memeorandum: Publisher and Author Andrew Breitbart Dead (Christina Ng/ABCNEWS)

10:50 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 …

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, The Confluence and Moonbattery

Charlie Spiering / Campaign 2012:

Liberals celebrate death of Andrew Breitbart — As news broke this morning of the tragic death of Conservative journalist Andrew Breitbart, liberals celebrated the news on Twitter.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and Weasel Zippers

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: Towleroad News #gay and msnbc.com

Christina Ng / ABCNEWS: Publisher and Author Andrew Breitbart Dead

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

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: 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: Washington Post

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

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

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

Discussion: Politico, CNN, Guardian and Prairie Weather

Daniel Strauss / The Hill:
Sen. Manchin will vote for Blunt amendment on contraceptive care

Discussion: CNN, Power Line, The Hill, Sky Dancing, Firedoglake and New York Times

Bill Allison / Sunlight Foundation Reporting Group:

Did lawsuit factor in Olympia Snowe's departure? — Last August, while Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, was in the midst of an intensive round of fundraising for her 2012 reelection bid, a four-year-old civil lawsuit alleging fraud by an education company in which she and her husband are heavily invested became public.

Discussion: Don Surber and neo-neocon

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

McConnell to skip healthcare reform repeal votes until after election — Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) told his colleagues this week that he does not want to vote again on repealing President Obama's healthcare reform law until after the November elections.

Discussion: ThinkProgress and Erick's blog

Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:
Senator Olympia Snowe's Latest Hard Choice: To Quit

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight, Hullabaloo and Prairie Weather

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, Scared Monkeys and Politico

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, No More Mister Nice Blog, Sky Dancing, 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

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

Nick Paton Walsh / CNN:

Gunmen kill NATO forces in southern Afghanistan — (CNN) — A gunman in an Afghan National Army uniform and another man shot and killed two service members with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, authorities said.

Discussion: BLACKFIVE and Weasel Zippers

CBS News:
Afghan gunmen kill 2 U.S. troops

Discussion: Freedom's Lighthouse and Hot Air

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

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

Amie Parnes / Ballot Box: With Romney on the horizon, Obama turns up his blue collar

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

John Campbell / 3 News:

Kim Dotcom's first TV interview: 'I'm no piracy king' … Campbell Live has spoken exclusively with Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom in his first TV interview since being arrested. — Dotcom faces a barrage of FBI charges relating to the operation of his file sharing company Megaupload.