memeorandum: Lens Blog: Joao Silva on His Injuries and What Is to Come (New York Times)

2:20 PM ET, August 30, 2011

Top Items:

Josh Margolin / New York Post:

‘Jewish’ Bachmann is costing Romney — Funny, she doesn't look Jewish. — Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is facing a new challenge: He's having trouble raising money from some Jewish donors who mistakenly believe one of his opponents, Michele Bachmann, is Jewish.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Caucus, Wonkette, Indecision Forever, Mediaite, Weasel Zippers, Althouse, GOP 12, The New Republic, The Political Carnival and New York Magazine

Joanna Molloy / NY Daily News:

Molloy: Bachmann's hair getting NYC attention — Michele Bachmann's kooky comments have a lot of people wondering what's going on inside her head. — On a recent swing through Florida, she said, “I don't know how much God has to do to get the attention of the politicians.” “We've had an earthquake.

Discussion: iOwnTheWorld.com, Althouse, Mediaite, Politics, americanthinker.com and New York Magazine

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
The scourge of ‘career politicians’

Discussion: A plain blog about politics

Ashley Parker / The Caucus:
Romney, in Perry Territory, Faults ‘Career Politicians’

Discussion: CNN, Washington Post, Ben Smith's Blog and Daily Kos

John Ellis / Politics:
Rick Perry Is A Lot Closer To The 2012 GOP Presidential Nomination Than You Think

Discussion: Jay Bookman, Associated Press and Balloon Juice

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Romney's Texas speech contains subtle shot at rival GOP contender Gov. Perry

Discussion: CNN, ABCNEWS, Daily Kos and GOP 12

Matt Viser / Boston Globe:
Romney-Perry feud dates back to 2002 Olympic Games

Discussion: Real Clear Politics, ThinkProgress, msnbc.com and unionleader.com

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill:
Perry vows no stimulus spending if elected

Discussion: ThinkProgress and Mock, Paper, Scissors

New York Times:

White House Issues Guides on Sept. 11 Observances — WASHINGTON — The White House has issued detailed guidelines to government officials on how to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, with instructions to honor the memory of those who died on American soil but also to recall …

Discussion: The Politico, Weasel Zippers, Atlas Shrugs, Maggie's Notebook, Hot Air, Gawker, RedState, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Confluence, Pirate's Cove, Balloon Juice, iOwnTheWorld.com, New York Magazine, JammieWearingFool and Prairie Weather

Ian Swanson / The Hill:

White House takes shot at Rep. Cantor over hurricane disaster aid — White House press secretary Jay Carney on Tuesday took a shot House Republican Majority Leader Eric Cantor for insisting disaster aid for Hurricane Irene should be offset with other spending cuts.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, TPMDC, The Impolitic and Political Correction RSS

Washington Post:
Princeton economist tapped to head Council of Economic Advisers

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Firedoglake, TalkLeft, msnbc.com, The Nation, Washington Monthly, The Heritage Foundation, Taegan Goddard's …, The White House and New York Times

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
If only pollution could create jobs

Discussion: The Hill, Hot Air, Washington Post and Democratic Strategist

Fox News:
VFW Accuses White House of Snubbing Annual Convention

Discussion: BLACKFIVE, The Gateway Pundit, The Political Carnival, Weasel Zippers and americanthinker.com

Bruce Bartlett / Economix:

The Case Against a Payroll Tax Cut — Bruce Bartlett held senior policy roles in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations and served on the staffs of Representatives Jack Kemp and Ron Paul. — It's rare for Republicans to find a tax cut they don't support, but last week …

Discussion: TalkLeft, The New Republic, AmSpecBlog, Cato Institute and Eschaton

Nick Baumann / Mother Jones:

A Venn Diagram for Rick Perry: Social Security Is Not a Ponzi Scheme — On Saturday, Texas Gov. Rick Perry told a group of voters that Social Security is a “Ponzi scheme” and a “monstrous lie” to younger Americans. It's not the first time the GOP presidential candidate has made such claims.

Discussion: Campaign 2012, Hullabaloo and The Maddow Blog

Scott Keyes / ThinkProgress:
Town Hall Constituents Tell Sen. Grassley To Raise The Payroll Tax Cap: ‘We Want To Have Social Security!’

Discussion: Raw Replay

Fox News:

Sources: ATF Director to Be Reassigned Amid Fast and Furious Uproar — The acting director of the Justice Department division caught up in a firearms trafficking scandal is being removed from his post, sources told Fox News on Tuesday. — Kenneth Melson, who heads the Bureau of Alcohol …

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, White House Dossier, Pajamas Media, Landmark Report and Confederate Yankee

Sharyl Attkisson / CBS News:

Gunwalker scandal: ATF director out of top job — ATF Acting Director Kenneth Melson is being moved out of the top job at the Bureau, ATF Special Agents in Charge announced during a conference call with reporters today. He will transfer to the Justice Department and assume the position of senior advisor, Office of Legal Programs.

