memeorandum: John Thune: No ‘opening’ for a White House run (Burgess Everett/Politico)

10:15 AM ET, January 14, 2015

Top Items:

Rand Paul announces campaign manager for likely 2016 campaign — Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Tuesday announced the hiring of a campaign manager for his likely 2016 presidential bid, part of an aggressive effort to build a national political team as the race for the White House heats up.

Discussion: Political Wire, Fox News, Politico, Wall Street Journal, Chicago, Hot Air, OnPolitics and Bloomberg Politics

Manu Raju / Politico:

Rand Paul looks to steal 2016 spotlight — The potential 2016 presidential hopeful appears eager to return to his role as a conservative firebrand. — M.Scott Mahaskey/POLITICO — Jeb Bush is “a Big Government Republican.” Mitt Romney “had his chance.”

Discussion: Bloomberg Politics

Wall Street Journal:

Romney Recycled — Mitt would have to explain why he'd be a better candidate now. — If Mitt Romney is the answer, what is the question? We can think of a few worthy possibilities, though one that doesn't come immediately to mind is who would be the best Republican presidential nominee in 2016.

Discussion: Hot Air, Washington Post and National Review

James R. Carroll / Courier-Journal:

Ahead of trip, Paul hits Romney as “yesterday's news” — WASHINGTON - About to embark on a three-state trip that includes multiple stops in New Hampshire, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul is criticizing Mitt Romney as too liberal for the Republican Party in 2016. — Romney, the 2012 GOP standard …

Discussion: Bloomberg Politics, New York Magazine, RealClearPolitics Videos, abc11.com, The Daily Beast, Mediaite, Business Insider, Politico and New York Times

Neil W. McCabe / Gravis:
Iowa poll: Romney leads nascent Iowa field with 21%, Bush at 14%, Walker 10%

Discussion: Real Clear Politics, Townhall.com and Political Wire

Tampa Bay Times:
Mitt Romney making Florida push, setting up clash with Jeb Bush

Discussion: BostonGlobe.com and Political Wire

Frank Bruni / New York Times: The Overcrowded Race for the 2016 Republican Nomination

John Dickerson / Slate:
Why Romney Wants to Run

Discussion: The Daily Caller, The Daily Beast, New York Times, Washington Examiner, Race 4 2016, Townhall.com, Hot Air, PoliticusUSA and The Atlantic Online

WCPO:

EXCLUSIVE: FBI says John Boehner's West Chester bartender planned to poison him — Feds: Man said he was Jesus, Boehner was the devil — DEER PARK, Ohio - Ebola, evil voices and the devil. — Those are just a few of the things a Butler County bartender cited as reasons …

Discussion: NY Daily News, TPNN, Washington Post, Hot Air, CNN, Addicting Info, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Mediaite, Scared Monkeys, The Daily Caller, The Huffington Post, The Stranger …, The Gateway Pundit, Talking Points Memo, New York Magazine, Raw Story, Little Green Footballs and FOX News Radio

ABC News:
Ohio Bartender Charged With Threatening to Murder John Boehner

Discussion: Boston Globe and Politico

Lori Hinnant / Associated Press:

France arrests 54 for defending terror; newspaper sells out — 14 photos — PARIS (AP) — Charlie Hebdo's defiant new issue sold out before dawn Wednesday around Paris, with some scuffles at kiosks over dwindling copies of the satirical paper fronting the Prophet Muhammad.

Discussion: Politico, Truth Revolt, Political Wire, ABC News, abc11.com and Pamela Geller, Atlas Shrugs

Eric Randolph / Agence France-Presse:
New Charlie Hebdo flies off shelves as Qaeda claims attack

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, more at Mediagazer »

Laura Barron-Lopez / The Hill:

Senate to vote on whether climate change is happening — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Tuesday he will allow the Senate to vote on an amendment asking if they agree that climate change is impacting the planet. — At his weekly press briefing, McConnell said …

Discussion: John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Politico, Booman Tribune, No More Mister Nice Blog, ThinkProgress, Little Green Footballs, TheBlaze.com, Talking Points Memo and Daily Kos

Ed Rogers / Washington Post:
The Insiders: Five things to watch as the 2016 campaigns develop

Discussion: Adweek

Rocco Parascandola / NY Daily News:

PBA's Patrick Lynch spurs yelling, shoving among cops over NYPD-City Hall feud — The Patrolmen's Benevolent Association was not so much on Tuesday as some cops shouted down Lynch regarding his demand that Mayor de Blasio apologize over comments related to race and police relations.

Discussion: Associated Press, BizPac Review, Mediaite, Liberaland and FOX News Radio

Lindsay Cohen / KOMO News:

Seattle dog's rush hour ride: on the bus, by herself, weekly — SEATTLE — Public transit in Seattle has gone to the dogs. — Commuters in Belltown report seeing a Black Labrador riding the bus alone in recent weeks. The 2-year old has been spotted roaming the aisles …

Discussion: The Stranger …, KTLA, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, NPR, WGN-TV and UPI

Burgess Everett / Politico:

John Thune: No ‘opening’ for a White House run — But the Senate GOP Conference leader and Commerce Committee chairman is plenty busy. — It's often said each senator wakes up, looks in the mirror and sees a future president staring back. But John Thune admits his “window” for a White House run might have closed in 2012.

Discussion: Washington Monthly and The Hill

Benjamin Hardy / Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times:

Father and son turned away from “Muslim-free” Hot Springs gun range for being brown — When we reported last fall on a Hot Springs firing range that was declared a “Muslim free zone” by its owner, several blog commenters asked, “how will she know who's a Muslim?”

Discussion: PoliticusUSA, FreakOutNation and Raw Story

Jon Offredo / delawareonline:

NASCAR's Busch says ex is ‘assassin’; hearing concludes — It could be weeks before the court issues a final decision on a protection order filed against NASCAR's Kurt Busch, after a four-day hearing ended Tuesday afternoon. Testimony has covered everything from the assassinations of drug lords …

Discussion: Associated Press, NBCSports.com, myfox8.com, NPR, The Daily Caller and USA Today

Congressman Randy Weber:

Representative Randy Weber Issues Statement on Paris Tweet — Washington, D.C. - Representative Randy Weber (R-Friendswood) released the following statement in reference to a tweet sent out last night: “I need to first apologize to all those offended by my tweet.

Discussion: FreakOutNation, Talking Points Memo, OnPolitics, Associated Press, Joe. My. God., The Huffington Post and Mediaite

Susie Madrak / Latest from Crooks and Liars:
You Know Who Else Went To Paris? Hitler

Discussion: Truth Revolt

Ronald Brownstein / National Journal:

White-Out: Where Democrats Lost the House — In 2009, 76 Democrats represented primarily white working-class congressional districts. Just 15 of them are still in the House today. — Republicans have surged to their largest majority in the House of Representatives since before the Great Depression …

Discussion: RedState

Thomas L. Friedman / New York Times:

We Need Another Giant Protest — President Obama was criticized for failing to attend, or send a proper surrogate to, the giant antiterrorism march in Paris on Sunday. That criticism was right. But it is typical of American politics today that we focus on this and not what would have …

Discussion: John Hawkins' Right Wing News and Vox Popoli

Guardian:

Dieudonné arrested over Facebook post on Paris gunman — French comedian accused of justifying terrorism after linking attacker to tribute slogan by writing ‘I feel like Charlie Coulibaly’ — Notorious French comedian Dieudonné M'bala M'bala has been arrested for being an …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »

Arsalan Iftikhar / The Islamic Monthly:

Dear Don Lemon: Thanks for Making Me Famous — Apparently, we currently live in a “post-racial” America where a prominent national television news anchor can ask an American Muslim human rights lawyer whether he supports a terrorist organization simply because he happens to be a Muslim.

Discussion: Addicting Info, Mediaite and Raw Story

Brendan James / Talking Points Memo:
Lawyer Thanks Don Lemon: Your ‘Racist Dumb-Ass Question’ Made Me Famous

Discussion: Raw Story and Hinterland Gazette

Andrew Horansky / KHOU-TV:

Armed customer stops restaurant robbery suspects in their tracks — A customer is being called a hero after pulling a gun on two armed robbers at a Houston restaurant. — CONNECT — HOUSTON, Texas — A customer is being called a hero after pulling a gun on two armed robbery suspects at a Houston restaurant.

Discussion: TheBlaze.com, The Daily Caller, John Hawkins' Right Wing News and TPNN

Melissa Hipolit / WTVR-TV:

Virginia Delegate-elect Joe Morrissey juggles jail curfew and election victory — HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Delegate-elect Joe Morrissey celebrated his victory in a special election for Virginia's 74th District, from jail on Tuesday night. — Inside the Henrico County Regional Jail East …

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon