memeorandum: Democratic billionaires boost pro-Obama super PAC (Kenneth P. Vogel/Politico)

1:05 AM ET, July 22, 2012

Top Items:

Blood on hands of Obama, Mitt and NRA! — Condolences are empty words - what actions are you gonna take? — Lindsey Revier (2nd left) of Aurora, Colo., is comforted by another mourner during a candelight vigil Friday night at an Aurora park for the victims of the ‘Dark Knight’ movie massacre.

Discussion: Doug Ross, The Moderate Voice, American Power and Joe. My. God.

Sam Stein / The Huffington Post:

Gun Control Legislation: Frank Lautenberg Readies Bill In Wake Of Aurora Shooting … FOLLOW: — Denver News, Gun Control, Video, Aurora Shooting, Colorado Shooting, Dark Knight Shooting, Frank Lautenberg, James Holmes, Aurora News, Aurora Shooting 2012, Aurora Theater Shooting …

Discussion: ABCNEWS, The Raw Story, Denver Post and Associated Press

Josh Feldman / Mediaite:

NJ Sen. Lautenberg Planning to Reintroduce Gun Control Legislation In Wake Of Colorado Shooting — Despite all of the calls not to politicize the Colorado shootings last night, gun control advocates have been demanding that politicians use it as an opportunity to take action on national gun laws.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Joe. My. God., Politico and The Daily Caller

David Weigel / Slate:
Could an Armed Person Have Stopped the Aurora Shooting? A Second Opinion.

Discussion: Eschaton

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, Balloon Juice, Business Insider and The Caucus

New York Times:
Colorado Police Seek to Enter Home of Shooting Suspect, James Holmes

Discussion: Denver Post, New York Magazine, Mediaite and Los Angeles Times

Associated Press:
Colorado suspect was brilliant science student

Discussion: The Other McCain, Chicago Boyz, American Power and Reuters

John Schwartz / New York Times:
Colorado Gun Laws Remain Lax, Despite Changes After Columbine

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

Charles Johnson / Little Green Footballs:

Is Mitt Romney Buying Twitter Followers? — Today we learn that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is apparently buying Twitter followers to inflate his popularity in social media. The graph from 140Elect.com looks like a hockey stick: — For comparison, a graph of Barack Obama's …

Discussion: ThinkProgress and The Impolitic

Zach Green / 140elect.com:

IS MITT ROMNEY BUYING TWITTER FOLLOWERS? — Update from BuzzFeed: Romney Campaign: We Don't Buy Twitter Followers — I'm not saying he bought them, but Romney's follower stats have taken a sharp and sudden rise since Friday 5PM EST. Could it be a weekend blitz? Twitter noticed.

Discussion: TBogg, Balloon Juice and BuzzFeed

Jeffrey St. Clair / CounterPunch:

Farewell, Alex, My Friend — Our friend and comrade Alexander Cockburn died last night in Germany, after a fierce two-year long battle against cancer. His daughter Daisy was at his bedside. — Alex kept his illness a tightly guarded secret. Only a handful of us knew how terribly sick he truly was.

Discussion: Hit & Run, BuzzFeed and The Raw Story, more at Mediagazer »

P.J. Gladnick / NewsBusters.org blogs:

RIP Alexander Cockburn; Leftist Global Warming ‘Heretic’ — It has been announced that Alexander Cockburn, a columnist for The Nation and co-editor of CounterPunch, died yesterday. Although Cockburn reflected a leftist viewpoint (mandatory if you write for The Nation) …

Carolyn Kellogg / Los Angeles Times:
Leftist journalist Alexander Cockburn dies at 71

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Brad DeLong and LewRockwell.com Blog

Kenneth P. Vogel / Politico:

Democratic billionaires boost pro-Obama super PAC — The super PAC supporting President Barack Obama had its best fundraising month to date in June, pulling in $6.2 million, but also spending even more on a barrage of ads blistering Mitt Romney. — Priorities USA Action spent $7.9 million last month …

Discussion: New York Magazine

Associated Press:
Obama effort spends more in June than it takes in

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Hot Air, Weasel Zippers, The Gateway Pundit, Conservatives4Palin, Scared Monkeys, Wake up America, The PJ Tatler, UrbanGrounds, Associated Press and Washington Examiner

Meghashyam Mali / Ballot Box:
Pro-Obama super-PAC raises $6M in June, hits Romney with ad blitz

Discussion: CNN

David Taintor / tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com:

TPMDC — MSNBC's Chris Hayes: No Symmetry Between Fox News And MSNBC — Can you describe what you read, how you get the news? — I subscribe to a number of magazines. I've always been a magazine lover from the time I was 11 or 12. My dad subscribed to a bunch of magazines.

Discussion: NewsBusters.org blogs, Politico and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »

Justin Sink / The Hill:

House Intel committee leaders repudiate Bachmann over letter — The leaders of the House Intelligence Committee criticized Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-Minn.) — a member of the panel — for circulating a letter earlier this week urging an investigation into efforts by the Muslim Brotherhood …

Discussion: New York Magazine

Susan Davis / USA Today:
House intel leaders disavow Bachmann allegations

Discussion: Minneapolis Star Tribune and ThinkProgress

Katherine Rushton / Telegraph:

Rupert Murdoch steps down from NI boards — Rupert Murdoch's grip on UK newspapers is loosening “finger by finger”, as he resigns string of directorships. — Rupert Murdoch has repeatedly insisted that he remains committed to his UK newspapers, vowing that he will remain a “very active chairman” of the publishing busines.