memeorandum: Republicans Warn Of New Obamacare Reality: No Repeal Without Alternative (Sahil Kapur/Talking Points Memo)

6:10 PM ET, April 8, 2014

Top Items:

CNN:

First on CNN: Husband on kissing congressman: ‘He has wrecked my life’ — (CNN) -The husband of the woman caught making out with Rep. Vance McAllister said the Louisiana Republican destroyed his life and marriage. — “I'm just freaking devastated by the whole deal, man. I loved my wife so much.

The News Star:

Pastor says McAllister staffer leaked video — A West Monroe minister says U.S. Rep. Vance McAllister's Monroe District Office manager leaked the video of the congressman's tryst with a former staff member who isn't the congressman's wife. — Danny Chance, pastor of Christian Life Church …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Raw Story, Mediaite and Politico

Adam Weinstein / Gawker:

Kissy Congressman Confesses to Texting Stranger: “I Messed Up” — Last night, after Rep. Vance McAllister (R-La.) publicly apologized for snogging, on surveillance video, in his congressional office, a staffer who was not his wife, he received a text from a stranger: “Hey bro. How's your day goin.”

Discussion: Americans Against the …, Talking Points Memo, Mediaite and The Daily Caller

The News Star:

News-Star exclusive: McAllister says he's ‘ashamed,’ asking for forgiveness — Video shows representative kissing woman who isn't his wife — 'I promise to do everything I can to earn back the trust of everyone I've disappointed,' U.S. Rep. Vance McAllister said Monday after a video showing …

Discussion: The Hill, Talking Points Memo, Taylor Marsh, In the Loop, CBS DC, Balloon Juice, Daily Kos, Post Politics, Roger Ailes and Politico

Wall Street Journal:

The ‘77 Cents on the Dollar’ Myth About Women's Pay — Once education, marital status and occupations are considered, the ‘gender wage gap’ all but disappears. — April 8 is “Equal Pay Day,” an annual event to raise awareness regarding the so-called gender wage gap.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Bloomberg View, The Week, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, neo-neocon, The Huffington Post, Taylor Marsh, Betsy's Page and Cafe Hayek

ThinkProgress:

Here's Why We Know The Gender Wage Gap Really Does Exist — Tuesday is Equal Pay Day, the symbolic day by which women supposedly have put in enough extra work to catch up to what men will make in a year. That's because even when they work full-time, year-round, they still make 77 percent, on average, of what similar men make.

Discussion: The Dish, The New Republic, Feministing and MarketWatch

Peter Baker / New York Times: Obama Signs Measures to Help Close Gender Gap in Pay

New York Times:
As Obama Spotlights Gender Gap in Wages, His Own Payroll Draws Scrutiny

Discussion: Hit & Run, The Hill, JustOneMinute, Capitol Report, The Daily Caller, Bloomberg View, The PJ Tatler and Post Politics

Washington Examiner:
White House: The ‘77 cents’ wage gap figure isn't accurate, but they'll use it anyway

Discussion: Washington Times, National Review, Washington Free Beacon, Weasel Zippers and Fox News

Nick Gass / Politico:

Rush Limbaugh: Jeb Bush backlash part of plan — 'I'm saying, 'What the heck is this? Is this the best we've got to offer?' he tells a listener. AP Photo — Close — Rush Limbaugh told listeners Tuesday that former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's recent comment that some illegal immigration is an …

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's … and Rush Limbaugh

Tal Kopan / Politico:
Charles Krauthammer hits Jeb Bush comments

Discussion: Post Politics, The Plum Line, Hot Air and The Week

Ben Smith / BuzzFeed:
Why Jeb Bush Is A Terrible Candidate

Discussion: Bloomberg View, Hot Air, Real Clear Politics, Fox News, Mediaite, The Daily Beast, The Fix, National Review and Vox

Brian Beutler / The New Republic:

Wall Street Journal Abandons Massive Resistance Obamacare Strategy — We know that GOP leaders are suddenly, tepidly, willing to allow minor, bipartisan improvements to Obamacare to clear the House of Representatives. But for the party's shift away from an obstinance-only strategy to evolve …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Wall Street Journal:
Off the ObamaCare Deep End

Discussion: The Other McCain

Jon Lovett / The Atlantic Online:

The Culture of Shut Up — There once was a remote village deep in the rainforest that had no contact with the outside world. And in this small village there were only three village elders who had the ability to speak. So they were in charge. And they'd have arguments.

Discussion: The Dish, Booman Tribune and Hot Air

Dylan Scott / Talking Points Memo:

House GOP Leader Yanks Column From ‘Inappropriate’ Breitbart Site — House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) sided on Monday with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) over Breitbart News, requesting that his column be pulled from the news outlet's new California website.

