memeorandum: Stephen Colbert Is CBS' Top Choice to Succeed Letterman, and He's Into It (Josh Dickey/Mashable)

7:25 AM ET, April 5, 2014

Top Items:

ABC News Exclusive: Grand Jury Convened in Christie Bridge Scandal Probe … The U.S. Attorney in New Jersey has convened a grand jury to investigate the involvement of Governor Chris Christie's office in the George Washington Bridge scandal, ABC News has learned.

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos, Booman Tribune, Liberaland and The Raw Story

Eric Lach / Talking Points Memo:
Spokesman Bails On Christie To Become Scott Brown's Campaign Manager

Discussion: Washington Monthly

James Pindell / WMUR:
Former aide to serve as Scott Brown campaign manager

Discussion: ABC News

Josh Dickey / Mashable:

Stephen Colbert Is CBS' Top Choice to Succeed Letterman, and He's Into It — Stephen Colbert is CBS' top choice to replace the retiring David Letterman, and has indicated that he's willing to take over the Late Show when the time comes, people familiar with both sides of the discussions tell Mashable.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Mediaite, Gawker, The Huffington Post, Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, Liberaland and The Week, more at Mediagazer »

Conor Friedersdorf / The Atlantic Online:

Mozilla's Gay-Marriage Litmus Test Violates Liberal Values — A half-dozen years ago, Brendan Eich donated $1,000 to the campaign for Proposition 8, the California ballot initiative that set out to ban same-sex marriage. It passed with 52 percent of the vote, but was later overturned by the courts.

Discussion: Post Politics, his vorpal sword, Hot Air, USA Today, American Prospect, Hit & Run, Power Line, The Week, ABC News and Mozilla Press Center

Andrew Sullivan / The Dish:
Dissents Of The Day — Among the scores of upset readers rattling the in-tray:

Discussion: The Daily Beast, National Review, American Spectator, Valleywag, Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo, The Daily Caller and Guardian

Scott Whitlock / NewsBusters:
ABC Uses Footage of Hateful Westboro Baptist to Slime CEO Who Opposed Gay Marriage

Discussion: The PJ Tatler

Michelangelo Signorile / The Huffington Post:
Dear Andrew Sullivan, ‘Left-Liberal Intolerance’ Did Not Bring Down Mozilla's CEO

Discussion: Gay Star News, CANNONFIRE, protein wisdom, New York Times, The Federalist, Joe. My. God., Towleroad News #gay, The Anchoress and The PJ Tatler

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:

Paul Ryan Accidentally Reveals The Truth About The GOP's Obamacare Replacement — House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) admitted on Friday that Republicans would not be able to preserve the most popular elements of Obamacare if they repeal the law as a whole.

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog

Aaron Blake / Post Politics:
Paul Ryan: Popular parts of Obamacare too costly to keep, alternatives needed

Discussion: ThinkProgress and Daily Kos

Frank Newport / Gallup:

Americans Show Low Levels of Concern on Global Warming — Worry about other environmental problems increasing … PRINCETON, NJ — The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a new report this week warning of the existing and potentially severe adverse future impact …

Discussion: Informed Comment, Hot Air and Climate Depot

Marc Morano / Climate Depot:

Shock peer-reviewed paper provides ‘rationale’ for ‘information manipulation’ & ‘exaggeration’ in global warming debate to ‘enhance global welfare’ — New Paper: It's OK to lie about climate?! - Published in American Journal of Agricultural Economics — A new peer-reviewed paper published …

Discussion: National Review, Power Line, Rush Limbaugh, The Daily Caller and Watts Up With That?

Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:

Illinois Residents Least Trusting of Their State Government — North Dakota, Wyoming, and Utah rank at the top — PRINCETON, NJ — Illinois residents trust their state government to handle their state's problems far less than residents in any other state.

Discussion: Business Insider and GovBeat

David Freedlander / The Daily Beast:

Pro-Pot, Pro-Gay, Anti-NSA... and Running for Senate — Meet Shenna Bellows, Maine's former ACLU chief who's looking to unseat Susan Collins with a mix of left and right issues that might appeal to millennials. — The baby boomers had John F. Kennedy—young, charismatic, and TV ready.

Discussion: Hit & Run

Scott Stump / Today:

Bush: Putin ‘dissed’ our pet, said his dog was ‘bigger, stronger, faster’ — When former president George W. Bush unveiled his paintings of world leaders during an interview with daughter Jenna Bush Hager on TODAY Friday, it brought back memories of an encounter with Vladimir Putin that revealed …

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, News Desk, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Mashable, BuzzFeed, CNN and New York Times

Eric Lach / Talking Points Memo:

‘Be Quiet!’ Medal Of Honor Vet Shuts Down Advocate For More Guns On Military Bases (VIDEO) — An MSNBC military analyst repeatedly told an advocate for arming military personnel on bases to be quiet at the end of an on-air debate Friday. — Retired Col. Jack Jacobs, a Medal of Honor recipient …

Discussion: Mediaite and Americans Against the …

Detroit Free Press:

Muslim parent upset over school flyer promoting church's Easter egg hunt — Some Muslim parents are concerned about public schools in Dearborn handing out flyers to all students advertising an Easter egg hunt, saying it violates the principle of church and state separation.

Discussion: Fox News and The Gateway Pundit

Michael Crowley / TIME:

Mike Rogers Says Obama Has Gone ‘Kinder, Gentler’ Against al-Qaeda — The retiring House Intelligence Committee chief tells TIME that Obama is leaving terrorists “on the battlefield,” and explains his charge that Edward Snowden is “under the influence” of Russia's security service

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

Chris Geidner / BuzzFeed:

Federal Judge Plans To Strike Down Ohio Marriage Recognition Ban — A prior decision by the judge was limited to recognizing same-sex couples' marriages on death certificates. — WASHINGTON — Following a hearing Friday, a federal judge in Ohio announced he plans to rule that Ohio …

Discussion: Hit & Run, The Week and Joe. My. God.

Ann Thompson / WVXU:
Federal Judge says he will declare Ohio's gay marriage ban unconstitutional

Discussion: Plain Dealer, Associated Press, Daily Kos, Towleroad News #gay, GovBeat, Washington Post and ThinkProgress

Joe Schoffstall / Capitol City Project:

Hillary struggles to list accomplishments during tenure as Secretary of State — On April 3, 2014, Hillary Clinton spoke at the Women of the World Summit in New York City and was asked what she was most proud of during her tenure as Secretary of State. Clinton could not provide …

Discussion: Mediaite and Power Line