memeorandum: With Extreme Prejudice — How ABC News “investigates” a horrific crime. (James Taranto/Wall Street Journal)

2:25 PM ET, July 21, 2012

Top Items:

Jason Sickles / Reuters:

Movie theater gunman had been stockpiling arsenal — AURORA, Colo. — The gunman who blasted his way through a packed movie house early on Friday, killing 12 people and injuring 58 others, had apparently been planning his attack for weeks. — “In the last 60 days he purchased four guns …

Discussion: CANNONFIRE, ABCNEWS, Reuters, Mediaite, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Huffington Post, Crooks and Liars and TMZ.com, more at Mediagazer »

Associated Press:

Colorado suspect was brilliant science student — DENVER (AP) — James Eagen Holmes came from a well-tended San Diego enclave of two-story homes with red-tiled roofs, where neighbors recall him as a clean-cut, studious young man of sparing words. — Tall and dark-haired …

Discussion: Chicago Boyz

John Schwartz / New York Times:

Colorado Gun Laws Remain Lax, Despite Changes After Columbine — The news of the horrifying armed assault in Aurora, Colo. — just a half-hour drive from the site of the Columbine High School shootings in 1999 — has a freakish resonance in a state that has long played an unsought role …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Brady Campaign …, DISSENTING JUSTICE, newsfeed.time.com, Poynter, The Other McCain, Los Angeles Times, Law Blog and thenation.com/blogs/163255

Roger Ebert / New York Times:

We've Seen This Movie Before — JAMES HOLMES, who opened fire before the midnight premiere of “The Dark Knight Rises,” could not have seen the movie. Like many whose misery is reflected in violence, he may simply have been drawn to a highly publicized event with a big crowd.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Mediaite, The PJ Tatler, Deadspin, newsfeed.time.com, CBS Denver and BuzzFeed

Zack Beauchamp / ThinkProgress:
Expired Assault Weapons Ban Would Have Covered Rifle Used In Colorado Shooting

Discussion: Associated Press, No More Mister Nice Blog, Washington Wire, Guardian, Business Insider, The Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times, Philly.com and Politicker

New York Times:
12 Are Killed at Showing of Batman Movie in Colorado

Discussion: Associated Press, Taylor Marsh, Sunlight Foundation …, Mashable!, L.A. NOW, 2012 Decoded, Media Decoder and The Huffington Post, more at Mediagazer »

James Taranto / Wall Street Journal:

With Extreme Prejudice — How ABC News “investigates” a horrific crime. — “An off-duty Los Angeles police officer and three bodybuilder friends have been arrested for allegedly punching and kicking a New York man in an alley near a cafe on West Hollywood's Restaurant Row,” the Los Angeles Times reported July 30, 1991.

Discussion: Examiner, American Power, National Review, Conservatives4Palin, Patterico's Pontifications and CANNONFIRE

Alex Pappas / The Daily Caller:
Colorado tea partier describes ‘surreal’ day of wrongly being linked to theater massacre

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, American Spectator, Weasel Zippers, Power Line, Mother Jones, Right Wing News, Jammie Wearing Fools and Instapundit

Stephen C. Webster / The Raw Story:
Top tea partier demands Obama prove he doesn't smoke crack and have gay sex

Discussion: iOwnTheWorld.com, ThinkProgress and rightwingwatch.org

Associated Press:

Obama effort spends more in June than it takes in — WASHINGTON (AP) — Amid a heavy barrage of advertising by opposing “super” political groups, President Barack Obama's re-election campaign spent more than it collected in June. While outraised again by Republican Mitt Romney …

Discussion: Weekly Standard, New York Magazine, UrbanGrounds, Associated Press and Washington Examiner

Meghashyam Mali / Ballot Box:

Pro-Obama super-PAC raises $6M in June, hits Romney with ad blitz — The super-PAC supporting President Obama registered its best fundraising month to date in June, pulling in $6.2 million, but spent even more, using $7.9 million mostly on ads hammering GOP candidate Mitt Romney.

Discussion: CNN

New York Times:
Obama Spends the Most, but Romney Raises More

Discussion: The Caucus

CNN:
Pro-Romney super PAC brings in almost $21 million in June

Discussion: Politico

Justin Sink / The Hill:
Obama out-raises Romney in direct contributions for month of June

Discussion: CNN, Politico and Prairie Weather

Christian Bale / The Onion:

Sadly, Nation Knows Exactly How Colorado Shooting's Aftermath Will Play Out — WASHINGTON—Americans across the nation confirmed today that, unfortunately, due to their extreme familiarity with the type of tragedy that occurred in a Colorado movie theater last night, they sadly know exactly …

Discussion: The Mahablog, Gawker, Mother Jones, Business Insider and Balloon Juice

Adam Peck / ThinkProgress:

NRA Magazine Sends Insensitive Tweet Hours After Colorado Shooting, Then Deletes Social Media Accounts — The theater where the shooting took place — Just after 9:00 am EST, as most of the country was just learning about the tragic shooting in Aurora, Colorado, the National Rifle …

Discussion: CNN, Prairie Weather and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

David Weigel / Slate:
Could A Brave Citizen With a Concealed Weapon Have Prevented the Aurora Shootings?

Discussion: iOwnTheWorld.com, The Reality-Based Community, Associated Press, The Reaction, CNN, Hatewatch, The BRAD BLOG, Business Insider, Truth Wins Out and The Huffington Post

Jim Merlino / Politico:

Post Aurora: Don't expect new gun laws — I served as Democratic policy director for the Colorado Senate minority in 2003 — when the state legislature passed the gun law package that is now the law in Colorado. — These bills had been delayed since the 1999 Columbine shootings.

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill: Gun control calls follow shooting, but few expect major changes

Greg Turner / Boston Herald:

Mayor Menino on Chick-fil-A: Stuff it — Vows to block eatery over anti-gay attitude — Mayor Thomas M. Menino is vowing to block Chick-fil-A from bringing its Southern-fried fast-food empire to Boston — possibly to a popular tourist spot just steps from the Freedom Trail …

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Mediaite, The Other McCain and Towleroad News #gay

Josh Mitchell / Wall Street Journal:

Unemployment Rises in Six of 10 Battleground States — Unemployment rose in June in six of 10 battleground states that could play a pivotal role in the presidential election, reflecting job cuts in some cases and weak payroll growth in others. — The jobless rate climbed a 10th …

Discussion: Hot Air, americanthinker.com, UrbanGrounds and The Rightnewz

Christopher S. Rugaber / Associated Press: Unemployment rates rise in 27 states as more look for work

Rob Bluey / Hot Air:

Flashback: Obama praised welfare work requirements his administration just gutted — During his run for the presidency in 2008, Barack Obama praised the work requirements that were the centerpiece of welfare reform — the very requirements his administration just gutted last week.

Discussion: Patterico's Pontifications

Gary Silverman / Financial Times:

America, I'm so in love with you — I think it's fair to say that Mitt Romney is one of the best-preserved 65-year-old men in the history of US politics. His full head of mostly dark hair and trim physique make him look much younger. — However, Mr Romney is a bona fide senior citizen …

Discussion: The Caucus and The Mahablog