memeorandum: Mitt Romney And The NRA: A ‘Diss’ Before Courtship (Sam Stein/The Huffington Post)

5:00 PM ET, April 13, 2012

Top Items:

David Weigel / Slate:

The “War on Women” Is Over — The life cycle of a political talking point, from birth to adolescence to death. — A moment of silence, please, for a talking point that was taken too soon. The “war on women” began its life in a February 2011 House speech about abortion.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Show Me Progress, Washington Free Beacon, Daily Kos, ABCNEWS, Weasel Zippers, The Agonist, Reuters, Politico and National Review

Alicia M. Cohn / The Hill:
Obama aides say Rosen shows president will take on friends

Discussion: Reuters, Hot Air, Weasel Zippers, JustOneMinute and The Hill

BuzzFeed:
Obama Campaign Claims Romney Would “Outlaw Abortion”

Discussion: Washington Monthly and Daily Kos

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
NOW president: Ann Romney lacks “life experience” and “imagination” to relate to most Americans

Discussion: NewsBusters.org blogs, Mail Online, LifeNews.com, Althouse, The PJ Tatler, neo-neocon, Pundit & Pundette and The Other McCain

Matt Stoller / naked capitalism:
Does the 2012 Presidential Election Matter?

Discussion: New York Times, NewsBusters.org blogs, A plain blog about politics, The Agonist, Discourse.net and Firedoglake

Justin Sink / The Hill:
Rosen cancels her appearance on NBC's ‘Meet the Press’

Discussion: msnbc.com, Politico and Mediaite

First Read / msnbc.com:
First Thoughts: The silly season

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Politico and The Daily Dish

Dr. Keith Ablow / Fox News:
Nasty comments toward Ann Romney cast light on haters who can't handle feminine role

Discussion: ThinkProgress, The New Civil Rights Movement and Towleroad News #gay

Brian Montopoli / CBS News:
Hilary Rosen flap a “win in every regard” for GOP, says Nicolle Wallace

Discussion: The Daily Caller, RedState, ThinkProgress and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Jay Carney / White House.gov Blog:

President Obama and Vice President Biden's 2011 Tax Returns — Today, the President released his 2011 federal income and gift tax returns. He and the First Lady filed their income tax returns jointly and reported adjusted gross income of $789,674. About half of the first family's income …

Discussion: Power Line, CNN, ABCNEWS, Bloomberg, PERRspectives, Weekly Standard, Washington Post, ThinkProgress, Don Surber, Business Insider, Hot Air, Campaign 2012, Wonkette, Ezra Klein, Villainous Company and Politico

Brendan Smialowski / ABCNEWS:

President Obama's Secretary Paid Higher Tax Rate Than He Did — President Obama today released his 2011 federal income tax, with he and his wife reporting an adjusted gross income of $789,674. The Obamas paid $162,074 in total tax - an effective federal income tax rate of 20.5%.

Discussion: Mediaite, Business Insider, Weasel Zippers and White House Dossier

Frank Newport / Gallup:

Americans Favor “Buffett Rule” by 60% to 37% — Majorities of Democrats, independents in favor; Republicans opposed — PRINCETON, NJ — Six in 10 Americans favor Congress' passing the so-called “Buffett Rule,” which would mandate a minimum 30% tax rate for Americans with a household income of $1 million or more per year.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Politico and Campaign 2012

Keith Koffler / White House Dossier:
Did Obama Pay a Lower Rate Than His Secretary?

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon

Jay Cost / Weekly Standard:

Morning Jay: Obama's Troubled Reelection Strategy — Karl Rove had a spot-on column in the Wall Street Journal yesterday. He wrote, in part: … Exactly. If I had to offer a brief summary of Obama's campaign strategy this year, it would be this: — Clearly, this is not an ideal strategy, for any candidate.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and Mitt Romney Central

Jonathan Martinand Maggie Haberman / Politico:

The Draperizing of Mitt Romney — The Draperizing of Mitt Romney is under way. — He may not drink or cheat, and he lacks the fictional ad-maker's charisma, but Democrats, despite the potential perils of such a strategy, remain determined to paint Romney as a throwback to the “Mad Men” …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, New York Times, The Daily Caller, Don Surber, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Taylor Marsh, No More Mister Nice Blog, Media Decoder, The American Conservative and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »

Ed Kilgore / Washington Monthly:
Elections Are a Choice of Candidates

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Democratic Strategist and The New Republic

New Jersey Online:

Newark Mayor Cory Booker taken to hospital after rescuing woman from house fire — NEWARK — Newark Mayor Cory Booker was taken to a hospital tonight for treatment of smoke inhalation he suffered trying to rescue his next-door neighbors from their burning house.

