memeorandum: ‘If Iran reaches critical point in nuke drive, Israel will attack’ (Aaron Kalman/The Times of Israel)

9:30 AM ET, March 6, 2013

Top Items:

Statement From Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on the Death of Hugo Chavez — Rosalynn and I extend our condolences to the family of Hugo Chávez Frías. We met Hugo Chávez when he was campaigning for president in 1998 and The Carter Center was invited to observe elections for the first time in Venezuela.

Discussion: The Times of Israel, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller, Weasel Zippers, AEIdeas and Ed Driscoll

Rebecca Ford / Hollywood Reporter:

Sean Penn on Hugo Chavez's Death: ‘I Lost a Friend’ — “I mourn a great hero,” said Oliver Stone of the Venezuelan president who died on Tuesday after a long bout with cancer. — Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez died on Tuesday after a long bout with cancer. He was 58.

Discussion: Politico, Guardian, Mediaite, onenewsnow.com, Los Angeles Times, The Spectacle Blog, Twitchy, Hit & Run, The Daily Caller, The PJ Tatler and Jammie Wearing Fools

Zack Beauchamp / ThinkProgress:

Why Democrats Shouldn't Eulogize Hugo Chavez — Rep. Jose E. Serrano (D-NY) released a statement today praising former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, despite the latter's record of harsh crackdowns on his political opponents and state-sanctioned persecution against Venezuela's Jewish population.

Discussion: U.S. Congressman …, ABCNEWS, NBCNews.com, Weasel Zippers and BuzzFeed

Frank Bajak / Associated Press:

HUGO CHAVEZ, FIERY VENEZUELAN LEADER, DIES AT 58 — CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — President Hugo Chavez, the fiery populist who declared a socialist revolution in Venezuela, crusaded against U.S. influence and championed a leftist revival across Latin America, died Tuesday at age 58 after a nearly two-year bout with cancer.

Discussion: Slate, Toronto Star, The Moderate Voice, Twitchy, Politico, Hot Air, The Daily Caller, Firedoglake, Booman Tribune and NewsBusters

William Neuman / New York Times:

Chávez Dies, Leaving Bitterly Divided Nation — CARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela died Tuesday afternoon after a long battle with cancer, the government announced, leaving behind a bitterly divided nation in the grip of a political crisis that grew …

Discussion: Remembrances, TheAustralian, New Republic, The Moderate Voice, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, ABCNEWS, The Jawa Report, Outside the Beltway, Truthout Stories and Balloon Juice

Juan Forero / Washington Post:
Hugo Chavez, passionate but polarizing Venezuelan president, dead at 58

Discussion: American Spectator, Power Line and Althouse

Greg Grandin / The Nation:
On the Legacy of Hugo Chávez

Discussion: Mediaite and The Daily Caller

Jon Lee Anderson / News Desk:
Postscript: Hugo Chávez, 1954-2013

Discussion: Guardian, The Week, Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Fausta's Blog, more at Mediagazer »

Lori Ziganto / Twitchy:
Foul: Rep. Serrano tweets rest in peace; Praises Chavez as ‘empowering the powerless’; Update …

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Reuters, Weasel Zippers and Michelle Malkin

CNN:
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez dies

Discussion: Gawker, The Week, Business Insider, Global Public Square, The Reaction, Mediaite, Reuters, The Daily Pulp, FP Passport, AEIdeas and Gothamist

Adam Serwer / Mother Jones:

Obama Administration Says President Can Use Lethal Force Against Americans on US Soil — Drones: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know But Were Always Afraid to Ask — Here's Why Obama Won't Say Whether He Can Kill You With a Drone: Because He Probably Can — 8 Drones That Aren't Out to Kill You

Discussion: Associated Press, CP Feed, American Spectator, Washington's Blog, Hullabaloo, The Plum Line, Mediaite and The Daily Caller

Rand Paul:
AG Holder Asserts Authority to Conduct Drone Strikes on U.S. Citizens

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, emptywheel, Firedoglake, Lowering the Bar and Hit & Run

Scott Shane / New York Times:
John Brennan, C.I.A. Nominee, Clears Committee Vote

Discussion: USA Today, News Desk and CNN

Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Holder: Obama could order lethal force in U.S.

Discussion: CNN and Outside the Beltway

Politico:

Sources: Paul Ryan to reject Medicare age shift — Rep. Paul Ryan's budget is now expected to exempt seniors 55 years old and above from his Medicare overhaul — despite his personal preference to raise that age to 56 — according to several GOP sources familiar with his plans.

