memeorandum: Obama and Romney Offer a Possible Preview of Their First Debate (John M. Broder/New York Times)

6:30 AM ET, September 24, 2012

Top Items:

CNN:

TRENDING: Obama: I bear ‘full responsibility for everything’ — (CNN) - President Barack Obama discussed his frustration with gridlock in Washington, saying his “biggest disappointment” in his nearly four years in office has been the failure to oversee change in the nation's political climate.

Discussion: Politico, Weasel Zippers, Connecting.the.Dots, Macsmind and Weekly Standard

Agence France Presse:

Obama brushes off Israeli pressure over Iran — WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama likened Israeli pressure on him to draw a line in the sand over Iran's nuclear ambitions as noise he tries to ignore, according to remarks aired Sunday. — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently urged …

Discussion: Atlas Shrugs, JOSHUAPUNDIT, Weasel Zippers, “The Lid” and Balloon Juice

John M. Broder / New York Times:

Obama and Romney Offer a Possible Preview of Their First Debate — WASHINGTON — Mitt Romney criticized President Obama in remarks broadcast on Sunday for refusing to meet with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, during this week's United Nations General Assembly meeting …

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, Newsy and The Caucus

CNN:

Romney campaign pounces on Obama national security comments — (CNN) - The Romney campaign was quick to pounce on comments made by President Barack Obama in an interview that aired Sunday, calling into question the president's commitment to Israel as the United States' closest ally in the Middle East.

Discussion: Politico

Daniel Halper / Weekly Standard:

Obama on Recent Middle East Violence: ‘Bumps in the Road’ — This evening on CBS's 60 Minutes, President Barack Obama called the recent violence in the Middle East “bumps in the road.” — CBS's Steve Kroft asked, “Have the events that took place in the Middle East, the recent events …

Discussion: Power Line and Betsy's Page

Dovid Efune / Algemeiner.com:

Both President Obama and Ahmadinejad Liken Israeli Concerns Over Nuclear Iran to “Noise” — President Obama on a previous episode of 60 minutes. — In an interview airing tonight on CBS's 60 Minutes, President Obama likens Israel's expressions of concern over a nuclear Iran to noise he tries to ignore, according to AFP.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

David Ignatius / Washington Post:

An interview with Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad — Interview with Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Sept. 23, 2012, in New York. The following transcript has been edited slightly for length and clarity. — Read: David Ignatius: An unfazed Ahmadinejad

Daniel Halper / Weekly Standard:
Obama Refers to Israel Concern Over Iran as ‘Noise’

Discussion: The Right Scoop and Power Line

Robert Gibbs / CNN:
Gibbs: Romney has advantage in debates

Discussion: Politico, Scared Monkeys and Taegan Goddard's …

Amie Parnes / Ballot Box:
RNC chair: ‘Not the best week’ for Romney

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, New York Magazine, CNN, Politico and The Reaction

Joel B. Pollak / BREITBART.COM:

MEDIA PUT 18,000 IN NOT-QUITE-FULL 5,000-SEAT ARENA FOR OBAMA IN WISCONSIN — President Barack Obama is having trouble drawing large crowds on the campaign trail. At the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, his campaign was forced to move his acceptance speech from the 74,000-seat Bank …

Discussion: NewsBusters.org blogs and Politico

Keithbacker / Battleground Watch:
How Big Was Obama's Crowd in Wisconsin? MSM says 18,000, actual was 5,000 (photos and analysis)

Discussion: The PJ Tatler, Washington Wire and JSOnline

Associated Press:
AMID GOP UNEASE, ROMNEY TURNS EYE TO SWING STATES

Discussion: Riehl World News

Richard Lai / Engadget:

Riot breaks out at Foxconn's Taiyuan plant, reportedly over guards beating up a worker — News just came in that workers at Foxconn's Taiyuan plant have started a riot in the wee hours in China, and that police forces are on site to control the crowd. While the motive isn't clear …

Discussion: World News, TechCrunch and Business Insider

Clare Jim / Reuters:

Foxconn closes China plant after 40 injured in brawl — (Reuters) - Taiwan's Foxconn Technology Group closed its Taiyuan plant in northern China on Monday after a personal dispute spiraled into a brawl involving 2,000 workers in a dormitory late on Sunday night, injuring 40.

Discussion: New York Times, The Verge and Mashable!

New York Times:
Foxconn Factory in China Is Closed After Worker Riot

Discussion: AllThingsD

John Hinderaker / Power Line:

Obama Campaign Quietly Ditches Faux Flag — The Obama campaign produced a poster of an American flag, with Obama's “O” symbol replacing the field of stars, as an item of campaign merchandise, selling for $35. The image was tasteless at best. It is hard to imagine any other politician arrogant enough …

Discussion: The Other McCain

Andrew Kaczynski / BuzzFeed:
Obama Campaign's Flag Poster No Longer Appears In Store

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and Instapundit

Zeke Miller / BuzzFeed:

Report: Rick Perry Aides Battled Gay Rumor With Lawsuit Threat — Huffington Post threatened to publish the — unsupported — claims. Perry aides warned they'd “be owning a big chunk of AOL.” — Image by Ronald Martinez / Getty Images — Texas Gov. Rick Perry's campaign spent the weeks …

Discussion: CANNONFIRE, Advocate and Towleroad News #gay

Kathleen Geier / Washington Monthly:

Suicide is now the leading cause of injury-related death in America, and the economy may be to blame — An extremely disturbing new study published in the American Journal of Public Health finds that suicides have replaced car accidents as the leading cause of injury-related death in the U.S …

Discussion: Daily Mail and Babalú Blog

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:

NEWS FLASH — TOP ROMNEY ADVISER: ‘WE ARE A NATION OF PEOPLE DEPENDENT ON THEIR GOVERNMENT’ | Mitt Romney adviser Bay Buchanan reiterated the Republican campaign's belief that half of Americans are dependent upon government, during an appearance on Meet Thee Press on Sunday.

Discussion: Firedoglake and The Raw Story