memeorandum: Cindy Lee Garcia sues anti-Muslim filmmaker Nakoula Basseley Nakoula (Kevin Cirilli/Politico)

7:40 PM ET, September 19, 2012

Top Items:

Cameron Joseph / Ballot Box:

Brown's office reiterates senator's support for Romney — Sen. Scott Brown's (R-Mass.) office on Wednesday said the senator supports Mitt Romney's presidential bid after the lawmaker gave an indirect response to an inquiry by The Hill. — “He absolutely supports Romney, there's no doubt about that,” an aide to Brown said.

Discussion: BuzzFeed, Politico and The Daily Caller, more at Mediagazer »

William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:

Critical audio gap in “complete” Romney tape released by Mother Jones (Update - Corn responds, 1-2 minutes missing) — David Corn of Mother Jones released the “complete” audio and video of the secretly recorded Mitt Romney speech at a private fundraiser. — Yet the complete audio and video is not complete.

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, The PJ Tatler, Associated Press, GOP 12, Wonkette, The Lonely Conservative, emptywheel, Wizbang, The Spectacle Blog, Examiner, Mother Jones, Mediaite, Twitchy, Patterico's Pontifications, Conservatives4Palin and NewsBusters.org blogs

Dylan Byers / Politico:

Romney video missing ‘one to two minutes’ — The videos of Mitt Romney's remarks at a May fundraiser, released in full by Mother Jones yesterday, omit “one to two minutes” of the candidates remarks, the journalist who obtained the video told POLITICO. — The omission comes between parts …

Discussion: msnbc.com, Naked DC, The Daily Beast, The Maddow Blog and The Hill

Dylan Byers / Politico:

Mitchell: Obama video not authenticated yet — MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell today said that the network was not airing a potentially controversial of video of Barack Obama because neither NBC News or MSNBC had been able to verify its authenticity yet. — “Because we have not independently …

Discussion: Mediaite, Washington Free Beacon and TVNewser, more at Mediagazer »

Dylan Byers / Politico:

Technically, Romney said peace was possible — Mitt Romney's remarks about the Mideast conflict at the May fundraiser in Boca Raton, Fla., have put him in hot water, as the national press reports that the candidate does not believe peace in the Middle East is possible.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Wonkette, Election 2012, Washington Post, ABCNEWS, Guardian and ABCNEWS

Benny Johnson / TheBlaze.com:
IS THE SECRET VIDEO OF ROMNEY AT FUNDRAISER REALLY UNEDITED? WE MAY HAVE PROOF OTHERWISE

Michael Falcone / ABCNEWS:
Romney Tapes Give Way To The Not-So-Calm After The Storm (The Note)

Discussion: The Caucus, USA Today, Talking Points Memo, Mediaite, Daily Kos, Althouse and The Daily Caller

William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:
Maybe Romney answer was “inelegant” only because Mother Jones didn't disclose that part of tape was missing

Discussion: Poynter, entertainment.time.com, NewsBusters.org blogs, Not Yet Europe, 24Ahead, Guardian, Lawyers, Guns & Money, FishbowlDC, New Yorker, Mother Jones and JOSHUAPUNDIT, more at Mediagazer »

BuzzFeed:
Leaked Romney Videos Make The Front Pages Of 41 Swing State Newspapers

Discussion: Washington Post and AEIdeas

Jesse Helfrich / The Hill:
Romney's missteps could cost party the Senate, strategists say

Discussion: CNN, Politico and Prairie Weather

James Monteleone / Albuquerque Journal:
Gov. Martinez critical of Romney's ‘47 percent’

Discussion: ABCNEWS, The Hill, The Hinterland Gazette and Politico

Joel B. Pollak / BREITBART.COM:
SELECTIVE EDIT? MOTHER JONES ADMITS ROMNEY TAPE MISSING ‘ONE TO TWO MINUTES’

Discussion: Ed Driscoll, Guardian and First Read

Pew Research Center for the People and the Press:

Obama Ahead with Stronger Support, Better Image and Lead on Most Issues — Democrats Narrow Engagement Gap — OVERVIEW — At this stage in the campaign, Barack Obama is in a strong position compared with past victorious presidential candidates. With an eight-point lead …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Firedoglake, CNN, Talking Points Memo, Ballot Box, Little Green Footballs, Business Insider, Weekly Standard, Political Watch, National Review, Gallup and Politico

Quinnipiac University:

Obama Hits 50% In Wisconsin, Virginia; Colorado Is Close, Quinnipiac University/New York Times/CBS News Swing State Poll Finds — Watch Video: Assistant Director Tim Malloy discusses poll results — Clip Information and Download: — FLV File - For Website (1920x1080 / 189.1MB)

Discussion: Washington Post, Election 2012, Washington Wire, The Fix, National Review, CNN, GOP 12, ABCNEWS, Ballot Box, First Read, Firedoglake and The Hinterland Gazette

Mario Trujillo / Ballot Box:

Thompson's lead dissolves in Wisconsin — Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) has completely wiped away Tommy Thompson's lead in the Wisconsin Senate race, according to two polls released Wednesday. — A Marquette University Law School poll shows a 20-point swing from last month, with Baldwin leading by 9 percentage points, 50 to 41.