Discussion: Hot Air, Confederate Yankee and Politics

Bloomberg:

Republicans to Unveil Bill to Force Major Changes at the UN — House Republicans are planning to introduce today legislation that seeks to force major changes at the United Nations, using as leverage the U.S.'s 22 percent contribution to the world body's operating budget.

Discussion: The Politico, ThinkProgress, The Hill, NewsBusters.org blogs, Pajamas Media and Politics

Tim Mak / The Politico:
House GOP targets the U.N.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Weasel Zippers and The Political Carnival

Danny Yadron / Washington Wire:

Christine O'Donnell Won't Appear After All at Tea Party Rally — UPDATE: Former U.S. Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell will not speak at a tea party event featuring former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in Indianola, Iowa, this weekend, an organizer told Washington Wire.

Discussion: Iowa Caucuses, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, TPMDC, The Daily Caller and USA Today

Gschwarzcnn / CNN:
Romney to make first appearance at a major tea party rally

Discussion: GOP 12 and The Daily Caller

Jennifer Jacobs / Iowa Caucuses:
Christine O'Donnell will speak before Sarah Palin at Iowa tea party rally Saturday

Discussion: Wonkette, Pajamas Media, Big Government, Hotline On Call and GOP 12

Boston Herald:

President Obama's uncle had Social Security ID — President Obama's accused drunken-driving uncle — who was busted after a near collision with a Framingham cop — has had a valid Social Security number for at least 19 years, despite being an illegal immigrant ordered to be deported back to Kenya, the Herald has learned.

Discussion: Power Line, Associated Press, The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit, Wizbang, New York Magazine and Pajamas Media

Michelle Malkin:
Another deportation fugitive in the Obama family

Discussion: Daily Pundit and The Natural Truth

Conor Friedersdorf / The Atlantic Online:

Why Dick Cheney Left Office Unpopular and Reviled — As the former vice president releases his memoir, it's useful to recall the many reasons why the vast majority of Americans disapproved of his tenure — When Vice President Dick Cheney left office, his approval rating stood at a staggeringly low 13 percent.

Discussion: Attackerman and Newshoggers.com

Barton Gellman / Swampland:
In New Memoir, Dick Cheney Tries to Rewrite History

Discussion: Guardian, Felix Salmon, Attackerman, Oliver Willis and Outside the Beltway, more at Mediagazer »

John Hinderaker / Power Line:

The Gibson Guitar Saga Gets Steadily Curiouser — These days, you can't keep up with all the news. There is just too much going on. So inevitably, there are interesting stories that you have to catch up with when you can, like a moving train. The Justice Department's raid on four Gibson guitar factories is in that category.

Discussion: STRANAHAN dot COM, The Memphis Daily News, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, National Review, Hot Air and Midnight Blue Says

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

‘Big Government finally got one right’ — Hurricane Irene is gone, but its affects are still being felt. As of this morning, the death toll had climbed to 40. — And while relief efforts continue, there are already some preliminary evaluations on how officials prepared and responded to the storm.

Discussion: Yahoo! News and The Politico

Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
Hurricane Irene and the benefits of Big Government

Discussion: Smartypants, iOwnTheWorld.com and ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*

Brian Tashman / Right Wing Watch:

Fischer: Make Homosexuality “A Criminal Offense” — On his radio show Focal Point yesterday, American Family Association spokesman Bryan Fischer called on all fifty states to criminalize homosexuality. In 2003, the Supreme Court's decision in Lawrence v. Texas overturned anti-sodomy laws …

Discussion: Good As You, ThinkProgress and Towleroad News #gay

Telegraph:

Parts of Britain suffer coldest summer for nearly two decades — Much of Britain suffered the coldest summer for almost two decades, Met Office statistics show. — As Britons return to work today after a soggy Bank Holiday weekend, official weather data reveals that average temperatures were significantly down on recent years.

Discussion: Don Surber and PoliPundit.com

Kelly Kennedy / USA Today:

Health care fraud prosecutions on pace to rise 85% — WASHINGTON - New government statistics show federal health care fraud prosecutions in the first eight months of 2011 are on pace to rise 85% over last year due in large part to ramped-up enforcement efforts under the Obama administration.

Discussion: The Politico, The Raw Story, capsules.kaiserhealthnews.org and National Review