memeorandum: This AP Story on Abortion Opponents Is Ridiculous (Andrew Stiles/Washington Free Beacon)

8:10 AM ET, March 14, 2014

Top Items:

Ezra Klein's Queer New Hire — Brandon Ambrosino (Photo Courtesy of Media Matters) — On Tuesday, former Washington Post pundit (and Prospect alum) Ezra Klein sent a shock wave through the gay community by announcing he had hired gay anti-gay apologist Brandon Ambrosino to join him at Vox Media …

Discussion: Towleroad News #gay, The Dish, The Daily Caller, Gawker, Equality Matters, The Huffington Post, Booman Tribune and Talking Points Memo, more at Mediagazer »

Mark Joseph Stern / Slate:

Vox's Unbelievably Terrible New Hire — On Wednesday, Ezra Klein's new media venture, Vox, announced that it had hired Brandon Ambrosino as a writing fellow, presumably to cover the LGBTQ beat. Vox likely thought that by hiring Ambrosino, the outlet would be introducing a brash, unconventional new voice to a broader audience.

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money and Talking Points Memo

John Aravosis / AMERICAblog News:

Hipster Homophobia: Ezra Klein's Vox hires Falwell-loving gay-bashing “gay” — Ezra Klein's new Web media venture, Vox.com, has just hired a controversial gay-bashing “gay” named Brandon Ambrosino to write for the new online publication. (Vox on Facebook, Vox on Twitter.)

Discussion: Politico, The Daily Caller and Washington Monthly

Seung Min Kim / Politico:

John McCain cites Ronald Reagan, slams GOP on Ukraine aid — Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) ripped fellow Republicans on Thursday for objecting to a package of aid and sanctions to respond to the Ukrainian crisis, calling himself “embarrassed” and telling his GOP colleagues: “Don't call yourself Reagan Republicans.”

Discussion: Power Line, Washington Post and The PJ Tatler

Burgess Everett / Politico:
Jobless deal came down to wire

Discussion: National Review and Daily Kos

New York Times:

Russia Massing Military Forces Near Border With Ukraine — MOSCOW — Russia's Defense Ministry announced new military operations in several regions near the Ukrainian border on Thursday, even as Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany warned the Kremlin to abandon the politics of the 19th …

Discussion: The Week, Scared Monkeys, president.gov.ua, Hit & Run, Business Insider, Washington Monthly, JustOneMinute, Weekly Standard, The Daily Caller, The PJ Tatler, VodkaPundit, New York Magazine, Outside the Beltway, Real Clear Politics and Reuters

Susan Crabtree / Washington Examiner:

John Kerry: Russia has until Monday to reverse course in Ukraine — JOHN KERRY RUSSIA PENNAVE FOREIGN POLICY EUROPE UKRAINE EU CRIMEA — Secretary of State John Kerry warned of serious repercussions for Russia on Monday if last-ditch talks over the weekend to resolve the crisis in Ukraine failed …

Discussion: Yahoo! News and Guardian

Byron York / Washington Examiner:

In jam over Obamacare, Dems don't know which way to turn — OBAMACARE KATHLEEN SEBELIUS WALL STREET JOURNAL — When it comes to Obamacare, many Democrats take comfort in polls showing a small majority of voters, or at least a plurality, oppose repealing the Affordable Care Act.

Discussion: Yahoo! News, Betsy's Page, National Review and The Fix

Kyle Cheney / Politico:
So how many have paid ACA premiums?

Discussion: CNN, Weekly Standard, Taegan Goddard's Wonk Wire, The Federalist, neo-neocon, Watchdog.org, McClatchy Washington Bureau and Fox News

Alec Macgillis / The New Republic:
Obamacare Is Hurting Democratic Candidates Because Republicans Are Hurting Obamacare

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money, Democratic Strategist, National Review and Los Angeles Times

Alicia Mundy / Wall Street Journal:

Sen. Landrieu Steps Up Pressure on Kerry to Clear Keystone XL Pipeline — Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana intensified the pressure on Secretary of State John Kerry, a former Senate colleague, to approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline. — During a hearing on the State Department's 2015 budget …

