memeorandum: McCain Defends Obama Against Impeachment For Benghazi, Will ‘Give President Benefit Of The Doubt’ (Jordan Chariton/Mediaite)

11:05 PM ET, May 12, 2013

Top Items:

Jake Miller / CBS News:

Gates: Some Benghazi critics have “cartoonish” view of military capability — Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates forcefully defended the Obama administration on Sunday against charges that it did not do enough to prevent the tragedy in Benghazi, telling CBS' “Face the Nation” …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, PoliticusUSA, The Moderate Voice, The Democratic Daily and Little Green Footballs

Jordan Chariton / Mediaite:

McCain Defends Obama Against Impeachment For Benghazi, Will ‘Give President Benefit Of The Doubt’ — Senator John McCain, who famously defended his then presidential opponent Barack Obama against an islamaphobic supporter during a 2008 campaign rally, defended President Obama once again …

Discussion: Mock, Paper, Scissors and Nice Deb

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:

Congressman Tears Into Fox News Host For Obsessing Over Benghazi Talking Points — Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) tore into Fox News' Chris Wallace and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-MI) for obsessing over the talking points U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice used when talking to the media …

Discussion: Fox News, Crooks and Liars and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Kevin Liptak / CNN:
Pickering defends Benghazi report, says criticisms not based in fact

Discussion: Politico, Washington Monthly and Crooks and Liars

Hadas Gold / Politico:
Gates defends W.H. on Benghazi

Discussion: Washington Monthly and Weasel Zippers

Peter Schroeder / The Hill:
Rep. Rogers: Expect more whistleblowers to testify on Benghazi

Discussion: CNN and Politico

Maureen Dowd / New York Times:
When Myths Collide in the Capital

Discussion: Hot Air and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Wall Street Journal:

Wider Problems Found at IRS — Probe Says Tax Agency Used Sweeping Criteria to Scrutinize Conservative Groups — WASHINGTON—The Internal Revenue Service's scrutiny of conservative groups went beyond those that had “tea party” or “patriot” in their names—as the agency admitted Friday …

Discussion: Post Politics, “The Lid” and Mother Jones

TIME:

IRS Mess — The Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative groups is outrageous. Those who did this should be fired immediately. That's obvious. — It continues a slovenly week for Barack Obama. The President has been very proud of the absence of scandal in his administration, and rightly so.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Post Politics, ViralRead and Washington Post

Kevin Liptak / CNN:

Collins says IRS revelations will fuel government distrust — (CNN) - President Barack Obama should personally condemn the Internal Revenue Service for putting extra scrutiny on conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status, Sen. Susan Collins said Sunday.

Discussion: Politico and Scared Monkeys

Peter Schroeder / The Hill: Issa: IRS apology for targeting Tea Party groups not sincere

CBS News:
IRS targeted tea party groups earlier than 2012

Discussion: Yahoo! News, The Raw Story, Crooks and Liars and No More Mister Nice Blog

Ross Douthat / New York Times:
The Taxman vs. the Tea Party

Discussion: The Daily Caller, msnbc.com, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Weasel Zippers, Daily Kos, TIME and The PJ Tatler

Michael Tomasky / The Daily Beast:

The Coming Attempt to Impeach Obama — The idea of impeaching Obama is industrial-strength insane. Republicans will probably try anyway, predicts Michael Tomasky. — When the histories of this administration are written, I hope fervently that last Friday, May 10, does not figure prominently in them.

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Booman Tribune and Althouse

Washington Post:
Will Obama suffer the ‘second-term curse’?

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, American Power, Rothenblog and Booman Tribune

Candice M. Giove / New York Post:

Smitten teen girls stir up #FreeJahar mania for Boston Marathon bombings suspect — This love is terrifying. — Thousands of American teen girls are crushing on Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar “Jahar” Tsarnaev, 19 — and leading a social-media movement to exonerate him.

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, Gothamist, Atlas Shrugs, Riehl World News and TMZ.com

Dana Ford / CNN:

19 injured in New Orleans parade shooting — (CNN) — Abdul Aziz believes he was standing right next to a shooter Sunday when gunmen opened fire at a Mother's Day parade in New Orleans, injuring 19 people. — “Everyone around me, except me, was shot,” he said. “I was pretty fortunate to get away.”

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland

WVUE-TV:

17 people injured in Mother's Day shooting — New Orleans, La.- The NOPD is investigating a shooting near the intersection of Frenchmen and North Villere Streets that left 17 people injured during a Mother's Day second line. — Chief Serpas announced in a press conference that the youngest victim …

Discussion: Mediaite and protein wisdom

Andrew Kaczynski / BuzzFeed:

Dennis Kucinich Slams Obama Administration On Benghazi: “I'm Offended By This” — The progressive former Congressman hit the Obama Administration for their Libyan policy and for their response to the attack. — View Video › — Via: — Progressive former Congressman Dennis Kucinich …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Weasel Zippers and Scared Monkeys

John Kartch / Americans for Tax Reform RSS:

Obamacare: Taxpayers Must Report Personal Health ID Info to IRS — When Obamacare's individual mandate takes effect in 2014, all Americans who file income tax returns must complete an additional IRS tax form. — The new form will require disclosure of a taxpayer's personal identifying health information …

Discussion: The PJ Tatler, The Lonely Conservative, Vox Popoli, Wall Street Journal, Real Science and americanthinker.com

Peter Schroeder / The Hill:

Obama hails Pakistan election as ‘significant milestone’ for nation — President Obama hailed Pakistan on its election this weekend, calling it a “significant milestone” for the nation's democracy. — In a statement released Sunday, the president congratulated the Pakistani people …

Discussion: Politico