memeorandum: First Thoughts: Both parties licking their chops over Blunt amendment (msnbc.com)

11:25 AM ET, March 1, 2012

Top Items:

In Memoriam: Andrew Breitbart (1969-2012) — With a terrible feeling of pain and loss we announce the passing of Andrew Breitbart. — Andrew passed away unexpectedly from natural causes shortly after midnight this morning in Los Angeles. — We have lost a husband, a father, a son …

Brendan Smialowski / ABCNEWS:

Andrew Breitbart: Rick Santorum Mourns Conservative Firebrand — Dalton, GA-After a speech where he focused on mostly social issues and urged Georgians to make this a “two man race” by voting for him on Super Tuesday, the press asked Rick Santorum about the death of Andrew Breitbart.

Discussion: USA Today

Fox News:

Andrew Breitbart dies of ‘natural causes’ — DEVELOPING ... Widely read conservative Internet publisher Andrew Breitbart has died, his attorney confirms. — The websites he founded ran a statement Thursday morning announcing that Breitbart, 43, died “unexpectedly from natural causes” in Los Angeles shortly after midnight.

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, neo-neocon, The Confluence and Moonbattery

Tim Mak / Reuters:

Andrew Breitbart dead at 43 — Crusading conservative journalist and activist Andrew Breitbart died suddenly early Thursday morning in Los Angeles at the age of 43. — “Andrew passed away unexpectedly from natural causes shortly after midnight this morning,” Big Journalism author Larry Solov wrote …

Discussion: msnbc.com, Guardian, The Political Carnival and Towleroad News #gay

Charlie Spiering / Campaign 2012:
Liberals celebrate death of Andrew Breitbart

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Weasel Zippers and Wake up America

Christina Ng / ABCNEWS: Publisher and Author Andrew Breitbart Dead

R. Stickney / KNSD-TV: Andrew Breitbart Dead at 43

CNN:
Conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart dead at 43

Discussion: L.A. NOW, Wonkette and Library Grape

John S. Adams / Great Falls Tribune:

Chief U.S. District Judge sends racially charged email about president — HELENA — Chief U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull on Wednesday admitted to sending a racially charged email about President Barack Obama from his courthouse chambers. — Cebull, of Billings, was nominated …

Discussion: Reuters, Outside the Beltway, Religion News Service, Booman Tribune, The Political Carnival, Mediaite, The Raw Story, Los Angeles Times, Lawyers, Guns & Money, thump whip, The Hinterland Gazette, The Reality-Based Community, Feministing and Shakesville

Ian Millhiser / ThinkProgress:

Bush-Appointed Federal Judge Sends Racist, Anti-Obama Email Comparing Interracial Sex To Bestiality — Chief Judge Richard Cebull, a George W. Bush appointee to the federal district court in Montana, admitted yesterday to sending a racist email forward comparing President Obama's conception to sex with a dog:

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland

msnbc.com:

First Thoughts: Both parties licking their chops over Blunt amendment — Both parties licking their political chops over today's Blunt amendment vote... But the issue became a headache for Romney... Team Romney springs into action to repair the damage, but has Romney ever followed a win with a good news day? …

Discussion: ABCNEWS, Taegan Goddard's … and Nebraska Watchdog

Philip Elliott / Associated Press:
Romney clarifies his position on Blunt amendment

Discussion: tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com, Washington Monthly, Religion News Service and USA Today

Sahil Kapur / 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com:
TPM2012 — Romney Comes Out In Support Of Controversial Birth Control Bill

Discussion: The Hill, New York Times, Washington Post and Firedoglake

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Romney comes out against ‘Blunt-Rubio’

Discussion: American Prospect, The Maddow Blog, Salon, pandagon.net, Metro, LifeNews.com, Daily Kos, Sky Dancing, Talking Points Memo and American Spectator

Ashley Perks / Ballot Box:
Ohio is next battlefield for the GOP

Discussion: Politico, CNN, Guardian and Prairie Weather

Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:

Senator Olympia Snowe's Latest Hard Choice: To Quit — WASHINGTON — The looming Senate vote on a Republican plan to give employers the right to withdraw health care coverage based on religious and moral convictions put Senator Olympia J. Snowe in a tough but familiar position …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, FiveThirtyEight, Hullabaloo and Prairie Weather

Bill Allison / Sunlight Foundation Reporting Group:
Did lawsuit factor in Olympia Snowe's departure?

Discussion: Don Surber and neo-neocon

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
McConnell to skip healthcare reform repeal votes until after election

Discussion: ThinkProgress and Erick's blog

David A. Graham / The Atlantic Online:

Reports of the Republican Nominee's Doom Are Greatly Exaggerated — In the last few weeks, the GOP has succumbed to despair about beating Obama. Here are seven reasons he's still vulnerable. — Political journalists like to imagine ourselves as wise, discerning observers of the landscape.

Discussion: Hot Air

Lydia Saad / Gallup:
GOP Slightly Ahead in Voting Enthusiasm

Discussion: Hot Air, Politico, CNN and Ballot Box

Alex Seitz-Wald / ThinkProgress:

Limbaugh Calls Student Denied Spot At Contraception Hearing A ‘Slut’ — Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh called Sandra Fluke, the Georgetown student whom House Republicans wouldn't let testify at a contraception hearing last week, a “slut” and a “prostitute” today, because …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Sky Dancing, No More Mister Nice Blog, pandagon.net, Addicting Info, Crooks and Liars, The Political Carnival, his vorpal sword, The Maddow Blog, The Gateway Pundit, Hullabaloo, Little Green Footballs, RADAMISTO and Balloon Juice

Mike Lillis / The Hill:
Pelosi: Limbaugh's ‘vicious attacks’ on student uncivilized

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and The Daily Dish

Bill Simmons / ESPN.com - null:

B.S. Report Transcript: Barack Obama — Bill Simmons: Welcome to the White House. Very proud to have the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama, on the B.S. Report. This is your first podcast? — President Barack Obama: This is — well, I used to have my own podcast.

Discussion: BuzzFeed, Weasel Zippers, SBNation.com, Hotline On Call, Campaign 2012 and Indecision Forever

Bradley Olson / Bloomberg:

Keystone Oil Pipeline May Raise U.S. Gas Prices — TransCanada Corp. (TRP)'s Keystone XL oil pipeline, a project backers including Republican Presidential candidate Rick Santorum say will create cheaper U.S. gasoline, instead risks raising prices as much as 20 cents a gallon in the Midwest, Great Plains and Rocky Mountains.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, msnbc.com and InsideClimate News

Ben Geman / The Hill:
Obama to demand Capitol Hill vote on killing oil tax breaks

Discussion: Detroit Free Press

Nicholas Ballasy / The Daily Caller:
Bill Clinton: ‘We should embrace’ Keystone pipeline [VIDEO]

Discussion: Hot Air, Breitbart.tv, Politico and Scared Monkeys

Molly Ball / The Atlantic Online:

Does the Romney-Ron Paul Pact Make Paul a Sellout? — The proudly incorruptible libertarian's all-but-open collusion with Mitt Romney, the establishment candidate, should infuriate his fans. And yet somehow it doesn't. — Ron Paul is helping Mitt Romney. It's been obvious for months.

Discussion: The Agonist, Balloon Juice, naked capitalism and Addicting Info

New York Times:

Romney Wins, the Middle Class Loses — Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum fought each other to nearly a draw in the Michigan primary and may actually have to split its delegates, but together they may have lost Michigan for their party by running campaigns that were completely disconnected …

Discussion: 2012 Decoded, Daily Kos, Washington Post and The Caucus