memeorandum: Tea Party groups pressure House GOP leaders to rev up Fast and Furious probe (Jordy Yager/The Hill)

10:20 AM ET, March 12, 2012

Top Items:

Gas prices sink Obama's ratings on economy, bring parity to race for White House — Disapproval of President Obama's handling of the economy is heading higher — alongside gasoline prices — as a record number of Americans now give the president “strongly” negative reviews …

Discussion: American Prospect, msnbc.com, Ballot Box, National Review, The Huffington Post, Business Insider, Hot Air, CNN, Scared Monkeys, Politico, Don Surber, Prairie Weather, americanthinker.com, The PJ Tatler, Washington Free Beacon, The Page and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog

Carl Cameron / Fox News:

EXCLUSIVE: Gingrich-Perry Pre-Convention Ticket in the Works — Sources close to the Gingrich campaign say preliminary “what-if” conversations are underway that could lead to a Gingrich-Perry ticket being announced prior to the Republican National Convention at the end of August.

Discussion: Mediaite, Outside the Beltway, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Reaction, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Taegan Goddard's … and CANNONFIRE

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:

Too close to call in Alabama and Mississippi — Tuesday looks like it's going to be a close election night in both Mississippi and Alabama. In Mississippi Newt Gingrich is holding on to a slight lead with 33% to 31% for Mitt Romney, 27% for Rick Santorum, and 7% for Ron Paul.

Discussion: American Prospect, Political Insider, Hot Air, Outside the Beltway, The Other McCain and americanthinker.com

Associated Press:

Santorum: Convention would give me GOP nomination — WASHINGTON (AP) — Rick Santorum predicted Monday that he would get the Republican presidential nomination if the race remains undecided by the time the party holds its nominating convention this summer. — Though former Massachusetts …

Discussion: The Agonist

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:

Obama Still Muslim, Report Southern Republicans — It has been a while since the question of President Obama's religion — his true religion, maybe the religion he or his “church” don't want you to know about — has been on the national agenda. And the upcoming Alabama and Mississippi primaries …

Discussion: Bloomberg, ThinkProgress, Outside the Beltway and Prairie Weather

Sarah Huisenga / CBS News:

Gingrich, Perry deny they seek a joint ticket — (CBS News) Newt Gingrich's spokesman on Sunday dismissed speculation about a potential Gingrich-Rick Perry ticket being announced before the Republican National Convention in August, saying the two camps have not discussed the idea “at any level.”

Discussion: The Hill

Gary Langer / ABCNEWS:
Rising Gas Prices Have Dented Obama's Rating: Poll

Discussion: The Page and The Last Tradition

ABCNEWS:
‘World News’ Political Insights: Mitt Romney's Math Beating Rivals' Momentum

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, NY Daily News and Wall Street Journal

Jon Cohen / Washington Post:
Poll: Few in U.S. sense Afghan support for war

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Theo Spark and American Power

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

Discussion: Firedoglake, ThinkProgress, Reuters, USA Today, Campaign 2012, Washington Post, Daily Kos, BBC, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Moderate Voice, The Daily Dish and The Hill

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

Discussion: Ballot Box, The Other McCain, The Raw Story, American Power and Crooks and Liars

Jackie Borchardt / Dayton Daily News:

Bill introduced to regulate men's reproductive health — Part of a trend, she likens the bill to men legislating 'a woman's womb.' — COLUMBUS - Before getting a prescription for Viagra or other erectile dysfunction drugs, men would have to see a sex therapist, receive a cardiac stress test …

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, The Raw Story, Sky Dancing, Addicting Info and Angry Black Lady Chronicles

Judd Legum / ThinkProgress:
Ohio Bill Would Require Men Submit Affidavit From Sex Partner Confirming Impotence Before Receiving Viagra

Discussion: Suburban Guerrilla and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

What Greece Means — So Greece has officially defaulted on its debt to private lenders. It was an “orderly” default, negotiated rather than simply announced, which I guess is a good thing. Still, the story is far from over. Even with this debt relief, Greece — like other European nations forced …

Discussion: Daily Kos

Charles Johnson / Little Green Footballs:

Fox News Commenters React to Afghan Killings: ‘A Dead Muslim Is a Good Muslim’ — It's no longer surprising, but the right wing blogs are full of comments today praising the soldier who allegedly committed mass murder in Kandahar, killing men, women, and children asleep in their beds. — Gateway Pundit:

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Mahablog, Booman Tribune, Fox News, The Last Tradition, US Politics, The Gateway Pundit and BBC

Juan Williams / The Hill:

Moderation out of fashion on Capitol Hill — The Founding Fathers designed Congress to represent the will of the majority of Americans. — Yet, even as more Americans identify themselves as independents — not Democrats or Republicans — there is a painfully sharp decline in moderate …

WorldNetDaily:

OBAMA IMPEACHMENT BILL NOW IN CONGRESS — Declares president's use of military without approval ‘high crime, misdemeanor’ — Let the president be duly warned. — Rep. Walter B. Jones Jr., R-N.C., has introduced a resolution declaring that should the president use offensive military …

Discussion: Examiner, The Raw Story, Right Wing News, Pirate's Cove and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Reuters:

Dozens of Syrian civilians killed in Homs — (Reuters) - Dozens of civilians were killed in cold blood in Homs, the Syrian government and opposition said on Monday, although they disputed responsibility for what both sides called a massacre. — The carnage in Homs, as well as an army assault …

Discussion: americanthinker.com, Guardian and New York Times

New York Times:

U.S. Army Sergeant Suspected in Afghanistan Shooting — 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 on Sunday, igniting fears of a new wave …