memeorandum: NBC/WSJ poll: Heading into conventions, Obama has four-point lead (Mark Murray/First Read)

9:05 AM ET, August 22, 2012

Top Items:

Jeffrey Smith / Salon:

Eleven reasons Akin didn't quit — It's after 6 p.m., and Todd Akin is still on the Missouri ballot. Why did he remain in the race? — Todd Akin declared Tuesday that he would not drop out of the U.S. Senate race in Missouri. Most East Coast journalists and politicos I've spoken …

Discussion: Show Me Progress, Connecting.the.Dots, minx.cc, First Read, Politico, Conservatives4Palin, Hot Air and Religion Dispatches

James Hohmann / Politico:

GOP rejects rape exception in platform — TAMPA, Fla. — Even as Mitt Romney sought to quash the furor surrounding Todd Akin's “legitimate” rape comments, the Republican platform committee here approved an abortion plank that includes no exemptions for rape, incest or even to save the life of the mother.

Discussion: Guardian, The Caucus, iOwnTheWorld.com, his vorpal sword, CNN, Mother Jones, Scott Brown for US Senate, Poliglot and Daily Kos

George Stephanopoulos / ABCNEWS:

Todd Akin Opens Door to Possible Exit — Here's what Missouri Congressman Todd Akin said when I asked if he was in the race to stay - even if it looked like he would lose and possibly cost Republicans control of the Senate. — “Well George, I'm never going to say everything that could possibly happen.

Discussion: Power Line, Mediaite, Taegan Goddard's … and ABCNEWS

Evan McMorris-Santoro / Talking Points Memo:

Rep. Steve King: I've Never Heard Of A Girl Getting Pregnant From Statutory Rape Or Incest — Rep. Steve King, one of the most staunchly conservative members of the House, was one of the few Republicans who did not strongly condemn Rep. Todd Akin Monday for his remarks regarding pregnancy and rape.

Manu Raju / Politico:

Todd Akin's looming campaign of isolation — Rep. Todd Akin showed he could win a 48-hour standoff with his party. But that feat pales compared with what's next: Running for a critical Senate seat as a candidate in near total isolation — abandoned by Republicans across the spectrum after his …

Discussion: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Washington Post and New York Times

Los Angeles Times:

Todd Akin touts support from crusader who espoused theories on rape — Rep. Todd Akin takes questions after speaking at the Missouri Farm Bureau candidate interview in Jefferson City, Mo. (Christian Gooden / St. Louis Post-Dispatch / Associated Press / August 10, 2012)

Discussion: The Hill, Zandar Versus The Stupid, The Daily Dish, Plunderbund, American Power, Washington Wire and The Gateway Pundit

New York Times:
What the G.O.P. Platform Represents

Discussion: The Hinterland Gazette, Prairie Weather and The Talking Dog

Brian Tashman / rightwingwatch.org:
Bryan Fischer Says Todd Akin is Like a Victim of Rape

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Mediaite, Daily Kos, The New Civil Rights Movement and The Raw Story

Ed Kilgore / Washington Monthly:
Todd Akin, Superstar

Discussion: Politico, Lynn Sweet, The Reaction, naked capitalism and FiveThirtyEight

Gregory J. Krieg / ABCNEWS:
Todd Akin Defies Mitt Romney and Stays in Missouri Senate Race

Discussion: CNN, Politico, KFVS-TV, ABCNEWS, FishbowlDC and The Other McCain

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:
Akin Clarifies ‘Legitimate Rape’ Comments: Women Make ‘False Claims’ About Being Raped

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, Wonkette, The Other McCain, Gawker, ABCNEWS, No More Mister Nice Blog, Angry Black Lady Chronicles, Democracy in America, NY Daily News, Taylor Marsh, The New Republic, ECHIDNE of the snakes, The Moderate Voice and The Hinterland Gazette

BuzzFeed:
Fetus Vanishes From Akin Website

Discussion: ABCNEWS, Roll Call and New York Magazine

Heather Leigh / KMEG-TV:
Rep. Steve King on the Campaign Trail

Discussion: Politico, CBS News, Advocate, Guardian, Election 2012, Mediaite, Slate, Crooks and Liars, The Raw Story, Ballot Box, Feministing, The Moderate Voice, Wonkette, The Hill, Little Green Footballs, The New Civil Rights Movement, The Hinterland Gazette and iOwnTheWorld.com

Kristen Gosling / Associated Press:
Rep. Todd Akin decision deadline 5 p.m. Tuesday

Discussion: The Raw Story

Irin Carmon / Salon:
Rape exceptions aren't legitimate

Discussion: Slate, Angry Black Lady Chronicles, New York Magazine, Lawyers, Guns & Money, American Prospect and Feministing

