memeorandum: Ron Haskins, GOP Welfare Reform Architect, Blasts Mitt Romney Ad (Amanda Terkel/The Huffington Post)

1:45 PM ET, August 8, 2012

Top Items:

Polls See Sharp Divide in 3 Swing States — For all of the Democratic attacks painting Mitt Romney as an out-of-touch elitist who will help the rich at the expense of the middle class, he is maintaining the traditional — and sizable — Republican advantage among a politically vital constituency …

Discussion: Washington Post, The Caucus, Washington Examiner, The Confluence, New York Magazine, Taylor Marsh, USA Today and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog

Deborah Charles / Reuters:

Obama's lead over Romney grows despite voters' pessimism — (Reuters) - Americans are increasingly pessimistic about the future but voters do not seem to be holding it against Democratic President Barack Obama, who slightly expanded his lead over Republican rival Mitt Romney this month, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll says.

Discussion: Ballot Box, The Moderate Voice, Business Insider and Taegan Goddard's …

Quinnipiac University:

Wisconsin, Virginia, Colorado White House Races Close, Quinnipiac University/New York Times/CBS News Swing State Poll Finds — Watch Video: Assistant Director Tim Malloy discusses poll results — Clip Information and Download: — FLV File -For Website (1920x1080/225MB) Original .MP4 File -For Broadcast (1920x1080/289MB)

Discussion: Firedoglake, GOP 12, Guardian, Business Insider, nation.foxnews.com, Hotline On Call, USA Today, First Read and Public Policy Polling

Scott Walker / CNN:
Tea party candidate to receive prime RNC speaking slot

Discussion: americanthinker.com and Politico

Virginia / CNN:
New state polls: Voters divided in race for White House

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Mediaite, Politico, Reuters, The 1600 Report and This Just In

Kevin Robillard / Politico:

Romney spokesperson cites Massachusetts health law — A Mitt Romney spokesperson offered an unusual counterattack Tuesday to an ad in which a laid-off steelworker blames the presumptive GOP nominee for his family losing health care: If that family had lived in Massachusetts …

Discussion: Hullabaloo, The Hinterland Gazette, RedState, Washington Post, Human Events, Business Insider and The Lonely Conservative

The 1600 Report:

Ad linking Romney to death of the wife of a laid off steelworker not accurate — CNN White House Correspondent Brianna Keilar — A new attack ad by a Super PAC backing President Obama appears to blame Mitt Romney for a woman's death from cancer after his company, Bain Capital …

Sandra Fluke / The Huffington Post:

Why I'm Standing With President Obama Today … Elections 2012 , Barack Obama , Mitt Romney , Planned Parenthood , Barack Obama 2012 , Elections 2012 , Sandra Fluke , Women's Rights , Barack Obama Denver , Women's Health , Mitt Romney 2012 , Obama Reelection , Politics News

Discussion: The Daily Caller, The Lonely Conservative and Althouse

Allahpundit / Hot Air:
CNN: Wife of steelworker in new Obama Super PAC ad still had job and health insurance after he lost his

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, National Review, americanthinker.com, Patterico's Pontifications, Betsy's Page, Ed Driscoll, CNN and Politico

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill:
Gibbs won't condemn ad linking Romney to woman's death

Discussion: Politico and nation.foxnews.com

Matthew Jaffe / ABCNEWS:

Alleged Wisconsin Gunman Wade Michael Page's Ex-Girlfriend Arrested — Police say they have arrested the former girlfriend of Wade Michael Page, the man who allegedly shot and killed six people in a Sikh temple, after authorities say they found a gun in her Milwaukee home.

Discussion: The Jawa Report, JSOnline, The Other McCain, The Hinterland Gazette, New York Magazine and Newsy

Conor Friedersdorf / The Atlantic Online:

Why the Reaction Is Different When the Terrorist Is White — Atrocities like the attack on the Sikh congregation in Wisconsin introduce terrifying dissonance into America's post-9/11 mindset. — Members of the Sikh congregation mourn their dead. / Reuters

Discussion: The Awl, Booman Tribune, Wired, Daily Kos and Mother Jones

Amanda Terkel / The Huffington Post:

Ron Haskins, GOP Welfare Reform Architect, Blasts Mitt Romney Ad … REACT: — FOLLOW: — Elections 2012, Mitt Romney, Elections 2012, Video, Election 2012, Romney Campaign, Mitt Romney 2012, Mitt Romney Welfare, Mitt Romney Welfare Reform, Ron Haskins, Ron Haskins Welfare …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Washington Monthly, Daily Kos, Washington Post, First Read and The Heritage Foundation

Maggie Haberman / Politico:
Bill Clinton slams Romney ‘misleading’ welfare ad

Discussion: Washington Monthly, msnbc.com, CNN, The New Republic, Taylor Marsh, Liberal Values, Washington Examiner, The Hill and ThinkProgress

Politifact.com Truth-O-Meter rulings from National:
Mitt Romney: “Under Obama's plan (for welfare) …

