memeorandum: Mitch Daniels: Still a ‘no’ on 2012 presidential run (NBC's Carrie Dann/msnbc.com)

4:30 PM ET, February 25, 2012

Top Items:

U.S. Officers Killed in Kabul Shooting — KABUL—Two high-ranking U.S. military advisers were killed Saturday during a clash with an Afghan national at Afghanistan's Interior Ministry headquarters, according to Afghan and Western officials. — An American colonel and major were both found shot …

Discussion: Fox News, Stop The ACLU, The Gateway Pundit, The Jawa Report, Weasel Zippers and Atlas Shrugs

BBC:

Afghanistan Nato officers shot dead in Kabul ministry — The ministry was put in lock-down after the incident — Two Nato officers have been killed in the interior ministry in the Afghan capital Kabul, coalition officials say. — Nato said an “individual” had turned his gun on the officers …

Discussion: Marathon Pundit, Weasel Zippers, Verum Serum, americanthinker.com and Campaign 2012

Nick Paton Walsh / CNN:
2 American officers killed in Afghan ministry

Discussion: Wake up America and Jihad Watch

Zeke Miller / Politics:

Santorum Unloads On “Occupier” Romney — “He doesn't understand how America works any more than Barack Obama understands how America works.” Fighting, and complaining, he says Ron Paul is “no conservative.” — Nuns from the Dominican Sisters of Mary order, from Ann Arbor …

Discussion: Hot Air

WSB-TV:

Poll: Gingrich holds commanding lead in Georgia — ATLANTA — A new poll conducted for Channel 2 Action News shows Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich with a double-digit lead in Georgia. — The Landmark/Rosetta Stone poll of 1,300 voters was conducted on Feb. 23 …

Discussion: CNN and Ballot Box

Jonathan Martin / Politico:

Santorum slashes Romney — Stepping up his assault on Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum delivered a slashing speech Saturday morning that portrayed the establishment favorite as an elitist and unreliable conservative. — Santorum, appearing before over a thousand conservative activists gathered …

Discussion: CNN and Ballot Box

New York Times:

For Romney, a Message Lost in the Empty Seats — DETROIT — In a major policy speech here, just days before the Michigan primary, Mitt Romney set out on Friday to deliver a sweeping and sober vision for how to revive the American economy. In the end, he delivered something else as well …

Discussion: Riehl World View, Rod Dreher, The Caucus and Eschaton

Molly Ball / The Atlantic Online:
With Detroit Debacle, Mitt Romney Steps on His Momentum—Again

Discussion: Guardian, Donklephant, RedState and FiveThirtyEight

Felicia Sonmez / Washington Post:
Mitt Romney: Wife Ann drives ‘a couple of Cadillacs’

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, Firedoglake, Daily Kos and BuzzFeed

Steven F. Hayward / Weekly Standard:

Why the Climate Skeptics Are Winning — Too many of their opponents are intellectual thugs. — The forlorn and increasingly desperate climate campaign achieved a new level of ineptitude last week when what had looked like a minor embarrassment for one of its critics …

Discussion: Wizbang and Power Line

Fars News Agency:

Commander Views US Helplessness as Root Cause of Quran Burning by American Soldiers — TEHRAN (FNA)- A top Iranian military commander said the US helplessness in the confrontation against Islam is the real cause underlying the burning of the Muslims' Holy Book by American soldiers in Afghanistan …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Weasel Zippers and Maggie's Farm

Fars News Agency:
OIC Condemns Quran Burning by US Troops in Afghanistan

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Atlas Shrugs, Jihad Watch and The Gateway Pundit

The White House:

WEEKLY ADDRESS: An All-Of-The-Above Approach to American Energy — WASHINGTON, DC—In this week's address, President Obama spoke to the American people about the importance of taking an all-of-the-above approach to addressing our nation's energy challenges.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and Stop The ACLU

Jonathan Easley / The Hill:
Sen. Hutchison hits Obama on job growth, high gas prices

Discussion: Politico, The Hill and his vorpal sword

NBC's Carrie Dann / msnbc.com:

Mitch Daniels: Still a ‘no’ on 2012 presidential run — WASHINGTON — For Republicans dreaming of a knight in shining armor to save the GOP day, Gov. Mitch Daniels ain't budging. — Asked by a reporter if a loss for Mitt Romney in Tuesday's Michigan primary would prompt him to reconsider …

Daily Mail:

Insult to WWII heroes: Graves of British troops smashed and desecrated by Libyan Islamists in protest over U.S. soldiers' Koran burning — A furious mob has desecrated dozens of Commonwealth War Graves in a Libyan cemetery amid continuing fury in the Middle East over the burning of the Koran by U.S. soldiers.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, protein wisdom, Atlas Shrugs and The Daily Caller

The Right Scoop:

Mark Levin's no more gotchas interview with Rick Santorum — Mark Levin said that he's tired of all that gotchas and decided to interview Santorum on substantive issues instead. The topics they cover are energy, Supreme Court justices, presidential vacations, border security, and more.

Discussion: Daily Pundit, protein wisdom, The Other McCain and Doug Ross

John P. Martin / Philly.com:

Court filing: Bevilacqua ordered shredding of memo identifying suspected abusers — Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua ordered aides to shred a 1994 memo that identified 35 Archdiocese of Philadelphia priests suspected of sexually abusing children, according to a new court filing.

Josh Rogin / Foreign Policy:

Exclusive: State Department quietly warning region on Syrian WMDs — The State Department has begun coordinating with Syria's neighbors to prepare for the handling of President Bashar al-Assad's extensive weapons of mass destruction if and when his regime collapses, The Cable has learned.

Discussion: Belmont Club, Israel Matzav, Hot Air, msnbc.com, Weasel Zippers and New York Times