memeorandum: Analysts: White House, Congress have little control over gas prices (Andrew Restuccia/The Hill)

7:15 PM ET, March 11, 2012

Top Items:

BBC:

US soldier kills Afghan civilians in Kandahar — Tensions were already high in Afghanistan after the burning of Korans at a US base — A US soldier in Afghanistan has killed at least 16 civilians and wounded five after entering their homes in Kandahar province, senior local officials say.

Discussion: The Long War Journal, The Jawa Report, msnbc.com, Sister Toldjah, The Raw Story, Scared Monkeys, The Mahablog, americanthinker.com and Vox Popoli

New York Times:

U.S. Sergeant Kills 16 Afghan Civilians, 9 of Them Children — PANJWAI, Afghanistan — Stalking from home to home, a United States Army sergeant methodically killed at least 16 civilians, 9 of them children, in a rural stretch of southern Afghanistan early on Sunday, igniting fears of a new wave …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, DownWithTyranny!, Guardian, Boing Boing, Mediaite, The Last Tradition, Outside the Beltway, The Daily Dish, Gothamist, Booman Tribune and Gretawire

Ahmad Nadem / Reuters:

Western forces kill 15 civilians in Afghanistan: Kabul government — (Reuters) - Coalition forces killed 15 civilians in a shooting spree in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province on Sunday, the defense ministry said, in an incident likely to deepen the growing divide between Washington and Kabul.

Discussion: Gawker

AJE - Al Jazeera English:

US soldier kills Afghans in shooting spree — Soldier opens fire on civilians in three separate homes near military base in Kandahar province before surrendering. — A US soldier has killed more than a dozen civilians in a shooting spree in southern Afghanistan before being detained, officials say.

Discussion: msnbc.com, The PJ Tatler, Taylor Marsh, Balloon Juice and The Agonist

Gary Langer / ABCNEWS:
Six in 10 Criticize War in Afghanistan; Most Favor Abandoning Training Mission

Discussion: Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog!

Ahmad Nadem / Trust.org:
Western forces kill 16 civilians in Afghanistan - Kabul govt

Discussion: Washington Post and Crooks and Liars

Washington Post:
U.S. soldier detained after opening fire on Afghans; at least 16 killed

Discussion: American Power, emptywheel and Hot Air

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill:
Obama: Shooting of Afghan civilians ‘tragic and shocking’

Discussion: Politico

Andrew Restuccia / The Hill:

Gibbs: Romney loss in Kansas shows he's not ‘inevitable’ nominee — A top Obama campaign official sought to cast doubt Sunday on the idea that Romney is the “inevitable” Republican nominee. — Robert Gibbs, the former White House press secretary, took aim at Romney over his second-place finish …

Discussion: americanthinker.com, CNN, Politico, Ballot Box and GOP 12

Ben Terris / NationalJournal.com:
Santorum: 'I'd Like Everybody to Get Out' — Rick Santorum needs …

Discussion: The Raw Story

Rick Pearson / Chicago Tribune:
Poll: Romney slightly ahead of Santorum in Illinois

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, CNN, Politico, Scared Monkeys and Hot Air

Sam Baker / The Hill:
Santorum: Romney doesn't ‘tell the truth’ to voters on healthcare

Discussion: Politico, CNN and Prairie Weather

Washington Post:
Santorum wins Kansas caucuses, Romney wins Wyoming

Discussion: Esquire, Don Surber and Crooks and Liars

WESH-TV:

Grayson Involved In Crash With Lynx Bus — Campaign Event Held In Downtown Orlando — ORLANDO, Fla. — Former U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson crashed into a Lynx bus in downtown Orlando about noon Saturday. — Grayson was traveling to an upscale fundraising event for his Congressional campaign.

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, Mediaite and Moe_Lane's blog

Nicolle Wallace / ABCNEWS:

Nicolle Wallace On Sarah Palin ‘Game Change’ Movie — “Game Change” is not a movie about Sarah Palin. And it's definitely not about staffers like me. — It's a film about the vast, murky gray area in which the majority of politics takes place. I'm not talking about what you see on television …

Discussion: CNN and CANNONFIRE

Susan Saulny / New York Times:

Centrist Women Tell of Disenchantment With Republicans — As baby showers go, the party Mary Russell attended to celebrate her niece's first child was sweet, with about a dozen women offering congratulations over ice cream and cake. — But somewhere between the baby name game and the gifts …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Wonkette, Althouse and The West Ranch Beacon

Ross Douthat / New York Times:

Op-Ed Columnist: The Responsible Republicans — WITH Super Tuesday in the books, the time has come to praise that most mocked, maligned and misunderstood of Americans: the Republican primary voter. — The longer the primary campaign drags on, the more its noise and nastiness are being cited …

Discussion: Booman Tribune and The Reality-Based Community

Andrew Restuccia / The Hill:

Analysts: White House, Congress have little control over gas prices — Federal policymakers have few options to lower gas prices in the short-term, according to energy analysts. — The recent run-up is fueling election-year political battles and thrusting White House energy policy into the spotlight …

Discussion: Prairie Weather and The Political Carnival

Associated Press:

At Least 10 Killed as Suicide Bomber Attacks Catholic Church During Mass — Car bomb explodes near Nigeria church; 10 killed — JOS, Nigeria (AP) — A suicide car bomber attacked a Catholic church Sunday in the middle of Mass, killing at least 10 people in the latest violence targeting …

Discussion: The Last Tradition, Weasel Zippers and Atlas Shrugs

Molly Ball / The Atlantic Online:

Mitt Romney's Humor: An Appreciation — Unlike most politicians' attempts to be funny, Romney's sense of humor is dark, dry, self-deprecating and a little subversive. Maybe that's why he never gets credit for it. — When Mitt Romney, campaigning in Mississippi on Friday, said “y'all,” …

Discussion: Politico