memeorandum: The Benghazi Emails: What Do They Show? (John Hinderaker/Power Line)

10:00 AM ET, May 16, 2013

Top Items:

Ben Swann / WXIX-TV:

FOX19 EXCLUSIVE: Four local IRS workers allegedly connected to scandal — Posted by FOX19 Digital Media Staff - email — FOX19 has exclusively learned that as many as four people may be the first Cincinnati Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employees to face disciplinary action …

Discussion: The Hill, Shot in the Dark, Balloon Juice, Jammie Wearing Fools and Patterico's Pontifications

Jennifer Epstein / Politico:

Obama tries to stop the bleeding — In recent days, Democratic strategists have all but begged President Barack Obama to take control of a deepening public relations disaster that threatens to derail his second-term agenda. — On Wednesday evening, Obama did just that.

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog and The Reaction

Peter Baker / New York Times:

New Controversies May Undermine Obama — WASHINGTON — Thwarted on Capitol Hill, stymied in the Middle East and now beset by scandal, President Obama has reached a point just six months after a heady re-election where the second term he had hoped for has collided with the second term he actually has.

Discussion: The Plum Line, Ross Douthat, First Read, National Review, Washington Post and The Week

Washington Post:

Acting director of IRS resigns amid furor over targeting of conservative groups — President Obama on Wednesday demanded and accepted the resignation of the acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, Steven T. Miller, as part of a multi-pronged effort to quell controversies that threaten to dominate his second term.

Discussion: The Week, msnbc.com, americanthinker.com, The Fix, The Volokh Conspiracy and Wall Street Journal

Reuters:

The IRS wants YOU — to share everything — Some were asked about any connection to Americans for Prosperity, a nonprofit group backed by the Koch brothers that ironically never underwent the same level of IRS scrutiny. — And then they asked whether one group knew Justin Binik-Thomas.

Discussion: Yahoo! News, Townhall.com and Politico

David Ignatius / Washington Post:
In IRS and AP scandals, a frighteningly impotent government

Discussion: Washington Wire, Balkinization, The Huffington Post and The Plum Line

Washington Post:
Groups that sought tax-exempt status say IRS dealings were a nightmare

Discussion: Booman Tribune, The Fix and The Maddow Blog

Reason:
Data Doesn't Support IRS Explanation for Scandal

Discussion: Betsy's Page, Yourish.com, Washington Examiner and US News

Jacob Lew / Daily Mail:
Obama fires acting IRS commissioner as pressure grows surrounding political targeting …

Discussion: Sweetness & Light, CNN, Weasel Zippers, Scared Monkeys, The PJ Tatler, Patterico's Pontifications, The Gateway Pundit and Riehl World News

Talking Points Memo:
Obama Administration Sacks IRS Chief After Targeting Scandal

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, CNN, The Mahablog and Daily Kos

Yahoo! News:
Conservative group says IRS approved nonprofit status after applying with ‘liberal-sounding name’

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Weasel Zippers, NewsBusters and Hot Air

Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:
Acting Chief of I.R.S. Forced Out Over Tea Party Targeting

Discussion: msnbc.com, The Caucus, The Hill, Mediaite, Weekly Standard, Yahoo! News, Politico and Hot Air

Jennifer Epstein / Politico:
Obama: Acting IRS chief Steven Miller resigns

Discussion: Reuters and The Hill

CNN:
Source: Two ‘rogue’ workers principally behind IRS targeting of conservatives

Discussion: Politico, The Other McCain, Los Angeles Times, The Lonely Conservative, Weasel Zippers, msnbc.com and USA Today

CBS News:
Acting IRS commissioner steps down, Obama announces

Discussion: American Spectator, AMERICAblog and The Monkey Cage

John Hinderaker / Power Line:

The Benghazi Emails: What Do They Show? — This afternoon the White House released 100 pages of emails that trace the development of the talking points about Benghazi that Susan Rice eventually used on her notorious tour of the Sunday morning news shows, and that formed the basis …

Discussion: The Week and The Hugh Hewitt Show

Jake Tapper / The Lead with Jake Tapper:

First on CNN: White House releases 100 pages of Benghazi e-mails — This story has been updated. — WASHINGTON (CNN) - The White House released more than 100 pages of e-mails on Wednesday in a bid to quell critics who say President Barack Obama and his aides played politics …

Discussion: americanthinker.com, The Week, Washington Wire, Hot Air, ThinkProgress, Scared Monkeys, Taylor Marsh, CNN, The Hill, News Desk, The Hinterland Gazette and Politico

John Hudson / Foreign Policy:
Will Benghazi furor keep Susan Rice out of the White House?

Discussion: The PJ Tatler

Stephen F. Hayes / Weekly Standard:
Benghazi Emails Directly Contradict White House Claims

Discussion: Hot Air, National Review, Mediaite and Addicting Info

New York Times:
E-Mails Show Jostling Over Talking Points on Libya Attack

Discussion: Washington Post, The Maddow Blog, Slate, The Hill, IHT Rendezvous, CNN and The Week

Glenn Thrush / Reuters:
W.H. Benghazi documents point to CIA

Discussion: Politico, CNN and Washington Free Beacon

Wall Street Journal:
White House Releases Benghazi Emails

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon, The Lonely Conservative and The PJ Tatler

Evan McMorris-Santoro / BuzzFeed:
Obama Tries To Tamp Down Three Controversies At Once

Discussion: First Read and Michelle Malkin

CBS News:

Boston bombings suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev left note in boat he hid in, sources say — (CBS News) Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev left claiming responsibility for the April 13 attack on the Boston Marathon, reports CBS News senior correspondent John Miller.

Discussion: Politico, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, CNN, NPR, Mediaite, Riehl World News, The Jawa Report, Jihad Watch, CBS Boston, Gawker and WNAC-TV

Dana Milbank / Washington Post:

Eric Holder's abdication — As the nation's top law enforcement official, Eric Holder is privy to all kinds of sensitive information. But he seems to be proud of how little he knows. — Why didn't his Justice Department inform the Associated Press, as the law requires, before pawing through reporters' phone records?

Discussion: Power Line, The Daily Beast, Hot Air, The Huffington Post, Politico and USA Today

Talking Points Memo:

Holder To Issa: Your Conduct Is ‘Unacceptable’ And ‘Shameful’ (VIDEO) — At a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, Eric Holder and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) clashed as the Attorney General tore into the Republican oversight chairman's conduct as “unacceptable” and “shameful.”

Discussion: New York Times, Politico, Taylor Marsh, The Political Carnival, The Huffington Post, The Hugh Hewitt Show and The Gateway Pundit, more at Mediagazer »

Andrew Kaczynski / BuzzFeed: Louie Gohmert Gets Heated With Eric Holder: “He Has Challenged My Character”

CNN:
Holder criticizes longtime foe Issa at committee hearing

Discussion: The Reaction

Quinnipiac News + Events:

Release Detail — May 16, 2013 - Dem Inches Ahead In Virginian Governor's Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Hillary Clinton, Sen. Warner Run Well In 2016 Pres Race — Democrat Terry McAuliffe has opened up a slight 43 - 38 percent lead over Republican Ken Cuccinelli in the race …

Discussion: CNN, Politico, Weekly Standard, First Read, Taylor Marsh and The Hill

Duane Patterson / The Greenroom:

Would You Believe The Administration Got Phone Records of The House Of Representatives? — That's the revelation made by California Congressman Devin Nunes, who sits on the House Ways And Means Committee on Hugh Hewitt's Show Wednesday night. Here's the key part of that transcript:

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Power Line, Ed Driscoll and americanthinker.com

The Hugh Hewitt Show:
Congressman Devin Nunes Previews Ways And Means Hearing Friday, Plus A Bombshell On The AP Scandal

Discussion: Yahoo! News, Weekly Standard, BREITBART.COM and The Atlantic Wire

Christian Toto / BREITBART.COM:

FLASHBACK: PRESIDENT OBAMA TARGETED GIBSON GUITARS, BOEING ON IDEOLOGICAL GROUNDS — Even mainstream media outlets are running story upon story about President Barack Obama's possible ties to the government grabbing a wire service's phone records and the IRS bullying conservative groups.

Discussion: Althouse

Sam Baker / The Hill:

House set to vote on ObamaCare repeal — The House will vote Thursday to repeal President Obama's healthcare law — a move Republicans hope will open the door to narrower votes to target specific parts of the law. — GOP leaders scheduled the vote in a concession to conservative freshmen …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Dylan Byers / Politico:

Chris Matthews sours on Obama — President Obama “obviously likes giving speeches more than he does running the executive branch,” Chris Matthews said tonight. — Yes, you read that right: The MSNBC host who in 2008 felt a “thrill going up my leg” after hearing Obama speak has grown disenchanted.