memeorandum: Winter Olympics: Putin ‘friendly’ with gay people (BBC)

2:35 PM ET, January 19, 2014

Top Items:

David Remnick / New Yorker:

GOING THE DISTANCE … - ARCHIVE - PHOTO BOOTH - DAILY SHOUTS - CURRENCY - DAILY COMMENT - AMY DAVIDSON - JOHN CASSIDY - ANDY BOROWITZ - SHOP

Discussion: ThinkProgress, The Hill, Politico, Talking Points Memo, CNN, Hit & Run, Gawker, The Fix, The Raw Story, Mediaite, Hullabaloo, ABC News and Jammie Wearing Fools

Justin Sink / The Hill:

Obama: ‘I would not let my son play pro football’ — President Obama said that he believed NFL players “know what they're doing” and understood the impact that concussions could have on their long-term health in an interview with The New Yorker published on Sunday, adding that he would not let his son play pro football.

Discussion: Liberaland and Conservatives4Palin

Jennifer Rubin / Right Turn:

The scandal is MSNBC — The bridge scandal started out as a test for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R). Now it has become a test for the media. MSNBC, which long ago stopped being a news outlet in the sense of going out to find facts and is largely indistinguishable from Democratic Party talking points …

Discussion: CANNONFIRE, Weasel Zippers, CNN, Townhall.com, Guardian, ABC News, Talking Points Memo, Mediaite, MoreMonmouthMusings and Liberaland

Salvador Rizzo / New Jersey Online:

Bridge scandal, Hoboken allegation dog Chris Christie during his Florida fundraising trip — Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz holds a news conference at Guernsey Park in Orlando to criticize Gov. Chris Christie's handling of the George Washington Bridge/Fort Lee …

Discussion: New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Balloon Juice

New York Times:

G.O.P. Advice for Christie: Pick a Better Team — On a conference call with Gov. Chris Christie's most loyal donors a few nights ago, his brother, Todd, pressed for last-minute cash to pay for the governor's inauguration, a daylong fete ending on Ellis Island.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Paul Krugman and Riehl World News

Shawn Boburg / NorthJersey.com:
Christie GWB scandal: Lawyers may have conflict of interest, Port Authority says

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Justin Sink / The Hill:
Christie goes on Florida fundraising blitz (Video)

Discussion: Liberaland

Justin Sink / The Hill:
Romney: Christie's presidential ambitions ‘not hurt’ by bridge scandal

Discussion: Politico, CNN, Washington Monthly and Washington Post

Wayne Slater / Dallas Morning News:

As Wendy Davis touts life story in race for governor, key facts blurred — FORT WORTH — Wendy Davis has made her personal story of struggle and success a centerpiece of her campaign to become the first Democrat elected governor of Texas in almost a quarter-century.

Discussion: protein wisdom, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Weasel Zippers and LifeNews.com

John Sides / The Monkey Cage:

The Democratic Party's uphill path to 270 electoral votes in 2016 — My Post colleague Dan Balz has some very interesting reporting from Democratic and Republican strategists. Both groups seem somewhat pessimistic about the GOP's chances in 2016: … Demographics are certainly one factor worth considering.

Discussion: Washington Monthly

Dan Balz / Washington Post:

The Republican Party's uphill path to 270 electoral votes in 2016 — A recent conversation with a veteran of GOP presidential campaigns raised this question: Which, if any, of the recent battleground states are likely to become more Republican by 2016? The consensus: very few.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Hill, Booman Tribune and Prairie Weather

Byron York / Washington Examiner:

In new film, a dramatic look at Mitt Romney's loss of confidence — BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL MOVIES BARACK OBAMA MITT ROMNEY — A new documentary about Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney premiered Friday night at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah.

Discussion: The Reaction

Ryu Spaeth / The Week:
Mitt on Netflix: A knight errant in an age of political cynicism

Discussion: Eschaton, Washington Monthly and Washington Post

BBC:

Winter Olympics: Putin ‘friendly’ with gay people — President Vladimir Putin has defended Russia's law on “gay propaganda” ahead of the Sochi Olympics but insisted he was not prejudiced against homosexuals. — Gay people faced no discrimination at work or in society in Russia …

Discussion: BuzzFeed

ABC News:
Senator Concerned About Change in NSA Data Storage

Discussion: Politico and CNN

Tjfang / CBS San Francisco:

Actress Out Of San Francisco Production After Endorsing Tea Party Candidate — SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) — A famed actress is facing backlash in San Francisco's Latino community, after she voiced support for a conservative candidate for California governor. — Maria Conchita Alonso starred …

Discussion: Althouse, The Raw Story, ImmigrationProf Blog, Vox Popoli, Weasel Zippers, The Other McCain and protein wisdom

New York Times:

A Step Toward Restoring Voting Rights — Only seven months after the Supreme Court shattered the Voting Rights Act, a bipartisan group of lawmakers has come up with a bill that would go a long way toward putting it back together. If they can persuade Republicans in Congress to set aside partisanship …

Matt Friedman / New Jersey Online:

Hoboken mayor claims Christie administration held city's Sandy recovery funds ‘hostage’ to help developer — Mayor Dawn Zimmer spoke outside Hoboken City Hall in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in this Oct. 31, 2012 file photo. (William Perlman/The Star-Ledger)