memeorandum: Dems 2016: Will Hillary Clinton clear the field? (Jonathan Martin/Politico)

12:45 PM ET, February 25, 2013

Top Items:

White House releases state-by-state breakdown of sequester's effects — The White House on Sunday detailed how deep spending cuts set to begin this week would affect programs in every state and the District, as President Obama launched a last-ditch effort to pressure congressional Republicans …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, The Week, The Fix, Wonkblog, The Gateway Pundit, Politico, Post Politics, Right Turn, Taylor Marsh, Connecting.the.Dots, Hot Air, Calculated Risk and alan.com

Jennifer Rubin / Right Turn:

Why was Michelle Obama at the Oscars? — It was the average too-long, unfunny, over-produced Academy Awards TV show and then, after suffering through the 10-hour (well, it seemed like it) show, there was the first lady. In a ball gown. With military service personnel in dress uniform behind her.

Discussion: Hit & Run, TheBlaze.com and TMZ.com

Gregg Kilday / Hollywood Reporter:

Harvey Weinstein Arranged Michelle Obama's Best Picture Oscars Surprise — The mogul and his daughter connected the Academy and the show's producers, who flew in secret to Washington, D.C., two weeks ago. — Michelle Obama presenting best picture from the White House? It was Harvey Weinstein's daughter's idea.

Discussion: CNN, National Review, Mediaite and TheBlaze.com

Wall Street Journal:

Fresh Front in Budget Battle — Congressional Leaders Discuss Deal to Avert Shutdown at Cost of Extending Cuts — Already looking past the current budget impasse gripping the capital, congressional leaders are quietly considering a deal to avert a government shutdown next month …

Discussion: Hot Air

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill:

Sen. Warner: Public does not realize how ‘stupid’ sequester cuts are — Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) on Monday expressed frustration over the $85 billion in sequester cuts slated to take effect on Friday, warning the cuts could compound the nation's fiscal problems.

Discussion: Washington Monthly and Politico

Justin Sink / The Hill:
Gibbs: I was ordered not to acknowledge drone program existed

Discussion: Politico

Mark Hoffman / JSOnline:
Scott Walker sees little Wisconsin impact from federal cuts

Discussion: NBCNews.com and Taegan Goddard's …

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill:
Obama tells nation's governors: 'We've got more work to do'

Discussion: Politico

David Rogers / Politico:
Dim sequestration outlook: Cuts before compromise

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Los Angeles Times and First Read

New York Times:

Democrats and Republicans Miscalculate on Automatic Cuts — WASHINGTON — With Congress unlikely to stop deep automatic spending cuts that will strike hard at the military, the fiscal stalemate is highlighting a significant shift in the Republican Party: lawmakers most keenly dedicated …

Discussion: Right Turn, The Dish, Daily Kos, Real Clear Politics, msnbc.com, No More Mister Nice Blog, National Review, AEIdeas and The Caucus

Julian Zelizer / CNN:
If spending is cut, GOP will get the blame

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Agonist and The Reaction

David Nather / Politico:
GOP govs to Hill: Get back to bargaining table

Discussion: New York Times

Dean Baker / American Prospect: Fix the Economy, Not the Deficit

Nikki Finke / Deadline.com:

Nikki Finke's Oscar Live-Snark: Four Hours Of Unfunny Seth MacFarlane; Unnecessary Michelle Obama; ‘Argo’ Wins Best Picture — I'm live-snarking the 85th Oscars for the outstanding film achievements of 2012 starting at 5:30 PM PT tonight. Comments will open when the show starts inside the Dolby Theatre.

Discussion: Hit & Run, Wonkette, Taylor Marsh, Ed Driscoll, National Review and Althouse

Dominic Patten / Deadline.com:

OSCARS: How Michelle Obama's Surprise Appearance Came Together - Video — UPDATED: The Golden Globes got Bill Clinton but the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences got First Lady Michelle Obama tonight at the Oscars - in part thanks to Harvey Weinstein.

Discussion: Roger L. Simon, Althouse, Towleroad News #gay and New York Times

Jonathan Earle / Telegraph:

John Kerry invents country of Kyrzakhstan — John Kerry has suffered his first gaffe as the new US secretary of state, inventing the nation of ‘Kyrzakhstan’ — In an embarrassing slip of the tongue, Mr Kerry last week praised US diplomats working to secure “democratic institutions” in the Central Asian country, which does not exist.

Discussion: The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit and American Thinker

The Daily Caller:

Long-time escort confirms Senator Bob Menendez paid her for sex — A professional escort who travels the East Coast seeing clients in cities from Miami to Boston has identified a photo of Senator Bob Menendez as a man who paid her for sex. The woman, in her late 30s, told The Daily Caller prior …

Discussion: his vorpal sword, The Other McCain and Weasel Zippers

Ryan Hutchins / New Jersey Online:
Bedeviled Menendez confronts accusations with words of Martin Luther King

Discussion: NorthJersey.com, The Daily Caller and Weasel Zippers

Ryan Lizza / New Yorker:

THE HOUSE OF PAIN … - DOUBLE TAKE - PHOTO BOOTH - DAILY SHOUTS - PAGE-TURNER - DAILY COMMENT - AMY DAVIDSON - JOHN CASSIDY - BOROWITZ - RICHARD BRODY

Discussion: The Fix and Washington Examiner

Jonathan Martin / Politico:

Dems 2016: Will Hillary Clinton clear the field? — The ranks of Democratic governors are filled with ambitious politicians boasting records that would probably play well with primary voters in 2016. — But even as they eye a move from the statehouse to the White House …

Discussion: The Other McCain and Shakesville

Robert Pigott / BBC:

Cardinal Keith O'Brien resigns as Archbishop — Cardinal Keith O'Brien was to be Britain's only representative at the papal vote — Britain's most senior Roman Catholic cleric, Cardinal Keith O'Brien, is stepping down as the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh.

Discussion: Joe. My. God., WFPL, NBCNews.com and Guardian

Scmo / scmo.org:
Pope accepts Cardinal O'Brien's resignation

Discussion: Guardian and New York Times

Leslie Kaufman / New York Times:

Barnes & Noble Weighs Its E-Reader Investment — Even for a company with a lot of bad news lately, the bulletin from Barnes & Noble this month had an ominous feel. — Barnes & Noble, the nation's largest book chain, warned that when it reports fiscal 2013 third-quarter results on Thursday …

Discussion: The Week, DealBook, Mashable! and TechCrunch, more at Mediagazer »

Wall Street Journal:
Barnes's Chairman Mulls Store Buyout

more at Mediagazer »

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

Austerity, Italian Style — Two months ago, when Mario Monti stepped down as Italy's prime minister, The Economist opined that “The coming election campaign will be, above all, a test of the maturity and realism of Italian voters.” The mature, realistic action, presumably …

Discussion: Business Insider and Paul Krugman

Shushannah Walshe / ABCNEWS:

Judd Makes Steps Toward Senate Bid — The beautiful movie star tries to take on Washington by defeating a powerful Republican leader. It's not a plot line, it's reality: The actress Ashley Judd is making moves to take on GOP Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Discussion: Post Politics