Discussion: American Prospect, 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com, Washington Post, First Read, CBS Miami, The Reaction, Salon, Swampland, Jack & Jill Politics, Left In Alabama, CNN, Mitt Romney for President …, Washington Monthly, Reuters, ABCNEWS and ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*

Michael Falcone / ABCNEWS:

New Poll Puts Mitt Romney In The Deep End (The Note) — By MICHAEL FALCONE (@michaelpfalcone) and AMY WALTER (@amyewalter) — NOTABLES: — BEARING IT ALL: THE POLITICAL STRIPTEASE OF CHOOSING A VEEP. The vice presidential search is more than a guessing game or a waiting game …

Discussion: ABCNEWS, The Raw Story and Business Insider

Rosalind S. Helderman / Washington Post:
Republicans in Missouri pick Todd Akin to face Sen. Claire McCaskill in November

Discussion: Associated Press, ThinkProgress, americanthinker.com, Ballot Box and Taylor Marsh

Julie Sobel / Hotline On Call:
In Upset, Akin to Face McCaskill

Discussion: Influence Alley, LifeNews.com, The Maddow Blog and Outside the Beltway

New York Post:

Jewish gal shows up IOC with a gold salute to Munich 11 — It wasn't a gloved-fist salute from the medal stand, but Jewish-American gymnast Aly Raisman made quite a statement yesterday by winning a gold medal and invoking the memory of the Israeli athletes killed 40 years ago in Munich.

Discussion: The Jawa Report, Swampland, Taylor Marsh and Althouse

Reuters:

Paul Ryan veep prospects split GOP — As Mitt Romney's vice presidential selection nears and buzz about Rep. Paul Ryan's prospects builds, a split is emerging among Republicans about whether the choice of the House Budget chairman and architect of the party's controversial tax and spending plan …

Discussion: First Read, Politico, Daily Kos, Los Angeles Times, ABCNEWS, Althouse, Hot Air, The Daily Beast, No More Mister Nice Blog, Washington Wire and The Huffington Post

First Read:
Paul Ryan set to take vacation amid VP fervor

Discussion: National Review, Washington Post, Hot Air and The Other McCain

First Read:
From left, Sen. Rob Portman, Rep. Paul Ryan & Former Minn. Gov. Tim Pawlenty

Discussion: The Maddow Blog, Taegan Goddard's … and Washington Post

Washington Post:

Romney's favorability ratings stall — Mitt Romney's favorability ratings have stalled over the course of his campaign's bumpy summer months, with his earlier improvements as he was wrapping up the Republican nomination in the spring appearing to flat-line, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and Ballot Box

Greg Holyk / ABCNEWS:
Romney's Popularity Stays Low, Obama's is Better, but with Challenges

Discussion: ABCNEWS, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Maddow Blog and Mother Jones

Washington Post:
Mitt Romney's poll numbers at standstill, Washington Post-ABC News poll finds

Discussion: Hot Air and The Moderate Voice

Matthew Yglesias / Slate:

Papa John's Founder Warns That Obamacare Will Lead to Imperceptably Small Increase in Pizza Prices … - Pat Robertson's Slam of Atheists for the Sikh Shootings Is Actually a Sign of Progress - Why Do Olympic Track Cyclists Have Such Weird Wheels on Their Bikes?

Discussion: The Maddow Blog, New York Magazine and Politico

Harry Bradford / The Huffington Post:
Papa John's Pizza To Raise Prices Because Of Obamacare, CEO John Schnatter Says

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Indecision Forever, Firedoglake, Addicting Info and Daily Kos

Zack Ford / ThinkProgress:

Bryan Fischer: Children Of Same-Sex Couples Must Be Saved Through ‘Underground Railroad’ Kidnapping — The American Family Association's Bryan Fischer has sunk to a new, disturbing low with his anti-gay statements. In two separate tweets last night, he called for an “Underground Railroad …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland and The Hinterland Gazette

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:

Romney confuses ‘Sikh’ with ‘sheik’ — WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Mitt Romney mistakenly confused the words “Sikh” and “sheik” at a fundraiser here Tuesday night when he offered his condolences to the victims of last weekend's shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin.

Discussion: The Hinterland Gazette, CNN, New York Magazine and Daily Kos

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:

How Romney's Pick of a Running Mate Could Sway the Outcome — We haven't had that much to say about Mitt Romney's choice of a vice-presidential nominee — mostly because it just isn't something that lends itself to rigorous analysis. — But let's focus on the part of the problem where our tools …

Discussion: Swampland and Booman Tribune

Tom Bevan / Real Clear Politics:

Bachmann and Reid: A Troubling Double Standard — Conservatives often complain of two sets of standards in politics: one for Democrats and another for Republicans. Sometime that double standard is imaginary. Often, it's quite real. Consider the events of the last three weeks:

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, Swampland, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Maddow Blog, alicublog and BuzzFeed, more at Mediagazer »

Allan Turner / Houston Chronicle:

Texas executes man despite concerns over IQ — Marvin Wilson, the two-time armed robber who fatally beat and shot a Beaumont police informer he thought responsible for his arrest on a drug charge, was executed Tuesday at the state's Huntsville death house. — Wilson's case …