memeorandum: Santorum warns GOP shouldn't pick party's nominee too quickly (Daniel Strauss/The Hill)

1:20 PM ET, March 13, 2012

Top Items:

Obama Approval Rating Shows Serious Slip in New Poll — Despite improving job growth and an extended Republican primary fight dividing his would-be opponents, President Obama is heading into the general election season on treacherous political ground, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

Stephanie Condon / CBS News:

Poll: Obama's approval rating sinks to new low — CBS News Poll analysis by the CBS News Polling Unit: Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Anthony Salvanto. — (CBS News) President Obama's approval rating has hit the lowest level ever in CBS News polling, according to the latest CBS News/New York Times survey.

Discussion: Wake up America, Don Surber, Outside the Beltway, CANNONFIRE, Rumproast, The Confluence, Weekly Standard, Scared Monkeys, americanthinker.com, Power Line, Jammie Wearing Fools, The Hill, INSTAPUTZ, BREITBART.COM, Althouse, Patterico's Pontifications and Michelle Malkin

Steven Mufson / Washington Post:

Voters blame president for gas prices, experts say not so fast — How much does the president have to do with the price of gasoline? — A lot, say American voters. According to oil experts and economists, not so much — at least in the short term. — Today's oil prices are the product …

Discussion: The Hill, National Review, Washington Times, Ezra Klein, Questions and Observations, Pirate's Cove, Mediaite, The Enterprise Blog, Cafe Hayek and Prairie Weather

Mickey Kaus / The Daily Caller:

Psst! Obama lost the birth control mandate debate — Caught cocooning in public: Here's what the NYT's story on its latest poll told readers: — The poll found that women were split as to whether health insurance plans should cover the costs of birth control and whether employers …

Discussion: JustOneMinute, National Review, LifeNews.com, Los Angeles Times, Wake up America and Firedoglake

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
The Obama Poll Drop Mystery: Explained!

Discussion: American Prospect, Indecision Forever, Business Insider, The Caucus, Ezra Klein, The Daily Dish, The New Republic, FiveThirtyEight, Washington Post, Outside the Beltway and The Huffington Post

Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Oh my: Obama's approval rating hits new low in CBS poll

Discussion: Salon, Washington Monthly, CBS News and iOwnTheWorld.com

Stephen Dinan / Washington Times:
U.S. on pace for $1 trillion deficit

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, americanthinker.com and Questions and Observations

Jonathan Martin / Politico:

Alabama and Mississippi primaries: Mitt Romney could seal deal in Dixie — RICHLAND, Miss — In a topsy-turvy GOP primary, where the unexpected has been the norm, such a final plot twist may be altogether fitting: the Mormon Yankee who thinks cheese grits are a revelation effectively seals the nomination in Alabama and Mississippi.

Discussion: CNN, Washington Wire, msnbc.com, Christian Science Monitor, Los Angeles Times, Shakesville, BuzzFeed, New York Times, Taegan Goddard's …, Washington Post and The Page

Katharine Q. Seelye / The Caucus:
Alabama Governor Says He Voted for Santorum

Discussion: Connecting.the.Dots

Daniel Strauss / The Hill:
Santorum warns GOP shouldn't pick party's nominee too quickly

Discussion: CNN and Ballot Box

Greg Giroux / Bloomberg:
Super-PAC Ads Dominate Republican Race in Alabama, Mississippi

Discussion: Washington Monthly, ThinkProgress, Politico, Business Insider, al.com, Wall Street Journal, OpenSecrets.org, ABCNEWS, Hot Air and USA Today

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
Polling in Deep South Has Posed Challenges

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Time, Guardian and americanthinker.com

Quin Hillyer / American Spectator: Drenched in Campaign Silliness

Rick Santorum / CNN:
Alabama governor votes for Santorum

Discussion: Hot Air and Washington Post

Chris Gentilviso / The Huffington Post:
Rick Santorum: ‘Tell That To A Plant, How Dangerous Carbon Dioxide Is’ (VIDEO)

Discussion: Associated Press, US Politics, The Reaction and Little Green Footballs

Judd Legum / ThinkProgress:

BREAKING: Rush Limbaugh Syndicator Suspends National Ads For Two Weeks — Radio-Info.com reports that Premiere Networks, which syndicates the Rush Limbaugh show, told its affiliate radio stations that they are suspending national advertising for two weeks. Rush Limbaugh is normally provided …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Mother Jones, The Maddow Blog, NewsHounds blog, Taylor Marsh, Washington Post, rubber hose, Prairie Weather, The Raw Story, Mediaite, The Last Tradition and skippy the bush kangaroo, more at Mediagazer »

David Frum / The Daily Beast:
Mike Huckabee Brings on Rush Limbaugh's Decline

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Mahablog, News Desk, The Impolitic, Mediaite and Runnin' Scared

Frank Bruni / New York Times:
One-Way Wantonness

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Runnin' Scared, the daily howler, Addicting Info, Daily Kos, CNN, Sister Toldjah, American Spectator and JONATHAN TURLEY, more at Mediagazer »

Radio-Info.com:
Rush syndicator tells news/talk affiliates not to run its barter spots for 2 wks

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, The Political Carnival, Cagle Post and Addicting Info

Sarah Palin / Facebook:

Let's Talk About the Real Issues, Mr. President — The far Left continues to believe American voters are not smart enough to grasp the diversionary tactics it employs to distract us from the issues our President just doesn't want to talk about - issues that affect us all every day and must be addressed.

