memeorandum: Jihadists join Aleppo fight, eye Islamic state, surgeon says (John Irish/Reuters)

7:35 PM ET, September 9, 2012

Top Items:

Biker chick sits on Biden's lap while Obama lifted in the air by restaurant owner — Boy, what these guys will do for votes. Consider this your open thread for Sunday. UPDATE: OK Biden, this is a little much:

Discussion: The Jawa Report, The Moderate Voice and protein wisdom

Erik Wasson / The Hill:

VP Biden gets friendly with female biker at campaign stop in Ohio — Vice President Joe Biden got caught in a stunning photo with a female biker sitting on his lap. — The Associated Press snapped the shot at Cruisers Diner in Seaman, Ohio on Sunday. — A White House pool report …

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, The Impolitic, Babalú Blog, Scared Monkeys, New York Magazine and Weasel Zippers

Ethan Klapper / The Huffington Post:

Obama Picked Up By Scott Van Duzer, Florida Pizza Place Owner (PHOTO) … REACT: — FOLLOW: — Barack Obama , Elections 2012, Video, Obama Florida, Obama Photo, Barack Obama Lifted Off The Ground, Barack Obama Photo, Obama Lifted Off The Ground, Obama Lifted Photo, Obama Picked Up …

Discussion: Mediaite and Joe. My. God.

Jeff Spross / ThinkProgress:

Flabbergasted Rand Paul Learns Public Employment Decreased Under Obama — One of the least appreciated but easily-confirmed facts about the current state of the American economy is that the number of Americans employed by the government has gone down under President Obama.

Discussion: Paul Krugman

Paul Krugman:

Government Employment — During today's round table on ABC, Rand Paul seemed shocked at my claim that government employment is down under Obama. Of course, it is. But maybe he's thinking of the fact that since govt employment rose under Bush, we're still at higher absolute levels than we were a decade ago.

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Crooks and Liars

Zack Beauchamp / ThinkProgress:

Ryan: I Didn't Vote For The Defense Cuts I Voted For — Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan has gotten in hot water before for criticizing President Obama for the very same defense cuts that he voted for in 2011. When confronted with this incongruity today on Face The Nation …

Discussion: The Raw Story

Jeremy Herb / The Hill:
Ryan defends vote for sequestration deal

Discussion: CNN

ABCNEWS:
On ‘This Week’: GOP Vice Presidential Nominee Paul Ryan

Discussion: Politico and The Political Carnival

Judd Legum / ThinkProgress:
Romney Rips Paul Ryan: Calls Running Mate's Vote For Defense Cuts ‘A Big Mistake’

Discussion: The Raw Story, Wall Street Journal, Crooks and Liars, Washington Wire and Press Pass

Travis Waldron / ThinkProgress:

Romney Says His Plan To Cut Taxes On The Rich Doesn't Actually Cut Taxes On The Rich — On Meet The Press this morning, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney claimed that his tax plan — which provides a 20 percent tax cut for all Americans — would not “reduce the tax burden” …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, The Political Carnival, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Sahil Kapur / Talking Points Memo:

Romney, Ryan Refuse To Identify Tax Loopholes They'd Close — In separate interviews Sunday, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan refused to identify which tax loopholes they would close in order to pay for their large tax cuts. — On NBC's “Meet The Press,” Romney dodged multiple questions …

Discussion: CANNONFIRE, Outside the Beltway and Hullabaloo

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:

Sept. 8: Conventions May Put Obama in Front-Runner's Position — On Friday, we began to see reasonably clear signs that President Obama would receive some kind of bounce in the polls from the Democratic convention. — Mr. Obama had another strong day in the polls on Saturday …

Discussion: American Power, Business Insider, Conservatives4Palin, The Daily Dish, Marbury, The Atlantic Online, Balloon Juice, The Reaction, US Politics, Outside the Beltway, mmicdata.rand.org, Booman Tribune and The Mahablog

Albuquerque Journal:

Puzzles & Comics … The presidential race in New Mexico may be more competitive than national pundits and polls have suggested. — According to a Journal Poll, President Barack Obama appears to have a small lead over Republican Mitt Romney in New Mexico, but Obama has not topped 50 percent …

Discussion: Politico and The Gateway Pundit

Politico:
State of the race: Advantage, Obama

Discussion: Washington Post, Daily Kos, Via Meadia, The Page, The Reaction and Taylor Marsh

CNN:
Medicare takes center stage for Obama campaign in Florida

Discussion: Politico, The Reaction and Ballot Box

John McCain / CNN:
McCain calls out Obama over Syria, again

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and The Hill

Dylan Byers / Associated Press:

Smoke and mirrors at CBS's Face The Nation — Today's listing for CBS's Face The Nation. — Viewers flipping through their cable listings this morning may have noticed that while NBC's ‘Meet The Press’ had an exclusive interview with Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney — a big get …

Discussion: TVNewser

Erik Wasson / The Hill:

Ann Romney: Mitt unfairly ‘demonized’ — GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney's wife Ann said that her husband has been unfairly ‘demonized,’ during a joint appearance on NBC's Meet the Press aired on Sunday. — Ann Romney said she took to the GOP convention stage to convey that her family …

Discussion: The New Civil Rights Movement and Politico

Jeremy Herb / The Hill:

Gov. Brown renews fitness test challenge against Christie — California Gov. Jerry Brown still wants New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to take him up on a three-part fitness challenge. — Brown renewed his call Sunday to battle Christie in a 3-mile race, chin-up and push-up contest during an interview on CNN's “State of the Union.”

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, The Lonely Conservative, Politico, CNN and Patterico's Pontifications