memeorandum: A Closer Look at Middle-Class Decline (David Leonhardt/Economix)

11:50 AM ET, July 24, 2012

Top Items:

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill:

Feinstein: Someone at White House is behind recent intel leaks — Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Monday that someone at the White House was responsible for the recent leaks of classified information. — “I think the White House …

Discussion: The PJ Tatler

Associated Press:

Democratic Sen. Feinstein suggests some leaked info came from the White House — House and Senate Intelligence Committees. (L to R) Reps. C.A. Ruppersberger, and Mike Rogers; Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Dianne Feinstein. — WASHINGTON - The Democratic leader of the Senate Intelligence Committee …

Discussion: Politico, Politicker, USA Today, Hot Air, Betsy's Page and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Ben Geman / E2-Wire:
White House threatens to veto GOP drilling bill

Discussion: Ballot Box and Politicker

BuzzFeed:

First Female U.S. Astronaut, Sally Ride, Comes Out In Obituary — “I hope it makes it easier for kids growing up gay that they know that another one of their heroes was like them,” Sally Ride's sister, Bear Ride, said. — Astronaut Sally Ride, mission specialist on STS-7 …

Discussion: The Raw Story, Outside the Beltway, The Hinterland Gazette, Taylor Marsh, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Towleroad News #gay, Joe. My. God. and Good As You

Denise Grady / New York Times:

Sally Ride | 1951-2012: Sally Ride, Trailblazing Astronaut, Dies at 61 — Sally Ride, the first American woman to fly in space, died on Monday at her home in San Diego. She was 61. — The cause was pancreatic cancer, her company, Sally Ride Science, announced on its Web site.

Discussion: New York Magazine, News Desk, International Business Times, The Daily Dish, The Talking Dog, The Agonist, TechCrunch, The Verge and USA Today

Thomas H. Maugh II / Los Angeles Times:
Sally Ride dies at 61; first American woman in space

Discussion: Feministe

Frank Bruni / New York Times:

The Divine Miss M — What I find most fascinating about Michele Bachmann — and there are many, many more where she came from — is that she presents herself as a godly woman, humbly devoted to her Christian faith. I'd like to meet that god, and I'd like to understand that Christianity.

Discussion: Mario Piperni dot Com and Towleroad News #gay

Maggie Haberman / Politico:

Newt defends Bachmann on Huma Abedin allegations — Newt Gingrich, appearing with Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen on POLITICO Live's Driving the Day this morning, defended Rep. Michele Bachmann for asking questions about the Muslim Brotherhood - and declined to hit his former presidential rival …

Discussion: Mediaite

Scott Keyes / ThinkProgress:
Conservative Congressman Blasts Bachmann's Anti-Muslim Allegations, Stands Up For Religious Liberty

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Towleroad News #gay and The Hill

Steve Benen / msnbc.com:

If the first six months don't count... Mitt Romney sat down with CNBC's Larry Kudlow, and made a curious observation. He said voters who want a strong economy should vote for him, but Americans “ought to give, whichever president is going to be elected, at least six months or a year to get those policies in place.”

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Washington Monthly

Jennifer Dauble / nbcuniversal.presscentre.com:

CNBC EXCLUSIVE: CNBC TRANSCRIPT: REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MITT ROMNEY SPEAKS ONE-ON-ONE WITH LARRY KUDLOW TODAY ON CNBC — Where: CNBC's “The Kudlow Report” — Following is the unofficial transcript of a CNBC EXCLUSIVE interview with Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney today, Monday, July 23rd.

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, ThinkProgress and Daily Kos

John Hinderaker / Power Line:
“The Context Is Worse Than the Quote”

Discussion: Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

Gabriel Debenedetti / Reuters:

Obama attacks on taxes and Bain hit Romney ratings — (Reuters) - Sustained attacks by President Barack Obama's campaign on Republican rival Mitt Romney's business history and refusal to release more tax records appear to be working, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed on Tuesday.