Discussion: Washington Wire, Power Line, Little Green Footballs, Politico, Weasel Zippers, The Gateway Pundit, Israel Matzav, The Mental Recession and Cold Fury

Ben Shapiro / BREITBART.COM:

OBAMA TARGETS BREITBART, PALIN, HANNITY WITH HEAVILY-EDITED AD — The Obama re-election campaign has released an internet ad targeting Sarah Palin, Sean Hannity, and Breitbart.com. Coming up short in the fundraising department and under fire for President Obama's longtime association …

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, Hot Air, protein wisdom, Conservatives4Palin and Patterico's Pontifications

Andrew Malcolm / Investor's Business Daily:

Online, liberals far less tolerant than normal people — Not exactly shocking news for those exposed to them for years, but the respected Pew Research Center has determined that political liberals are far less tolerant of opposing views than regular Americans.

Discussion: Hot Air, americanthinker.com, Ricochet Conversations Feed and Patterico's Pontifications

Pew Internet:

Social networking sites and politics — Home - > - Reports - > - Social networking sites and politics - > - Main findings - > - Social networking sites and politics — Main findings — Social networking sites have become places where political conversation, debate, and proselytizing occur, especially during campaign seasons.

Discussion: Mediaite and Mashable!

Richard Cohen / Washington Post:

Sarah Palin's foolishness ruined U.S. politics — At some point while watching HBO's absolutely smashing (and terrifying) movie “Game Change,” it occurred to me that Sarah Palin has ruined America. The movie has been scalloped out of the book by the same name and focuses on Palin, rather than on the entire 2008 presidential campaign.

Discussion: Rumproast, Wonkette and The Reality-Based Community

Saul Loeb / National Post:

Dick Cheney cancels Toronto trip, says Canada is too dangerous — TORONTO — Former U.S. vice-president Dick Cheney has cancelled an April appearance in Toronto citing concerns Canada is too dangerous. — “He felt that in Canada the risk of violent protest was simply too high,” …

Discussion: The Impolitic, Guardian, The Mahablog, The Raw Story and National Review

Associated Press:
Former US vice president deems Canada too dangerous for speaking visit

Discussion: JONATHAN TURLEY and Business Insider

Eryn Brown / Los Angeles Times:

All red meat is bad for you, new study says — A long-term study finds that eating any amount and any type increases the risk of premature death. — Eating any amount and any type of red meat increases the risk of premature death, a new study says. (William Thomas Cain / Getty Images / March 12, 2012)

Discussion: Archives of Internal …, Gothamist, Opinion L.A., Jezebel, Guardian and americanthinker.com

Guardian:

Rebekah Brooks among six arrested — Former Sun editor held by Operation Weeting detectives on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice — Rebekah Brooks is among six people arrested by Scotland Yard detectives on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice …

Discussion: Telegraph, Deadline.com and NewsHounds blog, more at Mediagazer »

New York Times:
Britain to Join Obama in Discouraging a Strike on Iran

Discussion: americanthinker.com

Sarah Lyall / New York Times:
Rebekah Brooks and Husband Are Arrested in Hacking Inquiry

Discussion: Company Town and Gawker

Sandra Fluke / CNN:

Slurs won't silence women — Editor's note: Sandra Fluke is a third-year law student at Georgetown University Law Center and has served as president of Georgetown Law Students for Reproductive Justice. — (CNN) — Last month, students from several Catholic universities gathered to send …

Discussion: JustOneMinute, NewsBusters.org blogs, Mediaite and The PJ Tatler

Jeff Poor / The Daily Caller:
HBO's ‘Game Change’ promoted by same PR firm that represents Sandra Fluke

Discussion: protein wisdom

Washington Post:

Poll: Voters want super PACs to be illegal — Nearly seven in 10 registered voters would like super PACs to be illegal, including more than half who feel that way strongly, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. — Sixty-nine percent of all Americans and voters alike say super PACs …

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …, Fox News, blogs.telegraph.co.uk, Politico and Ballot Box

Damla Ergun / ABCNEWS:
Seven in 10 Would Send Super PACs Packing

Discussion: USA Today

Josh Gerstein / Politico:

What if George W. Bush had done that? — President Barack Obama has forged a surprising consensus on opposite ends of the political spectrum: They wonder how on earth he gets away with it. — A series of recent moves — from aggressively filling his reelection war chest to green-lighting shoot …

Discussion: Mediaite and The Heritage Foundation

New York Times:

U.S. Officials Debate Speeding Afghan Pullout — WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is discussing whether to reduce American forces in Afghanistan by at least an additional 20,000 troops by 2013, reflecting a growing belief within the White House that the mission there has now reached the point of diminishing returns.

Discussion: Firedoglake, Yahoo! News, ThinkProgress, Guardian, Washington Post, Reuters, Daniel W. Drezner, The Hill, FP Passport, Global Spin, News Desk and Balloon Juice

Matthew Cooper / NationalJournal.com:

Poll Shows Public Supports Obama on Gas Prices — More Americans trust President Obama than congressional Republicans to make the right decisions to bring down the price of gasoline, according to a new poll, although neither side commands a majority. — What's more, as prices continue …

Discussion: protein wisdom, American Prospect and ThinkProgress