memeorandum: 'Kill a cop or 2′ Occupy tweeter: I was taken out of context (David Martosko/The Daily Caller)

4:20 PM ET, March 19, 2012

Top Items:

Reid J. Epstein / Politico:

No ‘spark’ for Mitt Romney in Illinois — VERNON HILLS, Ill. - Same story, different state. — Mitt Romney has a roster of blue chip GOP supporters here, more resources and a superior organization in a state that seems a good fit to his brand of Republicanism.

Discussion: CNN, The Hill, Washington Monthly, Chicago Tribune, New York Times, YouTube, Reuters, American Power and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog

Charlie Riedel / ABCNEWS:

Pressure on Santorum to Deliver in Illinois — After a string of Tuesdays where Mitt Romney had something to prove, it's time for Rick Santorum to deliver in the Land of Lincoln. — Yes, a Romney loss in Illinois tomorrow would be an embarrassment of epic proportions.

Discussion: GOP 12 and The Huffington Post

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:

Romney up big in Illinois — Mitt Romney is headed for a blowout victory in Illinois on Tuesday. He leads with 45% to 30% for Rick Santorum, 12% for Newt Gingrich, and 10% for Ron Paul. — Romney's particularly strong among voters who live in suburban areas (50-29) and with those who live in urban areas (46-23).

Rick Santorum / CNN:

Santorum dings Romney while defending contraception stance — (CNN) - Rick Santorum, making a round of morning show appearances ahead of a day of campaigning in Illinois Monday, took harsh aim at chief rival Mitt Romney, asserting the former Massachusetts governor “doesn't have a core.”

Discussion: Politico, Washington Post, Washington Monthly, The Maddow Blog and Daily Kos

CNN:
Republicans ramp up efforts to slam Obama health law

Discussion: Politico

Justin Sink / The Hill:
Santorum: Brokered convention more likely, hard for rivals to hit ‘magic number’

Discussion: Politico, Shakesville, GOP 12 and Swampland

Ashley Parker / New York Times:
Romneys Court Women Put Off by Birth Control Issue

Discussion: The Caucus, Hot Air, Washington Post, Politico and The Page

Bristol Palin:

Mr. President, When Should I Expect Your Call? — You don't know my telephone number, but I hope your staff is busy trying to find it. Ever since you called Sandra Fluke after Rush Limbaugh called her a slut, I figured I might be next. You explained to reporters you called …

Discussion: Mediaite, TBogg, Hot Air, Business Insider, Wake up America, Ed Driscoll, Wonkette, Don Surber, Conservatives4Palin and The Daily Caller

Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute:

Krugman On ObamaCare - Just Make Stuff Up Faster Than The Opponents — Paul Krugman has decided to fight fiction with fiction in the health care debate, and when the opposition spreads BS, he will spread BS twice as hard. Waddya expect from a former Enron adviser? — He correctly notes this Republican miscue:

Discussion: Campaign 2012

Paul Krugman / New York Times:
Hurray for Health Reform

Discussion: Paul Krugman, Prairie Weather, Daily Kos and The Caucus

Greg Holyk / ABCNEWS:
As Health Care Law's Trial Approaches, Two-Thirds Say Ditch Individual Mandate

Discussion: LifeNews.com

Guardian:

Nobel peace prize winner defends law criminalising homosexuality in Liberia — Exclusive: In joint interview, Tony Blair refuses to comment on Liberian president's remarks supporting anti-gay laws — The Nobel peace prize winner and president of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Harry's Place, Clayton Cramer's Blog, The Raw Story and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Roger Friedman / blogs.forbes.com/rogerfriedman:

Exclusive: Seller of Controversial Anti-Obama Sticker Says It's Not Racist — Exclusive: Paula Smith of Hinesville, Georgia has a company called Stickatude.com. And they're selling their own version of an anti-Obama bumper sticker that reads “Don't Re-Nig 2012.”

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Wonkette and Colorlines

Mackenzie Weinger / Politico:

Obama blamed troubles on Fox News, book says — President Barack Obama blamed Fox News for his political woes in a private meeting with labor leaders in 2010, saying he was “losing white males” who tune into the cable outlet and “hear Obama is a Muslim 24/7,” according to journalist David Corn's new book, “Showdown.”