Discussion: Hot Air

Lachlan Markay / Washington Free Beacon:
Mary Landrieu's Koch Problem

Discussion: The Fact Checker, OpenSecrets.org and The PJ Tatler

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Morning Plum: Why Dems are tying Republicans to the Koch brothers

Discussion: Liberal Values, No More Mister Nice Blog, BillMoyers.com, RedState, PoliticusUSA, Daily Kos and The Huffington Post

Ana Marie Cox / Guardian:

Paul Ryan's ‘inner city’ comment might mean he's racist, but he sure is classist — Does he think black people are lazy? He definitely thinks poor people are. And laws reinforce lawmakers with logic like that. — “We have got this tailspin of culture, in our inner cities in particular …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, his vorpal sword, Little Green Footballs, Talking Points Memo, Crew of 42, The Daily Beast, BuzzFeed, The Reality-Based Community, National Review and The Moderate Voice

David Weigel / Slate:
Paul Ryan Accused of Racism for Suggesting That There's Endemic Poverty in Inner Cities

Discussion: The Reaction, Weekly Standard, The Federalist, BillMoyers.com, ThinkProgress, Politico, Mediaite, The Huffington Post and The Week

Patricia Murphy / The Daily Beast:

A Carter Could Turn Georgia Blue — Dramatic population shifts put Georgia on the path to joining North Carolina and Virginia in the electoral toss-up column. Jason Carter, Jimmy's grandson, wants to lead the way. — As Wendy Davis's campaign for Texas governor flounders …

Discussion: Yahoo! News

Daily Mail:

Officials ‘convinced’ two communications systems on missing jet were deliberately shut off 14-minutes apart as it emerges aircraft DID keep ‘pinging’ for hours after vanishing at 35,000 ft — U.S. official said two separate communication systems were shut down ‘deliberately’ shortly after take-off

Discussion: ABC News, Reuters, The Gateway Pundit, Rush Limbaugh and Wall Street Journal

Jeane MacIntosh / New York Post:

Former NJ gov's son found dead in Mexico of apparent suicide — The son of former New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine killed himself in a Mexico City hotel, sources told The Post on Thursday. — Jeffrey Corzine, 31, was the youngest of Corzine's three children with ex-wife and childhood sweetheart Joanne Corzine.

Discussion: Business Insider

Jamie Self / The State:

ELECTION 2014: Lindsey Graham challenger calls SC senator “ambiguously gay” — COLUMBIA, SC — Four of U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham's announced challengers in June's Republican primary pledged support for each other Thursday if any of them end up in a runoff with the Seneca incumbent.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Clive Bates / The counterfactual:

Cease and desist: making false claims about the gateway effect — I am totally exasperated by nonsensical spin about the so-called gateway effect from pseudo-scientists, misguided officials, prohibitionists and propagandists. — Unable to take any more, I decided to write to Professor Stanton Glantz …

Discussion: Washington Monthly

Jeff Goodell / Rolling Stone:

Bill Gates: The Rolling Stone Interview — The richest man in the world explains how to save the planet — At 58, Bill Gates is not only the richest man in the world, with a fortune that now exceeds $76 billion, but he may also be the most optimistic. In his view, the world …

Discussion: The Switch, Little Green Footballs, Politico and The Daily Caller

Phillip Inman / Guardian:

China's Li Keqiang warns investors to prepare for wave of bankruptcies — World's second largest economy is facing ‘serious challenges’ and many companies with high debts are being forced to the wall — China is braced for a wave of industrial bankruptcies as its slowing economy forces companies …

Discussion: ParaPundit and Vox Popoli

Sarah Mimms / NationalJournal.com:

Spotted in the Senate: Rep. Phil Gingrey, ‘Just Measuring the Drapes’ — The congressman from Georgia faces a seven-way Senate primary on May 20. — Phil Gingrey paid a visit to the Senate on Thursday, checking out the chamber he hopes will be his new home starting next year.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Salvador Rizzo / New Jersey Online:

Hecklers ejected after disrupting Christie town hall in Mount Laurel — MOUNT LAUREL — Angry protesters turned up at Gov. Chris Christie's town hall today, shouting criticisms about the governor's handling of the George Washington Bridge scandal and Hurricane Sandy relief funding.