memeorandum: Pakistan dismisses Nato report on Afghan Taliban links (BBC)

5:10 PM ET, February 1, 2012

Top Items:

Vanscottcnn / CNN:

Mitt Romney: middle income Americans are focus, not very poor — After winning the Florida primary, GOP presidential nominee hopeful Mitt Romney explains to CNN anchor Soledad O'Brien that he is focused on a particular portion of the American population in his campaign.

Rachel Weiner / Washington Post:

Romney, citing safety net, says he's ‘not concerned about the very poor’ — In an interview with CNN Wednesday morning that should have been a Florida victory lap, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney made a fumble that could give rivals an attack ad sound bite.

Discussion: Firedoglake, Slate, ABCNEWS, Outside the Beltway, National Review, Hot Air, USCatholic.org, Campaign 2012, Hullabaloo, The Reaction, Shakesville, GOP 12, Connecting.the.Dots, Alas, a Blog, Wake up America and Daily Kos

Alicia M. Cohn / The Hill:

Romney glitter-bombed in Minnesota, calls it ‘confetti’ — An activist sprinkled Mitt Romney with glitter as the GOP presidential candidate walked on stage at a grassroots rally on Wednesday. — Other glitter bomb incidents have been motivated by gay rights activists.

Discussion: CNN and Althouse

Noreen Malone / New York Magazine:

Now We Know Who's Giving to Super PACs — Mitt Romney. — Mitt Romney gets a lot of campaign contributions from other wealthy people. That's the main takeaway from today's campaign-finance disclosures, which reveal who, exactly, is giving all that money to the mysterious super PACs …

Discussion: The Politico, New York Times and Tablet Magazine

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:

Why Romney Is ‘Not Concerned’ About the Poor — For Pete's sake — you're running for office! — Mitt Romney has been implying, for a while, that he doesn't really care about the poor. Last night, he took the unfortunate step of actually saying so:

Discussion: msnbc.com, The Daily Dish, GOP 12 and Saint Petersblog

Mackenzie Weinger / The Politico:

Mitt Romney: 'I'm not concerned about the very poor' — Mitt Romney said Wednesday he's “not concerned about the very poor.” — Romney told CNN's Soledad O'Brien during a morning interview after his Florida primary win that his focus is on the middle class — and not on the “very poor.”

Discussion: CNN and Jared Bernstein

Jonah Goldberg / National Review:
What is Wrong With This Guy? — Congratulations to Mitt Romney …

Discussion: Ross Douthat, Business Insider, RedState, Pundit & Pundette and Political Insider

Alex Seitz-Wald / ThinkProgress:
Romney: 'I'm Not Concerned With The Very Poor'

Discussion: Harry's Place and Feministing

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
The Morning Plum — * Romney: “I'm not concerned about the very poor” …

Discussion: NationalJournal.com, New York Times, Balloon Juice, RedState, The Maddow Blog and Eschaton

New York Times:
Campaign Finance Reports Show ‘Super PAC’ Donors

Discussion: msnbc.com, Daily Kos, Guardian, Pensito Review, The Daily Dish, Wall Street Journal and The Caucus

John McCormack / Weekly Standard:
Mitt Romney: “I'm not concerned about the very poor.”

Discussion: The Caucus, National Review and Business Insider

Zach Carter / The Huffington Post:

‘Gasland’ Journalists Arrested At Hearing By Order Of House Republicans (UPDATES) … House GOP , Environment , Gop , Politics , Republicans , Video , Brad Miller , First Amendment , Josh Fox , Arrest , Documentary , Fracking , Gasland , Hearing , Journalist , Politics News

Discussion: Firedoglake, Mediaite, Guardian, ANIMAL, Suburban Guerrilla, The Raw Story, FishbowlDC and Daily Kos, more at Mediagazer »

Talia Buford / The Politico:

Josh Fox led away in handcuffs from hearing — Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Josh Fox was led away in handcuffs from a House Science Committee hearing Wednesday morning after refusing to pack up his camera. — Fox was led out by Capitol Police shortly after 10 a.m., before the hearing could be gaveled into order.

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, Grist and ThinkProgress

Steve Benen / msnbc.com:

The GOP's ongoing turnout problem — There can be little doubt that Mitt Romney dominated in Florida's Republican presidential primary, but there were a few tidbits in the exit polls that stood out, including this one: — This has to be discouraging for the former governor and his campaign.

Discussion: The Politico, New York Times, Prairie Weather and The Reality-Based Community

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
Romney Wins, but Turnout Lags

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Washington Monthly, southernstudies.org, Wonkette and blogs.telegraph.co.uk

Peter Hamby / CNN:
February Republican primary cheat sheet

Discussion: The Maddow Blog

Conn Carroll / Campaign 2012:

Gallup state numbers predict huge Obama loss — Gallup released their annual state-by-state presidential approval numbers yesterday, and the results should have 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue very worried. If President Obama carries only those states where he had a net positive approval rating in 2011 …

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, Scared Monkeys, Gallup, Shot in the Dark, Don Surber, Weasel Zippers, Hyscience and ABCNEWS

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Obama money advantage disappearing

Discussion: 2012 Decoded

Washington Post:
Super PACs helping Republican candidates close in on Obama

Discussion: The New Republic, Guardian, The Democratic Daily, New York Times, Prairie Weather, ThinkProgress and The Page

Glen Johnson / Boston Globe:

Mitt Romney heads to Minnesota amid talk of Michele Bachmann endorsement — TAMPA, Fla. - Mitt Romney is carrying a full head of steam after winning the Florida primary, but the Republican presidential contender isn't headed first today for Nevada or Maine, the next two states to vote.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, The Politico, Washington Monthly, The Page, ABCNEWS and Joe. My. God.

