memeorandum: Jeb Bush endorses Romney, boosting his presidential bid (Jonathan Easley/The Hill)

12:00 PM ET, March 21, 2012

Top Items:

Alfredo Rocha / ABCNEWS:

Jeb Bush Endorses Mitt Romney in GOP Primary — Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush endorsed Mitt Romney after Romney's lopsided win in Illinois Tuesday night. The former Florida Governor - a Republican heavyweight - called on members of the party to coalesce behind Romney.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, CBS News, Globe and Mail, Orlando Sentinel, Indecision Forever, Outside the Beltway and The Political Carnival

Erick Erickson / RedState:

The Nominee — It is a mathematical improbability that Rick Santorum will get to the magic number of 1,144 — the number of delegates needed to be the Republican Presidential nominee. It is a political improbability that Rick Santorum will stop Mitt Romney from getting to 1,144.

Discussion: GOP 12

New York Times:

Romney Wins by Wide Margin in Illinois Contest — CHICAGO — Mitt Romney swept to victory in the Illinois Republican primary on Tuesday, using the full force of his campaign and an argument that he has the best chance of defeating President Obama to overcome doubts among the more conservative voters at the heart of his party.

Discussion: The Caucus, USA Today, News Desk, Outside the Beltway, Dean's World, The Moderate Voice, Washington Post, PRI, Campaign 2012, Media Decoder, Politico, Reuters, The Daily Beast, msnbc.com, Truthdig and Newsy

Fred Barnes / Weekly Standard:

Romney-Ryan? — Mitt Romney is close to finishing off his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination, talk of a brokered GOP convention in August, and the prospect of a new candidate suddenly entering the contest. — This would be a political hat trick once it happens …

Discussion: Washington Post, Power Line, Politico, Swampland and Washington Times

Jeb Bush / CNN:

Jeb Bush endorses Romney, calls on party to unite — (CNN) - Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, whose endorsement has been highly-sought during the 2012 GOP primary contests, announced Wednesday he was backing presidential candidate Mitt Romney. — In a statement, Bush congratulated Romney …

Ralph Z. Hallow / Washington Times:

Finally, Romney gets tea party support — FreedomWorks drops opposition — The organization that ignited the tea party as a national mass movement gave Mitt Romney perhaps his biggest victory yet, deciding to drop its opposition to his candidacy, a top executive in the group told The Washington Times.

Discussion: Chicago Tribune, The Hill, Guardian, GOP 12, msnbc.com, The Hill, ABCNEWS, Ballot Box and The Lonely Conservative

Jonathan Easley / The Hill:
Jeb Bush endorses Romney, boosting his presidential bid

Discussion: msnbc.com

Jay Cost / Weekly Standard: Morning Jay: How Romney Won Illinois, and What it Means

Alexander Burns / Politico:
Illinois primary results: Mitt Romney crushes Rick Santorum

Discussion: CNN, The Caucus, Scared Monkeys, Connecting.the.Dots, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog and Chicago Tribune

Washington Examiner: Ryan's budget kicks the can at timorous Democrats

Kasie Hunt / Associated Press:
Romney pushes GOP presidential race toward a close

Discussion: Democracy in America, CBS News, JustOneMinute and CNN

BBC:

Raid on Toulouse shooting suspect — French police surrounded Mohammed Merah in Toulouse — Mohammed Merah, the man believed to be the gunman on a scooter who killed seven people in south-western France, is a 23-year-old French citizen of Algerian extraction.

Discussion: Blogs of War, The Jawa Report, Global Spin, Atlas Shrugs, Harry's Place and The Daily Caller

Murray Wardrop / Telegraph:
Toulouse siege: live

Discussion: Power Line, Reuters, blogs.telegraph.co.uk, Guardian, Hit & Run and Blazing Cat Fur

Scott Sayare / New York Times:
French Police Raid Toulouse House

Discussion: americanthinker.com and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Telegraph:
Toulouse shooting: French police surround house of ‘jihadist’

Discussion: Melanie Phillips and Harry's Place

Alex Seitz-Wald / ThinkProgress:

Top Romney Adviser Says Romney Can Change His Positions After The Primaries: 'It's Almost Like An Etch A Sketch' — Mitt Romney can't be held accountable for his extreme right-wing views, at least according to his campaign's senior adviser, who said the candidate should be given a …

Discussion: Washington Post, Balloon Juice, The Maddow Blog and Daily Kos

Alicia M. Cohn / Ballot Box:
Romney adviser says campaign can start fresh for general election, ‘like an Etch A Sketch’

Discussion: The Raw Story

William Kristol / Weekly Standard:

Feelin' Blue — Looking back at the day's news, I must admit I'm having trouble maintaining my customary good cheer. — Watching Mitt Romney's victory speech in Illinois didn't reassure me about his chances against President Obama. (Watch it yourself to see if I'm being unfair.)

