memeorandum: Jesse Jackson Jr., Sandi Jackson expected to plead guilty (Katherine Skiba/Chicago Tribune)

5:50 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, The Maddow Blog, AMERICAblog, Daily Kos, Hullabaloo, Speaker.gov, 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, DownWithTyranny!, Talking Points Memo, The Maddow Blog, AMERICAblog, PoliticusUSA, Speaker.gov, Daily Kos, xpostfactoid, The Dish and Outside the Beltway

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: Mother Jones

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Shutdown isn't fight GOP wants — Republicans have decided that the sequester scheduled for March 1 — not a government-funding bill due at the end of March — is where they'll make their stand on spending cuts. — After the bruising political battles of the last Congress …

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

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

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

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

Discussion: NBC Politics

Zachary A. Goldfarb / Washington Post:
Sequester just over a week away, but blame game has already begun

Discussion: Cafe Hayek, Power Line, NewsBusters blogs, Wall Street Journal, The Fix, Post Politics and New York Times

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) …

Discussion: BREITBART.COM, Little Green Footballs, The Caucus, Mother Jones, BuzzFeed, Politico, Truthdig, alan.com, Gawker, msnbc.com, National Review, Daily Kos, Mediaite, The National Memo, Boing Boing, The Week and Prairie Weather

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, Connecting.the.Dots, Washington Free Beacon and Weasel Zippers

Ben Shapiro / BREITBART.COM:

NY DAILY NEWS HACK POSITS HE'S SOURCE OF ‘FRIENDS OF HAMAS,’ LIES BY OMISSION — Dan Friedman of the New York Daily News wrote a piece today suggesting that he was the inadvertent source of Breitbart News' story on “Friends of Hamas” in early February. There's only one problem.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Slate, The Plum Line, Little Green Footballs, Daily Kos, DownWithTyranny!, The Raw Story, Washington Monthly and Politico

David Taintor / Talking Points Memo:
NY Daily News Reporter: It Seems I Created ‘Friends Of Hamas’ Hagel Rumor

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Maddow Blog and Mother Jones

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

Discussion: The Times of Israel and Washington Free Beacon

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

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

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

Discussion: Capital New York, more at Mediagazer »

Bloomberg: New York Times Co. Puts Boston Globe Up for Sale

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: Politico, Washington Monthly, CNN, The Hill, Post Politics, Daily Kos, Hot Air and Outside the Beltway

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

Jason Garcia / Orlando Sentinel:
Universal to drop health insurance for part-time workers

Discussion: Hot Air, Washington Examiner, Wonkblog and NewsBusters blogs

Wall Street Journal:

Federal Furloughs Likely to Hit by April — WASHINGTON—More than one million federal employees would likely be forced to take unpaid leave by April as part of a slow moving but eventually widespread reduction in government spending set to start next month barring congressional intervention, government officials said Wednesday.

Jeremy Herb / The Hill:
Pentagon informs Congress of plans to furlough 800K civilians

Discussion: Campaign for America's Future and Washington Examiner

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

Ginger Gibson / Politico:

Jackson Jr. faces 47-57 months in prison — Former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday morning to charges stemming from the misuse of campaign funds. — “Sir, for years I lived off my campaign,” Jackson told the judge. “I used money I shouldn't have used for personal purposes.”

Discussion: The Hill, The Moderate Voice and NewsBusters blogs

Katherine Skiba / Chicago Tribune:
Jesse Jackson Jr., Sandi Jackson expected to plead guilty

Discussion: The Heritage Foundation, Hot Air, The Week and Capitol Fax.com

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 Impolitic, The Other McCain and American Power

Wayne Slater / Trail Blazers Blog:

Ted Cruz says attacks on Marco Rubio are because he's a Hispanic Republican — Sen. Ted Cruz says some of the attacks on fellow Republican Sen. Marco Rubio by Democrats are motivated by race. Cruz said today the fact that Rubio is a Republican Latino poses a threat to political adversaries.

Discussion: American Prospect, Washington Monthly and The Hill

Michael Spurlin / myfoxaustin.com:
Senator Cruz tours Leander weapons manufacture

Discussion: Reuters, The Raw Story, The Rightnewz, Washington Examiner and Freedom's Lighthouse

Mark Gokavi / Dayton, Ohio, News and Information:

Woman claims she was fired for voting for Obama — DAYTON — A Kettering woman alleges in a lawsuit that she was fired for voting for President Obama, a charge the company denies. — Patricia Kunkle is seeking in excess of $25,000 from Dayton-based defense contractor Q-Mark …

Discussion: msnbc.com, Outside the Beltway, Associated Press and KDVR.com

Rosie Gray / BuzzFeed:

Hillary Clinton's Speaking Fee North Of $200K — It puts her in the stratosphere of the speaking circuit, along with her husband and Arnold Schwarzenegger. — Image by Win McNamee / Getty Images — WASHINGTON — Now that she's out as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton isn't going to be hurting …

Discussion: CBS DC and Washington Examiner

Danielle Lynch / Delaware County Times:

Sestak expresses a desire to serve again — dlynch@delcotimes.com — @dmlreporter — Joe Sestak, the former Democratic congressman of the 7th Congressional District, indicated Tuesday that he wants to run again for office, but he did not say whether it would be for governor.

Discussion: Politico and Ballot Box

Maggie Haberman / Politico:

Gay marriage group offers new ads — A pro-gay marriage group is set to launch a $1 million media campaign in support of same-sex nuptials, with full-page ads in several major newspapers and a television spot featuring President Barack Obama, former first lady Laura Bush and former Vice ,President Dick Cheney.

Discussion: Respect for Marriage News, Trail Blazers Blog, Daily Kos and Towleroad News #gay

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: The National Memo and Taegan Goddard's …

Alexandra Jaffe / Ballot Box:

Ashley Judd meets with DSCC and Kentucky donors on potential Senate bid — Actress Ashley Judd is moving closer to a challenge to Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), meeting in recent days with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Democratic donors and strategists in Kentucky to discuss a potential run.

Discussion: Politico