memeorandum: G.O.P. Seizes on a Question: Are You Better Off Than You Were 4 Years Ago? (Michael D. Shear/The Caucus)

8:25 AM ET, September 4, 2012

Top Items:

Right rallies for ‘Empty Chair Day’ — The right rallied on Labor Day to celebrate “National Empty Chair Day,” a show of solidarity with Clint Eastwood after his rambling address to an invisible President Barack Obama at the Republican National Convention last week.

Henry J. Gomez / Plain Dealer:
AFSCME President (and Cleveland native) Lee Saunders goes Eastwooding with Ohio Democrats

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and protein wisdom

Peter Slutsky / Change.org:
Democrats: Ask Betty White to Introduce President Obama at the DNC

Discussion: ABCNEWS, USA Today, Moonbattery, Newsy, Truthdig, Associated Press and New York Magazine

BuzzFeed:
Labor Brings Its Frustrations To Charlotte

Discussion: Slobber And Spittle and Weasel Zippers

Michelle Malkin:
National Empty Chair Day photo album, part II

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and The Mental Recession

Tim Mak / Politico:

Report: Hillary Clinton aide voting Romney — Top Clinton confidant Douglas Band has said that he will vote for Republican Mitt Romney, according to a report in The New Yorker, apparently a move to strengthen Hillary Clinton's position in the Democratic Party.

Discussion: Betsy's Page, The Daily Caller, No More Mister Nice Blog and Riehl World News

David Maraniss / Washington Post:
Obama finds key asset in Bill Clinton's support

Discussion: The Daily Beast, BuzzFeed, New York Magazine and New Yorker

Bloomberg:
Obama Must Remake Political Persona for Any Second Term

Discussion: Hot Air, The Hinterland Gazette and Ed Driscoll

Charlie Cook / NationalJournal.com:

Obama's Enthusiasm Deficit Could Soon Haunt Him — Just as Mitt Romney's challenge last week at the Republican National Convention was to connect on a personal level with voters and make them comfortable with the idea of him sitting in the Oval Office, President Obama's challenge this week …

Discussion: Questions and Observations, Connecting.the.Dots and Power Line

Michael Barone / Washington Examiner:
Jewish Democrats on the defensive

Discussion: Israel Matzav

Byron Tau / Politico:
DNC chair: GOP diversity ‘superficial’

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

CNN:
Party leaders split on ‘better off’ question

Discussion: Politico, The Gateway Pundit and The Hill

Elizabeth Hartfield / ABCNEWS:

Democrats Keynote Speaker Is San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro — The Democrats will open their convention tonight with a keynote speaker who is young, Hispanic and little known outside of his home city of San Antonio, Texas. — For Mayor Julian Castro, 37, tonight could be a spring board to national prominence.

Discussion: Politico, The New Republic and Washington Free Beacon

Paul J. Weber / Associated Press:

DNC Keynoter Castro Follows Mother's Tougher Path — San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro is a rising star in the Democrats' firmament with a collection of mostly favorable media profiles, a landslide re-election last year and speculation about whether he'll become the governor of Texas or even the country's first Hispanic president.

Discussion: Politico

Stephen C. Webster / The Raw Story:

Chuck Norris threatens ‘1,000 years of darkness’ if Obama wins — A video released this weekend by action movie hero Chuck Norris claims that America faces “1,000 years of darkness” if President Barack Obama is reelected. — “If we look to history, our great country and freedom are under attack …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Little Green Footballs and The Hinterland Gazette

Associated Press:

Dems bring in crowds by the busload to fill stadium for Obama speech — Sept. 2, 2012: A man walks near a sand sculpture created in the likeness of President Obama in downtown Charlotte, N.C.AP — CHARLOTTE, N.C. - College students from across North Carolina will arrive in Charlotte by the busload.

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, Freedom's Lighthouse, JOSHUAPUNDIT, Weasel Zippers, The Rightnewz and Nice Deb

Kevin Bogardus / The Hill:
Unions dig in for Obama despite disappointment with his record

Discussion: The Raw Story

Kenneth P. Vogel / Politico:

Source: Romney camp says it raised $100 million in August — Mitt Romney raised $100 million in August, his campaign told bundlers last week in Tampa. — Romney campaign finance director Spencer Zwick revealed the tally during an event with top fundraisers on the sidelines …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Directorblue / Doug Ross:

That Roar You Hear in the Distance May Be a Tidal Wave Building — I truly believe that the American people — all races, all creeds, all colors, all religions, all income levels — are marshaling together to try to save this Republic in November — first and foremost, by rejecting the Cloward-Piven Democrat Party.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Nice Deb and Israel Matzav

Sam Stein / The Huffington Post:

Madeleine Albright: 'I Can't Understand Why Any Woman Would Want To Vote For Mitt Romney' … REACT: — FOLLOW: — Ann Romney, DNC Convention, Madeleine Albright, RNC Convention, Romney Campaign, Secretary Albright, Women's Voices, Albright, Mitt Romney 2012, Romney Gender Gap …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Truthdig and National Review

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:

CNN Host Dismantles Grover Norquist's Anti-Tax Argument: ‘This Is A Wish, Not A Plan’ — CNN's Fareed Zakaria challenged Grover Norquist's opposition to tax increases during an interview on Sunday, insisting that the anti-tax zealot's opposition to higher taxes — gospel which the GOP has adopted …

Jse / CBS San Francisco:

KCBS Exclusive: California Dems Leader Compares GOPs To Nazi Joseph Goebbels — CHARLOTTE, N.C. (KCBS) — The Chairman of the California Democratic Party already had political pundits, delegates and rivals buzzing a day before the Democratic National Convention formally opened in Charlotte …

Discussion: Politico, Power Line, Mediaite, New York Magazine and The Fix

Joe Garofoli / blog.sfgate.com:
CA Dem chair John Burton apologizes for comments invoking Goebbels about GOP “telling the big lie” (VIDEO) (AUDIO)

Daniel J. Mitchell / Townhall.com:

Johnny Depp Flees France Over Tax Hikes — I'm a bad person. I know it's not nice to take joy in the misery of others, but I can't help but smile when I see a story about bad news in France. — In my defense, this is not because of hostility to French people, who have always been friendly to me.

Discussion: Riehl World News

Politico:

November thaw for Clinton, Obama — CHARLOTTE, N.C. — He's likable enough. — Barack Obama, in one of his more revealing public moments in 2008, expressed that sentiment about another Clinton. It also sums up, more or less, the way the current occupant of the White House feels …

Discussion: CNN

Associated Press:

Obama, Romney Visits to Gulf Highlight Differences — President Barack Obama's trip to the hurricane zone three days after rival Mitt Romney looked over flooded homes and businesses underscores the differences in the way the presidential candidates see the role of government.

Discussion: CNN