New York Times:
Romney Wins Big in Florida Primary

ABCNEWS: Michele Bachmann Calls Mitt Romney Endorsement Rumors ‘Completely False’

Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:

House Dem abandons Susan G. Komen after Planned Parenthood decision — Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) on Wednesday morning said she would no longer support the Susan G. Komen Foundation because of that organization's decision to no longer provide funding to Planned Parenthood.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Jezebel and Weasel Zippers

Laura Bassett / The Huffington Post:
Komen Cuts Planned Parenthood Grants Months After Arrival Of New VP, Who Is Abortion Foe

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Democracy in America, UrbanGrounds, Hot Air, Feministing, Washington Post, DISSENTING JUSTICE, Feministe, skippy the bush kangaroo, Pirate's Cove and Gothamist

Shari Roan / Los Angeles Times:
Komen breast cancer charity severs ties with Planned Parenthood

Discussion: Associated Press, New York Times, The Atlantic Online, Colorlines, Campaign 2012, Wizbang and Crooked Timber

Amanda Marcotte / Slate:
Susan B. Komen's Act of Cowardice

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Right Wing Watch, TBogg, Daily Kos, pandagon.net, Pharyngula, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Taylor Marsh, National Review and Planned Parenthood

Theodore B. Olson / Wall Street Journal:

Obama's Enemies List — David and Charles Koch have been the targets of a campaign of vituperation and assault, choreographed from the very top. — How would you feel if aides to the president of the United States singled you out by name for attack, and if you were featured prominently …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Ricochet Conversations Feed, Sister Toldjah, No More Mister Nice Blog, Campaign 2012, The Right Scoop, Maggie's Farm, Atlas Shrugs and Instapundit

William Kristol / Weekly Standard:

Why February Could Matter — I wonder if three features of the race as it stands today aren't being a bit neglected: — 1. Turnout: The Romney-Gingrich slugfest in Florida appears to have produced slightly fewer than 1.7 million voters in this year's primary.

Discussion: American Spectator, Catholic Bandita, Moonbattery, Rick Santorum for President, Pundit & Pundette and Public Policy Polling

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
Newt Gingrich loses Florida — and reminds us why

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Daily Kos, Business Insider, The PJ Tatler, Los Angeles Times, The Politico and The Gateway Pundit

Ross Douthat / Campaign Stops:
Gingrich 2012? Going, Going, Gone

Discussion: The Huffington Post, The Politico, Washington Examiner, neo-neocon, New York Times, NationalJournal.com, ABCNEWS, Right Wing Nut House, The Daily Dish and Vox Popoli

Nick Paton Walsh / CNN:

Secret NATO Taliban report revives Pakistan fears — Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) — Pakistan continues to support the Taliban in Afghanistan, a secret NATO report says, according to a journalist who has read it, despite years of Pakistani denials and American pressure to stop backing the insurgency

Discussion: Atlas Shrugs and Jihad Watch

Josh Rogin / Foreign Policy:
Administration briefs Senate leaders on Taliban transfer

Discussion: Associated Press, Weasel Zippers, Lawfare, The Hill and New York Times

Alison Gendar / NY Daily News:

Anthony Weiner used campaign money to hire private investigators to chase down his lie about crotch-shot tweet, financial statements reveal — Weiner hired T&M while in full spin mode over controversy that eventually led to his resignation — Infamous photo that Anthony Weiner tweeted.

Discussion: Jammie Wearing Fools, The Hill, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller, Runnin' Scared and UrbanGrounds

Amie Parnes / The Hill:

Obama pushes plan to help homeowners with underwater mortgages — President Obama announced a string of proposals on Wednesday aimed at helping to rejuvenate the sagging housing market, including one plan that would allow responsible homeowners to take advantage of historically low interest rates.

Discussion: The Politico and CNN

Wall Street Journal:
Obama Plans Housing Aid

Discussion: The White House, Firedoglake, Washington Post and Developments

Shelby Grad / L.A. NOW:

‘Soul Train’ creator Don Cornelius dead in apparent suicide — “Soul Train” creator Don Cornelius was found dead at his Sherman Oaks on home Wednesday morning. — Law enforcement sources said police arrived at Cornelius' home around 4 a.m. He apparently died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, The Informer, Nation Now, New York Times, Booman Tribune and THEROOT.COM

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:

Gay Activists Glitter Bomb Romney, He Calls It ‘Confetti’ To Celebrate Florida Victory — Mitt Romney was “glitter bombed” by an advocate protesting the former governor's flimsy record on equality for gay and lesbian Americans as he took the stage at a campaign event in Eagan, Minnesota this afternoon.

Discussion: BuzzFeed, ABCNEWS, The Raw Story, Mediaite and Towleroad News #gay

Wall Street Journal:

Check With Climate Scientists for Views on Climate — Do you consult your dentist about your heart condition? In science, as in any area, reputations are based on knowledge and expertise in a field and on published, peer-reviewed work. If you need surgery, you want a highly experienced expert …