memeorandum: Rev. Moon, Times founder, dies at 92 (Cheryl Wetzstein/Washington Times)

10:15 PM ET, September 2, 2012

Top Items:

Susan Page / USA Today:

Obama, a ‘huge’ Clint Eastwood fan, not offended by skit — DES MOINES - President Obama wants to make it clear that, in his own words, “I am a huge Clint Eastwood fan.” — “He is a great actor, and an even better director,” the president said in an interview with USA TODAY aboard Air Force One …

Discussion: Twitter Room, The Raw Story, The Rightnewz, The Hill and Jammie Wearing Fools

Reid J. Epstein / Politico:

5 landmines for Democrats in Charlotte — The Republican National Convention in Tampa brought fresh reminders that even carefully choreographed political events don't always go according to plan. — Hurricane Isaac threatened to cancel the whole affair, Ron Paul supporters stirred up trouble …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, CNN and Althouse

Thomas Catan / Washington Wire:
Obama Campaign Promises Policy Details

Discussion: Algemeiner.com

Alicia M. Cohn / The Hill:
White House adviser Plouffe: Romney campaign ‘built on a tripod of lies’

Discussion: Politico and Riehl World News

Elise Viebeck / The Hill:
Obama: GOP agenda outdated, like watching ‘black-and-white TV’

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, The Gateway Pundit, Examiner and Politico

Leigh Ann Caldwell / CBS News:

Democratic aide: GOP thinks “lying is a virtue” — (CBS News) As President Obama and the Democrats gear up for their convention in Charlotte, N.C., this week, Democrats unpacked their thoughts on last week's Republican convention. Senior campaign aide Stephanie Cutter said she gathered that Republicans “think lying is a virtue.”

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, American Power and Riehl World News

BuzzFeed:

Inside The Democrats' Convention Media Plan — Surrogates and handlers, even for Lifetime! And the biggest surrogate of all: “Obama can't say what Bill Clinton can.” — A man walks past an advertisement for the Democratic National Convention at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte …

Edward Klein / New York Post:

How Clinton plans to upstage Obama at the DNC — Not since the feud between Ted Kennedy and Jimmy Carter tore the Democratic Party apart more than 30 years ago have two panjandrums of the party loathed each other quite as much as Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

Discussion: The PJ Tatler and Vodkapundit

Daniel J. Wakin / New York Times:

Rev. Sun Myung Moon, 92, Self-Proclaimed Messiah Who Built Religious Movement, Dies — The Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the Korean evangelist, businessman and self-proclaimed messiah who built a religious movement notable for its mass weddings, fresh-faced proselytizers and links to vast commercial interests …

Discussion: New York Magazine and Roger Ailes, more at Mediagazer »

Associated Press:

Sun Myung Moon, self-proclaimed messiah who founded Unification Church, dies at age 92 — GAPYEONG, South Korea — The Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the self-proclaimed messiah who turned his Unification Church into a worldwide religious movement and befriended North Korean leaders as well as U.S. presidents …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, World, Outside the Beltway and Scared Monkeys

Cheryl Wetzstein / Washington Times:
Rev. Moon, Times founder, dies at 92

Discussion: Online NewsHour, Mediaite and Crooks and Liars

Dave Levinthal / Politico:

Dems continue to dodge 4-years-ago question — The question Democrats didn't want to answer head-on Sunday: Are Americans better off today than they were four years ago? — Asked the same question repeatedly host George Stephanopoulos on ABC's “This Week,” President Barack Obama's senior …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and Swampland

Dave Levinthal / Politico:
Axelrod: America in a ‘better position’ today than four years ago

Discussion: The Lonely Conservative, CNN, Datechguy's Blog and americanthinker.com

BuzzFeed:
O'Malley: We Are Not Better Off Than We Were Four Years Ago

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Mediaite and Babalú Blog

Meghashyam Mali / Ballot Box: Dem Gov. O'Malley: Voters not better off than four years ago

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Video: Axelrod dodges the “better off four years ago” question

Discussion: NewsBusters.org blogs, Scared Monkeys, Ed Driscoll and Doug Ross

Talking Points Memo:

Obama's Response To Clint Eastwood Was The Most RT'd Tweet Of RNC … More than 51,000 people re-tweeted it, as of Sunday. Obama was presumed to be sitting in the empty chair during Eastwood's prime time speech, which the crowd ate up but which received negative reviews in the press.