Discussion: Mediaite, Reuters, Weasel Zippers and The Lonely Conservative

Byron Tau / Politico:

Obama campaign raises $45m in February — The latest fundraising numbers from the Obama campaign, via President Obama's Twitter account: … The campaign's February numbers, which include several joint DNC accounts, outpace their January haul of $29.1 million — and indicate that the campaign …

Discussion: American Prospect, Newsy and The Caucus

T.W. Farnam / Washington Post:
Obama's high-dollar donations lagging

Discussion: Politico, Crooks and Liars, Business Insider, Los Angeles Times, Don Surber, The Spectacle Blog, Mediaite, The PJ Tatler, Hot Air, US Politics, Patterico's Pontifications, ABCNEWS, americanthinker.com, Suburban Guerrilla and Doug Ross

Brian Tashman / rightwingwatch.org:

Pastor Dennis Terry Introduces Rick Santorum, Tells Liberals and Non-Christians to ‘Get Out’ of America — Greenwell Springs Baptist Church pastor Dennis Terry introduced presidential candidate Rick Santorum and Family Research Council president Tony Perkins tonight in Baton Rouge, Louisiana …

Discussion: Wonkette, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Mediaite, Holy Bullies …, The Agonist and Good As You

Alexander Burns / Politico:

Romney: ‘The economy is coming back’ — So he said at a campaign stop in Springfield, Ill., this morning. POLITICO's Reid Epstein:

Discussion: Daily Kos and Swampland

Daily Mail:

THE TSA'S GREATEST HITS — The TSA issued apologies to two grandmothers in their late 80s who said they were strip searched at New York's JFK Airport in January. — In October, a TSA inspector found a vibrator in lawyer and feminist blogger Jill Filipovic's luggage …

Discussion: National Review, The Lonely Conservative and Weasel Zippers

Elise Viebeck / The Hill:

The Hill Poll: Voter gloom on Obama's jobs, gas, debt policies — Half of likely voters expect the Supreme Court to strike down President Obama's signature healthcare law, and strong majorities see other major policies coming from the White House making life more difficult for themselves and the country …

Discussion: Power Line, The PJ Tatler, Wake up America, Hot Air and The Heritage Foundation

Greg Wyshynski / Yahoo! Sports:

She's a Sens fan, her girlfriend's a Leafs fan and their marriage proposal during NHL game was adorable (VIDEO) — On Saturday night at Scotiabank Place, a Toronto Maple Leafs fan named Alicia stood on the ice during the second intermission wearing a blindfold.

Discussion: ThinkProgress and Towleroad News #gay

David Ignatius / Washington Post:

A lion in winter — What's riveting about the documents taken from Osama bin Laden's compound, beyond the headline items about plots to kill American leaders, is the way they allow the reader to get inside the terrorist mastermind's head. — I've only seen a small sample of the thousands …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Hit & Run, NO QUARTER and Jihad Watch

Glenn Kessler / Washington Post:

'The Road We've Traveled:' A misleading account of Obama's mother and her insurance dispute — Narrator Tom Hanks: “He knew from experience the cost of waiting [on health care reform].” — President Obama : “When my mom got cancer, she wasn't a wealthy woman and it pretty much drained all her resources”

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and Booman Tribune

Arizona Republic:

Arpaio sees media conspiracy against ‘birthers’ — Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio believes that a media conspiracy “bigger than Watergate” is purposefully downplaying his volunteer posse's investigation of President Barack Obama's birth certificate. — Arpaio and the posse held …

Discussion: The Huffington Post and Firedoglake

Robert Kuttner / American Prospect:

The Age of Double Standards — “But, Yossarian, suppose everyone felt that way.” — “Then,” said Yossarian, “I'd certainly be a damned fool to feel any other way, wouldn't I?” —Joseph Heller, Catch-22 — Last November 29, American Airlines declared bankruptcy under Chapter 11 …

Discussion: Suburban Guerrilla

Andrew Gilligan / blogs.telegraph.co.uk:

Ken Livingstone: I will make London a beacon of Islam — Here is the full version of a story which appears in the print edition of today's Daily Telegraph: — KEN LIVINGSTONE has promised to turn London into a “beacon” for the words of the Prophet Mohammed in a sermon at one of the capital's most controversial mosques.

Discussion: Jihad Watch and Harry's Place

David Martosko / The Daily Caller:

'Kill a cop or 2′ Occupy tweeter: I was taken out of context — On Sunday, New York City police were investigating an online threat from a 23-year-old “Occupy"-linked protester who sent a short message advocated cop-killing. The sender, Rusty Braxton of Oviedo, Fla. …

Discussion: Hot Air, The Right Sphere and The Other McCain

Manuel Fabian Celis-Acosta / Los Angeles Times:

Gun-tracking operation caught top suspect, then let him go — Federal agents stopped the main target of the ill-fated Operation Fast and Furious in May 2010. After they questioned him, he disappeared back into Mexico, and the program went on to spiral out of control.

Discussion: PJ Media

Andrew Restuccia / The Hill:

Republicans go on offensive over rumors Obama may tap emergency oil reserves — Republicans launched a preemptive strike last week against rumored plans by the White House to tap the country's emergency oil reserves. — Releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Balloon Juice and ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*

Karoli / Crooks and Liars:

Romney Admits GOP Education Policy is Intended to Kill Unions — Republicans always say they want to get the federal government out of education. This comes in many forms, but usually they say something like “education should be returned to local control” or “I'll eliminate the Department of Education.”

Discussion: Hartford Courant, Fox News and aflcio.org