Meredith Shiner / Roll Call:
Todd Akin Staying Put, as Top Missouri Republicans Tell Him to Exit

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Show Me Progress and The Caucus

Mark Murray / First Read:

NBC/WSJ poll: Heading into conventions, Obama has four-point lead — After Mitt Romney selected his vice presidential running mate, and just days before the political conventions kick off next week, President Barack Obama maintains his advantage in the race for the White House, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, Hot Air, Zandar Versus The Stupid, The Page, The New Republic, American Power, Talking Points Memo, Politico, News Desk, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Gawker

Mark Murray / First Read:
NBC/WSJ poll: Voters split on Ryan

Discussion: Hot Air, Mediaite, theGrio, The Political Carnival, Election 2012 and Hullabaloo

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:
Obama continues to lead in Virginia

Discussion: Ballot Box

Wall Street Journal:
In Tight Race, Romney Faces Hurdles

Discussion: Washington Wire and CNN

Pew Research Center for the People and the Press:
Medicare Voucher Plan Remains Unpopular

Discussion: Washington Post, Firedoglake, Taegan Goddard's … and The Hinterland Gazette

Justin Sink / The Hill:
Ryan revives Obama gaffe, says he's ‘happy to be clinging to guns, religion’

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Politico, Mediaite and The Lonely Conservative

myFOXDetroit.com:
New Michigan Poll has Romney ahead of Obama

Discussion: The Lonely Conservative, Washington Monthly, Power Line, Public Policy Polling, CANNONFIRE, GOP 12, Wake up America, Ballot Box and FiveThirtyEight

Prince Harry / TMZ.com:

Prince Harry — Naked Photos of Las Vegas Rager Leaked — During Vegas Rager — Prince Harry put the crown jewels on display in Vegas this weekend ... getting BARE ASS NAKED during a game of strip billiards with a room full of friends in his VIP suite. — It all went down Friday night during …

Discussion: Guardian, Towleroad News #gay, The Daily Beast, Telegraph, Gawker, Newsy, BuzzFeed and Joe. My. God.

BuzzFeed:

Eva Longoria To Speak At Democratic Convention — Convention announces all-female line-up, to focus on “war on women.” — Image by Rachel Murray / Getty Images — TAMPA, Florida — Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria will address at the Democratic National Convention next month …

Discussion: Joe. My. God.

CNN:
More women: DNC announces new speakers

Discussion: Politico

Jim McElhatton / Washington Times:

Labor Department spends stimulus funds for ads during Olbermann, Maddow shows — Contract shows no new jobs were created — The Labor Department paid out hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal stimulus funds to a public relations firm to run more than 100 commercials touting …

Discussion: The Lonely Conservative, Pirate's Cove, The Gateway Pundit, The Mental Recession and Jammie Wearing Fools

CBS News:

Officials arrest Wash. man over Obama threat — (CBS/AP) FEDERAL WAY, Wash. - Authorities have arrested a Washington state man after he allegedly emailed threats against President Obama. — Law enforcement officials identified the suspect as 31-year-old Anton Caluori.

Discussion: The Rightnewz and New York Magazine

Noah Rothman / Mediaite:

Jake Tapper Tells Ingraham ‘Media Helped Tip The Scales’ In 2008 — In an interview on Tuesday with conservative radio host Laura Ingraham, ABC News' White House correspondent Jake Tapper addressed many of the concerns that Republicans have with the media. Tapper said that he was concerned …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Politico, The Impolitic, Taylor Marsh and The Rightnewz

Brendan Sasso / The Hill:

House GOP: FCC ‘twists the facts’ in report to justify regulation — A spokeswoman for House Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans accused the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday of using an annual report on broadband access to justify more regulation.

Chris Chase / USA Today:

Oklahoma kindergartner banned from wearing Michigan shirt — An Oklahoma City kindergartner was forced to turn his University of Michigan shirt inside out last week because it violated a city ban on any apparel not supportive of the state's college teams. — Cooper Barton, 5, comes from a family of Michigan fans.

Discussion: Hit & Run

Stewart Bell / National Post:

The Canadian who converted to jihad: Boxer turned militant killed in Dagestan — In the video he shot inside his hut in the mountains of Dagestan last winter, William Plotnikov narrated as he panned from the black flag of jihad to three bearded rebels and their assault rifles.

Discussion: The Jawa Report and Jihad Watch

Invictus / The Big Picture:

Open Mouth, Insert Foot: Going Viral? — I had barely finished reading Niall Ferguson's takedown of President Obama when a flood of takedowns of Mr. Ferguson started hitting the web. This post, then, will not be about his Newsweek piece, but instead about his recent Bloomberg TV interview with Erik Schatzker and Sara Eisen.

Discussion: Brad DeLong, Economist's View, Firedoglake, Paul Krugman and AEIdeas