memeorandum: Fired Tammy Baldwin aide rejects severance deal (Daniel Bice/JSOnline)

1:45 PM ET, February 19, 2015

Top Items:

Darren Samuelsohn / Politico:

Rudy Giuliani: President Obama doesn't love America — The former New York mayor makes his remarks at a Scott Walker event. — NEW YORK - Rudy Giuliani went straight for the jugular Wednesday night during a private group dinner here featuring Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker …

Celeste Katz / NY Daily News:
Rudy Giuliani claims Obama 'doesn't love America' while Wisc. Gov. Scott Walker goes after Mitt Romney

Discussion: The Week and The Right Scoop

Catherine Thompson / Talking Points Memo:
Rudy Giuliani Reportedly Says Obama Doesn't ‘Love America’

Discussion: Politico, Shakesville, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, Booman Tribune and The PJ Tatler

Robert Costa / Washington Post:
Scott Walker to attend private dinner with supply-siders in New York

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Scott Shane / New York Times:

Faulted for Avoiding ‘Islamic’ Labels to Describe Terrorism, White House Cites a Strategic Logic — WASHINGTON — President Obama chooses his words with particular care when he addresses the volatile connections between religion and terrorism. He and his aides have avoided labeling acts …

Discussion: Althouse, Los Angeles Times, NPR, Politico, Daily Kos, No More Mister Nice Blog, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, The Daily Banter, Instapundit and Townhall.com

Susan Jones / CNSNews:

Obama: ‘Islam Has Been Woven Into the Fabric of Our Country Since Its Founding’ — (CNSNews.com) - We hear a lot about the United States' Judeo-Christian heritage, but according to President Obama, “Islam has been woven into the fabric of our country since its founding.”

Discussion: John Hawkins' Right Wing News and The Right Scoop

Peter Beinart / The Atlantic Online:

Jeb's Foreign-Policy Problem — On Wednesday at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Jeb Bush declared that “I'm my own man and my views are shaped by my own thinking and my own experiences.” But the speech itself undermined his claim. In two very different ways, Jeb's speech made it unmistakably clear: He's a Bush.

Discussion: Washington Monthly and New York Times

Geoff Earle / New York Post:

Obama refuses to acknowledge ‘Muslim terrorists’ at summit — WASHINGTON — They're burning and beheading victims in the name of Islam, but President Obama delivered a major speech Wednesday on combating violent extremism — while refusing to use the words “Muslim terrorists.”

Discussion: TheBlaze.com, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, The Gateway Pundit, Scared Monkeys, Algemeiner.com, Pamela Geller, Atlas Shrugs, Business Insider and Power Line

The White House:
Remarks by the President at the Summit on Countering Violent Extremism | February 19, 2015

Discussion: Wall Street Journal and The Gateway Pundit

John Hinderaker / Power Line: The Defenders of the Faith Apologize for America

Mustafa Akyol / New York Times:
A Letter Concerning Muslim Toleration

Discussion: Religion Dispatches

Jonathan S. Tobin / New York Post:
Obama dances around reality as ISIS plays the tune

Discussion: The Diplomat, Scared Monkeys, The Federalist and BBC

The White House:
Remarks by the President in Closing of the Summit on Countering Violent Extremism

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Taylor Marsh, Power Line, Reuters, American Spectator, protein wisdom, Religion Clause and Washington Free Beacon

CNN:
Obama proclaims: ‘We are not at war with Islam’

Discussion: FishbowlDC, Roger's Rules, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Power Line, Wall Street Journal and The Other McCain

Oliver Sacks / New York Times:

Oliver Sacks on Learning He Has Terminal Cancer — A MONTH ago, I felt that I was in good health, even robust health. At 81, I still swim a mile a day. But my luck has run out — a few weeks ago I learned that I have multiple metastases in the liver. Nine years ago it was discovered …

Discussion: Mashable, Whatever and Althouse

Amy Lange / Fox 2 News in Detroit:

Doctor refuses treatment of same-sex couple's baby — Bay Windsor Contreras is 4 months old and she's the apple of her mothers' eye. — Both of her mothers, Krista and Jami Contreras were married in Vermont in 2012. — In October 2014 they welcomed a beautiful baby bay into the world …

Discussion: Hit & Run, Raw Story, Washington Post, Talking Points Memo and Friendly Atheist

Tresa Baldas / USA Today:
Pediatrician won't treat baby with 2 moms

Discussion: LGBTQ Nation and Religion Clause

Tim Jones / Bloomberg Business:

Wisconsin to Skip Debt Payments to Make Up for Walker's Tax Cuts — (Bloomberg) — Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, facing a $283 million deficit that needs to be closed by the end of June, will skip more than $100 million in debt payments to balance the books thrown into disarray by his tax cuts.

Discussion: Washington Monthly and ThinkProgress

CBS News:

Do Americans want to send ground troops to fight ISIS? — Shares - — Amid more executions by the militant group ISIS, Americans increasingly see the group as a threat to the U.S. Now, 65 percent of Americans view ISIS as a major threat - up from 58 percent in October - while another 18 percent view it as a minor threat.

Discussion: Washington Post, The Moderate Voice, Hot Air, Balloon Juice and CBS DC

USA Today:

Electric car benefits? Just myths … It is time to stop our green worship of the electric car. It costs us a fortune, cuts little CO2 and surprisingly kills almost twice the number of people compared with regular gasoline cars. — Electric cars' global-warming benefits are small.

Discussion: Rush Limbaugh

Paul Bond / Hollywood Reporter:

Former ‘SNL’ Actress Victoria Jackson on Political Bias at Anniversary Show: “Is Lorne Ashamed of Me?” — Victoria Jackson, a six-year veteran of Saturday Night Live, is publicly wondering if her opposition to gay marriage prompted Lorne Michaels to treat her differently than the other cast members …

Discussion: John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Liberaland, Mediaite and Truth Revolt

Nancy A. Youssef / The Daily Beast:

U.S. Won't Back Egypt's Attacks on ISIS — Two long-time allies are attacking ISIS—and growing frustrated with one another. That's good news for the so-called Islamic State. — The Obama administration was given multiple chances Wednesday to endorse a long-time ally's airstrikes …

Discussion: BizPac Review, Walid Shoebat, Pamela Geller, Atlas Shrugs, VodkaPundit and The Right Scoop

David McCabe / The Hill:

Biden headed to New Hampshire — Vice President Biden will travel to New Hampshire Wednesday — his third trip to a state with an early 2016 presidential nominating contest this month. — He will speak about the administration's economic policies and participate in a roundtable discussion at a community college.

Discussion: Bloomberg Business and Political Wire

Julie Bykowicz / Bloomberg Business:

Exclusive: Adelson Presidential Endorsement ‘A Year Away,’ Aide Says — Republican megadonor Sheldon Adelson won't get involved in the presidential primary contest until “well into 2016,” his top political adviser said in an interview Thursday. — “Any support of a presidential candidate …

Discussion: Political Wire and Politico

Jim Kuhnhenn / Associated Press:

Obama picks State's Psaki to head White House communications — 1 photo — WASHINGTON (AP) — State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki will become President Barack Obama's new communications director, filling a key slot as Obama embarks on the final two years of his presidency, White House officials said Thursday.

Discussion: Hot Air, Mediaite and The PJ Tatler

Chicago Tribune:

The Internet isn't broken. Obama doesn't need to ‘fix’ it. — If you like your wireless plan, you should be able to keep it. But new federal regulations may take away your freedom to choose the best broadband plan for you. It's all part of the federal government's 332-page plan to regulate …

Discussion: The Hill, The Daily Caller and Washington Free Beacon

New York Times:

When One Penalty Is Enough — Millions of Americans may be in for a shock when they file tax returns and learn that they have to pay a fine for failing to enroll in health insurance in 2014 and an even bigger fine for failing to enroll in 2015 before the enrollment period ended on Feb. 15.

Discussion: John Hawkins' Right Wing News

Sarah Rose / Canon City Daily Record:

Hudson Taylor Clark to undergo psychiatric evaluation — Man accused of stabbing Cañon City police officer — District Judge David Thorson ordered a psychiatric evaluation Wednesday for the man who was shot multiple times after allegedly stabbing a Cañon City police officer.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and VodkaPundit