memeorandum: U.S. Postal Service Nears Default (Christina Caron/ABCNEWS)

1:10 PM ET, September 5, 2011

Top Items:

Happy Labor Day: Top 10 union thug moments of the year — As the MSM whitewashes Big Labor's ugly threats, Tea Party smears, and history of coerced dues-subsidized racketeering this Labor Day, what better way to mark the holiday than with an illustrated list of top 10 union thug moments of the year.

Discussion: The TrogloPundit, Nice Deb, The Gateway Pundit, LaborUnionReport.com, Althouse and Wizbang

E.J. Dionne Jr / Washington Post:

The last Labor Day? — Let's get it over with and rename the holiday “Capital Day.” We may still celebrate Labor Day, but our culture has given up on honoring workers as the real creators of wealth and their honest toil — the phrase itself seems antique — as worthy of genuine respect.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Democratic Daily, Balloon Juice and Daily Kos

Steven Greenhouse / New York Times:

Postal Service Is Nearing Default as Losses Mount — The United States Postal Service has long lived on the financial edge, but it has never been as close to the precipice as it is today: the agency is so low on cash that it will not be able to make a $5.5 billion payment due this month …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Questions and Observations, Scared Monkeys, Althouse, The Heritage Foundation, Hot Air, americanthinker.com, OpenSecrets.org, Outside the Beltway, The Strata-Sphere, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Wake up America, Prairie Weather, Truthdig, Balloon Juice, Business Insider and The Lonely Conservative

Christina Caron / ABCNEWS:

U.S. Postal Service Nears Default — As the U.S. Postal Service begins shuttering offices across the country to stem their ever-growing $9.2 billion deficit, the entire agency now faces default and could shut down next summer, USPS spokesman Dave Partenheimer told ABCNews.com today.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and Ricochet Conversation Feed

Gschwarzcnn / CNN:

Perry to skip DeMint forum — (CNN) - Republican presidential candidate and Texas Gov. Rick Perry will not attend the Palmetto Freedom Forum of GOP candidates Monday night, sponsored by Sen. Jim DeMint, and will instead return to Texas to deal with the wildfires in the state, DeMint and the Perry campaign told CNN.

Discussion: Associated Press, Taegan Goddard's …, TPMDC, Booman Tribune and The Political Carnival

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill:

Perry to skip DeMint's presidential forum, will return to Texas to deal with wildfires — Republican presidential candidate Texas Gov. Rick Perry will detour from campaigning to return to his state to oversee relief efforts in the wake of devastating wildfires.

Discussion: Austin American-Statesman and CNN

CBS News:
“Doesn't appear” Palin will run: DeMint

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Patricia Bosworth / Daily Mail:

Rebel without a bra: Jane Fonda said her biggest regret was not sleeping with Che Guevara... but that was to please her husband — One day, at the height of her fame in the mid-Seventies, Jane Fonda turned up on the doorstep of her ex-husband, Roger Vadim. She was lugging a bulging sack.

Wolfgang Schäuble / Financial Times:

Why austerity is only cure for the eurozone — In recent weeks, debt markets have undergone wild gyrations, leading some analysts and commentators to question the progress achieved in taming the sovereign debt crisis in the eurozone. More recently, economic data and forward-looking indicators …

Discussion: AMERICAN FUTURE and Paul Krugman

Wolfgang Münchau / Financial Times:
The worst of the euro crisis is yet to come

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Paul Krugman and FT Alphaville

Spiegel Online:
International Monetary Fund

Discussion: Guardian

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

The Fatal Distraction — Friday brought two numbers that should have everyone in Washington saying, “My God, what have we done?” — One of these numbers was zero — the number of jobs created in August. The other was two — the interest rate on 10-year U.S. bonds, almost as low as this rate has ever gone.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Talking Dog, NewsBusters.org and The Impolitic

Washington Examiner:

You have a right to record the police — Tiawanda Moore was vindicated after a jury acquitted her of the “crime” of recording the police. (AP photo) — All over America, police have been arresting people for taking video or making sound recordings of them, even though such arrests are pretty clearly illegal.

Discussion: Hit & Run and Don Surber

Ynetnews:

Israelis held in Istanbul airport — Passengers arriving in Turkey detained by local police after their passports taken away from them; passenger: Everyone was in shock — About 40 Israeli passengers on board a Turkish Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Istanbul were held for several hours …

Discussion: Israel Matzav, americanthinker.com and Jihad Watch

Josh Hafner / Iowa Caucuses:

Sarah Palin runs unannounced in Iowa half-marathon — Sarah Palin's short-lived and unannounced run began and ended today in Storm Lake, Iowa. — The morning after Palin's speech at a tea party rally in Indianola, Greta Van Susteren of Fox News posted a photo she said was snapped of Palin during the …

Discussion: ABCNEWS, TheBlaze.com, Taegan Goddard's …, Wake up America, The Caucus and SarahPAC

Greta Van Susteren / Gretawire:
Above is a picture of Governor Sarah Palin this morning....in Iowa with a crowd.

Discussion: Top of the Ticket and The Gateway Pundit

Maggie Haberman / The Politico:

Bachmann bunked at S.C. gov's mansion — Michele Bachmann had some face-time with South Caroline Gov. Nikki Haley on Sunday night, dining with the governor and coveted endorser and staying over at the governor's mansion, according to a source familiar with the get together.

Discussion: The Raw Story and Daily Kos

The Caucus:

Romney Draws Sparse Protest at Tea Party Event — Mitt Romney's keynote speech Sunday night at a Tea Party Express rally in Concord, N.H., was perhaps more notable for what did not happen — there were no fiery clashes with Tea Party protesters, or angry hecklers — than for what did …