memeorandum: Potential Shift in Hostage Policy: Officials to Recommend Families Be Free to Pay Ransom (ABC News)

9:25 AM ET, April 27, 2015

Top Items:

John Hinderaker / Power Line:

Our Mean-Spirited President Cuts Loose — There has been quite a bit of news coverage of this year's White House Correspondents' Dinner. Don't ask me why. The annual lovefest between Democratic politicians and Democratic journalists hasn't generated any actual news in a long time.

Discussion: Taylor Marsh and Balloon Juice

Byron York / Washington Examiner:

At correspondents dinner, Obama lets second-term anger out — Depending on your perspective, President Obama's performance at the White House Correspondents Dinner Saturday night was either funny or filled with rage. Or perhaps it was funny about being filled with rage.

Discussion: RedState

Domenico Montanaro / NPR: 8 Obama Jokes That Stood Out From The White House Correspondents Dinner

John Fund / National Review:

Are Democratic Insiders Starting to Panic about Hillary? — Washington, D.C. — The annual White House Correspondent's Dinner is indeed — as President Obama put it last night — “where Washington celebrates itself.” Little real news is ever made, but Beltway media, politicians …

Betsy McCaughey / New York Post:

Hillary actually warned us about Clinton Foundation scandals — At her 2009 confirmation hearing, Hillary bucked requests to restrict foundation fundraising. — Contrary to what is widely reported, the Clinton Foundation never agreed to stop raising money from foreign governments while Hillary Clinton was secretary of state.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, The Federalist, Betsy's Page and BREITBART.COM

Isabel Vincent / New York Post:
Charity watchdog: Clinton Foundation a ‘slush fund’

Discussion: Power Line, The Daily Caller, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, BizPac Review, The Last Refuge and Clinton Foundation

Evan McMurry / Mediaite:
Stephanopoulos Challenges Clinton Cash Author: ‘Is There a Smoking Gun?’

Discussion: CANNONFIRE, FOX News Radio, Liberaland and The Last Refuge

Josh Rogin / Bloomberg View:

George W. Bush Bashes Obama on Middle East — In a closed-door meeting with Jewish Donors Saturday night, former President George W. Bush delivered his harshest public criticisms to date against his successor on foreign policy, saying that President Barack Obama is being naïve about Iran …

Discussion: New York Times, Fox News, BizPac Review, “The Lid”, Israel Matzav and Hit & Run

Maggie Haberman / New York Times:

Gay Businessman Who Hosted Cruz Event Apologizes — Ian Reisner, one of the two gay hoteliers facing boycott calls for hosting an event for Senator Ted Cruz, who is adamantly opposed to gay marriage, apologized to the gay community for showing “poor judgment.”

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Hot Air, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Ian Reisner, RedState, Talking Points Memo, Advocate, The Week, Gothamist, Politico and Mondoweiss

Adam Nagourney / New York Times:
G.O.P. Struggling With Shifts on Gay Marriage

Discussion: Daily Kos

Mark Hensch / The Hill:

Cruz warns of ‘liberal fascism’ targeting Christians — Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Saturday said Democrats had gone to extremes in their persecution of Christians. — “Today's Democratic Party has decided there is no room for Christians in today's Democratic Party,” he said at the Iowa Faith …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Moderate Voice, Joe. My. God., FOX News Radio and The Week

Burgess Everett / Politico:

Foes of Iran deal take aim in Senate — Sen. Marco Rubio and other foes of a nuclear deal with Iran are readying several poison-pill amendments — some of which could have broad appeal — aimed at unraveling the bipartisan compromise endorsed by President Barack Obama.

Discussion: Political Wire

Ryan Lizza / New Yorker:

The Virtual Candidate — Elizabeth Warren isn't running, but she's Hillary Clinton's biggest Democratic threat. … “Might I suggest a full-bodied white?” — BUY THE PRINT » … “This seems like a lot of work for one lost contact.” — BUY THE PRINT »

Juan Williams / The Hill:

Democrats must show unions tough love on trade — In love affairs, sentimental feelings are welcome. In Washington politics, however, they lead to pandering. And pandering is the only way to explain why most Congressional Democrats remain opposed to a new foreign trade deal.

Nate Cohn / New York Times:

How to Read the Ups and Downs of Polling in the G.O.P. Race — The polling roller coaster, as FiveThirtyEight's Harry Enten put it, has begun. One week the headline is “Ted Cruz Surging in Polls.” Three weeks later, it's “Marco Rubio Surges to Front of G.O.P. Pack.”

Discussion: Bloomberg View, CNN, Wall Street Journal, Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times and Democratic Strategist

Paul Caron / TaxProf Blog:

The Plight Of A Christian Professor At An Elite Law School — Rod Dreher, The Post-Indiana Future for Christians: — I spent a long time on the phone last night with a law professor at one of the country's elite law schools. This professor is a practicing Christian, deeply closeted in the workplace …

Discussion: ProfessorBainbridge.com

Ric Anderson / LasVegasSun.com:

The big lie: Las Vegan watches as his Reid tale takes off — A Las Vegas man claims he started a false rumor that the injuries suffered by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid several months ago were the result of an attack by Reid's brother, not an exercise accident.