Susan Page / USA Today:
Poll: Romney preferred over Obama to handle the economy

Helene Cooper / New York Times:
President Criticizes Romney Over Foreign Policy

Discussion: The Caucus and The Hill

John DiStaso / unionleader.com:

John DiStaso's Granite Status: Romney-backer's NH business received government-assisted loans; Kevin Smith to air new TV spot this week — MONDAY, JULY 23 UPDATE: MONDAY, JULY 23, UPDATE: SMITH'S NEW ADS, CLINTON FOR MAGGIE. Republican candidate for governor Kevin Smith will release …

Discussion: msnbc.com, The Raw Story, Indecision Forever, Washington Post, The Maddow Blog, Liberal Values, Balloon Juice, The Caucus, CNN, New York Magazine, Taylor Marsh, ThinkProgress and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Arlette Saenz / ABCNEWS:
George and Laura Bush Drop by Romney HQ

Discussion: USA Today

Jake Tapper / ABCNEWS:
Star of Romney 'My Hands Didn't Build This' Ad Received Millions in Government Loans and Contracts

Discussion: The Reaction, Hullabaloo, The Daily Dish, No More Mister Nice Blog, Daily Kos and ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*

Travis Waldron / ThinkProgress:

GOP Senator Blasts Obama For Talking ‘Incessantly’ About The Middle Class — President Obama's plan to allow the Bush tax cuts for incomes above $250,000 to expire at the end of the year has revived the Republican talking point that he is waging “class warfare” against the wealthy …

Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:
G.O.P. Senators Face Risks Over Proposal on Tax Cuts

Discussion: Hullabaloo

Megan Ruyle / The Hill:
McConnell promises busy Senate if GOP retakes upper chamber

Discussion: Influence Alley

Bernie Becker / The Hill:
Ahead of votes on extending Bush-era tax rates, parties jockey for advantage

Discussion: Politico

Mitt Romney for President of the United States …:

Governor Romney: “The Context Is Worse Than The Quote” — Location — “This is an ideology which says hey, we're all the same here, we ought to take from all and give to one another and that achievement, individual initiative and risk-taking and success are not to be rewarded as they have in the past.

Discussion: Doug Ross, Pirate's Cove, Daily Kos, The Gateway Pundit and The Lonely Conservative

Trip Gabriel / New York Times:

Obama and Romney Don't Heed New Call for Gun Laws — President Obama and his challenger, Mitt Romney, echoed each other in embracing the role of national grief counselor in the wake of the deadly rampage in Colorado last week, offering stirring words of condolence and comfort.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, New York Magazine, The Confluence, USA Today, Prairie Weather and Pirate's Cove

James Taranto / Wall Street Journal:
OK, Let's Debate Gun Control!

Discussion: CNN, Associated Press, NY Daily News, Hot Air, ABCNEWS and Althouse

Ryan J. Reilly / tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com:

TPMMuckraker — Ahead Of Voter ID Trial, Pennsylvania Admits There's No In-Person Voter Fraud — As the Justice Department investigates Pennsylvania's voter ID law on the federal level, a coalition of civil rights groups is gearing up for a state trial starting Wednesday examining whether …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Talking Points Memo, Balloon Juice, The Maddow Blog, Politico, Daily Kos and ThinkProgress

David Leonhardt / Economix:

A Closer Look at Middle-Class Decline — No one can accuse the presidential campaign of ignoring the American economy or the plight of the middle class. Yet the scale and the complexity of the problem are typically lost amid the charged back-and-forth between President Obama and Mitt Romney.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Glittering Eye and americanthinker.com

Spokesman.com:

Legislator pulled gun during road incident — Shea charged with having a loaded pistol — A Spokane Valley legislator pulled a gun during a confrontation with another motorist last November in what police reports describe as a road rage incident. He was cited for two violations of state firearms law.

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Jesus' General, Joe. My. God. and Firedoglake

Edith Honan / Reuters:

Penn State hit with unprecedented penalties for Sandusky scandal — (Reuters) - The governing body of U.S. college sports fined Penn State University $60 million and voided its football victories for the past 14 seasons in an unprecedented rebuke for the school's failure to stop coach Jerry Sandusky's sexual abuse of children.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars and Suburban Guerrilla

Lawrence K. Altman / New York Times:

Hasty and Ruinous 1972 Pick Colors Today's Hunt for a No. 2 — WASHINGTON — Scott Lilly was a young member of Senator George McGovern's presidential campaign staff in the summer of 1972, and he remembers the satisfaction he felt when Mr. McGovern chose Mr. Lilly's home-state senator …

Discussion: The Caucus, ABCNEWS, msnbc.com and Taegan Goddard's …

Rasmussen Reports:

Partisan Economics: Democrats Believe Economy Getting Better — Democrats have a much more optimistic view of the U.S. economy than either Republicans or unaffiliated adults. — Currently, just 36% of Democrats believe the economy is in poor shape, according to new Rasmussen Reports polling.

Discussion: Scared Monkeys and Shot in the Dark