Discussion: Washington Monthly, GOP 12, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Political Carnival, Daily Kos and Pundit & Pundette

Jeffrey Goldberg / The Atlantic Online:

Andrew Sullivan Is Frightened by Complexity — Somehow, in the midst of grappling with Andrew Sullivan's attack on me (in which he lied about what I have written, what I think, what I believe, and what I've reported, and shows no understanding, by the way, of reporting itself — but, hey, what are friends for?)

Jeffrey Goldberg / Bloomberg:
Israelis Grow Confident Strike on Iran's Nukes Can Work

Discussion: Power Line, Politico, The Daily Dish, NewsBusters.org, Speakeasy, Via Meadia, The Atlantic Online and The Huffington Post

Mj Lee / Politico:

Ron Paul: Secret Service is welfare — Ron Paul said Tuesday he doesn't want any Secret Service protection because it's “a form a welfare.” — “It's a form of welfare,” the presidential candidate told comedian Jay Leno Tuesday. “You know, you're having the taxpayers pay to take care …

Discussion: News Desk, Joe. My. God., The Other McCain, Jezebel, ABCNEWS and The Caucus

Claudia Rosett / PJ Media:
Mexico for Spring Break

Discussion: JustOneMinute, Taylor Marsh, 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com and TheBlaze.com

Amie Parnes / The Hill:

Obama will avoid healthcare defense during court review — President Obama will not mark the two-year anniversary of his signing of the healthcare law — which takes place days before the Supreme Court offers a decision on the constitutionality of his signature legislative achievement.

Discussion: The Heritage Foundation

Sam Baker / The Hill:
Supreme Court faces an unprecedented frenzy during health reform arguments

Discussion: Reuters

Jeff Glor / CBS News:

Calls grow to arrest gunman in Fla. teen slaying — (CBS News) SANFORD, Fla. - Pressure is building for authorities in Florida to arrest George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch captain who fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin last month. — The incident is now a federal case, and it's slated to go before a grand jury.

Discussion: Boston Herald and The Reaction

Yahoo! Good Morning America:
Trayvon Martin Exclusive: Friend on Phone with Teen Before Death Recalls Final Moments

Discussion: Firedoglake, Daily Kos, msnbc.com and MiamiHerald.com

H. HooVer / Distriction:

Sign of the Times — Stephon stood just a few feet away from Barack Obama. The president, busy shaking hands, looked right at him. “It was like he was waiting for me to say something,” he said later. — So the 26-year-old Prince George's Community College student took his cue and spoke …

Discussion: Towleroad News #gay, Washington Post, Boing Boing and Angry Black Lady Chronicles

Peter V. Milo / CBS DC:

Controversial Painter Depicts Obama With Burning Constitution — Provo, Utah (CBS DC) - Jon McNaughton, a controversial artist who often mixes religion and politics in his work has released a new painting. — In ‘One Nation Under Socialism’ President Obama holds the U.S. Constitution as it burns.

Discussion: The Political Carnival

The Reliable Source / Washington Post:

John King and Dana Bash separate; CNN stars were married four years — John King and Dana Bash in Washington last year. (Rebecca D'Angelo for The Washington Post) Separated: Dana Bash, 40, and John King, 48, after less than four years of marriage, a friend of the CNN stars confirmed to us Tuesday.

Discussion: Politico and Mediaite

FRANCE 24:

Cameron ‘tucked in bed’ by Obama during US trip — AFP - British Prime Minister David Cameron on Tuesday revealed he was “tucked up in bed” by US President Barack Obama during the pair's recent trip on Air Force One. — The two leaders were repeatedly seen back-slapping …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and ABCNEWS

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:

State Department Condemns Nobel Prize Winner's Anti-Gay Remarks — The State Department is speaking out against Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's recent remarks in favor of criminalizing homosexuality. During a press conference yesterday, spokeswoman Victoria Nuland reiterated …

Discussion: US Department of State and Advocate

Laura Bassett / The Huffington Post:

Chuck Winder, Idaho Lawmaker, Suggests Women Use Rape As Excuse For Abortions … FOLLOW: — Video, Chuck Winder Mandatory Ultrasound Bill, Chuck Winder Rape, Idaho Mandatory Ultrasound, Idaho Mandatory Ultrasound Bill, Sen. Chuck Winder Rape, Politics News