memeorandum: The Private Sector is Doing Fine. The Political Press? Eh... (David Weigel/Slate)

8:00 PM ET, June 8, 2012

Top Items:

Obama: “The Private Sector Is Doing Fine” — Question: What about the Republicans saying that you're blaming the Europeans for the failures of your own policies? — President Obama: The truth of the matter is that, as I said, we created 4.3 million jobs over the last 27 months, over 800,000 just this year alone.

Discussion: Hit & Run, The Caucus, Ricochet Conversations Feed, The Lonely Conservative, The Enterprise Blog, Weasel Zippers, Mediaite, Questions and Observations, Grim's Hall, protein wisdom, Sister Toldjah and GOP 12

David Weigel / Slate:

The Private Sector is Doing Fine. The Political Press? Eh... - Obama Blames Europe, Asia, and Everyone Else for America's Economic Woes — Stop Laughing About the LinkedIn Security Breach. It's More Serious Than You Think. - Prometheus Is Deep but Not Very Smart …

Discussion: The Daily Dish, News Desk, Talking Points Memo and US Politics

Jake Tapper / ABCNEWS:

President Obama Clarifies “Private Sector Is Doing Fine” Remarks — With Republicans seizing upon remarks he made earlier in the day that “the private sector is doing fine” - arguing that they show a president out of touch with an ailing economy — President Obama sought to clarify his remarks Friday afternoon.

Discussion: Daily Kos, Weasel Zippers, 2012 Decoded and Hot Air

Justin Sink / The Hill:

Romney: Obama ‘doing fine’ comment will ‘go down in history’ as ‘extraordinary miscalculation’ — Mitt Romney blasted President Obama for comments during a press conference Friday in which the president suggested the private sector was “doing fine.” — “He said the private sector is doing fine.

Discussion: sisu, Little Green Footballs, Hot Air and Weasel Zippers

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:

Mitt Romney: We don't need more cops, firefighters or teachers — When Republicans attack public workers, they often take care to exempt cops and firefighters, because they are culturally sympathetic figures, and muddle the message that government workers are parasites who are destroying the economic conditions of ordinary Americans.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, The Maddow Blog, The New Republic and The New Civil Rights Movement

Mike Lupica / NY Daily News:

The silent issue that could doom President Obama in 2012 election — Unlike 2008, race works against President this time in a big way — Race won't be the only issue President Obama will face in the 2012 election, not in a world of high gas prices and high unemployment.

Discussion: Mediaite, The Daley Gator and Weasel Zippers

Amie Parnes / The Hill:

Obama walks back comment about private economy ‘doing fine’ — Hours after saying the private sector is “doing fine,” President Obama on Friday walked back those remarks, saying it's “absolutely clear” the economy is not fine. — “That's precisely why I asked Congress to start taking some steps to make a difference,” Obama said.

Discussion: Race 4 2012

BuzzFeed:

Mitt Romney Struggles To Identify A Donut — “Can you see that one of those chocolate, um, uh, chocolate goodies finds its way to our ride?” — McKay Coppins — an hour ago — 20 responses

Discussion: New York Magazine and TheBlaze.com

James Pethokoukis / The Enterprise Blog:

Obama is wrong. The private sector isn't ‘doing fine’ — In his news conference today, President Obama gave some interesting insight into his views of the state of the American economy. — “The private sector is doing fine.” — Here is the whole quote (via RealClearPolitics):

Discussion: The Caucus, Hot Air, Outside the Beltway, Ed Driscoll, nation.foxnews.com, Vodkapundit, Wake up America, Daily Pundit and The Lonely Conservative

John Hinderaker / Power Line:

Obama's Most Clueless Moment Yet? — President Obama's seemingly-bizarre claim that “the private sector is doing fine” is echoing across the country. When I first saw the quote, I thought it must be a momentary gaffe, or perhaps taken out of context. But no: Obama really did say …

Jake Tapper / ABCNEWS:
President Obama Says The Private Sector Is Doing Fine

Discussion: Swampland, CNN and The Week

Michael O'Brien / msnbc.com:
Obama: ‘It is absolutely clear that the economy is not doing fine’

Discussion: BuzzFeed, Business Insider and Indecision Forever

Ezra Klein:
Obama's press conference: The public sector isn't fine

Discussion: Business Insider and msnbc.com

Stephen F. Hayes / Weekly Standard:
Scott Walker: Obama's Comments Reflect a Fundamental Misunderstanding of the Economy

Discussion: Ed Driscoll

Devin Dwyer / ABCNEWS:
Obama Says ‘Private Sector Doing Fine,’ Calls for Aid to States

Discussion: Reuters, Politico, Weekly Standard, CNN and ABCNEWS

BuzzFeed: Obama's “Fundamentals Of The Economy” Moment

Rick Santorum / CNN:
Romney on Obama: ‘Is he really that out of touch?’

Discussion: The New Civil Rights Movement and Wonkette

BuzzFeed:
Obama: “The Private Sector Is Doing Fine”

Discussion: Washington Post, New York Magazine and The Page

Philip Rucker / Associated Press:
Mitt Romney: Obama ‘detached, out of touch’

Discussion: Washington Post, American Prospect, Ezra Klein, The Democratic Daily and Taylor Marsh

House Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans:

Emails Show White House Helped Create Third-Party Advertising Initiative Behind Health Care Law, Had Close Involvement in Messaging and Advocacy of Outside Interests — WASHINGTON, DC - The House Energy and Commerce Committee, chaired by Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), today released a memo …

Discussion: Washington Wire, The Hill, Speaker Mobile, Hit & Run and Speaker.gov

Peter Baker / New York Times:
E-Mails Reveal Extent of Obama's Deal With Industry on Health Care

Discussion: Hot Air, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Hullabaloo and Politico

Jonathan Easley / The Hill:
President: Allegation that security leaks were politically motivated is ‘offensive’

Discussion: Politico, Hot Air, The Lonely Conservative and Algemeiner.com

Matea Gold / Los Angeles Times:
FEC debates semantics in political ads

Discussion: ABCNEWS and Balloon Juice

Josh Gerstein / Politico:
The ‘leak’ wars — President Barack Obama's administration …

more at Mediagazer »

Jason Clayworth / Des Moines Register:

Romney heckler and a Biz owner in Council Bluffs: We were disrespected — Council Bluffs, Ia. — A 62-year-old Vietnam veteran who continuously disrupted Mitt Romney's event here today by screaming “liar” over a megaphone says he was disrespected by security and guests who shouted insults …

Discussion: Daily Kos

BuzzFeed:
Romney Visits Iowa Restaurant, Owners Feel Dissed

Discussion: Des Moines Register and Guardian

Paul Bond / Hollywood Reporter:

'Schindler's List' Producer Claims Graduation Speech Censorship — A controversy erupted in a small Montana town after a high school principal prevented Oscar winner Gerald Molen from delivering his planned speech because he's “a right-wing conservative.” — Gerald Molen won a best picture Oscar …

Discussion: The Volokh Conspiracy, The PJ Tatler, Clayton Cramer's Blog and Campaign 2012

Josh Margolin / New York Post:

Booker's big mouth ruins relationship with Obama, Cabinet hopes — It's bye-bye, Beltway for Cory Booker. — Newark's mayor, who was gunning for a spot in President Obama's Cabinet, lost the chance after he shot his mouth off during a blunderingly honest TV appearance last month, sources told The Post.

Discussion: BuzzFeed, RealClearPolitics Video Log, Weasel Zippers, Hot Air, Mediaite, Political Insider, iOwnTheWorld.com, Pirate's Cove, The Daily Caller, Washington Post and The Lonely Conservative

William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:

Breitbart lives in the heads of Netroots Nation protectors of Elizabeth Warren — Anne Sorock attended the Netroots Nation convention yesterday morning, and asked a thoroughly legitimate question of the members of a panel on Native American identity:

Discussion: American Power and The Gateway Pundit

Anne Sorock / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:
Elizabeth Warren dodges questions at Netroots Nation - security guards block me

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and American Power

Daniel Halper / Weekly Standard:

NPR: Criticism of President Coming from ‘GOP Dope’ — National Public Radio has a blog post about President Obama's statement this morning on the private sector—and how conservatives reacted to the president's assertion that"the private sector is doing fine." The title of the post?

Discussion: National Review

Agoldberg / The Smoking Gun:

Koran-Hating Pastor Hangs Barack Obama In Effigy In Florida Church's Front Yard — The Florida pastor who ignited an international furor by threatening to burn a pile of Korans has applied his subtle touch to the 2012 presidential campaign by constructing a gallows from which a likeness of President Barack Obama now hangs in effigy.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Towleroad News #gay

Jeff Dunetz / “The Lid”:

Kimberlin's Cronies Go After The Lid — As I mentioned earlier this week today has been declared a national day of blogger silence/action to protect blogger freedom of speech. Since Ace suggested we use today to urge congress protect free speech the day has taken on more significance to me personally, yesterday

Discussion: The Lonely Conservative