memeorandum: Zing! Romney on Obama: ‘Bless his heart’; Update: No, it's not racist (Cindy Cooper/Twitchy)

2:34 AM ET, August 23, 2012

Top Items:

Marco Rubio on how he learned he wasn't Romney's VP pick; kind words for Nelson, harsh ones for Akin — Republican Sen. Marco Rubio told a Forum Club of the Palm Beaches luncheon crowd today about the phone conversation he had with Mitt Romney the day before Romney announced Paul Ryan as his running mate.

Discussion: ABCNEWS, Reuters, The Hill and Washington Post

John Hinderaker / Power Line:

Are the Democrats Delusional On Abortion? — The Democrats apparently think they have hit the jackpot with Todd Akin's moment of stupidity, but I'm not so sure. How, exactly, are they going to take advantage of Akin's blunder? By talking ceaselessly about abortion.

Ann Coulter / Official:

MISSOURI: THE ‘SHOW ME ANOTHER G.O.P. CANDIDATE’ STATE — Relying on Todd Akin's sense of decency has not worked. Within hours of his idiotic comments about “legitimate rape,” Karl Rove's Crossroads GPS pulled out millions of dollars in funding for the Missouri Senate race. Akin didn't get the hint.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller and Barack Obama

Angelakdka / CBS Pittsburgh:

In Exclusive Interview, Paul Ryan Distances Self From Todd Akin — CARNEGIE (KDKA) — In Congressman Paul Ryan's first interview in Pennsylvania, Mitt Romney's vice presidential pick reacted strongly to Congressman Todd Akin's comment than women who are raped rarely get pregnant.

Deroy Murdock / National Review:

Akin: Face the Wrath of the GOP Convention — Left to his own devices, Congressman Todd Akin (R., Mo.) will become the Typhoid Mary of modern American politics. — After shocking the nation with his bizarre and appalling theory that each female victim of “legitimate rape” …

Discussion: Mediaite and Ballot Box

Maureen Dowd / New York Times:
Just Think No — There's something trying about an unforgiving …

Discussion: The Caucus, NewsBusters.org blogs, Weasel Zippers, The Daily Dish, Washington Post, News Desk, Jammie Wearing Fools and Prairie Weather

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Paul Ryan stands by his anti-abortion record while running away from it

Discussion: First Read, Daily Kos and The Hill

Jon Swaine / Telegraph:
US election: Mitt Romney met Todd Akin doctor Jack Willke during 2012 campaign

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland and ThinkProgress

Paul Bedard / Washington Examiner:
Dem Convention becomes anti-Akin affair

Discussion: Instapundit, ABCNEWS, Althouse, Hot Air, The Lonely Conservative, Weasel Zippers and The PJ Tatler

Jillian Duchnowski / Elmhurst, IL Patch:
Illinois Republicans Discuss Akin, Party Response

Discussion: The Hill, Wonkette, CNN, Mediaite, Politico, Daily Kos, The Huffington Post, The Raw Story and Associated Press

Ian Millhiser / ThinkProgress:
Ryan Refuses To Say Abortions Should Be Available To Women Who Are Raped

Discussion: Roll Call, American Prospect, The New Civil Rights Movement, Religion Dispatches, Cagle Post and New York Times

Josh Richman / Mercury News:
Boxer: Akin is the symptom, but Ryan and Romney are the disease

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Politico, Weasel Zippers, Hot Air, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Mediaite, Jammie Wearing Fools and The PJ Tatler

Justin Sink / The Hill:
Ryan says he is ‘proud of my pro-life record,’ defends bill sponsored with Akin

Discussion: Politico and afa.net

myFOXlubbock.com:

Lubbock Co. Judge warns of potential danger if Obama is re-elected — Lubbock County Judge Tom Head and Commissioner Mark Heinrich went into great detail Monday night on FOX 34 News @ Nine about why it is necessary to raise the tax rate by 1.7 cents the next fiscal year.

Discussion: Balloon Juice, Daily Kos, Mediaite, Wonkette, No More Mister Nice Blog, Booman Tribune and Business Insider

Ian Millhiser / ThinkProgress:

Texas Judge Suggests He Will Join ‘Civil Unrest, Civil Disobedience, Civil War Maybe’ If Obama Is Reelected — Judge Tom Head, a county judge in Lubbock, Texas, announced on a local television station that he would personally join the resistance against a United Nations' takeover of American sovereignty …

Discussion: The Maddow Blog and Applesauce

Nick R. Martin / Talking Points Memo:

Texas Judge Warns Of ‘Civil War, Maybe’ If Obama Wins — Texas Judge Tom Head is worried about what might happen if President Obama wins reelection in November. There could be riots, unrest or a “civil war, maybe,” he told a local television station this week.

