memeorandum: Why Christie not picked as Mitt's VP (Josh Margolin/New York Post)

9:30 PM ET, August 12, 2012

Top Items:

Ben Smith / BuzzFeed:

Romney Picked Ryan Over Advisers' Early Doubts — A high risk pick, driven by the candidate. “Everybody was against” Ryan, says a top Republican. — Image by SAUL LOEB / Getty Images — Mitt Romney appears to have picked Paul Ryan as his running mate over the objections of top political advisors …

Discussion: Politico and Balloon Juice

Maggie Haberman / Politico:

A view of Ryan from Florida — Here's the front page of the Miami Herald today, with an unsubtle headline about what Paul Ryan could mean for Mitt Romney in a critical battleground. — It appears as Ryan's appearance in the state alongside Romney, planned for tomorrow, was redirected to Iowa.

Discussion: The Hinterland Gazette, p m carpenter's commentary, Brad DeLong, 2012 Decoded and Washington Examiner

Christine Delargy / CBS News:

“60 Minutes”: Romney, Ryan answer critics of Medicare position — CBS News chief Washington correspondent and anchor of “Face the Nation” Bob Schieffer sat down with Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan on Sunday for their first interview since the Republican presidential nominee announced Ryan as his running mate.

Discussion: Washington Wire, Ballot Box, ABCNEWS, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Politico, The Moderate Voice, NO QUARTER and Business Insider, more at Mediagazer »

Joan Walsh / Salon:

Paul Ryan: Randian poseur — Mitt Romney couldn't have chosen a better example of the fakery at the heart of today's GOP — Paul Ryan was born into a well-to-do Janesville, Wisc. family, part of the so-called “Irish mafia” that's run the city's construction industry since the 19th century.

Discussion: Hullabaloo and ThinkProgress

Rebecca Leber / ThinkProgress:

Romney Campaign Doubles Down: He ‘Would Have Signed’ The Ryan Budget — Just moments after Mitt Romney announced Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) as his vice presidential nominee on Saturday, his campaign tried to distance itself from Ryan's signature House budget. Although Romney has admitted …

Discussion: ABCNEWS, Crooks and Liars, The Raw Story, PERRspectives, Booman Tribune, The Reaction, The Agonist and Boing Boing

Ginger Gibson / Politico:

Enthusiasm greets ticket in N.C. — HIGH POINT, N.C. — As if launching a whole new campaign, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan made a quick run through North Carolina on Sunday and basked in the excitement of the vice presidential announcement. — “This is day two on our pathway to reclaim America's progress …

Discussion: CNN, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, New York Times, Power Line and New York Magazine

John Roberts / Fox News:
John McCain, Debbie Wasserman Schultz react to Paul Ryan joining GOP ticket

Discussion: Washington Examiner

Michael Barbaro / The Caucus:
Romney Team Hints at More Openness on Ryan's Tax Records

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Outside the Beltway, The Reality-Based Community, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Applesauce, Connecting.the.Dots and The Atlantic Online

Politico:
5 keys to understanding Paul Ryan

Discussion: The Political Carnival, Washington Monthly and Taylor Marsh

Dylan Matthews / Washington Post:
Paul Ryan's non-budget policy record, in one post

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Mediaite, PERRspectives, Booman Tribune and Ballot Box

Anna Palmer / Politico:
Newt: No more objections to Ryan plan

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland

First Read:
How did they do it? Romney campaign explains how it kept the biggest secret in politics

Discussion: Hot Air and Moe Lane

BuzzFeed:
Ryan Skips Florida, Will Focus On Great Lakes States

Discussion: The Impolitic, Riehl World View and The Buzz Florida Politics Feed

Paul Ryan / CNN:
Romney fund-raising jumps after V.P. roll out

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Hot Air, The Hill and americanthinker.com

New York Times:
Mr. Ryan's Cramped Vision

Discussion: Campaign Stops, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Balloon Juice, The Reality-Based Community, Hit & Run, The Political Carnival and ThinkProgress

ABCNEWS:
Sunday on ‘This Week’: Tim Pawlenty and David Axelrod

Discussion: CNN, Politico, The Political Carnival and New York Magazine

Marc Caputo / MiamiHerald.com:
Ryan could be a drag on Romney in Florida

Discussion: NationalJournal.com, The Reaction, Outside the Beltway, New York Times, Naked Politics, Real Clear Politics, The Hill and Politico