Discussion: CNN, The Caucus, GOP 12 and Connecting.the.Dots

Reuters:
Mitt Romney needs poll vault to win

Discussion: CNN Political Ticker, Washington Wire and Politico

Frank Newport / Gallup:

Voters' Reaction to Romney's “47%” Comments Tilts Negative — Independent voters, by 29% to 15%, also more negative than positive — PRINCETON, NJ — Americans have a more negative than positive immediate reaction to Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's comments, secretly caught on video …

Discussion: Little Green Footballs, The Right Sphere, 24Ahead, The Fix, Politico, Hit & Run, Election 2012 and Washington Post

Mitt Romney / USA Today:

I'll deliver recovery, not dependency — Since our founding, America has promoted personal responsibility, the dignity of work and the value of education. Those values made our nation the hope of the earth and our economy the envy of the world. — Efforts that promote hard work …

Scott Wong / Politico:
Heller knocks Romney over ‘47 percent’

Discussion: Daily Kos and The Maddow Blog

ABCNEWS:
Reid Suggests Romney Could Be Part of 47 Percent

Discussion: The Raw Story

Mark McKinnon / The Daily Beast:
Mark McKinnon on Why Time Is Running Out for Mitt Romney

Discussion: The Week, Boston Globe, Taylor Marsh, Mario Piperni dot Com, The Hill and The Daily Dish

The Onion:
Romney Apologizes To Nation's 150 Million ‘Starving, Filthy Beggars’

Discussion: Salon, The Raw Story, Shakesville and US Politics

Fox News:

Major report released on Fast and Furious, DOJ official resigns — A major report released Wednesday on the Operation Fast and Furious scandal faulted a range of federal agencies for the failed anti-gunrunning program — and has resulted in the resignation of one Justice Department official.

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Hot Air, Washington Times, The Right Scoop, GayPatriot, Infowars, Law Blog, The Lonely Conservative, Michelle Malkin, The PJ Tatler and Pat Dollard

Jordy Yager / The Hill:
Justice report faults ATF, DOJ officials for ‘Fast and Furious’

Discussion: ABCNEWS and White House Dossier

Ramsey Cox / The Hill:

GOP blocks veterans jobs bill with budget vote — Senate Republicans stopped the veterans jobs bill Wednesday by forcing a budget point of order vote. — Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (R-Ill.) requested a motion to waive the budget point of order, which was raised by Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.).

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Daily Kos and Washington Post

Ben Armbruster / ThinkProgress:
Senate Republicans Kill Veterans' Jobs Bill

Discussion: The Raw Story, New York Times and Liberty Street

Lawrence Downes / Taking Note:
G.O.P. Blocks Veteran Jobs Bill

Discussion: msnbc.com, Washington Monthly and Business Insider

Josh Rogin / Foreign Policy:

Obama official: Benghazi was a terrorist attack — The Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi was in fact “a terrorist attack” and the U.S. government has indications that members of al Qaeda were directly involved, a top Obama administration official said Wednesday morning.

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Hot Air, The Daily Caller, Weasel Zippers, The Rightnewz, Taylor Marsh, Speak With Authority, Nice Deb, World Affairs Journal blogs, Jammie Wearing Fools and White House Dossier

Toby Harnden / Daily Mail:

Speaking to the 47%: The $105,000 champagne tower featured at Obama fundraiser hosted by Jay-Z and Beyonce — President Barack Obama attended a fundraiser at Jay-Z's 40/40 Club in Manhattan that featured a champagne tower of 350 bottles worth $105,000 - more than twice the median household income of an American family.

Discussion: The PJ Tatler, HillBuzz.org, TheBlaze.com, The Lonely Conservative, Naked DC, National Review and Washington Examiner

Geoff Earle / New York Post:
Beyoncé & Jay-Z host NY Bam ba$h

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, The PJ Tatler, The Jawa Report, The Right Scoop, Red Alert Politics, Jammie Wearing Fools, Weekly Standard, Moonbattery, Pirate's Cove and Vodkapundit

CBO's Publications:

Payments of Penalties for Being Uninsured Under the Affordable Care Act — Beginning in 2014, the Affordable Care Act (comprising Public Law 111-148 and the health care provisions of P.L. 111-152) requires most legal residents of the United States to either obtain health insurance or pay a penalty tax.

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Washington Examiner and The Volokh Conspiracy

Paige Winfield Cunningham / Washington Times:
CBO raises estimate of those hit by Obama health care tax

Discussion: Hot Air, Pat Dollard and Riehl World News

Sahil Kapur / Talking Points Memo:

Romney Tape Leaves Senate GOP Leaders Speechless — Senate Republican leaders fled their weekly press conference after delivering prepared remarks Wednesday without taking a single question from reporters eagerly seeking their thoughts on their presidential nominee's newly unearthed remarks dismissing nearly half of American voters.

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Mediaite

Hal Dardick / Chicago Tribune:

Moreno relents, will allow Chick-fil-A — He says he's satisfied with LGBT statement of respect … A Chicago alderman who made national headlines during the summer for opposing a Chick-fil-A in his increasingly trendy Northwest Side ward has reversed course, saying he will let the fast-food chain open a store in Logan Square.

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Civil Rights Agenda, Moe Lane, Reuters, Hit & Run, Guardian, CBS Chicago and Progress Illinois

BuzzFeed:
Chick-Fil-A Promises Not To Fund “Anti-Gay Groups,” Advocates Claim

Discussion: Gawker and Outside the Beltway

John Hinderaker / Power Line:

Is Barack Obama America's Most Dishonest Politician? — A lot of politicians are dishonest, but Barack Obama may be in a league by himself. He appeared on the David Letterman show last night, and Letterman asked him about the national debt (somewhat surprisingly). Obama's answer was a masterpiece of prevarication.

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Ed Driscoll and GayPatriot

FRANCE 24:

France to close embassies in fear of cartoon backlash — France announced Wednesday it will close 20 embassies across the Muslim world on Friday after French weekly Charlie Hebdo published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed naked, amid growing unrest over an anti-Islamic film that has left dozens dead.