memeorandum: Eleven reasons Akin didn't quit (Jeffrey Smith/Salon)

7:30 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: Connecting.the.Dots, Show Me Progress, minx.cc, Politico, First Read, Conservatives4Palin, Hot Air and Religion Dispatches

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.

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: The Caucus, his vorpal sword, CNN, Mother Jones, Scott Brown for US Senate, Poliglot and Daily Kos

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: Zandar Versus The Stupid, The Daily Dish, Washington Wire, Plunderbund, American Power, New York Times and The Gateway Pundit

Ed Kilgore / Washington Monthly:

Todd Akin, Superstar — So the big question in Politicsland this afternoon is how and why Todd Akin was able to convince himself to defy the entire GOP establishment of his state, the GOP presidential nominee, the major national campaign funders, and nearly the entire Right-Wing commentariat, and stay on the ballot in Missouri.

Discussion: Politico, Lynn Sweet, The Reaction, naked capitalism and Power Line

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

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

Discussion: Prairie Weather and The Talking Dog

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

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

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

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

BuzzFeed:
Fetus Vanishes From Akin Website

Discussion: Roll Call, PJ Media and New York Magazine

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

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

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 and American Prospect

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

Discussion: The Caucus

Mark Halperin / The Page:
Missouri GOP Godfathers Act As One to Force Akin Out

Discussion: Business Insider, Outside the Beltway, Politico, Washington Post, Election 2012, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Hot Air, Conservatives4Palin, Balloon Juice, The Lonely Conservative, The Other McCain and The Gateway Pundit

Laura Bassett / The Huffington Post:
Todd Akin's Abortion Position Reflects GOP Platform

Discussion: Associated Press, The Raw Story, RH Reality Check, Show Me Progress, Mediaite and Daily Kos

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Oh I Think He May Be Staying — Snap PPP Poll shows …

Discussion: Show Me Progress and Lawyers, Guns & Money

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: The Page, The New Republic, Mediaite, Hot Air, Talking Points Memo, American Power, Politico, The Political Carnival, News Desk, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Gawker and Hullabaloo

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:

Obama continues to lead in Virginia — PPP's newest poll of Virginia finds Barack Obama leading by 5 points, 50-45. In 8 Virginia surveys PPP has done this cycle, Obama has never led Mitt Romney by less than 4 points. It continues to look like it could be his firewall state this fall.

Discussion: Ballot Box

Pew Research Center for the People and the Press:

Medicare Voucher Plan Remains Unpopular — Plurality Views Ryan VP Choice Negatively — OVERVIEW — Paul Ryan's selection to the Republican ticket has put the issue of Medicare squarely on the 2012 campaign agenda. And the latest Pew Research Center survey continues to find the public …

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

Wall Street Journal:
In Tight Race, Romney Faces Hurdles

Discussion: CNN

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:
Romney slightly ahead in Wisconsin

Discussion: Hot Air, Business Insider, The Ulsterman Report, Ballot Box, Weekly Standard and Wake up America

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: The Daily Beast, Telegraph, Gawker, Newsy, BuzzFeed and Joe. My. God.

CNN:

More women: DNC announces new speakers — (CNN)- Nine additional Democratic women, many with ties to specific voting blocks, will address the national convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Democratic National Convention Committee said Wednesday. — The list includes Rep. Tammy Baldwin …

Discussion: Politico

Ron Paul / CNN:
Ron Paul delegates set to strike deal with RNC

Discussion: A plain blog about politics, Associated Press, Bangor Daily News and The Political Carnival

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: Politico, The Impolitic, Taylor Marsh and The Rightnewz

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, The Gateway Pundit and Jammie Wearing Fools

Justin Sink / The Hill:

Ryan revives Obama gaffe, says he's ‘happy to be clinging to guns, religion’ — Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) began resurrecting some of President Obama's most famous gaffes on the campaign trail Tuesday, reminding a crowd assembled at a Pennsylvania steel plant of the president's remark four years ago …

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, CANNONFIRE, GOP 12, Wake up America and FiveThirtyEight

Mike Lillis / The Hill:

Dems prepare to go behind enemy lines at GOP convention in Tampa — Don't call it sabotage, but as Mitt Romney and the Republicans are taking over Tampa for next week's GOP convention, a sizable crew of Democrats will be there as well, working furiously behind enemy lines in an effort to muffle the GOP message.

Discussion: NationalJournal.com

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

Paul Krugman:
Kinds Of Wrong — Looking at the comments on my Niall Ferguson …

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, The Daily Beast, Applesauce and New York Magazine, more at Mediagazer »

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