memeorandum: Romney Supported Federal Individual Mandate In 2009 (Andrew Kaczynski/BuzzFeed)

8:20 PM ET, March 3, 2012

Top Items:

A Statement from Rush — For over 20 years, I have illustrated the absurd with absurdity, three hours a day, five days a week. In this instance, I chose the wrong words in my analogy of the situation. I did not mean a personal attack on Ms. Fluke. — I think it is absolutely absurd …

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, Daily Mail, Patterico's Pontifications, Don Surber, Big Hollywood, Little Green Footballs, The Moderate Voice, The Daily Dish, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Dean's World

The Right Scoop:

Levin to CNN, MSNBC, and other leftist media: You can go to hell — Levin took to the airwaves today to expose Sandra Fluke and defend Rush Limbaugh over these attacks from Democrats and the leftist media. One thing among many, that I loved about this monologue is that when talking …

Discussion: NewsBusters.org blogs

Jonathan Weisman / The Caucus:
Obama Backs Student in Furor With Limbaugh on Birth Control

Discussion: Althouse, NewsHounds blog, The Confluence, Politico, Swampland, The Huffington Post, Media Decoder, Daily Kos and Rush Limbaugh

Associated Press:

Edwards asks that sex tape not be destroyed — GREENSBORO, N.C. — Ahead of his federal trial involving alleged campaign finance violations, John Edwards is asking a judge to keep a sex tape involving him and his mistress from being destroyed. — In a request filed Friday in U.S. District Court …

Discussion: The Hill, Washington Post, Mediaite and Business Insider

Fox News:
John Edwards asks judge not to destroy sex tape

Discussion: TalkLeft

Scott Wilson / Washington Post:

In meeting, Obama to warn Netanyahu against military strikes on Iran — President Obama plans to caution Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu next week against attacking Iran's nuclear facilities in the coming months, urging patience while international economic sanctions take full effect.

Discussion: New York Times, Weasel Zippers, The Huffington Post, The Enterprise Blog, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Israel Matzav and The Gateway Pundit

Jamie Klatell / The Hill:
Obama's AIPAC speech will be pivotal for holding onto Jewish voters in 2012

Discussion: Power Line and Zandar Versus The Stupid

Josh Rogin / Foreign Policy:
Daylight: New film blasts Obama's Israel record

Discussion: Power Line, Israel Matzav, The Huffington Post, Planet Washington, ThinkProgress and Washington Free Beacon

ABCNEWS:

Why Rick Santorum's Ohio Delegate Fiasco Could Get Messy — ABC News' Michael Falcone reports: — CINCINNATI, Ohio — Let the haggling begin. — Rick Santorum still holds a slim lead over Mitt Romney in the latest Ohio polls, but win or lose on Tuesday, the results of the primary …

Discussion: The Caucus and 2012 Decoded

Vicki Needham / Ballot Box:
Cleveland Plain Dealer endorses Romney

Discussion: CNN, Plain Dealer and The Hill

Emily Schultheis / Politico:
Republicans sing the home-state blues

Discussion: Hot Air, Knoxville News-Sentinel, CNN, American Research Group and American Spectator

Stephen Koff / Metro:
Rick Santorum faces bigger Ohio problem than previously known (updated)

Discussion: Toledo Blade, Outside the Beltway, Don Surber, Hot Air, Politico, americanthinker.com, The Moderate Voice, ABCNEWS and pandagon.net

Associated Press:

Official: Mistakes led to Afghan Quran burnings — KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — At least five American military personnel could face a disciplinary review over the burning of Qurans at a U.S. base in Afghanistan as conflicting accounts of what happened emerged Saturday, fueling more confusion …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and Jihad Watch

Mark Steyn / National Review:
‘Die, Die, Foreigners!’

Discussion: Cold Fury

BigFurHat / iOwnTheWorld.com:

(bumped and sticky) Breitbart Is Here — UPDATE 4: Here is the graphic that will go to the shop. I updated it with the classic Breitbart coif. The tee shirts will go live tomorrow morning. Anyone interested in a high resolution jpg., e-mail me at bigfurhat.mail@gmail.com and I will send it to you.

Discussion: Big Government, Publius Forum, Atlas Shrugs and Doug Ross

Luke Johnson / The Huffington Post:

Wilmington City Council Passes Resolution Urging ‘Personhood’ Rights For Sperm … Video , Women's Rights , Women's Health , Egg Personhood , Loretta Walsh , Personhood , Personhood Bills , Sperm Personhood , War On Women , Wilmington , Wilmington City Council , Women's Health Care , Politics News

Discussion: Brilliant at Breakfast, Crooks and Liars and Sky Dancing

Wall Street Journal:

How to Dress Like You Just Might Win — I was watching the Georgetown-Notre Dame basketball game Monday night and was struck by how dapper the coaches looked. And not just the coaches, but the assistant coaches. And the assistant-assistant coaches. Fancy shirts. Classy ties. Elegant suits.

Andrew Kaczynski / BuzzFeed:

Romney Supported Federal Individual Mandate In 2009 — The Republican presidential frontrunner often takes criticism for his previous support of a individual mandate. But the former Massachusetts Governor deflects blame for first implementing the idea by saying he took a state-based, “federalist” approach.

Discussion: Hot Air and Erick's blog

Climate Guest Blogger / ThinkProgress:

Syria: Climate Change, Drought and Social Unrest … by Francesco Femia & Caitlin Werrell, in a Center for Climate & Security repost [Addendum by Joe Romm] — Syria's current social unrest is, in the most direct sense, a reaction to a brutal and out-of-touch regime and a response …

Discussion: CNN, The Agonist and Pirate's Cove