memeorandum: Political Memo: Obama Campaign Takes Gamble in Going Negative (Jeff Zeleny/New York Times)

9:05 AM ET, July 29, 2012

Top Items:

Romney bans media from Jerusalem fundraiser, violating pre-established protocol — JERUSALEM — Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, who touched down here Saturday night for a day of meetings with top Israeli and Palestinian leaders, plans to wrap up his visit to Israel by collecting money …

Discussion: The Caucus, Outside the Beltway, Booman Tribune, The Reaction, his vorpal sword, The Political Carnival, Liberal Values, Little Green Footballs and The Mahablog

Benjamin Netanyahu / CNN:

Romney would ‘respect’ Israeli strike against Iran, campaign adviser says — Jerusalem (CNN) - Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney would “respect” a unilateral Israeli strike on Iran unilaterally should the Islamic republic develop nuclear weapons, Romney's foreign policy adviser told reporters Sunday.

Discussion: The Hill

Joe Gandelman / The Moderate Voice:

Romney Breaks Agreement with Media: Bans Media From Covering Jerusalem Fundraiser — Presumptive Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney must be very sure that he will prevail in the end because he is creating a press narrative that is like an almost too simple jigsaw puzzle.

Discussion: Informed Comment and New York Times

Jonathan Martin / Politico:

Romney campaign closes Israel fundraiser to press — JERUSALEM—Mitt Romney's campaign is barring members of the news media from attending a Monday fundraiser here, a change from their standard practice of making finance events open to a pool reporter. — Romney is slated to raise money …

Discussion: Jerusalem Post, CNN, New York Magazine and Israel Matzav

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:

Romney Cuts Off Press Access To Israeli Fundraiser Following London Gaffes — Following a series of well-publicized gaffes in London, Mitt Romney's campaign may be trying to restrict press access to the former Massachusetts governor as he travels to Israel, violating a pre-negotiated agreement.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Prairie Weather and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Ashley Parker / New York Times:
For Romney, an Olympic Stage Less Welcoming Than the One in 2002

Discussion: Towleroad News #gay and The Impolitic

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill:
Pelosi: Republicans using Israel policy to distract Jewish voters

Discussion: Jammie Wearing Fools and Conservatives4Palin

Jeff Zeleny / New York Times:

Political Memo: Obama Campaign Takes Gamble in Going Negative — CHICAGO — As President Obama pushes Mitt Romney to release more of his tax returns, a television commercial from his campaign bluntly says, “Makes you wonder if some years he's paid any taxes at all.”

Discussion: JustOneMinute

Joe Romm / ThinkProgress:

Bombshell: Koch-Funded Study Finds ‘Global Warming Is Real’, ‘On The High End’ And ‘Essentially All’ Due To Carbon Pollution … The Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature Study (BEST) is poised to release its findings next week on the cause of recent global warming.

Discussion: New York Times, The Political Carnival, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Pirate's Cove

Katy Moeller / Idaho Statesman:

Political billboard in Caldwell equates Obama and Colorado shooting suspect — An electronic board on Franklin Road in Caldwell juxtaposes photos of James Holmes, accused of killing 12 in an Aurora, Colo., movie theater last week, with President Obama. About Holmes, it says …

Discussion: CANNONFIRE, Hit & Run, The Political Carnival and Politico

KBOI 2 News:
Does billboard comparing Obama to alleged shooter go too far?

Discussion: The Hinterland Gazette, Little Green Footballs, The Raw Story, The Moderate Voice, New York Magazine and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Julian Pecquet / The Hill:

Obama blamed for failure of international arms-trade treaty — The United Nations indefinitely suspended action on an international arms trade treaty Friday after the United States and several other countries asked for more time. — The decision sparked angry reactions …

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air: Arms-trade treaty talks collapse, supporters rip Obama

ABCNEWS:

Sunday on ‘This Week’: Robert Gibbs and Kevin Madden — This Sunday, Obama campaign senior adviser Robert Gibbs squares off with Romney campaign senior adviser Kevin Madden in an exclusive “This Week” debate on the latest in the 2012 presidential contest. — As presumptive Republican …

Reid Wilson / Hotline On Call:

Poll Shows McCaskill Way Behind — Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) trails all three of her potential Republican rivals, according to a new survey conducted for two Missouri news outlets, cementing her status as this cycle's most vulnerable incumbent. — Businessman John Brunner (R) …

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, The Other McCain and Outside the Beltway

CNN:

TRENDING: Rubio phones into campaign event after plane makes emergency landing — (CNN) - Sen. Marco Rubio delivered a speech by telephone Saturday after his plane made an “emergency landing” in Albuquerque, New Mexico, preventing him from physically making it to a Mitt Romney rally in Des Moines, Iowa.

Discussion: Politico

Tim Craig / Washington Post:

Gray opposes Chick-fil-A expansion; calls it ‘hate chicken’ — D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray said Friday he would not support an expansion of Chick-fil-A in the District, referring to it as “hate chicken.” — Gray issued his statement on Twitter after mayors in Boston, Chicago and San Francisco …

Discussion: American Power, The Reality-Based Community, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Boston Globe, Michelle Malkin and Outside the Beltway

Craig Howie / Politico:
Palin visits Chick-fil-A

Discussion: Boston Globe, Mediaite, BuzzFeed, Gawker and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Sarah Kliff / Washington Post:

A federal court ruled against the contraceptive mandate. Here's what happens next. — The U.S. District Court for Colorado on Friday blocked the Obama administration from requiring an air-conditioning company in Colorado to provide no co-pay contraceptives to its employees, as the Affordable Care Act directs.

Discussion: Runnin' Scared, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, The Daily Caller and Fox News

Sam Baker / The Hill:
Federal court allows company to ignore birth-control mandate

Discussion: Firedoglake and LifeNews.com

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: JOSHUAPUNDIT, Sister Toldjah and Conservatives4Palin