memeorandum: Schweitzer stronger than Baucus (Tom Jensen/Public Policy Polling)

9:15 PM ET, February 20, 2013

Top Items:

The GOP's astonishingly bad message on sequester cuts … In a Wall Street Journal op-ed Wednesday, House Speaker John Boehner describes the upcoming sequester as a policy “that threatens U.S. national security, thousands of jobs and more.” — Which leads to the question …

Discussion: Booman Tribune, AMERICAblog, The Maddow Blog, Speaker.gov, Daily Kos, Hullabaloo, p m carpenter's commentary and msnbc.com

John Boehner / Wall Street Journal:

The President Is Raging Against a Budget Crisis He Created — Obama invented the ‘sequester’ in the summer of 2011 to avoid facing up to America's spending problem. — A week from now, a dramatic new federal policy is set to go into effect that threatens U.S. national security, thousands of jobs and more.

John Avlon / The Daily Beast:

The PowerPoint That Proves It's Not Obama's Sequester After All — Republicans have taken to calling the deep cuts that could reverse our hard-won economic recovery 'Obama's Sequester.' But a July 2011 PowerPoint obtained by John Avlon shows the opposite may be true.

Discussion: Campaign for America's Future, Slate, Talking Points Memo, AMERICAblog, DownWithTyranny!, PoliticusUSA, The Maddow Blog, Speaker.gov, Daily Kos and xpostfactoid

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:

New study badly undermines GOP position on sequester — In a rational world, a new study that came out today on income equality would constitute a major blow to the GOP argument on the sequester. — The new study was performed by Thomas Hungerford of the non-partisan Congressional Research Service.

Discussion: Sky Dancing and Mother Jones

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Shutdown isn't fight GOP wants

Discussion: p m carpenter's commentary, Washington Monthly, Wonkblog, Politico and First Read

Kori Schulman / White House.gov Blog:
Setting the Record Straight About the Sequester

Discussion: Liberal Values, NBC Politics, msnbc.com and Washington Examiner

Dan Friedman / NY Daily News:

‘Friends of Hamas’: My role in the birth of a rumor — A Daily News reporter explains how he inadvertently created the myth that Chuck Hagel spoke to a non-existent group. — Daily News reporter Dan Friedman recounts the origin of a rumor he unwittingly started about Chuck Hagel (pictured) …

Maggie Haberman / Politico:

Schumer: Chuck Hagel ‘almost had tears’ in meeting — New York Sen. Chuck Schumer said Wednesday that Chuck Hagel “almost had tears in his eyes” as he explained to the former Nebraska senator that the expression “Jewish lobby” is rooted in a negative depiction of Jews.

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Hot Air, Israel Matzav, Weasel Zippers and Connecting.the.Dots

Jim Rutenberg / The Caucus:
Conservative News Outlets Cite Fake Group in Opposition to Hagel

Discussion: Prairie Weather, Daily Kos and No More Mister Nice Blog

Daniel Halper / Weekly Standard:
Despite Controversy, Hagel's Archives Sealed Shut

Discussion: The Hill, Politico, Washington Free Beacon and American Spectator

Michael Warren / Weekly Standard:
Graham to Hagel: Did You Say Israel Risked Becoming an Apartheid State?

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon and The Times of Israel

Ben Shapiro / BREITBART.COM:
NY DAILY NEWS HACK POSITS HE'S SOURCE OF ‘FRIENDS OF HAMAS,’ LIES BY OMISSION

Discussion: Slate, The Huffington Post, Talking Points Memo, The Plum Line, DownWithTyranny!, Little Green Footballs, Mother Jones, The Raw Story, Washington Monthly and Politico

John Robertson / Albuquerque Journal:

Ex-Sen. Domenici discloses son born in secrecy — Former New Mexico Sen. Pete Domenici told the Journal on Tuesday he fathered a son outside of his marriage over 30 years ago, revealing a secret kept for decades. — Statements given to the Journal by Domenici and the son's mother …

Discussion: The Atlantic Wire, Post Politics, Truthdig, Washington Wire, Roll Call, CNN, Politico, Gretawire, Watchdog.org, Gawker, The Raw Story, Hullabaloo, The Hill, alan.com and Daily Kos

Michelle Singletary / Washington Post:

Stuff gets in the way — Why would a couple risk so much — respect and even their freedom — for furs, furniture and a fedora? — This was the question that came to my mind when I read the federal charges against Jesse L. Jackson Jr., the former congressman from Illinois.

Discussion: NewsBusters, The Fix and Althouse

Ginger Gibson / Politico:
Jackson Jr. faces 47-57 months in prison

Discussion: The Hill, NewsBusters blogs and The Moderate Voice

CNN:
Jackson Jr.: ‘Guilty, your honor’

Discussion: Washington Times, The Gateway Pundit, NewsBusters and Michelle Malkin

Erick Erickson / RedState:

I Am Very Disappointed in Governor Rick Scott — I was one of the few conservatives to support Governor Scott in 2010. He is a fundamentally great person. I really like him. He has been a friend to this site. — But I am terribly disappointed in his decision to expand Medicaid in Florida.

