memeorandum: Allen West on Obama: ‘The Resurrection of an Imperial Presidency’ (Daniel Halper/Weekly Standard)

4:15 PM ET, June 18, 2012

Top Items:

Scalia and Ginsburg Drop Hints about Obamacare's Fate at the Supreme Court — A Tea-Party supporter protest outside the US Supreme Court on the third day of oral arguements over the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on March 28, 2012 in Washington, DC.

Discussion: The New Republic, The Moderate Voice, Booman Tribune, Law Librarian Blog, 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com, Ezra Klein, Campaign 2012, Questions and Observations and Washington Monthly

Juan Williams / The Hill:

Opinion: Defeat of healthcare law would erode voters' trust in Supreme Court — Every political strategist working the fall elections sees a game changer coming by the end of the month. — That's when the Supreme Court rules on the constitutionality of President Obama's signature legislative accomplishment, the Affordable Care Act.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, neo-neocon, National Review, Prairie Weather, Jammie Wearing Fools, ABCNEWS, Pirate's Cove, The PJ Tatler, The Gateway Pundit and The Lonely Conservative

Kevin Drum Feed:

The Clock Ticks Down on Whether We've Entered a New Era in American Politics — Two years ago, when President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law, the idea that its individual mandate provision was unconstitutional was laughable. There was no case law, no precedent, and frankly …

Discussion: A plain blog about politics

Ezra Klein / New Yorker:

UNPOPULAR MANDATE … - FRONT ROW - PHOTO BOOTH - PAGE-TURNER - CLOSE READ - DAILY COMMENT - JOHN CASSIDY - JONAH LEHRER - SPORTS

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Washington Monthly, Prairie Weather, The Daily Caller and Brad DeLong

Robert J. Samuelson / Washington Post:

The folly of Obamacare — We pay our presidents for judgment, and President Obama committed a colossal error of judgment in making health-care “reform” a centerpiece of his first term. Ahead of the Supreme Court's decision on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) — and regardless of how the court decides …

Discussion: OpenMarket.org, Power Line and The Daily Beast

Pew Research Center for the People and the Press:

Any Court Health Care Decision Unlikely to Please — Immigration: Public Backs AZ Law, But Also Path to Citizenship — OVERVIEW — The public is unlikely to be satisfied with the Supreme Court's upcoming ruling on the 2010 Affordable Care Act - no matter what the Court decides.

Discussion: Washington Post and Business Insider

Bloomberg:
Supreme Court's Super Mondays Don't Serve Justice

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's Wonk Wire

Justin Sink / The Hill:

Ann Romney: ‘I doubt’ we'll take as many overseas vacations as the Obamas — Ann Romney, the wife of Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, said Monday that she doubted that she and her husband would vacation overseas as frequently as the Obamas if her husband were to win election.

Discussion: Reuters, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Mediaite, Little Green Footballs, CNN, The Hill, No More Mister Nice Blog, Weasel Zippers, Daily Kos, The Daily Caller and Shakesville

Washington Post:

Obama picks John Kerry to play Romney in mock debate rehearsals — President Obama has tapped Sen. John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, to play Republican Mitt Romney in mock debate rehearsals, Obama campaign officials and the senator's office confirmed Monday.

Discussion: Boston Globe and Politico

Neil King Jr / Washington Wire:

Rubio Says Own Dream Act Derailed for Now — Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said Monday that President Barack Obama's move last week to block deportations for some young illegal immigrants in the U.S. has likely derailed his own similar efforts, at least until after the election.

Discussion: The Hill, National Review and The Daily Caller

Robert Costa / National Review:
Rubio's Take on DREAM ‘by Fiat’

Discussion: ThinkProgress and Washington Post

CNN:
Mexico's president praises Obama's immigration shift

Discussion: Politico and Hot Air

Barack Obama / TIME Ideas:
Exclusive: A Nation of Laws and a Nation of Immigrants

Discussion: Democracy in America, Politico, The PJ Tatler and The New Republic

Brantley Hargrove / Unfair Park:
A Guide to How Obama's New Immigration Policy Will Work, And a Word of Caution

Discussion: The Reaction

CNN: Romney's ‘Doing Fine?’ becomes ‘¿Van Bien?’

Bloomberg:

The Obama Campaign Needs an Intervention — During a focus group in Denver last week, Jeffrey Penny laid out his “criteria” for giving President Barack Obama his vote this year as he did in 2008. — “I just want to see specifics and quit the trash talk,” the 31-year-old web designer …

Discussion: Politico, RedState, Weekly Standard, Hot Air, Questions and Observations and Vodkapundit

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

Greece as Victim — Ever since Greece hit the skids, we've heard a lot about what's wrong with everything Greek. Some of the accusations are true, some are false — but all of them are beside the point. Yes, there are big failings in Greece's economy, its politics and no doubt its society.

