memeorandum: President Obama, Mitt Romney running a most poisonous campaign (Dan Balz/Washington Post)

11:25 PM ET, August 15, 2012

Top Items:

FBI probing shooting of guard at Family Research Council HQ — A security guard at the Family Research Council headquarters in Washington, D.C., was shot in the arm by a gunman who sources said expressed disagreement with the conservative group's policy positions.

Washington Post:

Security guard shot at Family Research Council in downtown D.C. — A security guard at the Family Research Council was shot and wounded Wednesday morning after a scuffle in the lobby of the group's headquarters in downtown Washington, authorities said. — D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier …

Discussion: nbcwashington.com, The Hill, NewsBusters.org blogs, The Daily Caller, News Desk, The Reaction, National Review, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Wonkette, Washington Blade, Weasel Zippers, Alas, a Blog, New York Magazine and NOM Blog

GLAAD:

LGBT organizations release joint statement regarding the shooting at Family Research Council (FRC) — Joint statement regarding shooting at Family Research Council (FRC) from lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) organizations — We were saddened to hear news of the shooting …

Discussion: U.S. News, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, BuzzFeed, CNN, ThinkProgress, Hot Air, Box Turtle Bulletin, Truth Wins Out, Joe. My. God. and American Power

Jordy Yager / The Hill:

Shooting spurs heated debate on gay rights, ‘hate group’ label — The shooting of a security guard Wednesday at the Family Research Council (FRC) has spurred a torrent of heated accusations from both sides of the gay rights debate about claims that the conservative organization is a “hate group.”

Discussion: Little Green Footballs

Fox News:

SOURCES: Gunman With Chick-Fil-A Bag Opens Fire At Conservatives — Hero guard shot thwarting attack at Family Research Council HQ — FoxNews.com — A security guard at the Family Research Council's headquarters in Washington, D.C. is being hailed as a hero after he stopped a gunman posing …

Discussion: Twitchy, NewsBusters.org, Weasel Zippers, The Daily Caller, Guardian, Little Green Footballs and Riehl World View

Associated Press:

Cops: LGBT volunteer shoots conservative group's guard — (AP) WASHINGTON - A man suspected of shooting and wounding a security guard in the lobby of a Christian lobbying group had been volunteering at a community center for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

Discussion: Power Line, RedState and The PJ Tatler

Erick Erickson / Twitchy:

Crosshairs: Left calls Family Research Council ‘hate group,’ reacts to shooting; Shooter yelled about FRC's ‘values’ … As Twitchy reported earlier, there was a shooting at the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C., this morning. … The Left screeches about new tone and civility …

Discussion: National Review, Addicting Info, The PJ Tatler and American Power

The Huffington Post:
Official: Suspect criticized group before shooting

Discussion: Towleroad News #gay, Marooned In Marin and Joe. My. God.

WJLA-TV:
Family Research Council shooting leaves security guard wounded

Joe Biden / CNN:

Former Obama campaign co-chair: Biden's remarks ‘racial viciousness’ — (CNN) - Artur Davis, the former four-term Democratic congressman from Alabama, said Wednesday that Vice President Joe Biden was propagating “racial viciousness” when he said Mitt Romney's regulatory policies would “put y'all back in chains.”

Discussion: Politico, theGrio, ThinkProgress, Piers Morgan and Washington Free Beacon

Dan Balz / Washington Post:

President Obama, Mitt Romney running a most poisonous campaign — No one expected Campaign 2012 to be positive or uplifting. The country's problems are too severe and the battle lines between Republicans and Democrats have been hardened by almost four years of conflict between the White House and Congress.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, The Fix, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Balloon Juice, Prairie Weather and National Review

Sandra Sobieraj Westfall / People.com:
President Obama: No Apologies, No Scolding for Joe Biden's Remark

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Politico, ABCNEWS, Mediaite, Weasel Zippers, Hot Air and The Hill

Katie Glueck / Politico:
Rudy Giuliani on Joe Biden: 'He isn't bright'

Discussion: CNN, Infowars, The Moderate Voice, Taylor Marsh, Shot in the Dark and Hot Air

Lisa Hirsch / ETonline.com: President Obama Weighs in on Romney Attack

Daniel Halper / Weekly Standard:
Biden: 'Folks, Where's it Written We Cannot Lead the World in the 20th Century in Making Automobiles?'

Discussion: National Review, Scared Monkeys, The Gateway Pundit, The Lonely Conservative, Washington Free Beacon, neo-neocon, The PJ Tatler, Instapundit and The Right Scoop

Brian Montopoli / CBS News:
Joe Biden clarifies “in chains” remark

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Outside the Beltway, Suburban Guerrilla, Politico and We are respectable negroes

CNN:
Former Obama campaign co-chair to stump for Romney

Discussion: Politico, Reuters, Weasel Zippers, The PJ Tatler, Riehl World View and GOP 12

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:

The next frontier in the case against Paul Ryan — Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have had some success in obscuring the health care debate by pointing out that Ryan's proposal does not change Medicare for people currently over 55 years old. This has allowed Republicans to blunt Dem attacks …

Discussion: New York Times, The New Republic, Applesauce, Daily Kos, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Connecting.the.Dots and Balloon Juice

Maureen Dowd / New York Times:

When Cruelty Is Cute — I'd been wondering how long it would take Republicans to realize that Paul Ryan is their guy. — He's the cutest package that cruelty ever came in. He has a winning air of sad cheerfulness. He's affable, clean-cut and really cut, with the Irish altar-boy widow's peak …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, The PJ Tatler, JOSHUAPUNDIT, americanthinker.com and Prairie Weather

Ross Douthat / Campaign Stops:
Why Moderates Should Like Paul Ryan

Discussion: PoliticusUSA and Booman Tribune

Katherine Boyle / Washington Post:
Ryan and Romney: A contrast in sartorial styles

Discussion: New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Balloon Juice

Politico:
Paul Ryan no help to Mitt Romney with Hispanics

Discussion: Washington Post, New York Times, The Daily Dish, Ballot Box, The Monkey Cage, New York State Immigrant …, Washington Monthly and ABCNEWS

Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:

Romney Sees No Immediate Bounce From Ryan V.P. Pick — Support at 46% before naming Ryan, 47% after — PRINCETON, NJ — Mitt Romney's standing in the presidential election campaign has not changed materially in the immediate days after his announcement of Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan as his vice-presidential running mate.

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight, The Daily Caller, Sky Dancing, Lynn Sweet, Hot Air, Outside the Beltway, GOP 12, Business Insider, USA Today, Ballot Box, CNN, The Daily Beast, The Hinterland Gazette, americanthinker.com and The Buzz Florida Politics Feed

Paul Bedard / Washington Examiner:
A Romney first: over 40% of youth vote back him

Discussion: AEIdeas, CNN, Wake up America, Ballot Box, Hot Air and The Gateway Pundit

KNXV:

Brewer bars IDs, benefits for DREAMers — Gov. Jan Brewer has signed an order directing agencies to deny driver's licenses and other public benefits to young illegal immigrants who obtain work authorizations under a new Obama administration program. — Officials said the 3-year-old boy …

Discussion: protein wisdom, Weasel Zippers and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:

Arizona Governor Tries To Thwart Obama's Immigration Directive With Executive Order — Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (R) has signed an executive order that attempts to thwart President Obama's directive extending temporary work permits to more than a million undocumented immigrants.

Discussion: Associated Press

Robert Barnes / Washington Post:

Pennsylvania voter ID law gets approval from state judge — A Pennsylvania judge Wednesday allowed a Republican-backed law requiring voters to show IDs to go into effect starting this Election Day, a setback for Democrats and civil rights groups who contend that such laws could deny many Americans the right to vote.

Discussion: Slate, The Agonist, Wonkette, Infowars and The Daily Dish

New York Times:
Missed Chance to Reject Voting Barriers

Discussion: The Caucus, Balloon Juice, ABCNEWS and Gothamist

Jeff Poor / The Daily Caller:
Maher on voter ID: Black people don't have picture ID since they 'take the bus because they're poor' [VIDEO]

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

Brooke Nevils / Rock Center with Brian Williams:

Ann Romney talks family, finances in exclusive interview: 'There's nothing we're hiding' — LLANGYNWD, Wales - About two hundred miles away from the Greenwich, England, arena where her purebred horse Rafalca competed in the London Olympics, Ann Romney stroked the nose of Magic, a Welsh pony.

Discussion: The Fix, Crooks and Liars, Taylor Marsh, The Huffington Post, Associated Press, TBogg, Firedoglake, US Politics, The Maddow Blog, Daily Kos, The Hinterland Gazette, Politico and Prairie Weather

Tomer Ovadia / Politico:
Ann Romney: No more tax returns

Discussion: Angry Bear and The Hill

Paul Walsh / Minneapolis Star Tribune:

Fiery protester outside General Mills dies days later on family errand — A Twin Cities man who staged a fiery protest outside General Mills headquarters in Golden Valley last week died several days later while running an errand, his family's minister said Wednesday.

Discussion: Mediaite, The Raw Story and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Jjesselli / The Smoking Gun:
Fiery Gay Marriage Opponent Who Torched Cheerios, General Mills Lawn Dies

Discussion: Box Turtle Bulletin, Advocate and Steve Rothaus' Gay …

TMZ.com:

Megadeth Singer Dave Mustaine — Barack Obama ‘Staged’ Aurora Shooting Massacre — Obama ‘Staged’ Aurora — Shooting Massacre — Dave Mustaine — the lead singer of Megadeth — believes Barack Obama “staged” the massacre in Aurora, CO in a sick, twisted plot to pass a gun ban.

Discussion: Reuters, BuzzFeed, Mediaite and theGrio

Erika Johnsen / Hot Air:

Special ops group scolds White House: Stop the leaks and the bragging — As we enter into presidential debate season and start hearing more discussions about foreign policy, we're bound to be regaled — ahem, yet again — with the oh-so-epic tale of how President Obama made the decision …

Discussion: New York Times, The Jawa Report and The Other McCain

Mark Hosenball / Reuters:
Special ops group attacks Obama over bin Laden bragging, leaks

Discussion: Guardian, ABCNEWS, Outside the Beltway, The Hinterland Gazette, New York Magazine, The Daily Dish, ThinkProgress, americanthinker.com, Weasel Zippers, Ballot Box, The Agonist and Althouse

Lynn Beisner / Guardian:

I wish my mother had aborted me | Lynn Beisner — This is no 'I wish I'd never been born' howl of angst. I love my mother, and having an abortion would have given her a better life — If there is one thing that anti-choice activists do that makes me see red, it is when they parade …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Outside the Beltway, The Agonist, LifeNews.com, normblog and Shakesville