memeorandum: Lawmakers secretly work on bipartisan deficit grand bargain (Erik Wasson/The Hill)

10:50 PM ET, March 4, 2012

Top Items:

George Will: Republican Leaders Are Afraid of Rush Limbaugh — Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh has been inundated with criticism after calling Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown University student who testified before a House committee about contraception, a “slut” and a “prostitute.”

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Last Tradition and Outside the Beltway

Tali Arbel / Associated Press:

A 7th advertiser pulls out of Limbaugh's show — NEW YORK (AP) — A flower company is the seventh advertiser to pull its ads from conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh's radio program in reaction to his derogatory comments about a law student who testified about birth control policy.

Discussion: The Right Sphere, The Mahablog and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:

Make an example of Carbonite (Update: ProFlowers joins Rush boycott) — Liberal groups have seized on a strategy I didn't think would be effective, but has had some success, to go after advertisers of prominent conservative media personalities. — Media Matters explicitly seeks to bring …

Discussion: The Last Tradition, 24Ahead, Doug Ross, NewsBusters.org and Rumproast

Noel Sheppard / NewsBusters.org:

Gingrich Scolds Gregory and Media for Making Limbaugh ‘The Great National Crisis of This Week’ — With all that ails the nation, Meet the Press host David Gregory actually began his interview with Newt Gingrich by asking him about contraceptives and Rush Limbaugh.

Discussion: Mediaite, The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit, The Moderate Voice and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Kirsten Powers / The Daily Beast:

Rush Limbaugh Isn't the Only Media Misogynist — Rush Limbaugh apologized on Saturday for calling a Georgetown Law student a slut for testifying about contraception and starting a firestorm of outrage. Kirsten Powers says the liberals who led the charge need to start holding their own side accountable.

Discussion: The Other McCain, The Moderate Voice, American Spectator, NewsBusters.org, Wake up America, Sky Dancing, Instapundit, The Daily Caller, Mediaite and NO QUARTER

Pamela Geller / Atlas Shrugs:

Slutgate: Contact Carbonite — Drop Ed Schultz UPDATE: 7 Companies to Boycott — A 30-year-old poses as a 23-year-old, chooses a Catholic University to attend at $65,000 per year, and cannot afford ALL the birth control pills she needs... so she wants the US taxpayers to pay for her rampant sexual activity.

Discussion: Little Green Footballs, RedState, Riehl World View, The Lonely Conservative, iOwnTheWorld.com, The PJ Tatler and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Daily Kos:
I've spent the past 2 days trying to convince my 16 y/o she is not a “slut” **Updated x 3

Discussion: Addicting Info, Hullabaloo and Balloon Juice

Maureen Dowd / New York Times:
Have You No Shame, Rush? — AS a woman who has been viciously slashed …

Discussion: The Last Tradition, Angry Bear, The Moderate Voice, Washington Post, The Other McCain, Althouse, Prairie Weather and Daily Kos

Marist Poll:

3/4: Santorum and Romney Neck and Neck in Ohio — Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney are locked in a tight battle in the race for the Republican nomination in Ohio. Among likely Republican primary voters including those who are undecided yet leaning toward a candidate, early voters …

Discussion: The Last Tradition, The Caucus, Sky Dancing, Hot Air, Politico, Scared Monkeys, Washington Post, Hotline On Call and The Page

Reuters:
Romney catches Santorum in Ohio dead heat: Reuters/Ipsos poll

Discussion: Politico, CNN, Scared Monkeys and Zandar Versus The Stupid

Vicki Needham / The Hill:
Eric Cantor endorses Romney for president

Discussion: Politico

First Read / msnbc.com:
NBC News/Marist poll: Santorum, Romney neck and neck in Ohio

Discussion: Daily Kos, CNN, Outside the Beltway and Politico

Meghashyam Mali / Ballot Box:
Two polls find Romney, Santorum tied in Ohio

Discussion: Politico, The Reaction, Washington Post, Seattle Times, ABCNEWS and The Moderate Voice

Fox News:
Romney notches fifth straight win with Washington state GOP caucuses

Discussion: The Lonely Conservative, The Daily Weekly and Hit & Run

David M. Herszenhorn / New York Times:

Putin Wins Presidency, but Opposition Keeps Pressure — MOSCOW — Russian voters overwhelmingly granted Vladimir V. Putin a six-year term as president on Sunday, a widely expected outcome that set the stage for a far more suspenseful post-election confrontation between the freshly emboldened leader …

Discussion: Via Meadia and Outside the Beltway

Washington Post: Vladimir Putin appears set for reelection as Russian president; opponents claim widespread fraud

Reuters:
Russia's Putin seeks Kremlin return, critics cry foul

Discussion: Pat Dollard and americanthinker.com

Bob Egelko / San Francisco Chronicle:

Santorum backs nullifying existing gay marriages — There are 18,000 married gay and lesbian couples in California and at least 131,000 nationwide according to the 2010 census, conducted before New York state legalized same-sex marriage in July. — Rick Santorum says he'll try to unmarry all of them if he's elected president.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, M.JOSEPH SHEPPARD'S …, The Daily What and Joe. My. God.

Keith O'Brien / Telegraph:
We cannot afford to indulge this madness

Discussion: The Daily Dish, Towleroad News #gay, Althouse and Guardian

Erik Wasson / The Hill:

Lawmakers secretly work on bipartisan deficit grand bargain — A small, bipartisan group of lawmakers in both the House and Senate are secretly drafting deficit grand bargain legislation that cuts entitlements and raises new revenue. — Sources said that the task of actually writing …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Business Insider, The Political Carnival and Prairie Weather

Marc Israel Sellem / Jerusalem Post:

Likud politicians mock Obama AIPAC speech — Labor's Yacimovich calls the speech “unquestionably pro-Israel”; Livni blames Netanyahu for tensions. — Israeli reactions to US President Barack Obama's speech at the AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington on Sunday were divided along party lines.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

Philip Klein / Campaign 2012:
TEXT: Obama's remarks to AIPAC

Discussion: New York Times, Attackerman, The Daily Dish, Politico, Guardian, americanthinker.com, American Spectator, Israel Matzav, The Agonist, The Spectacle Blog and The Hill

Nicole Belle / Crooks and Liars:

Eric Cantor Compares Contraceptive Mandate to Kosher Food — I think the Republicans know they overreached this time with the contraceptive debate and the Blunt Amendment. But being a Republican means never having to say you're sorry. You obfuscate, you reframe the debate into something …

The Right Scoop:

Newt owns David Gregory on contraception debate — This is even better than how Newt responded to this issue on ABC this morning. He refused to allow Gregory to frame this as a women's rights issue and made clear that there is no one blocking access to contraception.

Discussion: Verum Serum