memeorandum: The Democrats are Desperate: Obama Calls Sandra Fluke, the 30-Year-Old Victim (Rush Limbaugh)

10:50 AM ET, March 3, 2012

Top Items:

Rush Limbaugh / CNN:

Initially silent, Romney addresses Limbaugh ‘slut’ remarks — Cleveland, Ohio (CNN) - Mitt Romney steered clear of the Rush Limbaugh controversy until Friday evening, even avoiding a CNN reporter earlier in the day, when he addressed the issue after an event in Cleveland.

Discussion: Hullabaloo, The Hill, TBogg, Politico, Hot Air, The Reality-Based Community, The Moderate Voice, Indecision Forever and Washington Monthly

Washington Post:

The GOP can no longer avoid its Rush Limbaugh problem. — IN A DEMOCRACY, standards of civil discourse are as important as they are indefinable. Yet wherever one draws the line, Rush Limbaugh's vile rants against Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke crossed it.

Discussion: Daily Kos, Latest Open Salon Blog, Palm Beach Daily News and The PJ Tatler

Dana Loesch / Big Journalism:

Republicans Fall For Manufactured Story — The Obama administration withered for several weeks under the intense criticism from Catholic leaders regarding the forced violation of religious liberty within the HHS mandate. In an effort to turn the tables, Democrats suggested that the GOP …

Discussion: CNN, Jay Bookman, Doug Ross, Cold Fury, Mediaite, NewsBusters.org blogs and Swampland

Adam Peck / ThinkProgress:

Rush Limbaugh's Advertisers Facing Social Media Firestorm — Rush Limbaugh's latest misogynistic tirade against Georgetown University Law Student Sandra Fluke may be the last straw for many of the shock jock's corporate sponsors. Thousands of angry customers have been inundating dozens …

Discussion: Brilliant at Breakfast and Dependable Renegade

Rush Limbaugh:

The Democrats are Desperate: Obama Calls Sandra Fluke, the 30-Year-Old Victim — RUSH: “A Missouri House member frustrated with recent legislative debates over birth control and reproductive health is proposing to restrict vasectomies. Legislation sponsored by Democrat Stacey Newman …

Discussion: msnbc.com, USA Today, The Caucus, Althouse and The Gateway Pundit

Rick Santorum / CNN:

Santorum calls Limbaugh comments ‘absurd’ — (CNN) - Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum labeled Rush Limbaugh “absurd” over disparaging remarks from the radio talk show host directed at a law student who testified before a House panel in support of access to contraceptives.

Discussion: Mediaite, Informed Comment, Washington Post, NO QUARTER, Politico, Business Insider, Zandar Versus The Stupid, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Right Scoop, The Agonist, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, CBS News, Firedoglake, The Political Carnival, GOP 12, Daily Kos and News Desk

Maggie Haberman / Politico: Romney on Rush: Not the language I'd have used

Conor Friedersdorf / The Atlantic Online:
Why Does Rush Limbaugh Get Away With Calling a Young Woman a ‘Slut’?

Discussion: Politico, Crooks and Liars, BuzzFeed, CBS News and Outside the Beltway, more at Mediagazer »

CNN:
Democrats, Republicans face off over energy in weekly address

Discussion: Reuters

Sam Baker / The Hill:
Issa blames Dems for tone of contraception debate

Discussion: Daily Kos and Hullabaloo

Angela Morabito / TheCollegeConservative:
Sandra Fluke Does Not Speak for Me

Discussion: Angry Bear, NewsHounds blog, Mediaite, Swampland, Rush Limbaugh, The Huffington Post, Washington Post and Politicker

Chris Cillizza / Washington Post:
Is Rush Limbaugh hurting Republicans?

