memeorandum: Bronx pol's secret F'book page with staffer boytoy (Candice M. Giove/New York Post)

2:45 PM ET, August 12, 2012

Top Items:

Michael Barbaro / The Caucus:

Romney Team Hints at More Openness on Ryan's Tax Records — DULLES, Va. — A top aide to Mitt Romney said that the campaign had obtained “several years” of income tax returns from potential running mates - suggesting that Representative Paul D. Ryan had produced tax returns for a greater number …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Applesauce, Outside the Beltway and The Reality-Based Community

Politico:

5 keys to understanding Paul Ryan — Paul Ryan has vaulted to national fame over the past three years—as a slogan, not as a person. — “The Ryan budget” can make conservative hearts flutter, or make liberals sputter with indignation. But the author of this document has remained …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Taylor Marsh and The Daily Beast

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

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: MiamiHerald.com and Brad DeLong

BuzzFeed:

Romney Campaign Examined Tax Returns Of Potential Veeps — “Several” years required, Myers says. Romney has released just two years of returns. — Image by Justin Sullivan / Getty Images — Mitt Romney's presidential campaign requested “several” years of tax returns …

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

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, The Raw Story, Little Green Footballs, NationalJournal.com, Booman Tribune, CNN and BuzzFeed

Noam Scheiber / The New Republic:

The Psychology of the Ryan Pick — My initial reaction to the Ryan VP selection was that there was only one possible explanation: Team Romney believed it was on track to lose, and Ryan allows them to shift blame for the loss onto the party's conservative wing.

Discussion: Brad DeLong, The Spectacle Blog and The Monkey Cage

Anna Palmer / Politico:

Newt: No more objections to Ryan plan — Newt Gingrich on Sunday backed Mitt Romney's vice presidential pick, Paul Ryan, saying that he no longer has issues with the Medicare provision in Ryan's budget proposal. — The former Republican House speaker and unsuccessful presidential contender …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland

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

Discussion: The Hill, ABCNEWS, Hot Air and americanthinker.com

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

Discussion: Riehl World View and The Buzz Florida Politics Feed

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

Discussion: Politico and New York Magazine

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

New York Times:
Mr. Ryan's Cramped Vision

Discussion: Balloon Juice and Hit & Run

Matthew O'Brien / The Atlantic Online:
Mitt Romney Would Pay 0.82 Percent in Taxes Under Paul Ryan's Plan

Discussion: The Reaction, New York Times, Booman Tribune, The Agonist, ThinkProgress, Connecting.the.Dots and Daily Kos, more at Mediagazer »

Jane Mayer / News Desk:
Ayn Rand Joins the Ticket

Discussion: Firedoglake, We are respectable negroes, Prairie Weather, DownWithTyranny!, The Reaction, The Daily Beast, The Daily Dish, ThinkProgress and 2012 Decoded

Tim Mak / Reuters:
Ayn Rand followers applaud Paul Ryan

Discussion: The Hinterland Gazette, The Huffington Post, The PJ Tatler, naked capitalism, Politico, The Moderate Voice and Gothamist

Emily Bazelon / Slate:
Paul Ryan v. Sarah Palin

Discussion: Althouse, Firedoglake and The Peking Duck

Alec MacGillis / The New Republic:
Why Ryan Makes Romney's Tax Problem Even Worse

Discussion: Zandar Versus The Stupid, Off the Charts Blog, News Desk, Obsidian Wings, The Hinterland Gazette, Prairie Weather and Rational Irrationality

Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Romney rolls the dice

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Ricochet Conversations Feed, The Lonely Conservative, The New Republic, American Power, The Other McCain and Patterico's Pontifications

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

John Parkinson / ABCNEWS:
How Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan Tricked the Press

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and Riehl World View

Niall Stanage / Ballot Box:
In Ryan pick, echoes of Obama's own selection of Vice President Biden

Discussion: NO QUARTER, New York Magazine, Jammie Wearing Fools, NewsBusters.org blogs and NationalJournal.com

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
It's Paul Ryan's Party: With Romney VP Pick, Movement Conservatives Openly Control GOP at Last

Discussion: The Mahablog, Balloon Juice, Boston Globe, Washington Monthly, CANNONFIRE, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Reaction, Paul Krugman, The New Republic, Talking Points Memo, Taylor Marsh, The Caucus and Mother Jones

CNN:
Romney forced to backpedal after thorny Virginia endorsement

Discussion: The Impolitic and Politico

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

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: New York Magazine

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 and theGrio

Bernie Becker / The Hill:

DNC chairwoman: Obama super-PAC ad raises fair questions — Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) declined Sunday to denounce a controversial recent advertisement from a pro-Obama super PAC, and suggested the spot raised important points. — Wasserman Schultz, the chairwoman …

Discussion: CNN and Politico

BBC:

Egypt leader Mursi orders army chief Tantawi to resign — Relations between Mr Mursi (left) and Field Marshal Tantawi (right) have been tense — Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi has ordered the retirement of the powerful head of the country's armed forces, Field Marshal Mohamad Hussein Tantawi, a presidential spokesman has said.

Discussion: Informed Comment, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS and The Agonist

New York Times:

Opinion: Extreme Weather and Drought Are Here to Stay — BY many measurements, this summer's drought is one for the record books. But so was last year's drought in the South Central states. And it has been only a decade since an extreme five-year drought hit the American West.

Discussion: Watts Up With That? and Daily Kos