memeorandum: Sen. Durbin: Romney running away from Bain ‘like a scalded cat’ (Keith Laing/The Hill)

5:25 PM ET, July 15, 2012

Top Items:

Keith Laing / The Hill:

Gillespie says Romney ‘retired retroactively’ from Bain Capital — Senior Mitt Romney campaign adviser Ed Gillespie blasted President Obama's attacks on the GOP candidate, saying Romney had been honest about his tenure at the private equity giant Bain Capital.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, msnbc.com, CNN, American Power, Little Green Footballs, The Reaction, Mother Jones, Outside the Beltway, The Moderate Voice, The Raw Story, The Hinterland Gazette and Boston Globe

Adam Peck / ThinkProgress:

Romney Adviser: Romney Not Responsible For Bain Because He ‘Retired Retroactively’ — Mitt Romney and senior campaign advisor Ed Gillespie — Ed Gillespie, a senior campaign advisor for Mitt Romney, appeared on Meet the Press this morning to answer questions about Romney's tenure at Bain Capital …

Discussion: The Raw Story, emptywheel, News Desk, The Mahablog, msnbc.com, Balloon Juice and The Impolitic

Keith Laing / The Hill:

Sen. Durbin: Romney running away from Bain ‘like a scalded cat’ — Durbin said Romney could clear questions about his tenure at Bain “this afternoon” by releasing more tax records. — Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) Sunday said GOP presidential Mitt Romney candidate is running away …

Discussion: Politico and Booman Tribune

Jonathan Martinand James Hohmann / Politico:

Republican governors want Mitt Romney to hit back — WILLIAMSBURG, Va., — Republican governors gathered here this weekend gently nudged Mitt Romney to wage a more aggressive campaign, urging the GOP standard bearer to share more about his background and draw a sharper contrast between his vision and that of President Barack Obama.

Discussion: Booman Tribune, CNN, No More Mister Nice Blog, Washington Monthly and Riehl World View

Jim Kuhnhenn / Associated Press:
Obama Ad ‘Firms’ Slams Romney's Jobs Record, Overseas Accounts

Discussion: The Huffington Post, ThinkProgress, Runnin' Scared and FreakOutNation

BuzzFeed:
Alabama Governor: I Didn't Call On Romney To Release His Tax Returns

Discussion: Mediaite and The Hill

Annie Karni / New York Post:

Disgraced pol Weiner eyes mayor or public advocate run — Anthony Weiner's not shrinking from elected office. — The disgraced former congressman — who's sitting on a $4.5 million campaign war chest — is mulling a bid for citywide office next year and “seriously considering” a mayoral run, multiple sources told The Post.

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, CBS New York, Mediaite, Hotline On Call, Gothamist, The Conservatory, New York Magazine, Runnin' Scared, Outside the Beltway, Atlas Shrugs, Business Insider, Jammie Wearing Fools and BuzzFeed

Jason DeParle / New York Times:

Two Classes, Divided by ‘I Do’ — ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Jessica Schairer has so much in common with her boss, Chris Faulkner, that a visitor to the day care center they run might get them confused. — They are both friendly white women from modest Midwestern backgrounds who left for college …

Discussion: The Big Picture, Outside the Beltway, Swampland, Angry Bear and Economix

Michelle Obama / CNN:

First lady: This election closer than 2008 — (CNN) - Speaking to supporters at a farm in New York's Hudson Valley on Sunday, first lady Michelle Obama predicted a tighter result in November than the 7-point margin her husband enjoyed over Sen. John McCain in 2008.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

Lindsey Boerma / CBS News:
Obama: Not enough change in first term

Discussion: Wake up America and americanthinker.com

KCRG-TV:

Search Continues in Black Hawk County for Two Missing Girls — KCRG/Gazette/Waterloo Courier Staff Reports — EVANSDALE, Iowa — Black Hawk County authorities have given an update on the search for the two girls Sunday. — Volunteers searchers will fan out across the Evansdale area …

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, ABCNEWS and Riehl World View

Daily Mail:

Newborn girl ‘buried alive by her father in Pakistan because she was deformed’ — Pakistani police have arrested a man accused of burying his newborn daughter alive because she was physically deformed. — Mohammed Anwar, a police officer in the city of Khanewal in the eastern Punjab province …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and Riehl World View

Manu Raju / Politico:

Kristol: ‘Crazy’ not to show taxes — Bill Kristol and the Obama campaign agree on something: Mitt Romney should immediately release his tax returns. — “He should release the tax returns tomorrow. It's crazy,” Kristol said on “Fox News Sunday.” “You gotta release six, eight, 10 years of back tax returns.

Discussion: New York Magazine

Charles Mahtesian / Politico:

Ron Paul gets ‘smoked’ in Nebraska — It looks like Ron Paul isn't going to be officially nominated for the presidency in Tampa. — His backers failed to win a plurality of delegate slots at the Nebraska GOP convention Saturday, leaving the Texas congressman short of the support necessary …

Discussion: americanthinker.com, Mediaite, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and The Hill

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill:

Obama takes break from campaign to hit the links — After a week spent campaigning in Iowa and Virginia, President Obama took a break from the trail by hitting the links. — Obama headed to Fort Belvoir in Northern Virginia on Sunday for a round of golf.

Discussion: CNN, Weasel Zippers and Jammie Wearing Fools

DealBook:

U.S. Is Building Criminal Cases in Rate-Fixing — As regulators ramp up their global investigation into the manipulation of interest rates, the Justice Department has identified potential criminal wrongdoing by big banks and individuals at the center of the scandal.

Discussion: Firedoglake, Crooks and Liars, Washington Monthly, Mish's Global Economic …, New York Magazine, Guardian and The Agonist

Robert Stacy McCain / The Other McCain:

‘Ground Zero’ in Fairfax County — Frederick Peterson III protests outside Obama event in Centreville, Va. — When President Obama came to this prosperous suburban community, he was greeted by a contingent of Tea Party activists and local Republicans. The number of protesters …

Discussion: New York Times, American Glob and The Atlantic Online

The White House:
Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event in Roanoke, Virginia

Discussion: Power Line, Hullabaloo, TheBlaze.com, protein wisdom, Weasel Zippers, The Daily Caller, Moe Lane, The Gateway Pundit and American Glob

Jazz Shaw / Hot Air:
Obama channels Elizabeth Warren

Discussion: Pirate's Cove, The Other McCain and Michelle Malkin

Elise Viebeck / The Hill:

FTC: Health ruling is prompting scams — Federal trade regulators warned Friday that scam artists are using the healthcare law to ask for consumers' personal information over the phone. — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said that the illegal activity began after the Supreme Court ruled …

Discussion: The PJ Tatler and American Glob