Discussion: Heritage Action for America, CNN, AEIdeas and The Plum Line

Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:
Congress Ready to Start Work on Budget

Discussion: The Reaction

Jonathan Cohn / New Republic:
Paul Ryan Ups the Ante

Discussion: National Review, Mother Jones, The Hill, PostPartisan, Politico and The Plum Line

Sam Baker / The Hill:

GOP lawmakers say spending bill should target contraception mandate — A group of House Republicans said Tuesday that a bill to fund the federal government should include provisions targeting the contraception mandate in President Obama's healthcare law. — GOP lawmakers reintroduced …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Talking Points Memo and Smartypants

Tara Culp-Ressler / ThinkProgress: House Republicans Propose Rolling Back Access To Birth Control To Avert Government Shutdown

New York Times:

Trying to Revive Talks, Obama Goes Around G.O.P. Leaders — WASHINGTON — With Republican leaders in Congress forswearing budget negotiations over new revenues, President Obama has begun reaching around them to Republican lawmakers with a history of willingness to cut bipartisan deals.

Discussion: The Hill, Politico, Smartypants and msnbc.com

Reuters:

Election bump over, Obama approval drops to 43 percent: Reuters/IPSOS poll — Reuters/Reuters - President Barack Obama departs the Oval Office of the White House in Washington before departing to visit wounded military personnel at the Walter Reed National Military Center in Bethesda, ...more

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Hot Air and Jammie Wearing Fools

Mike Fleming Jr / Deadline.com:

Jon Stewart Taking Summer ‘Daily Show’ Hiatus To Direct First Film And “Challenge” Himself, John Oliver To Sub — UPDATE: After I broke the news, Jon Stewart told the media his feelings about going from television to movies. “I am a television person who is accustomed to having a thought …

Discussion: The Times of Israel, ABCNEWS, Mediaite, Taylor Marsh, The Week and Gawker, more at Mediagazer »

Brooks Barnes / ArtsBeat:
Jon Stewart to Direct Serious Film, Will Take Hiatus From ‘Daily Show’

Discussion: Guardian, Red Alert Politics and The Raw Story

Yahoo! News:

Zimmerman Stuns Court, Waives Right to ‘Stand Your Ground’ Hearing in Trayvon Martin Case — ABC News - Zimmerman Stuns Court, Waives Right to ‘Stand Your Ground’ Hearing in Trayvon Martin Case (ABC News) — George Zimmerman's attorneys stunned court observers Tuesday when they waived …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and National Review

Orlando Sentinel:
Lawyer: State's most important witness in George Zimmerman murder case lied

Discussion: TalkLeft, Los Angeles Times and Patterico's Pontifications

splcenter.org:

New Report: Radical antigovernment movement continues explosive growth; SPLC urges government to review resources devoted to domestic terrorism — The number of conspiracy-minded antigovernment “Patriot” groups on the American radical right reached an all-time high in 2012 …

Discussion: Politico, Daily Kos, AL.com and Guardian

Zack Ford / ThinkProgress:

WATCH: Bill O'Reilly Harasses Gay Colorado Speaker Over Child Molester Laws — As expected, Fox News host Bill O'Reilly is continuing his smear campaign against Colorado House Speaker Mark Ferrandino (D), who is openly gay, because of his opposition to instituting “Jessica's Law,” …

Discussion: Advocate, NewsHounds blog and Towleroad News #gay

Aaron Kalman / The Times of Israel:

‘If Iran reaches critical point in nuke drive, Israel will attack’ — Outgoing US Central Command chief James Mattis: I take the Israelis at their word, and they won't need our help — In a little-noticed exchange Tuesday at the Senate Armed Services Committee, a top US general …

Discussion: Power Line, Algemeiner.com and Weekly Standard

Zev Chafets / Vanity Fair:

Exclusive Excerpt: Roger Ailes Off Camera — Roger Ailes is one of the most powerful—and controversial—characters in television media, pilloried by critics and many in the mainstream media and lionized by conservative viewers who can't get enough of his posse of charismatic hosts.

Discussion: Politico, more at Mediagazer »

Willon / L.A. NOW:

L.A. mayor's race: Garcetti and Greuel top the field — City Councilman Eric Garcetti and Controller Wendy Greuel remained ahead of the pack in the race for mayor of Los Angeles early Wednesday morning with all city precincts reporting. — The top-two finishers in Tuesday's election …

Discussion: Washington Wire, First Read, Towleroad News #gay, KTLA 5, New York Times and Taegan Goddard's …

Fox News:

White House cancels tours over sequester cuts, as lawmakers call decision political — Sorry, Washington-bound spring-breakers. Your White House tours have been canceled. — The Obama administration announced Tuesday that it will cancel all tours starting this weekend, due to sequester cuts.

Discussion: Right Turn, Mediaite, Politico, Patterico's Pontifications and Washington Times

Amie Parnes / The Hill:
White House cancels tours due to sequester

Discussion: Politico, Mediaite, CNN and msnbc.com

Ruby Cramer / BuzzFeed:

Cory Booker Will Make Senate Announcement After Governor's Race — The Newark mayor says he'll wait to make his campaign announcement until after the N.J. gubernatorial race this fall. “It would would be wrong to hold a press conference,” says Booker. — Image by Larry Bussaca / Getty Images

Discussion: First Read