Discussion: Hot Air and Guardian

Sam Baker / The Hill:
Florida governor backs Medicaid expansion under ‘ObamaCare’

Discussion: Politico and CNN

Tia Mitchell / Tampa Bay Times:
Gov. Rick Scott, feds reach Medicaid deal

Discussion: Washington Examiner and Daily Kos

David Brody / CBN.com:

Ted Cruz a Lifeline for the Conservative Party? — HOUSTON — Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is one of the few Republicans these days described as a potential “rock star” for the party. As a freshman, he is already starting to shake things up in Washington. — So, what makes this Lone Star lawmaker tick?

Discussion: myfoxaustin.com, Crooks and Liars, Salon, The Huffington Post and Trail Blazers Blog

Ed Kilgore / Washington Monthly: Cruz Plays the Race Card

Wayne Slater / Trail Blazers Blog:
Ted Cruz says attacks on Marco Rubio are because he's a Hispanic Republican

Discussion: American Prospect, Pew Research Center, Hot Air, Reuters, The Hill and Post Politics

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Why Congress won't win a sequester showdown with President Obama — in 3 easy steps

Discussion: Washington Post, Roll Call, PostPartisan, Outside the Beltway, Washington Examiner and The Hill

Robert Costa / National Review:

Romney to Speak at CPAC — Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney will appear at the Conservative Political Action Conference next month, according to two sources familiar with the event's itinerary. Romney's speech, which will be delivered at the Gaylord National hotel …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Politico, Post Politics, CNN, Daily Kos, About.com US Politics, The Hill, Truthdig, Hot Air and Outside the Beltway

The New York Times Company:

The New York Times Company Announces Plan to Sell the Boston Globe and Related Properties — The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT) today announced that it plans to sell its New England Media Group, including The Boston Globe and its related properties, and that it has retained Evercore Partners …

Discussion: Guardian, Capital New York, AllThingsD, Mashable! and Poynter, more at Mediagazer »

Dylan Byers / Politico:
N.Y. Times Co. exploring Boston Globe sale

Discussion: Bloomberg and Capital New York, more at Mediagazer »

Cindy Adams / New York Post:

Soledad headed out at CNN — High-profile morning anchor Soledad O'Brien is on her way out at CNN as new boss Jeff Zucker moves Erin Burnett into her morning slot, Page Six has exclusively learned. — We're told award-winning journalist O'Brien has indicated she is ready to leave …

Discussion: The Daily Caller, The Other McCain, The Impolitic and American Power, more at Mediagazer »

Winston Jones / Douglas County Sentinel:

State reps propose repealing 17th Amendment — The 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was adopted on May 31, 1913, and provided for the direct election of U.S. Senators by popular vote. — Now, 100 years later, a group of Georgia state representatives would like to repeal the 17th Amendment …

Discussion: TheBlaze.com and The National Memo

Jeremy Herb / The Hill:

Pentagon informs Congress of plans to furlough 800K civilian workers — The Pentagon notified Congress on Wednesday it will be furloughing its civilian workforce of 800,000 employees if sequestration goes into effect March 1. — Defense officials have warned lawmakers that sequestration …

Discussion: Washington Examiner

Wall Street Journal: Federal Furloughs Likely to Hit by April

Alexander Burns / Politico:

The GOP star you've never heard of — You haven't seen a YouTube video of Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam berating a constituent at a town hall meeting. You probably haven't watched him on Fox News. In fact, if you search the headlines for his name, you're just as likely to turn up coverage of his brother …

Manu Raju / Politico:

Ashley Judd meets with DSCC — Actress Ashley Judd privately met with officials at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in Washington earlier this week, as she continues to weigh whether to mount a Senate run against Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, according to two sources familiar with the session.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

Alexandra Jaffe / Ballot Box: Ashley Judd meets with DSCC and Kentucky donors on potential Senate bid

Newt Gingrich / Human Events:

WHY KARL ROVE AND STUART STEVENS ARE PLAIN WRONG — RESIZE: — I am writing this newsletter in a very direct, no baloney, effort to get across how much trouble we Republicans are in and how real the internal party fight is going to be. — I strongly support RNC Chairman Reince Priebus' effort …

Discussion: Hot Air, neo-neocon, Politico, The Other McCain, p m carpenter's commentary and TheBlaze.com

The Great Debate:

The future of free-market healthcare — Over nearly a century, progressives have pressed for a national, single-payer healthcare system. When it comes to health reform, what have conservatives stood for? — For far too long, conservatives have failed to coalesce around a long-term vision …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Ross Douthat, AEIdeas and TheBlaze.com