memeorandum: Newt Gingrich bitten by a penguin (Caitlin McDevitt/Politico)

1:20 AM ET, April 17, 2012

Top Items:

Frank Newport / Gallup:

Romney, Obama in Tight Race as Gallup Daily Tracking Begins — Romney voters slightly more certain they will vote — PRINCETON, NJ — Mitt Romney is supported by 47% of national registered voters and Barack Obama by 45% in the inaugural Gallup Daily tracking results from April 11-15.

CNN:

CNN Poll: Gender gap and likeability keep Obama over Romney — (CNN) - President Barack Obama holds a nine-point lead over Republican challenger Mitt Romney thanks in part to the perception that the president is more likeable and more in touch with the problems facing women and middle class Americans, according to a new national poll.

Discussion: The Caucus, ABCNEWS, Ballot Box, Hot Air, Los Angeles Times, Wake up America, The Mahablog and Politico

BuzzFeed:

By Historic Standards, Obama Is In Trouble — Modern presidents who got re-elected were all leading in the polls at this point in their presidencies — as were some who lost anyway. Obama is in a statistical tie with Romney in the first Gallup daily tracking poll of the general election, and that might not be enough.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, A plain blog about politics, Campaign 2012, Indecision Forever and Business Insider

Geneva Sands / The Hill:
Former Obama adviser Barnes: Bill Maher's comments on Ann Romney ‘problematic’

Discussion: CNN, Wake up America, Hot Air, Weasel Zippers and The PJ Tatler

CNN:
Romney woos Red Sox Nation

Discussion: The Hill and Israel Matzav

Roseanne Barr / The Daily Beast:

Roseanne Barr on Ann and Mitt Romney and the Mommy Wars — Let us not be dragged back into the “working mom versus stay-at-home mom” dialogue. By Roseanne Barr. — I almost got sick to my stomach when I heard Hilary Rosen's unfortunate words regarding Mrs. Mitt Romney.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, NewsBusters.org, PopWatch and Politico

Russell Goldman / ABCNEWS:

Dog Seamus ‘Loved’ Trips Atop Family Car, Says Ann Romney — Seamus, Mitt Romney's Irish setter who traveled with his young family strapped to the roof of their station wagon, “loved” those trips, despite once getting ill, Ann Romney told ABC's Diane Sawyer in an exclusive interview.

Discussion: Mediaite, Gawker, New York Magazine and Hot Air

ABCNEWS:

Romney Tells Obama to ‘Start Packing’ in ABC News Exclusive Interview — Acting very much like the GOP nominee, Mitt Romney sent a curt message to President Obama today: “Start packing.” — The message, delivered with a chuckle, came in an exclusive interview with “World News” …

Discussion: CNN, Mediaite, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Gothamist and Guardian

BuzzFeed:
Why Ann Stayed Home

Discussion: lds.org and Religion Dispatches

ABCNEWS:
Transcript: Mitt and Ann Romney's Interview With Diane Sawyer

Discussion: Ballot Box

Nile Gardiner / blogs.telegraph.co.uk:

Is Hillary Clinton becoming an embarrassment as Secretary of State? — The pictures of Hillary Clinton dancing the night away in Colombia during the Summit of the Americas are now all over Twitter, and were first reported by ABC News: … The overwhelmingly liberal US media is treating …

Discussion: New York Post, Fox News, AMERICAN DIGEST, Mediaite, Don Surber, Hullabaloo, newsfeed.time.com, nation.foxnews.com, TMZ.com and ABCNEWS

David A. Graham / The Atlantic Online:

Hillary Clinton Loses the Scrunchie in Colombia — The secretary of state lets her hair down in Cartagena — leading to the inevitable Drunk Texts from Hillary meme. — Hillary Clinton is seriously having a moment. Her approval ratings are sky-high. Her name is constantly floated as a vice presidential or presidential candidate.

Discussion: Hot Air, Guardian, Taylor Marsh and The Confluence

Dylan Stableford / Yahoo! News:
Hillary Clinton parties in Colombia: Photos of dancing, beer-slugging secretary of state cause stir

Discussion: ABCNEWS, neo-neocon and TMZ.com

Chris Francescani / Reuters:

Trayvon Martin's killer showed signs of injury: neighbors — (Reuters) - Neighbors of George Zimmerman say he had bandages on his nose and head the day after he shot dead Trayvon Martin, supporting statements by the neighborhood watch volunteer that he was beaten in a confrontation with the black Florida teenager.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute:

Trayvon Martin: Reuters Finds Bandages On Zimmerman, But Why Now? — Matt Drudge links to a Reuters story with the following “news”: — Trayvon Martin's killer showed signs of injury: neighbors — (Reuters) - Neighbors of George Zimmerman say he had bandages on his nose and head …

Discussion: Pat Dollard

Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:

In Senate, Republicans Block Debate on ‘Buffett Rule’ — WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans on Monday blocked a move to open debate on the so-called Buffett Rule, ensuring that a measure pressed for months by President Obama and Senate Democrats to ensure that the superrich pay a tax rate …

Discussion: Gothamist, CNN and Truthdig

Warren Buffett / CNN:
CNN Poll: 7 out of 10 support ‘Buffett Rule’

