memeorandum: Republicans skip Benghazi hearing; complain about lack of information on Benghazi (Josh Rogin/Foreign Policy)

6:05 PM ET, November 15, 2012

Top Items:

Ted Barrett / CNN:

McCain skips Benghazi briefing, gets testy when questioned by CNN — (CNN) - Most of the Republican members of a Senate committee investigating the terrorist attack at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, skipped a classified briefing by administration officials on the incident Wednesday, CNN has learned.

Discussion: Daily Kos, Tucson Weekly, Mediaite, New York Magazine, The Caucus, The Daily Dish and Foreign Policy

Paul Waldman / American Prospect:

What Benghazi Is about: Scandal Envy — If you're looking at the Republican harumphing over Benghazi and asking yourself, “Why are we supposed to be so mad about this again?” you're not alone. Let's review: There was an attack on our consulate that killed four Americans, including our ambassador.

Discussion: Washington Monthly and Mother Jones

Josh Rogin / Foreign Policy:

Republicans skip Benghazi hearing; complain about lack of information on Benghazi — This week, a number of Republican senators have strongly criticized the administration for failing to properly explain the circumstances surrounding the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Slate, New York Times, Business Insider, ThinkProgress, BobCesca.com, CNN, FP Passport, Daily Kos and The Hill

Kirsten Powers / Fox News:

President Obama's silly, sexist defense of Susan Rice — Nov. 14, 2012: President Obama answers a question during a news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington.AP — Don't pick on the little lady. — Wednesday, President Obama bizarrely cast the U.N. Ambassador …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Mediaite, The Daily Caller, msnbc.com, Weekly Standard and alicublog

CBS News:

CIA talking points for Susan Rice called Benghazi attack “spontaneously inspired” by protests — PLAY CBS NEWS VIDEO — (CBS News) WASHINGTON - CBS News has obtained the CIA talking points given to U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice on Sept. 15 regarding the fatal attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, four days earlier.

Discussion: Little Green Footballs, The Other McCain, Hot Air, Weasel Zippers, Nice Deb, Washington Examiner, Guardian, Slate, Mother Jones and The Atlantic Online

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:
McCain Skipped A Briefing On Benghazi To Hold A Press Conference

Discussion: Politico, The Impolitic, Balloon Juice, Wonkette, Daily Kos, The Raw Story and Foreign Policy

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:
John McCain Supported Condi Rice After Massive Intelligence Failure

Discussion: PERRspectives, Twitchy, NewsBusters.org and Daniel W. Drezner

Mike Carter / The Seattle Times:

Respected agent in Seattle terror probe leaked Petraeus case — The FBI agent who started the email inquiry that eventually led to the resignation of CIA Director David Petraeus is known for his work in Seattle leading the investigation into millennium bomber Ahmed Ressam.

Discussion: New York Times, BuzzFeed, ABCNEWS, Business Insider, Mediaite, Gawker and New York Magazine

CNN:

Petraeus: I did not pass classified info — (CNN) — Former CIA Director David Petraeus, in conversations with an HLN journalist, insisted that his resignation had nothing to do with his scheduled testimony about the September attack that killed four Americans in Benghazi, Libya.

Discussion: Washington Post, Guardian, Outside the Beltway, Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes', Washington Wire, Politico, Associated Press and This Just In

The Seattle Times:

Shirtless FBI agent: Photo was joke emailed to friends, reporter — This photograph shows FBI Special Agent Frederick W. Humphries posing with target dummies following a SWAT practice. This is the “shirtless image” that has been alluded to in the investigation into emails that led to the resignation of CIA Director David Petraeus.

Discussion: New York Magazine and BuzzFeed

Andrew Napolitano / Reason:
Silencing General Petraeus

Discussion: ABCNEWS, Washington Times, Associated Press and Sense of Events

HLNtv.com:
Petraeus speaks — HLN's Kyra Phillips has been talking …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, CNN and The Daily Caller

Wall Street Journal:
In Final Days, Petraeus Hurt by Libya Clash, Then Affair

Discussion: Hot Air, emptywheel and Nice Deb

Eric Russell / Portland Press-Herald:

Maine Republican chairman questions black voters — Charlie Webster causes a stir with claims that hundreds of unknown black people cast ballots in rural Maine towns. — Maine Republican Party Chairman Charlie Webster is once again alleging possible voting irregularities …

Discussion: Politico, Daily Kos, Little Green Footballs, New York Magazine, The Hinterland Gazette, msnbc.com, Outside the Beltway, Mediaite, Gawker, Prairie Weather, Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes' and The Gateway Pundit

Annie-Rose Strasser / ThinkProgress:

Maine GOP Head Suspects Voter Fraud Because ‘Dozens, Dozens Of Black People’ Voted … The head of the Republican Party in Maine thinks there might have been voter fraud in his state because “nobody in town knows anyone who's black,” but black voters came in to vote on election day.

