memeorandum: Jane Fonda to play Nancy Reagan in ‘Butler’ (Jeff Sneider/Variety)

9:15 AM ET, March 27, 2012

Top Items:

What Everyone Needs To Know About The Smear Campaign Against Trayvon Martin (1995-2012) — Trayvon Martin, as he appeared on his actual Facebook page — Over the last 48 hours, there has been a sustained effort to smear Trayvon Martin, the 17-year old African-American who was shot dead by George Zimmerman a month ago.

Discussion: Salon, Taylor Marsh, The Mahablog, Washington Post, Shot in the Dark, Outside the Beltway, DISSENTING JUSTICE, Reuters, iOwnTheWorld.com, The Stranger … and Roger Ailes

Rene Stutzman / Orlando Sentinel:

Police: Zimmerman says Trayvon decked him with one blow then began hammering his head — With a single punch, Trayvon Martin decked the Neighborhood Watch volunteer who eventually shot and killed the unarmed 17-year-old, then Trayvon climbed on top of George Zimmerman and slammed his head …

Wbastone / The Smoking Gun:

An Unfortunate T-Shirt Hits Florida Streets In Wake Of Trayvon Martin Killing — Expanding the definition of “cracker,” a t-shirt featuring the photo of the man who shot Trayvon Martin is now available for purchase. — As seen at right (click to enlarge), the shirt has a picture of George Zimmerman and the words “Pussy Ass Cracker.”

Discussion: iOwnTheWorld.com, Weasel Zippers, protein wisdom, The Gateway Pundit, Hot Air, American Power and ABCNEWS

Frances Robles / MiamiHerald.com:

Multiple suspensions paint complicated portrait of Trayvon Martin — SANFORD — Miami Gardens teenager Trayvon Martin was suspended from school in October in an incident in which he was found in possession of women's jewelry and a screwdriver that a schools security staffer described as a “burglary tool,” The Miami Herald has learned.

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Weasel Zippers, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Little Green Footballs and National Review

Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute:

Trayvon Martin - Basic Geography May Cut Against Zimmerman — Bill Jacobson reiterates an important point in assessing the latest details to emerge on the Trayvon Martin shooting: … There is enough information in the Sanford PD police reports to take a stab at that.

Alex Pappas / The Daily Caller:
Former NAACP leader accuses Sharpton and Jackson of ‘exploiting’ Trayvon Martin

Discussion: THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, The Jawa Report, Weasel Zippers and The Gateway Pundit, more at Mediagazer »

Lizette Alvarez / New York Times:
Florida Teenager Had Been Suspended Over Marijuana

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, TalkLeft, The PJ Tatler and Mediaite

Elisabeth Bumiller / New York Times:

Support in U.S. for Afghan War Drops Sharply, Poll Finds — WASHINGTON — After a series of violent episodes and setbacks, support for the war in Afghanistan has dropped sharply among both Republicans and Democrats in recent months as increasing numbers of Americans say that the United States …

Discussion: American Prospect, ThinkProgress, Outside the Beltway, Reuters, msnbc.com and Hot Air

Mj Lee / Politico:

Palin to Santorum: 'Don't retreat' — Sarah Palin applauded Rick Santorum Monday night for accusing a New York Times reporter of “bull— ” over the weekend, saying she was glad to hear about the presidential candidate's outburst and adding, “Welcome to my world, Rick, and good on ya.

Discussion: CNN and Daily Kos

New York Times:
Most Oppose at Least Part of Overhaul, Poll Finds

Discussion: Pew Research Center …, The Caucus and The Huffington Post

Josh Lederman / The Hill:
GOP contenders use hearing to blast president, each other

Discussion: ABCNEWS, Wall Street Journal, Politico and CNN

Lucy Madison / CBS News:
Poll: Support for war in Afghanistan hits all-time low

Discussion: Politico

David Brody / The Brody File:
Exclusive: Rick Santorum Doesn't Rule Out Possible VP Slot: 'I'll do whatever is necessary to help our country.'

Discussion: A plain blog about politics, CNN, M.JOSEPH SHEPPARD'S …, Daily Kos, The Huffington Post, ABCNEWS, New York Magazine, National Review, The Stranger …, Wonkette and Politico

Juliet Eilperin / Washington Post:

EPA to impose first greenhouse gas limits on power plants — The Environmental Protection Agency will issue the first limits on greenhouse gas emissions from new power plants as early as Tuesday, according to several people briefed on the proposal. The move could end the construction …

Discussion: Hot Air, Right Wing News, Grist, ThinkProgress, Daily Kos, The Volokh Conspiracy, Hit & Run and InsideClimate News

Brad Johnson / ThinkProgress: BREAKING: Obama Administration To Establish Strong Carbon Pollution Limits For New Power Plants

Ilya Somin / The Volokh Conspiracy:

Justices Skeptical of Claims that the Individual Mandate is a Tax — Today's Supreme Court oral argument transcript suggests that many of the justices, including at least three of the liberals, are skeptical of claims that the individual mandate is a tax. This is important not only for today's argument …

Discussion: tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com, NationalJournal.com, Reuters, ABCNEWS, Guardian, Patterico's Pontifications, Time, SCOTUSblog and New York Times

Julian Pecquet / The Hill:
Gohmert: Liberals should fear ‘redneck president’ if court upholds mandate

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog and The Raw Story

Lyle Denniston / SCOTUSblog:
Argument recap: Moving on to the mandate (FINAL UPDATE)

Sarah Huisenga / NationalJournal.com:

Gingrich Begins Charging $50 for Photos at Events — Candidate previously posed for free with people attending his appearances. — HOCKESSIN, Del. - In a sign that his campaign is in need of fresh funds, Newt Gingrich on Monday began charging $50 to have a photograph taken with him following …

Discussion: The Hill and Politico

Jeff Sneider / Variety:

Jane Fonda to play Nancy Reagan in ‘Butler’ — Actress will portray former First Lady in Lee Daniels pic — In the midst of recruiting an all-star ensemble for his long-gestating passion project “The Butler,” director Lee Daniels has tapped Jane Fonda to play Nancy Reagan.

Discussion: Guardian, NewsBusters.org, Campaign 2012, Weasel Zippers, Hot Air and Jammie Wearing Fools

Stephanie Mencimer / Mother Jones:

Catholic Bishops Lose a Big Battle Over Contraception — For the past several months, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops has been waging war on the Obama administration over reproductive health care, declaring it no less than a battle over religious freedom.

Discussion: Hullabaloo, The Mahablog and Booman Tribune

CNN:

Strauss-Kahn charged in alleged prostitution ring — (CNN) — Former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was charged in France on Monday with “aggravated pimping” for his alleged participation in a prostitution ring, prosecutors said. — He is not allowed to have contact …

Discussion: Jezebel, Gothamist, Wonkette, Gawker and New York Magazine

Pascal Rossignol / Reuters:
France's Strauss-Kahn under investigation in pimping case

Discussion: Agence France Presse, TalkLeft and Associated Press

Derek Thompson / The Atlantic Online:

Gray Nation: The Very Real Economic Dangers of an Aging America — Two economists envision a scary — and scarily realistic — future where the working population expands slower and slower, and jobless recoveries are the only recoveries we know — In the future, U.S. growth will be slower.

Dodai Stewart / Jezebel:

Racist Hunger Games Fans Are Very Disappointed [Hunger Games] — The good news? The Hunger Games made $155 million at the box office its opening weekend, making it the third-best debut in North American box office history. The bad news, however, reflects a level of idiocy that we weren't really expecting.

Discussion: Julian Sanchez, Colorlines, ThinkProgress, msnbc.com, BuzzFeed and The Stranger …

Erik Wasson / The Hill:

House conservatives to unveil budget which balances books faster — House conservatives on Tuesday morning will tack to the right and unveil an alternative to the House GOP leadership's 2013 budget plan that balances in five years. — The new Republican Study Committee (RSC) …

Discussion: Washington Post

Jennifer Bendery / The Huffington Post:

Trayvon Martin Parents To Attend Capitol Hill Forum On Hate Crimes, Racial Profiling … REACT: — FOLLOW: — Trayvon Martin, Trayvon Martin Case, Trayvon Martin Guns, Trayvon Martin Shooting, Trayvon Martin's Parents, Treyvon Martin Capitol Hill, Treyvon Martin Parents, Black Voices News

Discussion: The Hill

BuzzFeed:

In Secret Documents, Anti-Gay Marriage Group Looked To Divide Gays, Blacks — Blunt language and broad plans from the National Organization for Marriage. A goal: “Fanning the hostility.” Another project: “Sideswiping Obama.” — The leading opponents of same-sex marriage planned …

Discussion: US Politics

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Republicans seeking out Hispanics — Senate Republicans want to alter DREAM Act legislation to steal away Hispanic voters from Democrats. — Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), the only Senate Republican of Hispanic heritage and a possible vice presidential pick, is working on an alternative version …

Discussion: Daily Kos and Global Public Square

Ben Geman / The Hill:

Senate opens fight on oil tax breaks — The Senate voted 92-4 Monday to begin an election-year floor debate over Democratic legislation to repeal oil industry tax breaks, a plan that's unlikely to ultimately pass but provides a platform for partisan warfare over gasoline prices.

Discussion: Grist and Booman Tribune

Charles Thompson / PennLive.com:

Pennsylvania representative asks if female co-sponsors of state ultrasound bill are ‘men with breasts’ — Pennsylvania State Rep. Babette Josephs, D-Philadelphia, picked up the political hand grenade that is the state's ultrasound bill today when she wondered aloud at a Capitol rally …

Discussion: LifeNews.com, Weasel Zippers, Sister Toldjah, Pundit & Pundette, Hot Air and Campaign 2012

Dylan Byers / Politico:

Newt Gingrich loses his print reporters — Newt Gingrich has lost his last embedded print reporters, reporters on the trail confirm. — The last two print reporters covering Gingrich full-time on the trail — from POLITICO and the Atlanta Journal Constitution — pulled out on Friday.

Discussion: Washington Post, Wonkette, Washington Monthly, Truthdig and Rumproast