Discussion: Balloon Juice, The Huffington Post, CNN, The New Republic, Daily Kos and Crooks and Liars

Michelle Malkin:
Sandra Fluke is not a “slut.” She's a femme-agogue tool; DCCC, Emily's list fund-raise off of Rush

Lucy Madison / CBS News:
Obama calls Sandra Fluke to offer support over Limbaugh comments

Discussion: BuzzFeed, ThinkProgress, L.A. NOW and The Page

Craig Crawford's Trail Mix:
Rush Doubles Down on “Slut” Speech

Discussion: Washington Post, The Reality-Based Community, The New Republic, The Moderate Voice, The Confluence, The Political Carnival and Crooks and Liars

Fox News:
White House enters controversy over Limbaugh comments on Georgetown student

Discussion: Washington Post and ECHIDNE of the snakes

Faiz Shakir / ThinkProgress:
Second Advertiser Pulls Out From Limbaugh

Discussion: TalkLeft, The Raw Story and msnbc.com

Stephen Koff / Metro:

Rick Santorum faces bigger Ohio problem than previously known (updated) — WASHINGTON — Rick Santorum was already known as starting from a deficit, delegate-wise, in Ohio. He failed to qualify for any district delegates in three Ohio congressional districts because he didn't turn in delegate names there.

Discussion: Toledo Blade, The Moderate Voice, Outside the Beltway and pandagon.net

Emily Schultheis / Politico:

Republicans sing the home-state blues — CARROLLTON, Ga. —For presidential candidates, it's not necessarily safe to come home again. — On Tuesday, Newt Gingrich is staking his entire presidential race on winning Georgia — a state he represented in Congress for over 10 terms.

Discussion: CNN

ABCNEWS:
Rick Santorum's Ohio Delegate Problems Pile Up

Discussion: americanthinker.com

Erick Erickson / Erick's blog:

BREAKING: Mitt Romney Urged Obama to Embrace the Individual Mandate — Had Michigan not been as close, the Democrats would have waited to spring this on us in the general election. Luckily we have it now and I hope Ohio voters are paying attention. — In July 2009, Mitt Romney wrote …

Discussion: Cold Fury and Doug Ross

Andrew Kaczynski / BuzzFeed:

Mitt Romney's Advice For ObamaCare: Look At RomneyCare — Mitt Romney was once touting his plan to Obama as a model for health care reform. He didn't mention keeping it at the state level. — Republican Presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney often fends off the attacks comparing …

Discussion: JustOneMinute, Mitt Romney Central, Hot Air, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Daily Kos, The Gateway Pundit and The PJ Tatler

Detroit Free Press:

Volt production on hold for 5 weeks — General Motors has told 1,300 employees at its Detroit Hamtramck that they will be temporarily laid off for five weeks as the company halts production of the Chevrolet Volt and its European counterpart, the Opel Ampera.

Keith Laing / The Hill:
GM temporarily halts production of Volt

Discussion: Right Wing News and Don Surber

Reuters:

Libya's Muslim Brotherhood sets up political party — TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libya's Muslim Brotherhood teamed up with other Islamists on Friday to establish a new political party that is set to be a leading player in the country's first elections since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in a NATO-backed uprising.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

today.yougov.com News:

Santorum Leads in Three of Five YouGov Super Tuesday Polls — Romney and Gingrich lead in their home states, but trail Santorum in Ohio, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. — Five days before the crucial Republican primaries on “Super Tuesday” (March 6), former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum holds narrow leads …

Discussion: Liberal Values

Jeremy W. Peters / New York Times: ‘Super PACs,’ Not Campaigns, Do Bulk of Ad Spending

James Crugnale / Mediaite:

Steve Doocy: 'Media Matters May End President Obama's Hopes Of Getting Re-Elected' — Things that make you go hmmm... On Friday's Fox and Friends, co-host Steve Doocy introduced an interview with Alan Dershowitz and made the startling declaration that Fox News watchdog group Media Matters …

Kevin Sieff / Washington Post:

U.S. probe of Koran burning finds 5 troops responsible, officials say; Afghans demand trial — PUL-E-ALAM, Afghanistan — Military investigators have concluded that five U.S. service members were involved in the incineration of a pile of Korans in Afghanistan last week …