memeorandum: American Hikers Leave Iran After Prison Release (New York Times)

7:25 PM ET, September 21, 2011

Top Items:

David Frum / FrumForum:

The GOP's Bernanke Letter — I'm not shocked by much any more, but I am shocked by this: the leaders of one of the great parties in Congress calling on the Federal Reserve to tighten money in the throes of the most prolonged downturn since the Great Depression.

Discussion: US Politics and A plain blog about politics

Matthew Yglesias / ThinkProgress:

GOP Leaders Write Unprecedented Letter Urging The Federal Reserve To Keep Unemployment High — In a move without precedent in the modern era, Republican congressional leaders including House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell …

Discussion: Gawker, Washington Post, Wake up America and Money & Company

Real Time Economics:

Full Text: Republicans' Letter to Bernanke Questioning More Fed Action — The top four congressional Republicans sent the following letter to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke Monday ahead of the central bank's two-day meeting that began today: — Dear Chairman Bernanke,

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:

Reality Check — This nugget is devastating: … And even Palin is now not a universe behind the president in the polls (I note that Carville now thinks she is going to run as well). — I think the explanation is simple enough: Obama gave the impression that the recovery was happening - and then it stalled.

Discussion: CNN and Prairie Weather

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
When economic motives come into question

Discussion: Balloon Juice

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
GOP leaders to Fed: Let America suffer

Discussion: The Caucus, Knoxville News-Sentinel, Daily Kos, Sky Dancing, Firedoglake, Connecting.the.Dots, ThinkProgress, The Maddow Blog and The Hill

John Rossomando / The Daily Caller:
GOP leadership faces possible tea party revolt in 2012

Discussion: The Other McCain

Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:
Sen. Durbin slams GOP for sending message to the Federal Reserve

Discussion: The Politico and Daily Kos

Catherine Rampell / New York Times:
G.O.P. Urges No Further Fed Stimulus

Discussion: TPMDC, Capital Gains and Games blogs, New York Magazine, Wall Street Journal, Indecision Forever, The Hill, Economix, Gawker, The New Republic, Prairie Weather and Daily Kos

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System:

For immediate release — Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in August indicates that economic growth remains slow. Recent indicators point to continuing weakness in overall labor market conditions, and the unemployment rate remains elevated.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Free exchange, Money & Company, FrumForum, msnbc.com, The Washington Independent, AmSpecBlog, Economix, Economist's View, Guardian, Mish's Global Economic …, ThinkProgress and AMERICAN FUTURE

Binyamin Appelbaum / New York Times:
Fed Moves on Long-Term Interest Rates to Spur Growth

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Washington Monthly, Crooks and Liars, Gawker and Daily Kos

Yafb / Rumproast:

I got your class warfare right here … She's doing well in the early polls running against Scott Brown for his Senate seat. If she doesn't get it, can we in the UK have first dibs on her?

Discussion: Washington Post, Crooks and Liars, Washington Monthly, Hullabaloo, The Sideshow, The Confluence, 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com, The Impolitic and Balloon Juice

David Catanese / The Politico:
The Warren announcement bump

Discussion: Democracy in America

Evan McMorris-Santoro / 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com:
TPM2012 — TPM Tipster: Scott Brown Feeling The Heat Over Warren's Polling Bump

Discussion: The Politico, The Atlantic Online, The Raw Story and Public Policy Polling

Rich Shulman / PhotoBlog:

Barack Obama joins Open Government Partnership for group photo — U.S. President Barack Obama waves while standing with other leaders during the Open Government Partnership event at the United Nations September 20 in New York City. The United Nations General Assembly kicks off September 21 …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, The Lonely Conservative, RedState, americanthinker.com, JustOneMinute, Wake up America and New York Magazine

Zombie / Pajamas Media:
Obama waving-hand gaffe picture NOT a hoax or a Photoshop after all!

Discussion: Mediaite, The Jawa Report, Business Insider, Weasel Zippers and Pirate's Cove

New York Times:

A Grievous Wrong — Troy Davis is scheduled to be executed on Wednesday for the 1989 killing of a police officer in Savannah, Ga. The Georgia pardon and parole board's refusal to grant him clemency is appalling in light of developments after his conviction: reports about police misconduct …

Discussion: Time, emptywheel, The Huffington Post, US Politics, Hullabaloo, Mother Jones, The Maddow Blog, Salon, newsfeed.time.com, Booman Tribune, Gothamist, Washington Monthly, New York Magazine, Sky Dancing, Firedoglake, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Feministing

Rhonda Cook / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Troy Davis execution nears: Experts say appeals are exhausted

Discussion: Townhall.com, RedState, Washington Monthly, Crooks and Liars, ACS Blog, ABCNEWS and The Maddow Blog

David G. Savage / Los Angeles Times:
Supreme Court blocks another Texas execution

Discussion: Hot Air and ThinkProgress

Helene Cooper / New York Times:

Obama, at U.N., Explains Rationale for Opposing Palestinian Statehood Bid — UNITED NATIONS — President Obama declared his opposition to the Palestinian Authority's bid for statehood in the Security Council on Wednesday, throwing the weight of the United States directly in the path …