Discussion: ABC News, BREITBART.COM and The Huffington Post

Chris Megerian / Los Angeles Times:
Conservative California website quickly stirs controversy

Discussion: Politico, The Gateway Pundit, Mediaite, Talking Points Memo, Feministing and American Power

Sahil Kapur / Talking Points Memo:

Republicans Warn Of New Obamacare Reality: No Repeal Without Alternative — For all the challenges still facing Obamacare and its supporters, conservative health wonks are increasingly cautioning Republicans that the politics of the issue have changed in the wake of the 7 million initial sign-ups.

Discussion: New York Times, The Plum Line, Mediaite, Hullabaloo, Liberaland and Conservatives4Palin

Jason Stein / JSOnline:

Gov. Scott Walker wants to finish college degree — By Jason Stein of the Journal Sentinel — Madison — More than two decades after leaving Marquette University without finishing up his degree, Gov. Scott Walker wants to earn his diploma. — A spokeswoman said the governor wants …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Post Politics, Conservative Intelligence …, Althouse and OnPolitics

The / Los Angeles Times:

Time to expose the CIA's ‘dark side’ — The partial declassification of a report critical of interrogation and detention policies used by the CIA after 9/11 is a crucial part of confronting the abuses of our past. — Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) speaks to the media after a closed meeting …

Discussion: Booman Tribune, Daily Kos and Washington Post

Caitlin MacNeal / Talking Points Memo:
Liz Cheney Hits Back At Pelosi: 'Her Spine Doesn't Seem To Reach Her Brain' (VIDEO)

Discussion: Mediaite, Washington Free Beacon and The Dish

Igor Bobic / Talking Points Memo:

Furious Eric Holder Snaps At GOP Rep: 'You Don't Want To Go There, Buddy' (VIDEO) — The feud between Attorney General Eric Holder and Rep. Louis Gohmert (R-TX) shows no signs of abating. — Under questioning by Gohmert at a House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, Holder was again asked …

Henry Hanks / CNN:

Farewell, Archie: Beloved comic book character to die — 14 comics that caused controversy — (CNN) — Since 1941, comic book fans have followed the exploits of teenaged Archie Andrews and his friends. This July, they'll find out how he dies. — “Life With Archie” #36 hits stores on July 16 …

Discussion: New York Times, Most Recent and The Week

Frank Rich / New York Magazine:

Scandal Loves a Clinton — Again? But the harder their enemies hit, the stronger the couple becomes. — About the only political conviction uniting Americans in Election Year 2014 is that Election Year 2016 will be about Hillary Clinton. The likelihood of her unannounced candidacy …

Sahil Kapur / Talking Points Memo:

McConnell Sounds Off On 'The Left's Latest Bizarre Obsession' — On Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) dismissed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-NV) ongoing war against the Koch brothers as a “bizarre obsession” among Democrats designed to blow “kisses to their powerful pals on the left.”

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Weekly Standard, Washington Monthly and Daily Kos

Paul H. Tice / Wall Street Journal:

How Climate Change Conquered the American Campus — The top-paying job for grads last year: petroleum engineer, at $97,000. Yet most colleges seem oddly uninterested. — Here is a college quiz. While many parts of the U.S. economy struggle to recover from the Great Recession of 2008-09 …

Discussion: Capitol Report, Gawker and National Review

David Harsanyi / The Federalist:

How Vox Makes Us Stupid — The hoi polloi can relax. Vox has kicked off the era of explanatory journalism. There are flashcards for your convenience. — To help you better understand why Vox is needed, Ezra Klein has written a lengthy piece, a mission statement of sorts, entitled …

Discussion: National Review, The Daily Caller, Lawyers, Guns & Money and ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES

Sarah Knapton / Telegraph:

We should give up tying to save the world from climate change, says James Lovelock — The scientist and inventor James Lovelock claims we should stop trying to save the planet from global warming and instead retreat to climate controlled cities — Saving the planet from climate change …

Discussion: Liberaland and Weasel Zippers

ThinkProgress:

Welcome To Shawnee, Oklahoma: The Worst City In America To Be Homeless — Gary Lynn Roy was too poor to live indoors. At night, even when it was cold, even when it snowed, he slept outside. He had no choice. — Gary Lynn Roy — CREDIT: Shawnee Rescue Mission's Facebook page

Seema Mehta / Los Angeles Times:

In 2006 speech, Tim Donnelly compared illegal immigration to war — Donnelly, a GOP candidate for governor, exhorted Californians in 2006 to join his fight to stop illegal immigration, which he described as an insurgency. — In April 2005, Minuteman volunteer Tim Donnelly speaks to journalists …

Discussion: BuzzFeed and 24Ahead