's dire warnings even before it was downgraded. Howard Kurtz on the scaremongering by television and local officials.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Mahablog, New York Magazine, The BRAD BLOG, Hot Air, Power Line, TheBlaze.com and WJLA-TV, more at Mediagazer »

Justin Gillis / New York Times:
Seeing Irene as Harbinger of a Change in Climate

Discussion: GigaOM, The Other McCain, The Strata-Sphere, News Desk, RedState, Transterrestrial Musings, LewRockwell.com Blog and Green

CNN:
Obama on Irene aftermath: ‘This is not over’

Discussion: This Just In, Nation Now, msnbc.com, The Other McCain, Hot Air, Guardian, The Volokh Conspiracy and The Moderate Voice

Ed Henry / Fox News:
Biden Golfed in Hours Preceding Hurricane

Discussion: Don Surber

Brad Johnson / ThinkProgress:
Right Wing Tries New Tactic To Soften Bush's Katrina Debacle: Say Obama's Leadership On Irene Is Just For Show

Discussion: Nation Now, The Gateway Pundit, msnbc.com and The Impolitic

Kerry Picket / Washington Times:

Obama's illegal uncle arrested; ‘Uncle Omar’ hits cop car, tries to call White House — A number of media outlets have already reported that an illegal immigrant from Kenya by the name of Onyango Obama, 67, was arrested last week on Wednesday after he rammed his SUV into a police car in Framingham, Massachusetts.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Pajamas Media, Scared Monkeys, Marooned In Marin, iOwnTheWorld.com, PoliPundit.com, americanthinker.com and Confederate Yankee

Howie Carr / Boston Herald:

Deval Patrick laments ‘tragedy,’ fails to take action — My guess is that Hurricane Irene is going to kill a lot fewer Americans in Massachusetts this year than illegal aliens are. But don't tell that to Gov. Deval Patrick — he doesn't want to talk about dead Americans and the drunk Ecuadorians who killed them.

Caroline May / The Daily Caller:

One day climate change skeptics will be seen in the same negative light as racists, at least so says former Vice President Al Gore. — In an interview with former advertising executive and Climate Reality Project collaborator Alex Bogusky broadcasted on UStream on Friday …

Discussion: Mediaite, Sister Toldjah, The Democratic Daily, Wizbang, Pajamas Media and nation.foxnews.com

Erik Jensen / Sydney Morning Herald:

Mental illness rise linked to climate — RATES of mental illnesses including depression and post-traumatic stress will increase as a result of climate change, a report to be released today says. — The paper, prepared for the Climate Institute, says loss of social cohesion in the wake …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Weasel Zippers and The Gateway Pundit

The Note:

Powell Not Sold on Obama in '12 — ABC News' Rick Klein (@rickklein) reports: — Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who famously crossed party lines to vote for President Obama in 2008, said today that he's not necessarily supporting the president for reelection in 2012.

Discussion: The Reaction, CNN, Scared Monkeys and Michelle Malkin

Lucy Madison / CBS News:

Colin Powell undecided on 2012 choice — PLAY CBS NEWS VIDEO — Former Secretary of State Colin Powell says there are some “interesting” presidential candidates for the 2012 Republican nomination - but that he's not sure yet who he'll be voting for. — Powell, who served under former …

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill: Powell: Cheney taking ‘cheap shots’ in memoir

Nicole Belle / Crooks and Liars:

George Will Slams Dick Cheney For Not Apologizing For Iraq — Damn it, I hate it when this happens. I actually agree with George Will. As I reel from worlds colliding, let's look at the astonishing admission of wrongness on behalf of a Republican to which George Will wants an apology:

Discussion: Booman Tribune

Vicky Allan / Herald Scotland:

Ground Zero imam gives Scotland his recipe for successful multiculturalism — AMERICA'S most controversial imam - the man at the centre of the storm over plans for the “Ground Zero Mosque” in New York last year - flew into Edinburgh yesterday to tell the Festival of Spirituality and Peace …

Discussion: Jihad Watch, Weasel Zippers and Atlas Shrugs

Nic Robertson / CNN:

CNN Exclusive: Lockerbie bomber comatose, near death, family says — Tripoli, Libya (CNN) — Lockerbie bomber Abdel Basset al-Megrahi is comatose, near death and likely to take secrets of the attack on Pan Am Flight 103 to his grave. — CNN found al-Megrahi under the care of his family …

Discussion: YID With LID, Jihad Watch, Althouse, Telegraph and Israel Matzav

Associated Press: Libya rebels won't deport Abdel-Baset al-Megrahi

Ron Todt / Associated Press:

Va. soldier sought in 4 deaths found dead in Pa. — JAMISON, Pa. — An Army officer suspected of killing four people in Pennsylvania and Virginia was found dead in a wooded area Sunday after a manhunt during Tropical Storm Irene's winds and drenching rains paralyzed residents in this Philadelphia suburb.

New York Times:

Down Atlantic, a Refrain: It Could Have Been Worse — SEALEVEL, N.C. — As Tropical Storm Irene drenched New York and New England on Sunday, the states where the hurricane first made landfall faced a sun-drenched — yet often powerless — day to assess loss of life, property damage …