Discussion: Stinque and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Stephen C. Webster / The Raw Story:
Republican judge in Texas warns of ‘civil war’ if Obama reelected

Discussion: Jesus' General, Zandar Versus The Stupid and Wizbang

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal:
County judge Head concerned with civil unrest if Obama re-elected

Discussion: ThinkProgress

Kevin D. Williamson / National Review:

Like a Boss — When it comes to being a rich guy, Mitt Romney should own it — What do women want? The conventional biological wisdom is that men select mates for fertility, while women select for status — thus the commonness of younger women's pairing with well-established older men but the rarity of the converse.

Discussion: Wonkette, Taylor Marsh, The Reality-Based Community, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Gawker, Feministing, Washington Monthly, Little Green Footballs, The Other McCain, Hullabaloo, Business Insider, The Agonist, The Hinterland Gazette, The Raw Story, Sadly, No! and Shakesville

WMUR:

Sheriff candidate says he wouldn't reject deadly force to stop abortions — Candidate says he believes elective, late-term abortions aren't lawful — Candidate's abortion comments draw criticism — A Republican candidate for Hillsborough County Sheriff said Wednesday …

Discussion: CBS Boston, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Balloon Juice, Talking Points Memo and The Raw Story

John McCormack / Weekly Standard:
Video: Obama Says He's ‘Pro-Choice’ on Third-Trimester Abortions

Discussion: LifeNews.com, The Gateway Pundit, Patterico's Pontifications, Doug Ross and BuzzFeed

Ralph Z. Hallow / Washington Times:

GOP takes tough platform approach — Filled with strict stances, most conservative plan in party history to be unveiled — TAMPA, Fla. — Republicans next week will likely adopt what veteran platform writers said is the most conservative platform in their history after the drafting committee voted …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, his vorpal sword, Campaign Stops, New York Times and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Sharon Otterman / New York Times:
New York Archbishop Will Give Closing Prayer at G.O.P. Meeting

Discussion: The Caucus

Zeke Miller / BuzzFeed:
Republican Party Changes Rules To Stop The Pauls

Discussion: The Fix and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

CBO's Publications:

An Update to the Budget and Economic Outlook: Fiscal Years 2012 to 2022 — For fiscal year 2012 (which ends on September 30), the federal budget deficit will total $1.1 trillion, CBO estimates, marking the fourth year in a row with a deficit of more than $1 trillion.

Discussion: Power Line, Washington Post, New York Times, The White House, The Hill, JSOnline, Firedoglake, BBC, The Daily Caller, NRSC, Business Insider, Washington Examiner, The Demos Blog and White House Dossier

CBO's Publications:
Fiscal Tightening in 2013 and Its Economic Consequences - Infographic

Discussion: Mother Jones, Business Insider, Newsy and Washington Examiner

Lori Montgomery / Washington Post:
CBO warns of significant recession if Congress doesn't act to avoid fiscal cliff

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, NRSC and The Lonely Conservative

Erika I. Ritchie / Orange County Register:

Rick Warren cancels Obama-Romney forum at Saddleback Church — LAKE FOREST - Rick Warren, Saddleback Church's pastor, announced Wednesday that a civil forum planned with President Barack Obama and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney at the church has been canceled …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Balloon Juice, Religion Dispatches and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Cindy Cooper / Twitchy:

Zing! Romney on Obama: ‘Bless his heart’; Update: No, it's not racist … Oh, yes, he did. He dropped the most awesome insult ever. … Swoon! Romney's point is, of course, correct and needs repeating. But the “bless his heart” is getting more play as of now; it was the delicious final touch on the pro-freedom message.

Discussion: Hot Air, The Lonely Conservative, Pirate's Cove and The Other McCain

Christopher Maloney / Twitchy:

‘O-I-H-O’: Barack Obama's Dan Quayle moment — President Barack Obama finally found the 57th state, and it's spelled O-I-H-O. — To be fair, Obama and his pals finally got it right here: … Some can't believe the President would be so stupid: … Great point! Except, not really:

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money, Riehl World News and American Power

Alicia M. Cohn / The Hill:
Team Romney calls out Obama for misspelling ‘Ohio’ at campaign stop

Discussion: NewsBusters.org, The Ulsterman Report and Jammie Wearing Fools

First Read:

First Thoughts: Not your ordinary August poll — This isn't your ordinary August poll; it looks more like October... The poll's three macro-conclusions: 1) Obama has the advantage heading into the conventions, 2) he's still below 50%, 3) Romney has work to do repairing his image …

Discussion: Daily Kos, BuzzFeed, Politico, Outside the Beltway, The Maddow Blog, The Moderate Voice and Guardian

Domenico Montanaro / First Read:
Obama leads big with Latinos, but enthusiasm still lags

Discussion: Ballot Box, The Buzz Florida Politics Feed, Business Insider, The Moderate Voice and theGrio

Mitt Romney for President of the United States …:

MITT ROMNEY SETS GOAL OF NORTH AMERICAN ENERGY INDEPENDENCE BY 2020 — A crucial component of Mitt Romney's Plan for a Stronger Middle Class is a comprehensive energy strategy to achieve North American energy independence by 2020 and establish America as an energy superpower in the 21st century.