Noam Scheiber / The New Republic:
The Psychology of the Ryan Pick

Discussion: Boston Globe, The PJ Tatler, Washington Monthly and Brad DeLong

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill: Axelrod: Romney, Ryan share ‘extreme’ views

Emily Bazelon / Slate:
Paul Ryan v. Sarah Palin

Discussion: Althouse and Firedoglake

A.B Stoddard / Pundits Blog:
Opinion: With Ryan pick, a new Romney

Discussion: Politico, CNN, Washington Post, The Caucus, ABCNEWS, Hot Air, Ricochet Conversations Feed, JOSHUAPUNDIT and Mediaite

William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:

This is what 2012 looks like — lines around the block at Romney-Ryan rally in High Point, NC (Update - Overflow crowds in Mooresville) — Let this be a lesson for The Eeyores Among Us — From reader Tim who is at the Romney-Ryan appearance in High Point, North Carolina: … Tim just emailed again:

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, The Lonely Conservative, The Daily Caller, The Other McCain, Washington Examiner and American Power

Josh Margolin / New York Post:

Why Christie not picked as Mitt's VP — New Jersey's Chris Christie was high on Mitt Romney's list but refused to resign as governor in order to run, a Romney insider told The Post. — But Christie seems to have no ill will. He endorsed the duo, saying Romney and Rep. Paul Ryan understand the nation's …

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …, New York Magazine, Outside the Beltway and Booman Tribune

Kareem Fahim / New York Times:

In Upheaval for Egypt, Morsi Forces Out Military Chiefs — CAIRO — President Mohamed Morsi of Egypt forced the retirement on Sunday of his powerful defense minister, the army chief of staff and several senior generals, in a stunning purge that seemed for the moment to reclaim for civilian leaders …

Discussion: JOSHUAPUNDIT, Jihad Watch, Outside the Beltway, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Michael J. Totten's blog

BBC:
Egypt leader Mursi orders army chief Tantawi to resign

Discussion: Informed Comment, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS and The Agonist

Emily Friedman / ABCNEWS:

Romney Campaign Requested ‘Several’ Years of Tax Returns of VP Contenders — CHARLOTTE — Mitt Romney requested “several” years of tax returns from his potential running mates, a senior adviser to the candidate said Saturday, suggesting that those considered for the ticket may have been required …

Discussion: Mediaite, The Raw Story and Business Insider

BuzzFeed:
Romney Campaign Examined Tax Returns Of Potential Veeps

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Hinterland Gazette, Daily Kos and US Politics

Candice M. Giove / New York Post:

Bronx pol's secret F'book page with staffer boytoy — She's a real swing voter. — To constituents, she's Naomi D. Rivera, a mild-mannered, bespectacled Bronx assemblywoman whose social-media page is dotted with her accomplishments, thoughtful sayings and the latest neighborhood news.

Discussion: Gothamist, The Other McCain and Jammie Wearing Fools

Ross Douthat / New York Times:

Romney's Mormon Story — THERE'S an interesting dilemma facing the filmmakers who are presumably hard at work, in some well-hidden editing room, on the biographical movie that will play just before Mitt Romney accepts his party's nomination: What should the movie say about Romney's Mormonism?

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog and Washington Monthly

Annie-Rose Strasser / ThinkProgress:

Republicans Who Criticized Obama As Foreign Policy Novice, Say Romney's Missing Experience Is A Plus — The same Republicans who criticized President Obama for lacking foreign policy experience in 2008 are now stepping in to defend the dismal international relations record of Romney-Ryan ticket.

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Hullabaloo

New York Times:

Racial Profiling Rife at Airport, U.S. Officers Say — BOSTON — More than 30 federal officers in an airport program intended to spot telltale mannerisms of potential terrorists say the operation has become a magnet for racial profiling, targeting not only Middle Easterners but also blacks, Hispanics and other minorities.

Discussion: The Caucus, emptywheel, theGrio and The Hinterland Gazette

Tim Mak / Reuters:

Ayn Rand followers applaud Paul Ryan — The head of the Atlas Society, an organization devoted to philosopher Ayn Rand's principles of Objectivism, praised Mitt Romney's choice of Paul Ryan on Saturday as “great news” and a “huge step forward for the liberty movement.”