memeorandum: Rooting for Santorum — I'm rooting for Rick Santorum to win the Republican nomination. (Joe Nocera/New York Times)

11:45 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 …

Faiz Shakir / ThinkProgress:

Sixth Advertiser — Carbonite — Drops Limbaugh Despite His ‘Apology’ Because He's Beyond The ‘Bounds Of Decency’ — Moments ago, Carbonite - a company providing backup software for computers - announced that it will no longer advertise on Rush Limbaugh's show.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, The Huffington Post, carbonite.com, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Impolitic, Booman Tribune and News One

Vinnie / The Jawa Report:

Rush Limbaugh Apologizes To Sandra “Not A Slut, I Just Like Having Sex Alot” Fluke — Why? I have no idea. — Well, I do have an idea. Major, long time advertisers started jumping ship. So I'm guessing his reasoning was purely financial. — In related news, I'm waiting for confirmation …

Discussion: Little Green Footballs, Mediaite, Don Surber and ECHIDNE of the snakes

BuzzFeed:

Rush Limbaugh's Last Six Apologies — The radio host offends often, but he doesn't apologize much. And when he does, as he did today — to women, African-Americans, a sick person — he doesn't exactly put his heart into it. But Sandra Fluke, whom he called a “slut,” is in good company.

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog

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

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Rush: “I sincerely apologize to Ms. Fluke”; Update: Ironic tweet of the day

Discussion: Balloon Juice, Michelle Malkin, Little Green Footballs and The Daily Caller

The Right Scoop:
Levin to CNN, MSNBC, and other leftist media: You can go to hell

Discussion: NewsBusters.org blogs

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

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

Katharine Q. Seelye / New York Times:

Romney Takes Washington Ahead of a Big Election Day — Mitt Romney won Saturday's nonbinding caucuses in Washington State, handing him a symbolic victory in his quest for the Republican nomination as he heads into the critical Super Tuesday contests just three days away.

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight

James Hohmann / Politico:

Mitt hits 5 straight in Wash. — SEATTLE — Showing that organization does matter, Mitt Romney won Washington state's caucuses Saturday. — The victory gives the former Massachusetts governor another boost going into Super Tuesday, when ten states vote. — “The voters of Washington …

Aaron Gould Sheinin / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Gingrich carries double-digit lead into Georgia primary — Newt Gingrich is poised to win Georgia's Republican presidential primary on Tuesday, as a new poll for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution shows him with a double-digit lead in a state that he represented for 20 years in Congress.

Discussion: CNN, Washington Wire, Politico and msnbc.com

Cincinnati.com:

Enquirer Endorsement: Romney deserves Ohio's support — Republican voters can no longer ignore the obvious: There is only one GOP candidate for president who has the temperament, character and discipline to lead the nation. One candidate with the business experience and management skills befitting a chief executive.

Discussion: Ballot Box and GOP 12

Vicki Needham / Ballot Box:
Cleveland Plain Dealer endorses Romney

Discussion: Politico, CNN and Plain Dealer

ABCNEWS:
Why Rick Santorum's Ohio Delegate Fiasco Could Get Messy

Discussion: The Caucus, 2012 Decoded and americanthinker.com

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

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

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

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

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: americanthinker.com, New York Times, Weasel Zippers, The Huffington Post, The Enterprise Blog, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and The Gateway Pundit

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

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

Joe Nocera / New York Times:

Rooting for Santorum — I'm rooting for Rick Santorum to win the Republican nomination. Seriously. — You probably think that is because it would be the best possible outcome for President Obama. No doubt it would be. If Santorum were the Republican nominee for president …

Discussion: Power Line, Towleroad News #gay, No More Mister Nice Blog and Outside the Beltway

Charles M. Blow / New York Times:
Santorum and the Sexual Revolution

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Prairie Weather

Michelle Dupler / Tri-City Herald:

POLITICS: Local GOP apologizes for turning 1,500 away from caucuses in Kennewick — Kennewick About 1,500 people were turned away from pooled Benton County caucuses in Kennewick by event organizers after rooms at the Three Rivers Convention Center reached capacity this morning.

Discussion: Politico, The Impolitic and Patterico's Pontifications

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.

BigFurHat / iOwnTheWorld.com:

(bumped and sticky) Breitbart Is Here — HERE IS THE LINK TO “THE SHIRT” — ALL MONEY LEFT AFTER THE COST OF MATERIALS, SHIPPING AND HANDLING WILL BE GIVEN TO THE ANDREW BREITBART FAMILY. — UPDATE 4: Here is the graphic that will go to the shop. I updated it with the classic Breitbart coif.

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

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