memeorandum: Amazon's Jeff Bezos, wife, make $2.5 million donation for gay marriage (Elaine Porterfield/Reuters)

12:45 PM ET, July 28, 2012

Top Items:

A 5-Ring Circus: Olympic Opening Is Oddly, Confidently British — LONDON — With its hilariously quirky Olympic opening ceremony, a wild jumble of the celebratory and the fanciful; the conventional and the eccentric; and the frankly off-the-wall, Britain presented itself to the world Friday night …

Discussion: Olympics, JustOneMinute, Guardian, Telegraph, Gothamist, Mediaite and News Desk, more at Mediagazer »

Daily Mail:

Michelle Obama goes for stunning all-white look to take on Duchess Kate in dazzling fashion face-off at Buckingham Palace — The look continues the red, white and blue fashion theme she has been maintaining since her arrival in London this morning — The event preceded …

Discussion: Althouse, The Hill and Rumproast

Timothy Burke / Deadspin:

Here's The Opening Ceremony Tribute To Terrorism Victims NBC Doesn't Want You To See — The major transitional element of today's London Olympics opening ceremony was a downtempo performance of adoptive sporting anthem “Abide With Me” by Scottish singer Emeli Sandé.

Discussion: Hullabaloo, Guardian, Mediaite, NESN.com, BuzzFeed, iOwnTheWorld.com and Obsidian Wings

Chris McGreal / Guardian:
Romney campaign tries to pick up the pieces from gaffe-strewn London visit

Discussion: Booman Tribune, The Reaction, NY Daily News, msnbc.com and FP Passport

William Kristol / Weekly Standard:

Pelosi: President Obama's Been to Israel ‘Over and Over Again’ — Daniel Halper has called attention to Nancy Pelosi's remarkable interview with Al Hunt on the topic of Barack Obama and Israel. I'd note one comment in particular: Pelosi's claim that President Obama “has been there [Israel] over and over again.”

Discussion: Power Line

Bloomberg:

Pelosi Says Republicans Use Israel To Distract (Transcript) — U.S. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said in an interview on Bloomberg Television's “Political Capital With Al Hunt,” airing this weekend, that Republicans are using Israel in this year's political campaigns to distract from their tax-cutting agenda.

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Mediaite, Weasel Zippers and Conservatives4Palin

Traci Klein / Mayo Clinic News:

Statement by Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., distributed by Mayo Clinic — Rochester, Minn. — Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. has arrived at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., for extensive inpatient evaluation for depression and gastrointestinal issues. — Further information will be released …

Discussion: CNN, msnbc.com and The Hinterland Gazette

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill:

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. treated for depression at Mayo Clinic — Democratic Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who has been absent from Capitol Hill since mid-June, is receiving treatment for depression. — The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota said the Illinois lawmaker had arrived at the healthcare center for …

Discussion: Associated Press

Chicago Tribune:
Mayo Clinic: Rep. Jackson being evaluated for depression, ‘gastrointestinal issues’

Discussion: The PJ Tatler

Rahm Emanuel / nbcchicago.com:

Rahm Clarifies Chick-fil-A Stance — After a national conversation blew up this week over the role of legislature and small business, Mayor Rahm Emanuel wants to set the record straight on how he feels about Chick-fil-A. — Emanuel press secretary Tarrah Cooper called Friday to clarify …

Discussion: Boston Globe, Weasel Zippers, Ed Driscoll, Politico, Hot Air and Politicker

Craig Howie / Politico:

Palin visits Chick-fil-A — Sarah Palin waded into the controversy surrounding Chick-fil-A and gay marriage by tweeting a picture of herself and husband Todd visiting the fast-food chain Friday after a Texas campaign stop. — “Stopped by Chick-fil-A in The Woodlands to support a great business …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Mediaite, Gawker and Red Alert Politics

Liz Buckthorpe / www2.wrbl.com:
COLUMBUS, Ga. — News 3 has learned that Donald A. Perry …

Discussion: Twitchy, National Review, Politico, Boing Boing, The Daily Caller, The Hinterland Gazette, Washington Free Beacon, Riehl World View, The Raw Story, Outside the Beltway, Michelle Malkin and Gawker

Alex Seitz-Wald / Salon:

Fla. Republican: We wanted to suppress black votes — Florida's disgraced former GOP chairman says the party had meetings about “keeping blacks from voting” — In the debate over new laws meant to curb voter fraud in places like Florida, Democrats always charge that Republicans are trying …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Associated Press, The Reaction, Daily Kos, Orlando Sentinel, The Raw Story, The BRAD BLOG, The Moderate Voice, Wonkette, Little Green Footballs and Tampa Bay Times

KBOI 2 News:

Does billboard comparing Obama to alleged shooter go too far? — On Franklin Blvd in Caldwell. — RELATED CONTENT — CALDWELL, Idaho (KBOI) - A Caldwell billboard is raising questions in the Treasure Valley as it compares President Obama to accused Colorado killer, James Holmes.

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Dan Pfeiffer / White House.gov Blog:

Fact Check: The Bust of Winston Churchill — Lately, there's been a rumor swirling around about the current location of the bust of Winston Churchill. Some have claimed that President Obama removed the bust of Winston Churchill from the Oval Office and sent it back to the British Embassy.

Discussion: Power Line, No More Mister Nice Blog, Politico, Mediaite, rightwingwatch.org, Washington Monthly, The Hinterland Gazette, Outside the Beltway, The Hill, Washington Post, Taking Note, The Moderate Voice, JOSHUAPUNDIT, Little Green Footballs, Wonkette, Jack & Jill Politics and Washington Examiner

Jake Tapper / ABCNEWS:
Is the Churchill Bust Controversy a Total Bust?

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, The PJ Tatler, Outside the Beltway, Washington Examiner, Mediaite and Hot Air

CNN:
Busted: Two statues amount to one Churchill bust of a controversy

Discussion: The Political Carnival, Weasel Zippers and Washington Examiner

Judson Berger / Fox News:

Indiana company scraps plans for expansion over ObamaCare device tax — An Indiana-based medical equipment manufacturer says it's scrapping plans to open five new plants in the coming years because of a looming tax tied to President Obama's health care overhaul law.

Discussion: Right Wing News

Daily Mail:

THE YOUNG ATHLETES CHOSEN TO LIGHT THE OLYMPIC CAULDRON — Callum Airlie, 17, was nominated by gold medal-winning sailor Shirley Robertson. He has been sailing since the age of four, and is a two-time Optimist UK national champion who aims to be entered into the 2013 ISAF (International Sailing Association & Federation) Open.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Roger L. Simon and Althouse

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill:

Obama: GOP plan is to spend ‘trillions more on tax cuts for the wealthy’ — President Obama pressured Congress to avoid an impending rise in middle-class tax rates, accusing GOP lawmakers of holding those families “hostage” in order to enact massive tax cuts for the wealthy.

Discussion: Politico

Elaine Porterfield / Reuters:

Amazon's Jeff Bezos, wife, make $2.5 million donation for gay marriage — (Reuters) - Amazon Inc founder Jeff Bezos and his wife have made what may be the biggest donation to the cause of gay marriage, contributing $2.5 million to a Washington state campaign to legalize same-sex nuptials there, the campaign said on Friday.

Discussion: Fox News and Right Wing News

Erik Wasson / The Hill:

White House projects $1.2 trillion deficit, lower economic growth in 2012 — The White House budget office on Friday projected a $1.211-trillion deficit this year, down from the $1.327 trillion projected in February. — The mid-session review from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) …

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon