memeorandum: Julian Assange urges US to end Wikileaks ‘witch-hunt’ (BBC)

4:05 PM ET, August 19, 2012

Top Items:

Obama camp - We are intentionally limiting crowd size at rallies — The presumptive GOP presidential and vice presidential nominees Mitt Romney and Rep. Paul Ryan are attracting thousands of supporters to their campaign rallies since Mr. Romney named Mr. Ryan to the bottom of the ticket.

Discussion: Power Line, Jammie Wearing Fools, RedState, Doug Ross, Wake up America, The Lonely Conservative and Weasel Zippers

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill:

Gibbs: Biden remark no more racial than Boehner saying ‘unshackle Wall Street’ — Senior Obama campaign adviser Robert Gibbs on Sunday defended Joe Biden, saying a recent comment that GOP economic policies would put people “back in chains” was not racially motivated and claiming it was no different …

Discussion: CNN, Little Green Footballs, The PJ Tatler and The Hinterland Gazette

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill:

Gibbs: Ryan should ‘thank’ Obama for strengthening Medicare — Senior Obama campaign adviser Robert Gibbs defended the administration's record on Medicare from GOP attacks on Sunday, saying that Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) should “thank President Obama” for strengthening the program.

Discussion: Politico, Taylor Marsh and Jammie Wearing Fools

Boston Globe:
Biden should apologize for “back in chains” remark

Discussion: Hot Air, Wake up America, American Power, Power Line, Scared Monkeys, Right Wing News, White House Dossier, his vorpal sword, iOwnTheWorld.com and Weasel Zippers

Carlo Muñoz / The Hill:
Biden not a ‘liability’ despite recent gaffe, says Obama campaign

Discussion: Politico and Wake up America

Dylan Byers / Politico:
Globe asks Biden for ‘chains’ apology

Discussion: Angry Black Lady Chronicles

Evan McMorris-Santoro / Talking Points Memo:

Republican Senate Nominee: Victims Of ‘Legitimate Rape’ Don't Get Pregnant — Rep. Todd Akin, the Republican nominee for Senate in Missouri who is running against Sen. Claire McCaskill, justified his opposition to abortion rights even in case of rape with a claim that victims of “legitimate rape” …

Discussion: FOX2now.com, Crooks and Liars, The Moderate Voice, Little Green Footballs, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Wonkette, Outside the Beltway, Mediaite, The Raw Story and TBogg

Aviva Shen / ThinkProgress:

Ohio GOP Election Board Member: Our Voting Process Shouldn't Accommodate Black Voters — Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted's recent decision to prohibit early voting on nights and weekends in all districts has many concerned about the effect on voter turnout in the state, particularly among low-income and minority communities.

Discussion: The Hinterland Gazette, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Dayton, Ohio …

Darrel Rowland / The Columbus Dispatch:

Voting in Ohio | Fight over poll hours isn't just political — One of Deidre Reese's most precious childhood memories is going to the polls with her family. — “It was a hard-fought-for right,” she says. “There was a time that we certainly could not do that.”

Discussion: Hullabaloo, Plunderbund and ThinkProgress

ABCNEWS:

On ‘This Week’: Stephanie Cutter and Kevin Madden — Obama deputy campaign manager Stephanie Cutter and Romney campaign senior adviser Kevin Madden face off on the latest battles in the 2012 presidential campaign, Sunday on “This Week.” — Mitt Romney and his new running mate Rep. Paul Ryan hit …

Discussion: The Other McCain and The Political Carnival

CNN:
Obama team defends People, ET interviews

Discussion: Politico and Outside the Beltway

New York Times:

Truth and Lies About Medicare — Republican attacks on President Obama's plans for Medicare are growing more heated and inaccurate by the day. Both Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan made statements last week implying that the Affordable Care Act would eviscerate Medicare when in fact the law should shore up the program's finances.

Discussion: Balloon Juice, Prairie Weather and Connecting.the.Dots

Aviva Shen / ThinkProgress:
Romney Adviser Says GOP Would Extend Medicare's Solvency By Raising The Eligibility Age

Discussion: Brad DeLong

Joe Lawler / Metromix Des Moines:

Hank Williams Jr. brings country hits and political jabs to the fair — Are you ready for some political commentary? — Country legend Hank Williams Jr. played to a crowd of nearly 8,500 at the Iowa State Fair Grandstand Friday night. — You may recall, criticism of President Barack Obama …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Reaction, theGrio, No More Mister Nice Blog, NewsBusters.org blogs and Hullabaloo

Jake Tapper / ABCNEWS:

Grover Norquist: George H.W. Bush ‘Lied’ to the American People — Americans for Tax Reform president Grover Norquist dismissed recent criticism of his tax pledge from former President George H.W. Bush, saying the 41st president had “lied” to the American people by raising taxes while in office.

Discussion: Washington Monthly

Ta-Nehisi Coates / New York Times:

Obama's (Perceived) Transformation — EARLIER this month, Ann Coulter took to the airwaves of the Fox News network to denounce the dastardly machinations, large mendacity and mad villainy currently employed by the American president. Barack Obama was “a liar,” Coulter said, a …

Discussion: Applesauce, The Hinterland Gazette, Prairie Weather and Balloon Juice

Times of India:

11-year-old girl arrested in Pakistan on charges of blasphemy — ISLAMABAD: An 11-year-old Christian girl has been arrested in Pakistani capital on a charge of blasphemy after she was accused of burning pages of the Quran, police said on Saturday. — Officials of Ramna police station …

Discussion: The Talking Dog and Jihad Watch

Annalyn Censky / CNNMoney.com:

Who's getting paid time off — NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Everyone needs a little time off once in a while, but not all of us get paid for it. — About 59% of U.S. workers had access to paid time off in 2011, a new study by the Department of Labor shows. — And the odds of having paid …

Discussion: ThinkProgress and The Hinterland Gazette