Discussion: New York Magazine, Reuters, Hot Air, Politico, Campaign 2012, The Raw Story and ThinkProgress

Lydia Saad / Gallup:
Less Than Half of Americans Consider Tax Bill Too High

Discussion: Ezra Klein, ThinkProgress and Firedoglake

Caitlin McDevitt / Politico:

Newt Gingrich bitten by a penguin — Newt Gingrich loves animals, but sometimes love hurts. A small penguin at the St. Louis Zoo bit the former House speaker on the finger last week, the AP reports:

The Huffington Post:
Newt Gingrich Bitten By Penguin At St. Louis Zoo

Discussion: The New Civil Rights Movement, Jezebel and The Hill

Katie Roiphe / The Daily Beast:

Spanking Goes Mainstream — From the steamy bestseller Fifty Shades of Grey to HBO's Girls, sexual domination is in vogue. Katie Roiphe on why women's power at work may be fueling the craze. Plus, Fifty Shades of Grey's naughtiest bits. — If every era gets the sadist it deserves …

Discussion: Guardian, Feministing, Gawker, Jezebel, Gothamist and Shakesville

David Nir / Daily Kos:

WI-Gov: Scott Walker takes leads, but sits right at the 50% mark — Public Policy Polling for Daily Kos. 4/13-15. Likely voters. MoE: ±2.9% (2/23-26 results): … These numbers show a drop for Democrats from PPP's last survey of the race, which of course makes you ask, why? What's changed?

Discussion: National Review, Washington Post, Politico, Tom Barrett for Governor, Power Line, BuzzFeed, Firedoglake, Weekly Standard and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Jonathan Gilbert / Telegraph:

Barack Obama makes Falklands gaffe by calling Malvinas the Maldives — Barack Obama made an uncharacteristic error, more akin to those of his predecessor George W Bush, by referring to the Falkland Islands as the Maldives. — Barack Obama made a gaffe more associated with predecessor George W Bush

Discussion: The Spectacle Blog, The PJ Tatler, Weasel Zippers, nation.foxnews.com, The Daily Caller, The American Conservative, Pat Dollard and Jammie Wearing Fools

Henry Paul Monaghan / The New Republic:

A Conservative Law Professor on the Obvious Constitutionality of Obamacare — The Constitution of the United States creates a national government of enumerated and therefore limited powers. Accordingly, troubled members of the Court should be applauded for their efforts to search for the limits …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, ACS Blog, The Maddow Blog and theGrio

Rene Stutzman / Orlando Sentinel:

Zimmerman's lawyer: I want a new judge — George Zimmerman's attorney on Monday asked the judge in the case to step down because of a possible conflict of interest. — On Friday, O'Mara told Circuit Judge Jessica Recksiedler he was on the verge of asking her to step aside.

Discussion: New York Times, msnbc.com, JustOneMinute, Scared Monkeys and The Raw Story, more at Mediagazer »

Memet Walker / The Daily Tar Heel:

Column: GOP hopeful Newt Gingrich cuts interview short with UNC student — As a reporter, I'm rarely at a loss for words when it comes to interviewing almost anyone. By now, I've heard and seen a lot. — But there I was Saturday, standing alone with my recorder in a quiet stupor, as my subject, Newt Gingrich, rushed away.

Discussion: Indecision Forever, Politico, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, The Hill, Business Insider and The Raw Story, more at Mediagazer »

David Weigel / Slate:

Herman Cain Rally at the Capitol Fails Spectacularly … - Vincent Kartheiser on What It's Like To Play Mad Men's Pete Campbell - Cocaine Is Unbelievably Cheap Now. Why? - Guys on Girls: What a Pack of Dudes Thought of the Premiere - Girls on Girls: What a Bunch of Ladies Thought …

Discussion: BuzzFeed and Indecision Forever

James Pethokoukis / The Enterprise Blog:

Here's how big the potential 2013 tax hikes would be — If you combine all the other tax increases from 1980-1993, they add up to 3.3% of GDP, according to the brilliant budget team at Strategas Research. The coming “taxmageddon” of 2013 surpasses all those tax hikes combined!

Discussion: Business Insider and Doug Ross

John Frank / Raleigh News & Observer:

Top Democratic staffer steps down amid claims of sexual harassment — The executive director of the N.C. Democratic Party resigned Sunday as questions mounted about a secret agreement to pay a former staffer to keep quiet about sexual harassment allegations.

Discussion: The Daily Caller and Taegan Goddard's …

Kirk Semple / New York Times:

More U.S. Children of Immigrants Are Leaving U.S. — Samir N. Kapadia seemed to be on the rise in Washington, moving from an internship on Capitol Hill to jobs at a major foundation and a consulting firm. Yet his days, he felt, had become routine. — By contrast, friends and relatives in India …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and Univision News Tumblr

Joe Hagan / Texas Monthly:

Truth or Consequences — Eight years ago, Dan Rather broadcast an explosive report on the Air National Guard service of President George W. Bush. It was supposed to be the legendary newsman's finest hour. Instead, it blew up in his face, tarnishing his career forever and casting a dark cloud …