Discussion: Guardian, New York Magazine, Outside the Beltway, Prairie Weather, Truthdig and Haaretz

George Stephanopoulos / Politics:
UN Ambassador Susan Rice Fires Back at Mitt Romney and Rick Perry: Don't ‘Play Politics’ with Diplomacy

Discussion: The Hill, The Enterprise Blog, Business Insider and Washington Examiner

National / NationalJournal.com:
Obama's Speech to the UN General Assembly, As Prepared

Discussion: New York Times, The Atlantic Online, Associated Press, Weasel Zippers, PERRspectives, Israel Matzav, FP Passport and Harry's Place

Elizabeth Mendes / Gallup:

In U.S., Significantly Fewer 18- to 25-Year-Olds Uninsured — Percentage of uninsured 26- to 64-year-olds increasing — WASHINGTON, D.C. — Fewer young adults in the U.S. reported lacking health insurance coverage in each of the three quarters since the new healthcare law …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Associated Press, Politics, Washington Wire, ThinkProgress, White House.gov Blog, New York Times, Daily Kos and US Politics

Office of the Assistant Secretary …:
One Million Young Adults Gain Health Insurance in 2011 Because of the Affordable Care Act

Discussion: Healthwatch, Business Insider and White House.gov Blog

Tony Bennett / Facebook:

A Statement from Tony Bennett — A Statement from Tony Bennett (clarifying comments made on yesterday's Howard Stern program): — I am so grateful to be an American and as a World War II veteran, I was proud to fight to protect our values, which have made America the greatest country on the planet.

Discussion: Nation Now, theblogprof, Mediaite and CBS New York

Frank Lovece / Newsday:
Tony Bennett apologizes for 9/11 remarks

Discussion: WJLA-TV, The Raw Story, AmSpecBlog and Mediaite

Rolling Stone:

R.E.M. Break Up After Three Decades — Legendary rock band have ‘called it a day’ — R.E.M. have announced that they have broken up after 31 years together. “As lifelong friends and co-conspirators, we have decided to call it a day as a band,” the band said in a statement on their official website today.

Discussion: Gawker, The Atlantic Online, newsfeed.time.com, The Maddow Blog, Washington Post and New York Times

Justin Sink / The Hill:

Ron Paul says he'd consider putting Dennis Kucinich in his Cabinet — Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) says he would consider putting the liberal congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) in his Cabinet if he wins the presidency in 2012. — Paul said his libertarian political philosophy helps him connect …

Discussion: Power Line, The Jawa Report, Weasel Zippers, iOwnTheWorld.com, Pajamas Media and AmSpecBlog

Mj Lee / The Politico:

Bill Clinton: No more taxes now — Former President Bill Clinton says now is not the time to hike taxes. — “I personally don't believe we ought to be raising taxes or cutting spending, either one, until we get this economy off the ground,” Clinton told Newsmax in an interview Tuesday.

Discussion: NewsMax.com, Michelle Malkin, Weasel Zippers, No More Mister Nice Blog and Steve Deace

NewsMax.com:
Ex-President Clinton to Newsmax: Raising Taxes Won't Work

Discussion: USA Today, Business Insider, Salon, Weasel Zippers and The Hinterland Gazette

Jason Grotto / Chicago Tribune:

Law gives huge pension perks to union leaders — In all, 23 expected to collect combined $56 million in their lifetimes — Dennis Gannon, then-president of the Chicago Federation of Labor, speaks with a bullhorn in April 2010 outside the Willis Tower as he joins around union members …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Hot Air and The Lonely Conservative

New York Times:

American Hikers Leave Iran After Prison Release — LONDON — Two Americans arrested while hiking along the Iran-Iraq frontier two years ago and sentenced to eight years for espionage were released Wednesday and left the country by plane, their families said in a statement.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, CNN, Gothamist and LA Observed

Fox News:
U.S. Hikers Released From Iranian Prison, Flown Out of Country

Discussion: Guardian, Washington Post, AmSpecBlog and Gawker

Emily Goodin / GOP 12:

Palin suggests she'll make a 2012 decision by November — Sarah Palin seemed to give a November deadline for a decision on a 2012 bid. — Speaking to Sean Hannity on Fox News Tuesday night, Palin said there is still time but conceded that a deadline was rapidly approaching.

Discussion: MiamiHerald.com, Mediaite, Outside the Beltway, Scared Monkeys, Guardian, Wonkette, No More Mister Nice Blog, Taegan Goddard's … and Pirate's Cove

Elisabeth Bumiller / New York Times:

Marine Recruiters Visit Gay Center in Oklahoma — TULSA, Okla. — Master Sgt. Anthony Henry, a top Marine recruiting trainer for the southwestern United States, pulled up to Tulsa's biggest gay community center on Tuesday morning and left his Chevy where he could make a fast getaway.

Discussion: Wizbang, Towleroad News #gay, ThinkProgress, Sense of Events and Balloon Juice

David Kocieniewski / New York Times:

Obama's Tax on Millionaires — President Obama's proposal for a new tax on millionaires echoes a call in many countries struggling with budget deficits and overwhelming debts to make the wealthy pay more. — Britain and France have imposed new taxes on their highest earners — and Italy …