memeorandum: Health Care Horror Hooey (Paul Krugman/New York Times)

1:55 PM ET, February 24, 2014

Top Items:

Alec Baldwin / Vulture:

Good-bye, Public Life — Alec Baldwin, photographed by Steve Schofield. — As told to Joe Hagan. — I flew to Hawaii recently to shoot a film, fresh on the heels of being labeled a homophobic bigot by Andrew Sullivan, Anderson Cooper, and others in the Gay Department of Justice.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Daily Caller, Hot Air, Independent Journal Review, Booman Tribune, Mediaite, Shakesville, The Raw Story, Taylor Marsh, NewsBusters, Liberaland, CBS New York, Gothamist, ABC News, TVNewser and The Dish

Nolan Finley / detroitnews.com:

Michigan's John Dingell to retire from Congress after 58 years — Rep. John Dingell is leaving the Congress he's served for longer than anyone else in United States history. — At a luncheon Monday in his beloved Downriver, the Dearborn representative says he will announce he won't seek re-election …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Power Line, The Daily Caller, Guardian, Roll Call, RedState, Outside the Beltway, Shakesville, Daily Kos, Hot Air and American Spectator

Detroit Free Press:
John Dingell, longest serving U.S. representative, to retire

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, detroitnews.com and Liberaland

Cameron Joseph / The Hill:
Rep. John Dingell calls it quits

Discussion: ThinkProgress and American Spectator

Ashley Parker / New York Times:
John Dingell to Retire After Nearly 60 Years in House

Discussion: Washington Monthly

John Dingell / CNN:
‘Dean’ of U.S. House to retire

Discussion: Politico

New York Times:

Pentagon Plans to Shrink Army to Pre-World War II Level — WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel plans to shrink the United States Army to its smallest force since before the World War II buildup and eliminate an entire class of Air Force attack jets in a new spending proposal …

Discussion: Firedoglake, American Spectator, Liberaland, Fox News, Hit & Run, BillMoyers.com, Vox Popoli, Yahoo! News, The Week and Most Recent

Fox News:

Hagel to call for shrinking Army to pre-WWII size — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is expected to call Monday for shrinking the U.S. Army to its smallest size since 1940, among other cuts, drawing criticism that the drastic changes will hurt U.S. security. — Hagel plans to announce his Pentagon budget priorities Monday afternoon.

Discussion: The Daily Caller and Fox News Insider

David Carr / New York Times:

Piers Morgan and CNN Plan End to His Prime-Time Show — There have been times when the CNN host Piers Morgan didn't seem to like America very much — and American audiences have been more than willing to return the favor. Three years after taking over for Larry King, Mr. Morgan has seen the ratings for …

Lloyd Grove / The Daily Beast:
After CNN Cancels Morgan, Larry King Says: I Could Come Back

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Mediaite, Liberaland, TheBlaze.com, Towleroad News #gay, UPROXX and The Daily Caller, more at Mediagazer »

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

Health Care Horror Hooey — Remember the “death tax”? The estate tax is quite literally a millionaire's tax — a tax that affects only a tiny minority of the population, and is mostly paid by a handful of very wealthy heirs. Nonetheless, right-wingers have successfully convinced many voters …

Discussion: The Plum Line, Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times, Daily Kos and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:

Fewer Americans Think Obama Respected on World Stage — Slim majority still think world views U.S. favorably — PRINCETON, NJ — For the first time, more Americans think President Barack Obama is not respected by other world leaders than believe he is. Americans' opinions have shifted dramatically …

Discussion: Hot Air, Scared Monkeys, Real Clear Politics, National Review, Politico and Post Politics

Ross Ramsey / The Texas Tribune:

UT/TT Poll: Abbott Holds 11-Point Lead Over Davis … UT/TT Poll, February 2014: Summary UT/TT Poll, February 2014: Methodology — After what are shaping up to be easy primary wins in March for the leading gubernatorial candidates, Republican Greg Abbott starts the general election race …

Discussion: Politico, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Scared Monkeys, OnPolitics and Outside the Beltway

Mark Caro / Chicago Tribune:

Harold Ramis, Chicago actor, writer and director, dead at 69 — Best-known as an actor for ‘Ghostbusters’, ‘Stripes’, writer/director for ‘Caddyshack’, ‘Groundhog Day’ — Chicago Tribune reporter Mark Caro reflects on the career of Harold Ramis, who passed away at the age of 69.

Discussion: CBS Los Angeles, UPROXX, CBS New York, The Verge, Joe. My. God. and Mediaite

The Prescott Daily Courier:

Pierce wants Brewer to veto denial of service bill — Arizona Sen. Steve Pierce of Prescott is joining several gubernatorial candidates in calling for Gov. Jan Brewer to veto a controversial piece of legislation that would allow business owners to refuse to serve gays by citing their religious beliefs.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Arizona Republic, Post Politics, Talking Points Memo and Joe. My. God.

Howard Fischer / svherald.com:
Brewer to weigh in on controversial bill

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, KPHO-TV, Daily Kos and The Raw Story

John Hinderaker / Power Line:

Samantha Power Dives Deep...Into Incoherence — Yesterday U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power delivered the Daniel Pearl Lecture at UCLA and met with Pearl's parents. Afterward, she unburdened herself of this tweet: … I saw this on Twitter late last night and pondered it for a while.

Discussion: Twitchy, The Daily Caller, Hot Air, The Gateway Pundit and National Review

Eli Lake / The Daily Beast:

Spy Chief James Clapper: We Can't Stop Another Snowden — President Obama's Director of National Intelligence spent his life protecting secrets. Then came the biggest leak of all. — Every morning at around 4:30 a.m., James Clapper wakes up and prepares for the worst job in Washington.

Discussion: The Monkey Cage, emptywheel, ABC News and The Intercept

Dylan Scott / Talking Points Memo:

Arkansas Guv: We're Two Votes Short Of Saving Obamacare — According to Gov. Mike Beebe's own whip count, the Arkansas House is two votes shy of continuing its privatized Medicaid expansion under Obamacare and saving health coverage for more than 80,000 people.

Discussion: Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times

Raul Reyes / USA Today:

Does Hillary-Univision deal cross a line? Column — One wonders whether a TV network should partner with a possible presidential candidate. — Imagine if a major television network entered into a partnership with a presidential nominee, and promoted that candidate across their media platforms.

Discussion: Hot Air

Kevin Liptak / CNN:

Obama makes nod to those who would succeed him at White House — Washington (CNN) - When President Barack Obama hosted the nation's governors at the White House on Sunday night, he made a sly nod to those in the crowd eyeing his job. — “Tonight we want to make sure all of you make yourselves at home,” Obama said.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Politico