Discussion: Bloomberg, Firedoglake, Guardian, Ezra Klein, Washington Monthly, Daily Kos, Balloon Juice, Paul Krugman, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/* and Washington Post

Stephen Castle / New York Times:
Markets Relief Fades at Greek Election Results

Discussion: Via Meadia, Slate, Ezra Klein, IHT Rendezvous, The Daily Beast and Daniel W. Drezner

WBUR:

WBUR Poll: Angus King Heavy Favorite To Replace Sen. Snowe — A new WBUR poll shows former Maine Gov. Angus King as the heavy favorite to replace retiring Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe. Current poll numbers have King, who is running as an independent, with 50 percent of likely voters …

Discussion: On Top Magazine Headlines, Firedoglake, Freedom to Marry Blog, Washington Wire, Hotline On Call, Ballot Box, ThinkProgress and Outside the Beltway

Daily Mail:

Obama's Harvard law professor says ‘President MUST be defeated in 2012’ (even though he's the man Barack used to have on speed dial) — A former professor of Barack Obama has turned against his one-time student and publicly urged voters not to re-elect him.

Discussion: Mediaite, The Jawa Report, Indecision Forever, Hot Air and Reuters

New York Post:

Businesses make $4M off NYC students by holding their cellphones during school — The city's ban on cellphones in schools is taking an amazing $4.2 million a year out of kids' pockets, a Post analysis has found. — The students — who attend the nearly 90 high schools and middle schools …

Discussion: New York Magazine, Jezebel and Gothamist

Daily Mail:

‘How would a Jewish person feel if you put a swastika on a shoe?’ Adidas under fire for unveiling new trainer with orange ‘shackles’ like those worn by black slaves — Adidas has sparked outrage and been accused of ‘promoting slavery’ by creating a new pair of trainers which have bright orange 'shackles …

Discussion: Riehl World View and The Right Scoop

David D. Kirkpatrick / New York Times:

Egypt's Military Softens Tone as Vote Count Favors Islamist — CAIRO — Faced with the popular election of the first Islamist head of state in the Arab world, Egypt's ruling generals sought on Monday to soften the appearance of their supreme authority as they entered a period of negotiations …

Discussion: msnbc.com and New Atlanticist

Washington Post:
Egypt's military issues decree giving vast powers to armed forces, but few to president

Discussion: BBC, Firedoglake, Associated Press, Informed Comment, AJE, Taylor Marsh, Questions and Observations, Power Line, The PJ Tatler, Guardian, New York Times, The Moderate Voice and The Lede

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:

GOP strategist: Republicans were ‘caught with their pants down’ on immigration — Republicans need to be very careful about how they respond to Obama's new immigration announcement, because Americans view the issue as one about fundamental fairness. If the GOP loses the Latino vote in the same …

Daniel Halper / Weekly Standard:

Allen West on Obama: ‘The Resurrection of an Imperial Presidency’ — Speaking this morning to talk radio host Laura Ingraham, Florida congressman Allen West, a Republican, blasted President Obama's immigration plan to use prosecutorial discretion not to go after young immigrants who came to the United States illegally.

Discussion: Hot Air

BuzzFeed:

9 Tall Tales From Barack Obama's Memoir — 1. Hussein Onyango, Barack's grandfather, wasn't really imprisoned and tortured by the British. — Source: 1.bp.blogspot.com — 2. The father of his Indonesian stepfather, Soewarno Martodihardjo, wasn't killed by Dutch soldiers in the fight for independence.

Discussion: Hot Air

Howard Kurtz / The Daily Beast:

Two Partisan Warriors, Michael Steele and Lanny Davis, Going Purple — Michael Steele and Lanny Davis are challenging their parties to stop the politics of demonization. The strange bedfellows tell Howard Kurtz why they're teaming up. — Michael Steele and Lanny Davis are quick to admit they are reformed sinners.

Discussion: Washington Monthly and New York Magazine

Paul Bedard / Washington Examiner:

Michelle Obama slaps ‘corporate’ work, ‘fat paychecks’ — President Obama along with his mother-in-law Marian Robinson and wife Michelle Obama watch a basketball game November 2009 between GWU and Oregon State, coached by the first lady's brother, Craig Robinson, standing at right.

Discussion: The Lonely Conservative

New York Times:

Russian Warships Said to Be Going to Naval Base in Syria — MOSCOW — Introducing an unpredictable new element into the Syrian crisis, a Russian news agency said on Monday that two Russian naval vessels with marines on board were ready to head for Syria to protect Russian citizens and a naval base there …

Discussion: ThinkProgress and GOP.com

Daniel Halper / Weekly Standard:

Mexican President Thanks Obama for Immigration Changes — At a bilateral meeting in Los Cabos, Mexican president Felipe Calderón thanked President Obama for his Friday announcement not to prosecute young illegal immigrants:

Tara Kelly / The Huffington Post:

Giant Mushroom Cloud In Beijing (VIDEO) (PHOTOS) … FOLLOW: — Foreign Affairs, Video, Mushroom Clouds, Beijing, Beijing Mushroom Cloud, Beijing-China, China Mushroom Cloud, China Pollution, Green Haze, Haze, Massive Mushroom Cloud China, Mushroom Cloud Beijing, Mushroom Cloud Beijing Photos, World News