memeorandum: Why the BEST papers failed to pass peer review (Anthony Watts/Watts Up With That?)

1:25 PM ET, July 30, 2012

Top Items:

Book bombshell: Obama canceled Bin Laden ‘kill’ raid three times at Jarrett's urging — At the urging of Valerie Jarrett, President Barack Obama canceled the operation to kill Osama bin Laden on three separate occasions before finally approving the May 2, 2011 Navy SEAL mission …

Discussion: Power Line, protein wisdom, The Jawa Report, No More Mister Nice Blog, Sister Toldjah, The Gateway Pundit, his vorpal sword, Doug Ross, Wake up America, The Other McCain, Daily Pundit, The Lonely Conservative and Nice Deb

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill:

Cheney: Obama worse than Carter, ‘one of our weakest presidents’ — Former Vice President Dick Cheney, in his first interview since a heart transplant operation in March, blasted President Obama calling him “one of our weakest presidents.” — “Obviously, I'm not a big fan of President Obama …

Discussion: CNN, Politico, Taylor Marsh, The Hinterland Gazette, Scared Monkeys, The Reaction and ABCNEWS

Jeff Zeleny / New York Times:

Bill Clinton to Have Key Convention Role — WASHINGTON — Former President Bill Clinton is set to play a central part in the Democratic convention, aides said, and will formally place President Obama's name into nomination by delivering a prime-time speech designed to present …

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Politico, ABCNEWS, Michelle Malkin, Washington Post, USA Today, Weekly Standard, 2012 Decoded, Outside the Beltway, Connecting.the.Dots, Towleroad News #gay, msnbc.com, Taylor Marsh, Lean Forward, New York Magazine, The Hinterland Gazette and The Caucus

Kevin Robillard / Politico:
Cheney: Obama is worse than Carter

Discussion: The Buzz Florida Politics Feed

Jonathan Karl / ABCNEWS:
Dick Cheney Recalls Knowing His Heart Was ‘At an End’

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Indecision Forever, USA Today and Hotline On Call

Kasie Hunt / Associated Press:

ROMNEY COMMENTS AT FUNDRAISER OUTRAGE PALESTINIANS — JERUSALEM (AP) — Mitt Romney told Jewish donors Monday that their culture is part of what has allowed them to be more economically successful than the Palestinians, outraging Palestinian leaders who called his comments racist and out of touch.

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, New York Magazine, BuzzFeed, TBogg, World, Guardian, ThinkProgress, Swampland, Washington Post and Haaretz

msnbc.com:

First Thoughts: Recapping Romney's Israel stop — Recapping Romney's stop in Israel... It wasn't London, but there were still some snafus for Team Romney there... Romney touches down in Poland... And he admits he's been audited by the IRS... Romney's transparency problem …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, New York Times, Poynter, Business Insider and CBS News, more at Mediagazer »

CNN:
Palestinians protest Romney statements as ‘racist’

Discussion: ThinkProgress, National Review, The Hinterland Gazette, The Political Carnival and New York Magazine

Harriet Sherwood / Guardian:
Romney ‘providence’ comments in Israel outrage Palestinians

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, The Daily Banter, Colorlines and The Raw Story

Paul Werdel / Talking Points Memo:
Just Wow — I wrote on Friday that ahead of his visit to Israel …

Discussion: Balloon Juice

Emily Friedman / ABCNEWS:
Romney's Israel Comments Anger Palestinian Leader

Discussion: The Caucus, Mediaite and Wonkette

Walter Russell Mead / Via Meadia:
Mitt Needs To Make Israel Count

Discussion: The Daily Beast

BuzzFeed:

Romney Praises Israel's Socialized Health Care System — No to ObamaCare, but Israel's mandate is working, Romney says. — Image by Charles Dharapak / AP — JERUSALEM — Presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney offered praise for the Israeli health care system today …

Discussion: Indecision Forever, The Mahablog, Hullabaloo, Daily Kos, Balloon Juice and The Daily Dish

Amanda Peterson Beadle / ThinkProgress:

Romney Praises Israel's Universal Health Care System, Which Includes Individual Mandate — Throughout his presidential campaign, Mitt Romney has been running away from the individual insurance mandate in the Affordable Care Act — even though a mandate is a cornerstone of the former Massachusetts governor's health care reform law.

Discussion: New York Times, CNN and The Raw Story

Forward: Israel's Health Care Outpaces U.S.

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:

Cruz leads going into Tuesday — PPP's final poll of the Republican Senate runoff in Texas finds Ted Cruz opening up a 52-42 lead, an increase from our survey two weeks ago that found him ahead 49-44. — Cruz's victory is driven by 4 things: the Tea Party, the enthusiasm of his supporters …

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, Washington Monthly, Weekly Standard, Political Watch, Hotline On Call, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The PJ Tatler, Hot Air, RedState, UrbanGrounds, Business Insider, Power Line and National Review

David Catanese / Politico:
Tea party's Cruz looks poised for Texas triumph

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Emily Schultheis / Politico:

Voter ID laws could swing states — At least 5 million voters, predominantly young and from minority groups sympathetic to President Barack Obama, could be affected by an unprecedented flurry of new legislation by Republican governors and GOP-led legislatures to change or restrict voting rights by Election Day 2012.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Truthdig, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Althouse and Eclectablog

Anthony Watts / Watts Up With That?:

New study shows half of the global warming in the USA is artificial — PRESS RELEASE - U.S. Temperature trends show a spurious doubling due to NOAA station siting problems and post measurement adjustments. — Chico, CA July 29th, 2012 - 12 PM PDT - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Discussion: Hit & Run, blogs.telegraph.co.uk, Guardian, Right Wing News, VICTORIA TAFT, Climate Etc., The PJ Tatler, Power Line, Dot Earth, JustOneMinute and Instapundit

Anthony Watts / Watts Up With That?:
Why the BEST papers failed to pass peer review

Discussion: Climate Etc., Blog For Arizona, BBC, Los Angeles Times, Climate Depot and The PJ Tatler

Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:

Americans Want Next President to Prioritize Jobs, Corruption — Lowest priorities are taxing wealthy and environmental problems — PRINCETON, NJ — Creating good jobs, reducing corruption in the federal government, and reducing the federal budget deficit score highest when Americans rate 12 issues …

Discussion: American Prospect, Washington Examiner, Wake up America, The Other McCain, Questions and Observations, National Review, Politico and USA Today

New York Post:

Those shocking bourgeois values — In one traditional form of pornography, from the Victorian “A Man With a Maid” to the more recent “Fifty Shades of Grey,” a young woman is initiated — sometimes uncomfortably — into the mysteries of adult sexuality. In the end she is, at some level at least …

Discussion: Althouse

Chris Johnson / Washington Blade:

Democratic platform draft includes marriage equality plank: sources — Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon — Send via Email — Send this page to Print Friendly — The Democratic Party platform drafting committee approved on Sunday language endorsing same-sex marriage …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Runnin' Scared and Joe. My. God.

Daily Mail:

Ticket touts disgrace: Row upon row of empty seats... as tickets sent to foreign VIPs go on the black market — London 2012 chairman Lord Coe reveals students and teachers are also being called in at the last minute — Prized Olympic tickets entrusted to foreign delegations are being openly sold …

Discussion: Washington Post, Telegraph, Guardian and Pirate's Cove

Mike Reicher / Los Angeles Times:

Secret Service won't pay Newport Beach for police at Obama event — Newport Beach billed President Obama's campaign for police security at a fundraiser. The Secret Service says that security is its job, not the campaign's, but that it can't reimburse the city.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway