memeorandum: MLB seeks to suspend A-Rod, Braun (ESPN)

9:50 AM ET, June 5, 2013

Top Items:

Peter Wallsten / Post Politics:

Michelle Obama confronts protester, threatens to leave fundraiser — First Lady Michelle Obama experienced a rare face-to-face encounter with a protester late Tuesday - approaching the activist and threatening to leave a fundraiser if the person did not stop interrupting her speech.

Discussion: Washington Blade, The Daily Caller, The Raw Story, The Week, Towleroad News #gay, The Hill and U.S. News

Chris Geidner / BuzzFeed:

Michelle Obama Heckled For President's Inaction On Proposed LGBT Executive Order — “Listen to me or you can take the mic, but I'm leaving,” the first lady told the heckler. A woman who identified herself as a “lesbian looking for federal equality before I die” interrupted the event …

Discussion: Poliglot, Althouse, New York Times, ViralRead, Right Wing News, Gawker, The Other McCain and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Amanda Terkel / The Huffington Post:

Michelle Obama DNC Fundraiser Speech Interrupted By LGBT Protester — WASHINGTON — First lady Michelle Obama's speech Tuesday evening at a private Democratic National Committee fundraiser was interrupted by a protester, who demanded equality for gays and lesbians.

Discussion: ABCNEWS, Gay Star News, Yahoo! News, Mediaite and UPROXX

Caroline May / The Daily Caller:

Michelle Obama heckled at DNC event, threatens to leave — First Lady Michelle Obama was met with a heckler Tuesday evening at a Democratic National Committee event in Washington, D.C. — A gay rights activist standing near the front of the audience began shouting for an executive order on gay rights …

Discussion: americanthinker.com, Weasel Zippers and Jammie Wearing Fools

Donovan Slack / Politico:

First lady confronts heckler — First lady Michelle Obama was interrupted by a heckler about 10 minutes into a speech at a campaign fundraiser in D.C. on Tuesday. — A woman started shouting and calling for the president to sign an executive order on gay rights, according to a pool report.

Discussion: Twitchy, The Hinterland Gazette, CNN and Jammie Wearing Fools

Mark Landler / New York Times:

Donilon to Resign as National Security Adviser — WASHINGTON — In a major shakeup of President Obama's foreign-policy inner circle, Tom Donilon, the national security adviser, is resigning and will be replaced by Susan E. Rice, the American ambassador to the United Nations, White House officials said on Tuesday.

Discussion: Yahoo! News, Associated Press, AMERICAblog, Taegan Goddard's …, Business Insider, Washington Free Beacon, msnbc.com, Outside the Beltway, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and The Hinterland Gazette

Glenn Thrush / Politico:

Susan Rice to be new NSA, Samantha Power to replace her at U.N. — National Security Adviser Tom Donilon is stepping down after four years on the job and will be replaced by United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice — the latest in a series of defiant appointments likely to rile the GOP and fire up the Democratic base.

Discussion: Israel Matzav and American Spectator

Scott Wilson / Washington Post:

Tom Donilon resigning as national security adviser; Susan Rice to replace him — National security adviser Thomas E. Donilon will resign his post, White House officials said Wednesday, and will be replaced by U.N. Ambassador Susan E. Rice, a close confidant of President Obama …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, New York Times and Mediaite

Josh Kraushaar / NationalJournal.com:

Republicans Fuming Over Chris Christie's Senate Decision — The New Jersey governor's decision to hold the Senate race in October 2013 means it will be difficult for the GOP to contest the seat. — Republicans are fuming over New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's decision to hold …

Politico:
Christie slammed over special election

Discussion: Reuters, The Week, msnbc.com, Talking Points Memo, Commentary Magazine, The Fix, Campaign for America's Future, Mediaite, Hot Air, First Read, Business Insider, ViralRead and National Review

The Star-Ledger Editorial Page: Christie's self-serving stunt: Editorial

Matt Friedman / New Jersey Online:
Sources: Frank Pallone plans to run for U.S. Senate seat opened after Lautenberg's death

Discussion: Yahoo! News, The Fix, Politicker NJ, First Read, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Blue Jersey and Taegan Goddard's …

Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:
Christie Criticized for Cost and Timing of Senate Election

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight, Philly.com, Mediaite, ABCNEWS, Daily Kos, Outside the Beltway and The Political Carnival

Byron York / Washington Examiner:

Rubio: I will vote against my own immigration bill unless changes are made … Sen. Marco Rubio, the leading Republican behind the Gang of Eight comprehensive immigration reform bill, says he will not vote for the legislation he helped write and has staked his political future on …

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's … and The Hugh Hewitt Show

The Hugh Hewitt Show:
Senator Marco Rubio Updates On Immigration Reform

Discussion: Post Politics

Katie Valentine / ThinkProgress:
Sen. Rubio Wants To Amend The Constitution To Repeal Obamacare

Discussion: Fox News and PERRspectives

rubio.senate.gov:
Rubio Proposes “Right To Refuse” Constitutional Amendment That Would Invalidate ObamaCare's Mandate Tax

Discussion: The Hill, Washington Monthly, Yahoo! News and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Sahil Kapur / Talking Points Memo:
Rubio Proposes Constitutional Amendment To Overturn Obamacare Mandate

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Mediaite and The Maddow Blog

Jesse Helfrich / The Hill:

Grassley: Obama hasn't called me in four years — Sen. Chuck Grassley, a pivotal deal-maker in Congress, said Tuesday that he has not received a phone call from President Obama in four years. — The lack of communication between the Iowa Republican and the president is an indication that Obama's new …

Discussion: Roll Call, Politico, Taegan Goddard's … and First Read

Justin Sink / The Hill:

Dark skies brighten for Holder — Signs emerged Tuesday that embattled Attorney General Eric Holder will survive the latest storm threatening his tenure. — When President Obama nominated three judges to the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals, Holder was there in a moment fraught with symbolism.

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill: Poll: Controversies raising doubts about White House ‘honesty’

Joel Gehrke / Washington Examiner:

Kathleen Sebelius won't waive regulation for girl with five weeks to live: ‘Someone lives and someone dies’ … Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius rebuffed an appeal from Rep. Lou Barletta on behalf of a girl who needs a lung transplant but can't get one because of a federal regulation …

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, Ed Driscoll, Right Wing News, Twitchy, Weasel Zippers, The Gateway Pundit and LifeNews.com

Ace / Ace of Spades HQ:
“Someone Lives and Someone Dies:” …

Discussion: Politico, Hot Air and Mediaite

Mike Dorning / Bloomberg:

Almost Half of Americans Say Obama Untruthful About IRS — Almost half of Americans say President Barack Obama isn't telling the truth when he says he didn't know the Internal Revenue Service was giving extra scrutiny to the applications of small government groups seeking tax-exempt status.

Discussion: Post Politics and Jammie Wearing Fools

Wall Street Journal:
Controversies Sow Doubt About Honesty

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's … and Business Insider

Glenn Thrush / Politico:

David Plouffe's big gamble — David Plouffe has helped win two national elections, written a bestselling political how-to book and earned the undying affection of Obama supporters by the millions. — But Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), President Barack Obama's high congressional inquisitor …

Discussion: Yahoo! News, Hot Air, First Read and Taegan Goddard's …

ESPN:

MLB seeks to suspend A-Rod, Braun — Major League Baseball will seek to suspend about 20 players connected to the Miami-area clinic at the heart of an ongoing performance-enhancing drug scandal, including Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun, possibly within the next few weeks, “Outside the Lines” has learned.

Discussion: Simply Left BehindThe …, CNN, Outside the Beltway, Gothamist, The Verge and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Maureen Dowd / New York Times:

Cut the Strings to George III — WASHINGTON — You see glistening mermaid sightings on Animal Planet more than you catch glimpses of vintage John McCain on Capitol Hill. — But there he was on Tuesday, succinctly saying what needed to be said about the scourge of sexual assault cases in the military.

Glenn Blain / NY Daily News:

Damning email omitted from Vito Lopez sexual harassment report suggests Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver had inappropriate relationship with top aide — It also provides the clearest evidence yet that the attorney for the victims wanted the Assembly to fully investigate the allegations.

Discussion: Politicker

Washington Examiner:

Examiner Editorial: IRS targeting of Tea Party is no mere political scandal — Alabama Tea Party leader Becky Gerritson was roundly applauded yesterday when her voice cracked as she concluded her testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee about the illegal harassment …

Discussion: Betsy's Page and Hot Air

Nick Robinson / BBC:

Labour: No child benefit for the rich? — When this government decided to cut child benefit from higher and top-rate taxpayers Labour attacked the move as unfair and proving that the government was out of touch with hard-working families. — Now, however, I understand that the party's leadership …

Discussion: Spectator and Guardian