memeorandum: Tight win for Chavez's heir spells uncertainty for Venezuela (Reuters)

1:40 PM ET, April 15, 2013

Top Items:

Exclusive: As his presidential library debuts, George W. Bush prepares to return to public stage on his own terms … To post a comment, log into your chosen social network and then add your comment below. Your comments are subject to our Terms of Service and the privacy policy and terms of service of your social network.

Discussion: CNN, Guardian, msnbc.com, Trail Blazers Blog, Telegraph, Post Politics, Booman Tribune, Washington Free Beacon and The Daily Caller

Dallas Morning News:

Exclusive: See President George W. Bush's paintings: ‘People are surprised’ — This painting, “Miss Beazley,” is a work that former President George W. Bush did of his Scottish terrier. — of — President. Governor. Artist? — More than four years after George W. Bush left the White House …

Discussion: The Hill, Politico and First Read

David Kopel / The Volokh Conspiracy:

The “Pro-Gun” Provisions of Manchin-Toomey are Actually a Bonanza of Gun Control — The Toomey-Manchin Amendment which may be offered as soon as Tuesday to Senator Reid's gun control bill are billed as a “compromise” which contain a variety of provisions for gun control, and other provisions to enhance gun rights.

Discussion: protein wisdom, RT, Maggie's Farm and Clayton Cramer's Blog

Bob Cusack / The Hill:

Manchin-Toomey bill inching closer to 60 votes in the Senate — A bipartisan bill on background checks is inching closer to the necessary 60 votes for passage, but it still has a long way to go. — The upcoming vote on a new proposal crafted by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) is expected to go down to the wire.

Discussion: The Plum Line, The Week, Hot Air, Taylor Marsh, No More Mister Nice Blog and CNN

Justin Sink / The Hill:
Gun lobbyist brags lawmakers ‘have stepped into our trap’ on background checks

Discussion: Politico, Examiner and CNN

Washington Free Beacon: Murphy: ‘It Took Me a While to Figure Out’ Opposition to Gun Control Is Based on Philosophy

Washington Post:
Gun rights group endorses Manchin-Toomey background-check bill

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, WFPL, The Fix, The National Memo, Restoring Liberty, Right Wing News, Prairie Weather and Post Politics

New York Times:

Gitmo Is Killing Me — ONE man here weighs just 77 pounds. Another, 98. Last thing I knew, I weighed 132, but that was a month ago. — I've been on a hunger strike since Feb. 10 and have lost well over 30 pounds. I will not eat until they restore my dignity.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, BuzzFeed, Weasel Zippers, emptywheel, Guardian, No More Mister Nice Blog, Taylor Marsh, Shakesville, Booman Tribune and TalkLeft

Paul Farhi / Washington Post:

Is media bias to blame for lack of Gosnell coverage? Or something far more banal? — The trial of Philadelphia doctor Kermit Gosnell would seem to have all the elements of a spectacular news story: shocking allegations, horrifying visuals, sympathetic victims.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Politico, American Prospect, LifeNews.com, Mother Jones, National Review, NewsBusters, Hot Air, UrbanGrounds and Washington Monthly

Melinda Henneberger / She The People:

Why Kermit Gosnell hasn't been on Page One — News outlets have been struggling to explain why until now there's been so little coverage of the murder trial of Kermit Gosnell, the Philadelphia abortion doctor accused of delivering live, screaming children and then beheading them.

Discussion: Althouse, The Fix, Taylor Marsh, National Review, LifeNews.com, Mediaite, American Spectator and Power Line

Scott Lemieux / American Prospect:
Five Lessons from the Gosnell Abortion-Clinic Controversy

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Associated Press, Washington Examiner, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Dish, Wizbang and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Reuters:

President Obama, Republicans fight the class war — There was nothing especially subtle about the way Barack Obama played the politics of class resentment against Mitt Romney in 2012. — “My opponent,” Obama brayed in Virginia Beach last fall, “thinks that someone who makes $20 million a year …

Discussion: American Prospect, Hullabaloo, Politico, Mediaite, Heritage Action for America and Betsy's Page

Noam Scheiber / New Republic:

Get Rich or Deny Trying — One of the stars of Barack Obama's 2012 State of the Union address was Jackie Bray, a single mother who was laid off in 2011 and struggled for months to find a good-paying job. Bray's luck finally turned, the president explained, when German industrial giant Siemens hired …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

Liz Sidoti / Associated Press: Column: Compromise key to legacy Obama desires

Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:

Fewer Americans Now View Their Income Taxes as Fair — The 55% who say their taxes are fair is lowest since 2001 — PRINCETON, NJ — This Tax Day, 55% of Americans regard the income taxes they have to pay as fair, the lowest percentage Gallup has measured since 2001.

Discussion: The Fix, The Heritage Foundation, Hot Air, Wonkblog, Hit & Run, Politico and National Review

James Livingston / New York Times:
If Companies Are People... HERE'S an idea: why not tax corporations …

Discussion: Washington Monthly and Campaign for America's Future

Joseph E. Stiglitz / Opinionator:
A Tax System Stacked Against the 99 Percent

Discussion: naked capitalism and CNN

Reuters:

Tight win for Chavez's heir spells uncertainty for Venezuela — (Reuters) - Late socialist leader Hugo Chavez's chosen successor Nicolas Maduro won Venezuela's presidential election by a whisker but now faces opposition protests plus a host of economic and political challenges in the OPEC nation.

Discussion: Power Line, Via Meadia, Taylor Marsh and The Gateway Pundit

William Neuman / New York Times:
Venezuelans Elect Maduro to Succeed Chávez

Discussion: Washington Post, The Week, New Republic, IHT Rendezvous and Crooked Timber

Mary Anastasia O'Grady / Wall Street Journal:
Venezuela's Cuban Election

Discussion: The Week, BBC, National Review, Hot Air and Fausta's Blog

Joe Miller / Restoring Liberty:

Why I Am Considering a 2014 US Senate Run — Serious times call for bold measures. With the re-election of Barack Obama, our very way of self-government is in peril. The Constitution is under attack, the value of human life degraded, religious liberties are threatened …

Discussion: Politico, Yahoo! News, Ballot Box, The Daily Caller, Post Politics and Roll Call

Bloomberg:

High Court Justices Seek Compromise in Gene-Patent Case — Several U.S. Supreme Court justices sought a compromise on the decades-old practice of granting patents on human genes, debating a case that could redefine rights throughout the biotechnology and agricultural industries.

Discussion: The Raw Story and SCOTUSblog

Andrew Pollack / New York Times:
As Court Considers Gene Patents, Case May Overlook Relevant Issues

Discussion: AEIdeas and SCOTUSblog

John Kerry / CNN:

Kerry: Foreign students ‘scared’ of guns in U.S. — (CNN) - Students in other countries assessing where to study abroad are increasingly scared of coming to the United States because of gun violence, the nation's top diplomat said Monday. — Speaking with CNN foreign affairs correspondent Jill Dougherty …

Discussion: Reuters, Hot Air, Business Insider, The Gateway Pundit, Weasel Zippers, Weekly Standard and National Review

Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:

Weiner, Exploring Possible Mayoral Bid, Issues Policy Booklet With Familiar Ring — As he seeks to extend the discussion about a possible candidacy for mayor — and shift attention away from the online sex-messaging scandal that cost him his Congressional seat — Anthony D. Weiner released …

Discussion: Watchdog.org, CNN, The Other McCain, Taegan Goddard's …, Business Insider, Gothamist and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Peter Beinart / The Daily Beast:

Not so long ago, plenty of Republicans favored gun control. — Every now and then I encounter some random piece of historical trivia and I remember: the Republican Party used to be sane. The last such epiphany occurred when I was researching the assault-weapons ban, which first passed the Senate in 1993.