memeorandum: GERMAN NEWS REPORT: Co-Pilot of Germanwings Airbus Was MUSLIM CONVERT ...'Hero of Islamic State'? (Jim Hoft/The Gateway Pundit)

12:50 PM ET, March 27, 2015

Top Items:

Harry Reid Says He Won't Seek Re-Election — WASHINGTON — Senator Harry Reid, the tough tactician who has led Senate Democrats since 2005, will not seek re-election next year, bringing an end to a three-decade congressional career that culminated with his push of President Obama's ambitious agenda against fierce Republican resistance.

Paul Kane / Washington Post:

Harry Reid endorses Chuck Schumer to succeed him as Senate Minority Leader — Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) has endorsed Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) to succeed him after he retires at the end of 2016. — “I think Schumer should be able to succeed me,” …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Business Insider and New York Times

Manu Raju / Politico:

REID RETIRING — After a brutal eye injury, the 75-year-old Senate Democratic leader decides to forego another grueling campaign for reelection. — Harry Reid, a soft-spoken, uninspiring public speaker but savvy backroom political operator, plotted his way up the rungs of the Democratic leadership throughout his career.

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Las Vegas Review-Journal, Talking Points Memo, Roll Call, USA Today, Daily Kos, Associated Press and The Gateway Pundit

David Weigel / Bloomberg Business:

Democrats May Find it Easier to Defend Reid's Open Seat — Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada announced Friday morning that he won't seek re-election when his term expires in 2016. In a YouTube video, Reid explained his decision. — https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=MqPWTECMIQo

Cameron Joseph / The Hill:

Dem Rep. Titus considering bid for Reid's seat — Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.) is giving “serious thought” to running for retiring Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) seat. — “I will certainly consider it. It's a big decision, and I've got to talk to my family.

Discussion: Politico and OnPolitics

Jim Hoft / The Gateway Pundit:

GERMAN NEWS REPORT: Co-Pilot of Germanwings Airbus Was MUSLIM CONVERT ...'Hero of Islamic State'? — GERMAN REPORT —HE WAS RADICALIZED! … Police have reportedly found an “item of significance” at the apartment of the co-pilot who crashed the Germanwing passenger plane into the Alps this week.

Discussion: Pamela Geller, Atlas Shrugs, EveryJoe, Fox News Insider, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, BizPac Review, Vox Popoli, Israel Matzav and Associated Press

New York Times:

Co-Pilot in Germanwings Crash Hid Medical Condition From Employer, Prosecutors Say — DÜSSELDORF, Germany — Documents show that Andreas Lubitz, the co-pilot who is believed to have deliberately crashed a Germanwings jet into the French Alps on Tuesday, had a medical condition that he hid …

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, The Week, Poynter and ABC News

Kirsti Knolle / Reuters:

German pilot said to have suffered from depression, anxiety — (Reuters) - The German pilot believed to have deliberately crashed a plane in the French Alps killing 150 people broke off his training six years ago due to depression and spent over a year in psychiatric treatment, a German newspaper reported on Friday.

Discussion: The Week and Twitchy

David Edwards / Raw Story:
Pat Robertson: ‘Was the co-pilot a Muslim? Why did he want to kill all those people?’

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Wall Street Journal, Outside the Beltway, The Hinterland Gazette, Liberaland, we hunted the mammoth and Mirror.co.uk

New York Times:
Reducing Risks After the Germanwings Crash

Discussion: Forbes, Belmont Club, Techdirt, Guardian and The Week

Manu Raju / Politico:

2016 brawl breaks out on Senate floor — Paul lashes Cruz, Rubio for ‘dangerous’ and ‘reckless’ positions on government spending. — The 2016 Republican nomination contest spilled onto the Senate floor Thursday, turning a marathon budget debate into a battle over which candidate is prepared to lead the country at a time of war.

Discussion: New York Times, The Week and FOX News Radio

James Hohmann / Politico:

Insiders pump the brakes on Cruz — Republicans in Iowa and New Hampshire don't think the polarizing Texan can win. — Ted Cruz is the first Republican presidential candidate out of the starting gate, but GOP insiders in Iowa and New Hampshire are overwhelmingly skeptical …

Discussion: Hot Air, BostonGlobe.com and ABC News

Jonathan Easley / The Hill:
Ted Cruz's Senate record by the numbers

Discussion: Patterico's Pontifications

Brent Budowsky / The Hill:
The four faces of Cruz

Discussion: Climate Denial Crock …, Daily Kos and US News

Yelp Official Blog:

An Open Letter to States Considering Imposing Discrimination Laws — A little over one year ago I wrote an open letter to then-Arizona Governor Jan Brewer requesting that she veto SB 1062, a bill that would have allowed businesses in the state to discriminate against consumers.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Hill, Addicting Info and Washington Post

Zack Ford / ThinkProgress:
How To Kill A Discriminatory ‘Religious Liberty’ Bill: Call The Bluff

Discussion: PQA, Towleroad News #gay, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Indianapolis Star

David Lawder / Reuters:

Senate passes Republican budget with deep safety net cuts — (Reuters) - The Senate passed a Republican-authored budget plan early on Friday that seeks $5.1 trillion in domestic spending cuts over 10 years while boosting military funding. — The 52-46 vote on the non-binding budget resolution put Congress …

Discussion: Daily Kos and Hot Air

Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:
Senate Approves Budget of G.O.P. Wishes in All-Night Session

Discussion: Common Dreams and The Week

Politico:
Senate passes budget as negotiations with House loom ahead

Discussion: Bloomberg Business, The Hill, New York Times, Daily Kos and Washington Post

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

Mornings in Blue America — Two impossible things happened to the U.S. economy over the course of the past year — or at least they were supposed to be impossible, according to the ideology that dominates half our political spectrum. First, remember how Obamacare was supposed to be a gigantic job killer?

Discussion: Addicting Info, Daily Kos and Hullabaloo

Steve Peoples / Associated Press:

Gov. Scott Walker's Immigration Stance at Center of Dispute — A dispute over Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's position on immigration erupted on Thursday, highlighting the Republican's struggle to appeal to conservatives on the explosive issue as he prepares to launch a Republican presidential bid.

Discussion: ImmigrationProf Blog

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
Bush and Walker start to sharpen their messages

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon, Bloomberg Business, Hot Air and The Daily Caller

Reid J. Epstein / Wall Street Journal:
Scott Walker Shifts Stance on Immigration at Private Dinner

Josh Kraushaar / National Journal:

Democrats' Identity Crisis Is Spilling Into Their Senate Races — Democrats have been remarkably successful at avoiding contentious primaries, but the ones taking place in 2016 will be consequential. — On the surface, the Democratic Party looks remarkably unified heading …

Josh Rogin / Bloomberg View:

Bergdahl's Defense Is He Was Planning to Come Back — Former Taliban prisoner and U.S. Army soldier Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl told military investigators that he left his base in June 2009 to report on misconduct in his unit and always intended to come right back.

Discussion: The Week, Bloomberg Business, Hot Air and The Daily Beast

Jordain Carney / The Hill:

Senators endorse Iran sanctions in budget vote — Senators unanimously approved an amendment Thursday that backs bolstering sanctions against Iran if President Obama can't verify that the country is following a nuclear deal. — The wave of support came after the amendment, offered by Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), was amended.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Mark Kirk, Roll Call and Politico