memeorandum: 31 arrested in women's rights demonstration at state Capitol (Olympia Meola/Richmond Times-Dispatch)

11:45 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

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, Riehl World View, RedState, The Lonely Conservative, iOwnTheWorld.com and The PJ Tatler

Daily Kos:

I've spent the past 2 days trying to convince my 16 y/o she is not a “slut” **Updated x 3 — I can hardly type, can hardly put this into words! I have been writing and rewriting this because if I don't break down in tears, I get so angry that I can't think straight!

Discussion: Balloon Juice, Hullabaloo and Addicting Info

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, Instapundit, Sky Dancing, The Daily Caller, Mediaite and NO QUARTER

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

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

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 …

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 and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

The Right Scoop:
Newt owns David Gregory on contraception debate

Discussion: Verum Serum

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, Zandar Versus The Stupid and Scared Monkeys

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, ABCNEWS and The Moderate Voice

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

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

Seattle Times:
Big win in state propels Romney into Super Tuesday

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Patterico's Pontifications and Real Clear Politics

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: Don Surber, Pat Dollard and americanthinker.com

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, Politico, The Daily Dish, americanthinker.com, Guardian, American Spectator, Israel Matzav, The Agonist, The Spectacle Blog and The Hill

Andrew Breitbart / BREITBART.COM:

THE VETTING, PART I: BARACK'S LOVE SONG TO ALINSKY — Prior to his passing, Andrew Breitbart said that the mission of the Breitbart empire was to exemplify the free and fearless press that our Constitution protects—but which, increasingly, the mainstream media denies us. — “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?”

Discussion: The Jawa Report and Babalú Blog

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: M.JOSEPH SHEPPARD'S …, The Daily What, Outside the Beltway 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

Olympia Meola / Richmond Times-Dispatch:

31 arrested in women's rights demonstration at state Capitol — RICHMOND, Va. — Del. Delores L. McQuinn, D-Richmond, tonight spoke out against the arrests of 31 women's rights demonstrators in a protest at the state Capitol earlier today that drew Virginia State Police in riot gear.

Discussion: Firedoglake and ThinkProgress