Discussion: WCSH-TV, Crooks and Liars, The Raw Story, Wonkette, Mock, Paper, Scissors and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Ryan J. Reilly / Talking Points Memo:
Maine GOP Chair: ‘Unusual’ To See Black People Voting

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …

Politico:

Jindal rejects Romney's ‘gifts’ theory — LAS VEGAS — Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal forcefully rejected Mitt Romney's claim that he lost because of President Barack Obama's “gifts” to minorities and young voters. — Asked about the failed GOP nominee's reported comments on a conference call …

Michael Falcone / ABCNEWS:
Republicans Return Romney's Parting Gift (The Note)

Discussion: Politico, Salon, The Hill, New York Magazine, Truthdig and CNN

Maeve Reston / Los Angeles Times:
Romney attributes loss to ‘gifts’ Obama gave minorities

Discussion: The New Republic, Wonkette, Wonkblog, Washington Monthly, The Impolitic, Truthdig, The Reaction, JIMROMENESKO.COM and Real-Time News from Mobile

Chris Good / ABCNEWS:
Obama's ‘Gifts’ and Sandy; Romney Explains Away Election Loss

Discussion: New York Magazine and Business Insider

Erik Wasson / The Hill:

Murray: Can't guarantee 2014 budget — Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) confirmed Thursday that she will seek the chairmanship of the Senate Budget Committee next year but told The Hill that she cannot commit to doing a budget. — This opens up the possibility that Senate Democrats …

Discussion: CNN, Politico and The Lonely Conservative

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Senate Democrats say deficit package must include stimulus

Discussion: The PJ Tatler, The Lonely Conservative and Eschaton

Chris Carroll / Times Free Press:

Scott DesJarlais supported ex-wife's abortions, slept with patients, divorce transcript shows … A decade before calling himself “a consistent supporter of pro-life values,” Tennessee physician and Republican U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais supported his ex-wife's decision to get two abortions …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes', New York Times, The Hill, Shakesville and The Fix

Janean Chun / The Huffington Post:

John Metz, Denny's Franchisee And Hurricane Grill & Wings Owner, Imposes Surcharge For Obamacare … REACT: — FOLLOW: — Obama Health Care, Video, Hurricane Grill & Wings, John Metz, John Metz Dairy Queen, John Metz Dennys, John Metz Obamacare Surcharge, Obamacare, Obamacare Hiring Freezes …

Discussion: Gawker, Mediaite, BobCesca.com, Truthdig, Right Wing News and NewsBusters.org blogs

James Nye / Daily Mail:
Denny's to charge 5% ‘Obamacare surcharge’ and cut employee hours to deal with cost of legislation

Discussion: NewsMax.com, Weasel Zippers, Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes', The Lonely Conservative, The Hinterland Gazette and The Huffington Post

Byron Tau / Politico:

Obama: Donovan to take on recovery role — President Barack Obama Thursday tapped Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan to be the federal government point-person for Washington's involvement in New York's Hurricane Sandy recovery. — “He knows a little bit about New York and building …

Discussion: CNN

James Barron / New York Times:
Obama Visits Storm-Ravaged Areas in New York

Discussion: Above the Law

Justin Sink / The Hill: Obama: HUD Secretary to head post-Sandy rebuilding efforts

Steven Mufson / Washington Post:

BP settles criminal charges for $4 billion in spill; supervisors indicted on manslaughter — View Photo Gallery — Oil spills throughout history: The Deepwater Horizon oil spill has surpassed the size of the 1969 Santa Barbara spill and the Exxon Valdez. Here are some other historical spills.

Discussion: CNNMoney.com, Real-Time News from Mobile, Colorlines, Associated Press, Mother Jones, BBC and Crooks and Liars

Chris Baltimore / Reuters:
Two BP workers face criminal charges from 2010 spill: source

Discussion: Firedoglake

Julia Werdigier / New York Times:
BP to Admit Crimes and Pay $4.5 Billion in Gulf Settlement

Discussion: Firedoglake, National Updates, Outside the Beltway, Daily Kos, Associated Press, The Agonist and Gothamist

BBC:

Gaza missiles fired at Tel Aviv — Palestinian militants have attempted to hit Israel's largest city, Tel Aviv, with missiles fired from the Gaza Strip. — An Israeli military spokesman said two missiles had been launched towards the Tel Aviv area but neither had hit it.

Discussion: Washington Post, National Review, Foreign Policy, The PJ Tatler, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Dish and The Daily Beast, more at Mediagazer »

Gershon Baskin / Open Zion:
Assassinating The Chance For Calm

Discussion: New York Times, Guardian, The Agonist, The Daily Beast and Wired

Darlene Hill / Chicago News and Weather:

Jackson Jr. won't resign until he gets disability pay: EXCLUSIVE — Sources tell FOX 32 News that Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. is willing to give up his 2nd Congressional District seat if he's given disability when he steps down. — Jackson Jr. was re-elected to his tenth term but last month …

Discussion: The PJ Tatler, The Daily Caller, Weasel Zippers, Politico and The Lonely Conservative

Mark Murray / First Read:

RNC report suggests other reasons why Romney lost — While Mitt Romney has attributed his defeat, in part, to “gifts” President Obama was able to shower on key constituencies, a Republican National Committee report on the election points to other reasons — like changing demographics …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, National Review, Election 2012, Crooks and Liars, Business Insider, The Hill and The Daily Banter

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:

Fox News Captions Footage Of Illegal Border Crossings With ‘The Hispanic Vote’ — Since Mitt Romney lost the Hispanic vote in record numbers on Election Day, some Republican lawmakers and conservative pundits have openly conceded that the party has a “rhetoric” problem when it comes …

Discussion: The Daily Banter, BobCesca.com and The Raw Story

Josh Israel / ThinkProgress:

EXCLUSIVE: Karl Rove's Crossroads GPS Never Filed Legally Required Registration — When Karl Rove's Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies (GPS) formed in 2010, it established its official address in Warrenton, VA, and registered with the Internal Revenue Service a tax-exempt 501(c)(4) “social welfare organization.”