Discussion: The Political Carnival, The Impolitic, New York Magazine and Blue Collar Philosophy

Pat Garofalo / ThinkProgress:

Bush Chief Political Strategist: Paul Ryan's Speech Was Full Of Lies … On ABC's This Week on Sunday, Matthew Dowd, chief political strategist for former President Bush's 2004 re-election campaign, criticized Ryan's for its many falsehoods, saying, “at some point, the truth should matter”:

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, JONATHAN TURLEY, The Political Carnival and The Raw Story

Dan Balz / Washington Post:

Obama did not change Washington. Was there a way around united Republican opposition? — View Photo Gallery — Obama on the campaign trail: Washington Post photographer Nikki Kahn has been following President Obama on the campaign trail. Here are some of the images she has captured.

Discussion: The Reaction, Right Wing News and Guardian

Associated Press:
Dems Seek to Exploit Advantage on Foreign Policy

Discussion: CNN

CNN:
Romney camp: We talked war before convention

Discussion: Politico

David Siders / Capitol Alert:

One California Democrat hospitalized, another causes disturbance after night of drinking — CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A California delegate to the Democratic National Convention was hospitalized early this morning, after apparently falling unconscious in a hotel lobby following a night of drinking …

Discussion: CNN and Politico

Janet Maslin / New York Times:

‘No Easy Day’ by Mark Owen Tells of SEAL Raid on Bin Laden — The Navy SEALs who killed Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011, learned from ABC News that they had “gazelle legs, no waist, and a huge upper body configuration,” not to mention calloused hands and gigantic egos.

Gary Dzen / The Boston Globe:

White House releases recipe in beer brouhaha — Obama concocts his Pennsylvania Ave. home brew — President Obama's fondness for beer has been well documented. Now the White House has bowed to demand for his recipe for beer that he concocted himself with a little help.

Discussion: Riehl World News, Business Insider, New York Magazine, Boing Boing, Washington Post and BuzzFeed

Jo Becker / New York Times:

The Other Power in the West Wing — WASHINGTON — President Obama was in a bind, and his chief of staff could not figure out how he had ended up there. — Leaders of the Roman Catholic Church were up in arms last fall over a proposal to require employers to provide health insurance that covered birth control.

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon, Althouse and dotCommonweal

Lucia Graves / The Huffington Post:

Gary Johnson Feels ‘So Much Better’ Not Being A Republican Anymore — Republican Party , Republican Party , Republican Convention , Budget 2012 , Elections 2012 , Gary Johnson , Off The Bus , Gary Johnson Republicans , Libertarian Party , Off The Bus , Gary Johnson Republican Convention , Gary Johnson Spoiler , Politics News

Discussion: Addicting Info

Dennis McLellan / Los Angeles Times:

Hal David dies at 91; songwriting partner of Burt Bacharach — Hal David and Burt Bacharach wrote the hits ‘Walk on By’ and ‘Do You Know the Way to San Jose’ for Dionne Warwick, and ‘Raindrops,’ which won the Oscar for best original song in 1970. — Burt Bacharach, left …

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Washington Monthly

Rob Hoerburger / New York Times:
Hal David, Songwriter, Is Dead at 91

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Associated Press, Power Line and Althouse

Ryan Grim / The Huffington Post:

Barack Obama Promised A New Kind Of Politics, But Played The Same Old Game … REACT: — FOLLOW: — Barack Obama , GOP, Barack Obama 2012 , Barack Obama 2012 , Republican Party, Video, Obama Politics, Obama Boehner, Obama Congress, Obama John Boehner, Politics News

Discussion: NewsBusters.org blogs and Riehl World News