memeorandum: A group of conservative leaders has signed an irate letter demanding … (Will Rahn/The Daily Caller)

8:15 PM ET, February 7, 2013

Top Items:

Panetta: Obama Absent Night of Benghazi — Defense Secretary Leon Panetta testified this morning on Capitol Hill that President Barack Obama was absent the night four Americans were murdered in Benghazi on September 11, 2012: — Panetta said, though he did meet with Obama …

Discussion: The Daily Caller, The Mental Recession, Wizbang, Right Turn, Rush Limbaugh, The Gateway Pundit, Booman Tribune, nation.foxnews.com and his vorpal sword

William Kristol / Weekly Standard:

On Their Own — The White House left Ambassador Chris Stevens, Glen Doherty, Tyrone Woods, and Sean Smith on their own on September 11 in Benghazi. That is the upshot of today's Capitol Hill hearing featuring Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey.

Discussion: Power Line and Bookworm Room

Associated Press:
Panetta defends military response in Libya attack

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Hit & Run, Hot Air, Pat Dollard and Flopping Aces

Tim Mak / Politico:
Leon Panetta defends Pentagon response after Benghazi attack

Discussion: ABCNEWS

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:

The Morning Plum: GOP resolve on sequester begins to crack — There's been a good deal of chatter to the effect that Republicans still retain leverage in the sequester fight, because some of them are willing to let the sequester happen. But Politico reports that GOP resolve is cracking …

Discussion: Mother Jones, Businessweek, Poor Richard's News, Angry Bear, Booman Tribune, msnbc.com, Hot Air and The Huffington Post

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:

Dems will offer GOP spending cuts to avert doom — The New York Times reports today that Senate Dems are putting together a plan to avert the sequester with new revenues drawn from things like nixing tax breaks enjoyed by oil and gas companies and closing loopholes for the wealthy and corporations.

Discussion: New York Times, Booman Tribune, Hullabaloo, Daily Kos and The Maddow Blog

Conor Friedersdorf / The Atlantic Online:
As Neocons Defend Obama, Allies Doubt Him on Drones as Never Before

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, CNN, Lawfare, The Week, Taking Note, Flopping Aces, CANNONFIRE, Taylor Marsh and Washington Monthly

Quinnipiac News + Events:
Release Detail — February 7, 2013 - Americans Back Women …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Politico, ABCNEWS, The Plum Line, Gawker, Hot Air, Daily Kos, Firedoglake, Outside the Beltway, NPR and msnbc.com

Joe Picard / The Hill:

Obama ‘prepared, eager and anxious’ for sequester fight with Republicans — LANSDOWNE, Va. — President Obama told House Democrats on Thursday that he is “prepared, eager and anxious” to produce the broad fiscal package that has eluded Washington. — A pugnacious Obama told House Democrats …

Discussion: CNN and Politico

Darlene Superville / Associated Press:
Michelle Obama to Attend Chicago Girl's Funeral

Discussion: CNN, Politico and NPR

Kevin Liptak / CNN:
Obama tells House Dems he wants ‘big deal’ on debt

Discussion: Politico

Jeff Zeleny / The Caucus:
Obama Plans Fund-Raising Trips to Aid Senate and House Candidates

Discussion: Roll Call, CNN, Ballot Box, First Read, Politico and The Reaction

Caitlin McDevitt / Reuters:
Michelle Obama plans to skip Grammys

Discussion: People.com and CNN

SOOPERMEXICAN:

News Media Scrub Cop Murderer's Manifesto of Pro-Obama, Hillary, MSNBC, CNN, Gay, and Anti-Gun Comments — I've been following closely the news story about Chris Dorner, who is now suspected of murdering three people, including one police officer, and shooting another two police officers.

Discussion: BREITBART.COM, Twitchy, Hot Air, The PJ Tatler, The Gateway Pundit, Weasel Zippers, protein wisdom, Council of Conservative … and The Jawa Report

Crimefile / CRIME, GUNS, AND VIDEOTAPE:
Fired LAPD Officer, Obama Lover and Committed Gun Control Advocate is Being Sought In Revenge Killings!

Discussion: Associated Press, Bob Owens, The Daily Caller and The PJ Tatler

Sarah Desprat / Twitchy:
Master murder-politicizer Piers Morgan: Don't politicize Dorner murder spree

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, Washington Times, The Daily Caller, Ed Driscoll and Jammie Wearing Fools

Kate Mather / L.A. NOW:

Women delivering newspapers in Torrance shot in manhunt for ex-cop — Two women who were shot by Los Angeles police in Torrance early Thursday during a massive manhunt for an ex-LAPD officer were delivering newspapers, sources said. — The women, shot in the 19500 block of Redbeam Avenue …

Discussion: Hit & Run, Boing Boing, Los Angeles Times, Crime and Consequences Blog and Gawker

Andrew Kaczynski / BuzzFeed:
LAPD Spree Killer's Supposed Full Manifesto Shows Support For Gun Control And President Obama

Discussion: nation.foxnews.com and SOOPERMEXICAN

CNN:
L.A. police look for ex-cop suspected in shootings

Discussion: CBS Los Angeles, Poor Richard's News, L.A. NOW, Represent! and Little Green Footballs

National and Local Weather Forecast …:

