memeorandum: Libya's Mohamed Yousef el-Magariaf: Attack On U.S. Embassy Was ‘Planned — Definitely, It Was Planned by Foreigners...’ (Donald Douglas/American Power)

2:40 AM ET, September 17, 2012

Top Items:

Inside the campaign: How Mitt Romney stumbled — Stuart Stevens, Mitt Romney's top strategist, knew his candidate's convention speech needed a memorable mix of loft and grace if he was going to bound out of Tampa with an authentic chance to win the presidency.

Discussion: BuzzFeed, New York Magazine, Washington Post, Philly.com, National Review, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Raw Story, Booman Tribune and Gawker

Nancy Pelosi / CNN:
TRENDING: Pelosi says Ryan pick makes it easier for Dems to take House

Discussion: Politico and Booman Tribune

BREITBART.COM:

BREAKING: VIDEO PURPORTS TO SHOW US AMBASSADOR DRAGGED FROM BENGHAZI CONSULATE — YouTube user “Abdalgadar Fadi” has uploaded a video on the arabic language version of the video sharing site purporting to show US Ambassador Christopher Stevens dragged from the consulate in Benghazi.

Discussion: Power Line, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Atlas Shrugs, Doug Ross and The Gateway Pundit

Donald Douglas / American Power:
Libya's Mohamed Yousef el-Magariaf: Attack On U.S. Embassy Was ‘Planned — Definitely, It Was Planned by Foreigners...’

Discussion: CBS News

ABCNEWS:
Ambassador Susan Rice: Libya Attack Not Premeditated

Discussion: Weekly Standard, CBS News, The Gateway Pundit, Scared Monkeys, Doug Ross, The Fix, Atlas Shrugs, Outside the Beltway, Power Line, Newsy and Taylor Marsh

Fox News:
U.S. Ambassador Rice stands with administration in saying anti-Muslim video sparked violence

Discussion: World Affairs Journal blogs and Power Line

ABCNEWS:
Ambassador Susan Rice: U.S. Not ‘Impotent’ in Muslim World

Discussion: Fox News Insider, Weasel Zippers, The Daily Caller, Hot Air, American Power, Riehl World News, The Hinterland Gazette and The PJ Tatler

Kevin Cirilli / Politico:
Libyan president: ‘No doubt’ attack ‘preplanned’

Discussion: Speak With Authority and The Lonely Conservative

Julian Pecquet / The Hill:
Rice contradicts Libyan account, says attack was not premeditated

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, The Gateway Pundit, Betsy's Page and Scared Monkeys

Leila Fadel / NPR:
Consulate Attack Preplanned, Libya's President Says

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Weasel Zippers and The Right Scoop

Daniel Halper / Weekly Standard:
U.S. Ambassador to U.N. Doubles Down on Claim that Film Responsible for Middle East Mobs

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog and Michelle Malkin

Associated Press:

WEIGHING OFFER, CHICAGO TEACHERS REMAIN ON STRIKE … CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago teachers uncomfortable with a tentative contract offer decided Sunday to remain on strike, insisting they need more time before deciding whether to end an acrimonious standoff with Mayor Rahm Emanuel …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, The Lonely Conservative and Hot Air

Chicago Tribune:
Chicago teachers strike continues, Emanuel says he will sue to force end

Discussion: Firedoglake, Newsy and Progress Illinois

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill:
Report: Teachers union to continue strike

Discussion: Associated Press

Chicago Teachers Union:
House of Delegates to review new contract language this Sunday at 3:00 p.m.

Discussion: Chicago Sun Times, Daily Kos, The Raw Story, Taylor Marsh and New York Times

Dylan Byers / Politico:

Maureen Dowd meets anti-Semitism charge — New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd set the Jewish political community on fire today with a column about the Republican ticket's foreign policy proposals that, according to her critics, peddled anti-Semitic imagery.

Discussion: Swampland, Mother Jones, Commentary Magazine, Gawker and Connecting.the.Dots

Jeffrey Goldberg / The Atlantic Online:
Happy New Year, Puppet Masters

Discussion: Balloon Juice, Politico, The Mahablog, Daily Kos and Vox Popoli

Andrew Kirell / Mediaite:

Benjamin Netanyahu To NBC: Those Who Believe Iran Should Have Nukes ‘Set A New Standard For Human Stupidity’ — During his tour of several Sunday morning American talk shows, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told NBC's Meet the Press that Iran is guided by fanaticism with no rationality …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, The Moderate Voice, The Other McCain, The Lonely Conservative and nation.foxnews.com

Pema Levy / Talking Points Memo:

Netanyahu: People Are ‘Drawing Me Into The American Election’ — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied accusations from critics that he is trying to influence the U.S. presidential election, despite escalating his demands that the United States draw a “red line” …

Discussion: CNN and The Reality-Based Community

CNN:
On ‘red lines,’ Obama and Romney appear in agreement

Discussion: The Raw Story, Politico and The Hill

Peter Schroeder / Ballot Box:

Poll: Warren opens up 6-point lead over Brown in Mass. Senate race — Elizabeth Warren has opened up a 6-point lead against Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) in their hotly contested senatorial race, according to a new poll. — The poll, from the Western New England University Polling Institute …

Robert Rizzuto / Union-News:
Poll: Elizabeth Warren opens 6-point edge on Scott Brown in Massachusetts Senate race

Discussion: Public Policy Polling, DownWithTyranny!, The Fix, Taylor Marsh and Hullabaloo

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:

Obama up 5 in Virginia — PPP's newest Virginia poll finds Barack Obama leading by 5 points, 51-46. Obama's lead is unchanged from a month ago when we found him leading 50-45 in the state. He may not be seeing a bump from the convention in the state at this point, but he was in a pretty good position to begin with.

Jeff Mason / Reuters:

Obama crams for debates, works on being concise — (Reuters) - On long flights to swing states in the West and late nights at the White House after his children have gone to bed, President Barack Obama is cramming like a student for a test that could determine his political future. — The subject?

Discussion: The Hill and New York Magazine

Rana Tanveer / The Express Tribune:

Ultimatum to US: ‘Criminalise blasphemy or lose consulate’ — LAHORE: — Several Muslim parties and a Christian group held rallies on Sunday to protest against a movie released in America. — Around 10,000 people participated in the main rally organised on The Mall by the Tehreek Hurmat-i-Rasool (THR).

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

Zeke Miller / BuzzFeed:

Romney Camp Decides: The Economy Isn't Enough — “It's not enough just to criticize,” says Ryan. Agrees an aide: “We have to bring more to the table.” — OLDSMAR, Fla. — Mitt Romney's campaign for president appears to have quietly abandoned its guiding assumption …

Discussion: Associated Press, Hot Air, New York Magazine and Riehl World News