memeorandum: McDonnell dismisses ‘birther’ talk, says Romney agrees Obama ‘born in America’ (Kevin Bogardus/The Hill)

11:45 AM ET, June 3, 2012

Top Items:

Sandra Sobieraj Westfall / People.com:

Ashley Biden Is Married — In the same Delaware church where she was baptized, Ashley Biden, the Vice President's daughter, was married Saturday to Philadelphia surgeon Howard Krein. — The couple were wed at the steepled St. Joseph on the Brandywine Roman Catholic Church, in Greenville …

Discussion: Politico

Mike Allen / Politico:

MIKE LEAVITT PLANNING ROMNEY TRANSITION: ‘PROJECT READY’ — Weekend weddings: Ashley Blazer Biden and Dr. Howard Krein — STEPHANIE CUTTER, deputy Obama campaign manager, to George Stephanopoulos on ABC's “This Week”: “If you looked at the report on Friday, the areas where we ARE doing …

Discussion: ThinkProgress

Steve Holland / Reuters:

Romney could pick VP early, and cash in often — (Reuters) - Senator John McCain waited until just before the 2008 Republican convention to name his vice presidential pick, sticking to a timing tradition thought to pump up party activists before the big push to Election Day.

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog

Kevin Bogardus / The Hill:

McDonnell dismisses ‘birther’ talk, says Romney agrees Obama ‘born in America’ — A high-level surrogate for presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's campaign said this year's White House race will be about issues, not where President Obama was born.

Discussion: CNN

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:

Second Romney-Backed Solar Company Files For Bankruptcy — On Thursday, Mitt Romney campaigned at the headquarters of Solyndra — the first renewable energy company to receive a federal loan under the stimulus — and reiterated his debunked claims that its bankruptcy symbolized the corruption and cronyism of the Obama administration.

Discussion: Boston Herald, Taylor Marsh, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Moderate Voice and Associated Press

NBC's Andrew Rafferty / msnbc.com:
Trump: Media are biggest threat to Romney's presidential campaign

Discussion: theGrio, The Gateway Pundit, Mediaite and The Raw Story

New York Times:

Crude Oil Output Is Soaring in Iraq, Easing Markets — BAGHDAD — Despite sectarian bombings and political gridlock, Iraq's crude oil production is soaring, providing a singular bright spot for the nation's future and relief for global oil markets as the West tightens sanctions on Iranian exports.

Discussion: Business Insider and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog

Ann Althouse / Althouse:

Another political letter tapping public information to shame and intimidate. — Last night, I posted about a mailing I received from the Greater Wisconsin Political Fund, showing my name and address and the names and addresses of a dozen of my neighbors and whether we'd voted in the last 2 elections.

Discussion: iOwnTheWorld.com

Ann Althouse / Althouse:
“We're sending this mailing to you and your neighbors to publicize who does and does not vote.”

Discussion: Hot Air, Weasel Zippers, Wake up America, Outside the Beltway, Riehl World View, NewsBusters.org, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and The Lonely Conservative

Maureen Dowd / New York Times:

Dreaming of a Superhero — ON Friday night, the nation's capital was under a tornado watch. And that was the best thing that happened to the White House all week. — As the president was being slapped by Mitt Romney for being too weak on national security, he was being rapped …

Discussion: Power Line, Weasel Zippers and Daily Kos

Alexander Burns / Politico:

Three polls in a row: Mass. a tie — Suffolk University had a poll last week showing Scott Brown and Elizabeth Warren separated by only 1 point in the Massachusetts. Today, two more surveys have the race too close to call: the Boston Globe has Brown up 2 points, while the Western …

Discussion: Roll Call, Union-News, CNN, americanthinker.com and Michelle Malkin

Robert Rizzuto / Union-News:
Elizabeth Warren lands party endorsement with record 95 percent support at Massachusetts Democratic Convention

Discussion: Christian Science Monitor, masslive.com topics, masslive.com topics and Weekly Standard

Boston News, Weather, Sports:
One-on-One interview with Elizabeth Warren

Discussion: Power Line

Brad Knickerbocker / Christian Science Monitor:

Amelia Earhart: New evidence tells of her last days on a Pacific atoll — New information gives a clearer picture of what happened 75 years ago to Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan, where they came down and how they likely survived - for a while, at least - as castaways on a remote island.

Discussion: Hot Air, Macleans.ca, Outside the Beltway and Gawker

New York Times:

Obama's Hands Tied on Weak Economy — WASHINGTON — The bleak jobs report on Friday predictably had heads snapping toward the White House, looking to President Obama to do something. Yet his proposed remedies only underscore how much the president, just five months before he faces voters …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Right Wing News and State of the Union

Robert Stacy McCain / The Other McCain:

When Neal Rauhauser Complained About ‘Menacing’ and ‘Cyberstalking’ — As September 2010 came to an end, Neal Rauhauser's “beandogs” operation was rapidly imploding. Using his “WingNutWatch” Twitter account, Rauhauser had “organized a group of E-Thugs meant to harass, threaten, provoke …

Discussion: FilmLadd Blogs, Patterico's Pontifications and Nice Deb

Rosie Gray / BuzzFeed:

Priebus Downplays Expectations In Wisconsin — GOP chairman manages expectations before the recall. “I'm not going to play into this narrative about whether or not the Democrats are letting up because I don't care.” — Priebus speaking to the crowd at a Tea Party rally in Wisconsin.

Discussion: National Review, Althouse and americanthinker.com