CBS News:

Newark Mayor Cory Booker: Race into home fire was a “come to Jesus moment” — PLAY CBS NEWS VIDEO — (CBS News) Newark Mayor Cory Booker called it his “come to Jesus moment” when he ran into a burning building to save a neighbor's life. — Booker arrived home last night to discover …

Discussion: Business Insider, Human Rights Campaign, Newsy, The Raw Story, newsfeed.time.com, Colorlines and Gothamist

Matthew Boyle / The Daily Caller:

NC Dem official sexually harrassed staffer; Party fears credibility ‘doomed’ — A former North Carolina Democratic Party staffer was sexually harassed by a party official, made a financial settlement with the party and signed a non-disclosure agreement to keep the incident quiet.

Discussion: JustOneMinute

Robert Schlesinger / US News:
Nazis Get Their Own Lobbyist

Discussion: Politico, Business Insider and Mediaite

Geneva Sands / The Hill: Florida Dems release ‘Sh** Allen West Says’ video after ‘communist’ remarks

Melody Guyton Butts / Durham Herald-Sun:

Ailes lectures young journalists — CHAPEL HILL - Fox News chief Roger Ailes offered more than a few words of advice Thursday in a room filled mostly with young journalists, starting with a recommendation that elicited at least a few eye rolls: “I think you ought to change your major.”

Discussion: TVNewser and The Political Carnival, more at Mediagazer »

Katherine Fung / The Huffington Post:
Roger Ailes: Soledad O'Brien Was ‘Named After A Prison’

Discussion: Mediaite, Poynter and Hullabaloo

Sam Stein / The Huffington Post:

Mitt Romney And The NRA: A ‘Diss’ Before Courtship … REACT: — FOLLOW: — Mitt Romney, Video, 2012 Romney, 2012 Campaign, 2012 Obama, Gun Rights, Obama NRA, Obama Guns, Romney NRA, Romney Guns, Romney Massachusetts, Romney National Rifle Association, Romney Nra Convention, Politics News

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Caucus and msnbc.com

Ted Strickland / Politico:
Romney no straight shooter on NRA

Discussion: ABCNEWS and Washington Post

Choe Sang-Hun / New York Times:

Failed North Korean Launch a Setback for Kim Jong-un — SEOUL, South Korea — For the new North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, his government's failure to put a satellite into orbit on Friday was a $1 billion humiliation. — Mr. Kim wanted to mark his ascension to top political power …

Howard Berkes / NPR:

GOP-On-GOP Attacks Leave Orrin Hatch Fighting Mad — Utah Republican Orrin Hatch has spent 36 years in the U.S. Senate, including stints as chairman of the Judiciary and Labor committees. He's in line to become chairman of the Finance Committee if Republicans gain control of the Senate in November.

Discussion: Hit & Run, Mediaite, The Daily Caller and The Spectacle Blog

The New Republic:

If Health Insurance Mandates Are Unconstitutional, Why Did the Founding Fathers Back Them? — In making the legal case against Obamacare's individual mandate, challengers have argued that the framers of our Constitution would certainly have found such a measure to be unconstitutional.

Discussion: Little Green Footballs, The Volokh Conspiracy and Instapundit

Thomas Cloud / CNSNews:

Shovel Ready in San Fran: $205,075 to ‘Translocate’ One Shrub from Path of Stimulus Project — (CNSNews.com) — The government spent at least $205,075 in 2010 to “translocate” a single bush in San Francisco that stood in the path of a $1.045-billion highway-renovation project that was partially funded …

Discussion: The PJ Tatler and Conservatives4Palin

NOM Blog:

Human Rights Campaign Quietly Removes Illegally Obtained Tax Information from Website — Contact: Anath Hartmann or Elizabeth Ray (703-683-5004) — “We demand that federal authorities immediately launch an investigation into this crime...This is reminiscent of Watergate.” —Brian Brown, NOM president—

Discussion: The New Civil Rights Movement, Joe. My. God. and Towleroad News #gay

Tyler Cowen / The Atlantic Online:

Six Rules for Dining Out — How a frugal economist finds the perfect lunch — A BAD OR MEDIOCRE meal is more than just an unpleasant taste, it is an unnecessary negation of one of life's pleasures—a wasted chance to refine our palates, learn about the world, and share a rewarding experience.

BuzzFeed:

Rick Santorum Signed Up 3-Year-Old Daughter For A Lifetime NRA Membership — The former candidate speaks to the National Rifle Association convention and brags of Bella's new membership. She is three. — by — Rosie Gray · added an hour ago · 15 responses

Discussion: Mock, Paper, Scissors