Winter Storm Nemo: Potential Historic Blizzard Looms — Potentially Historic Storm: Snow Impact — Winter Storm Nemo is now poised to become the latest example of a powerful, potentially historic, February storm. — We lay out the forecast of heavy snow on this page …

Discussion: Guardian, The Dish, The Week and Suburban Guerrilla

Miriam Valverde / Sun-Sentinel:

“Breastaurants” Tilted Kilt, Twin Peaks coming to area — Hooters Girls are getting more competition. At least two new “breastaurant” chains are working on plans to open in South Florida this year, also featuring scantily clad women. — Next month, the Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery will open …

Discussion: Vodkapundit

Ben Shapiro / BREITBART.COM:

SECRET HAGEL DONOR?: WHITE HOUSE SPOX DUCKS QUESTION ON ‘FRIENDS OF HAMAS’ — On Thursday, Senate sources told Breitbart News exclusively that they have been informed that one of the reasons that President Barack Obama's nominee for Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel, has not turned …

Discussion: Israel Matzav, Weasel Zippers, The Gateway Pundit, Weekly Standard, The PJ Tatler and The Right Scoop

Dana Halferty / Medium:

Damsel, Arise: A Westboro Scion Leaves Her Church — Just after 11 last Sunday morning at Old First Reformed Church in Brooklyn, the Rev. Dr. Daniel Meeter is starting the Sunday service as he always does. He runs through the opening salutation and the collect for the day …

Discussion: Religion Dispatches, AMERICAblog, Good As You, Mediaite, Advocate and The Stranger …

Megan Phelps-Roper / Medium:
Head Full of Doubt / Road Full of Promise

Discussion: Joe. My. God., Mashable!, Guardian, Wonkette, Towleroad News #gay and Gawker

John McCormack / Weekly Standard:

Cardinal Dolan: Obamacare Still Forces Americans to Provide ‘Illicit Coverage,’ Even for Their Children — Last week, the Obama administration rolled out what it calls an “accommodation” for religious institutions subjected to the Obamacare mandate that forces American employers to provide …

Discussion: nation.foxnews.com

usccb.org:
HHS Proposal Falls Short In Meeting Church Concerns; Bishops Look Forward To Addressing Issues With Administration

Discussion: Wonkblog, CNN, Daily Kos, Hot Air and National Review

Gatemouth / Room Eight:

Exclusive: Lena Dunham—Born Again Political Virgin — LENA DUNHAM (in a video supporting President Obama's re-election): Your first time shouldn't be with just anybody. … The actual story of the cherries jubilee celebrating the loss of Lena Dunham's virginity is somewhat less romantic.

Discussion: BREITBART.COM, Washington Examiner, Politico, Mediaite, Red Alert Politics, The Daily Caller, PopWatch, Gawker and BuzzFeed

Catherine Rampell / New York Times:

Profound Weight of Layoffs Is Seen in Work Trends Survey — Layoffs have touched nearly every American household in some fashion over the last few years, according to new survey data to be released Thursday by the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University.

Discussion: Economix and NPR

Michael Sneed / Chicago Sun Times:

SNEED EXCLUSIVE: Pending Jesse Jackson Jr. plea deal includes ‘significant jail time,’ source says — Sneed has learned a plea deal is now on the table between former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and federal authorities probing allegations of campaign fund misuse.

Discussion: The Heritage Foundation, The Daily Caller, Weasel Zippers, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Hot Air, Talking Points Memo, americanthinker.com, Outside the Beltway and The Hinterland Gazette

Washington Post:

Sen. Menendez contacted top officials in friend's Medicare dispute — Sen. Robert Menendez raised concerns with top federal health-care officials twice in recent years about their finding that a Florida eye doctor — a close friend and major campaign donor — had overbilled the government …

Discussion: ABCNEWS, NewsBusters blogs, CNN, The Hill, OpenSecrets.org, The Other McCain, Right Turn, Washington Free Beacon, Jammie Wearing Fools, Hot Air, Washington Examiner and Michelle Malkin

Mike Malloy / Ames Tribune:

Bill would define abortion as murder — State Rep. Rob Bacon believes abortion is murder and he wants the Iowa Code to reflect that. — Bacon, R-Slater, and eight other Republicans introduced such a bill in the Iowa House Wednesday. It would alter the definition of a person in murder cases to …

Discussion: The Raw Story, Truthdig, Little Green Footballs and alan.com

Felicia Sonmez / Post Politics:

Code Pink protests bring Brennan hearing to halt — Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) called Thursday's hearing to recess barely a few minutes after it had started, as protesters one-by-one interrupted CIA Director-nominee John Brennan during his opening statement.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, The Lonely Conservative and Suburban Guerrilla

Michael Levenson / Boston Globe:

Dan Winslow, former Romney aide, says “I'm in” for Senate — State Representative Daniel B. Winslow, a former judge and onetime aide to Governor Mitt Romney, said Thursday he is entering the special election for the US Senate, the first Republican to officially declare his candidacy.

Discussion: Ballot Box, Roll Call and Post Politics

Dan Popkey / Idaho Statesman:

Longtime Labrador spokesman fired for bawdy Super Bowl tweet — Phil Hardy, Rep. Raul Labrador's spokesman since his upset congressional win in 2010, has been fired for mistakenly tweeting in the name of his boss about his admiration for two actresses pole dancing in a Super Bowl ad.

Discussion: Post Politics, Politico, Forbes and Mashable!