memeorandum: I am shaken to my bones by the e-mails, texts, postings … (Ian Reisner/Facebook)

1:30 PM 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, Balloon Juice and Washington Post

Ezra Klein / Vox:

The joke was that Obama wasn't joking — The White House Correspondents' Dinner has become a strange event. It is, ostensibly, an evening when the president and the press can come together to share a few lighthearted laughs. But it's evolved into a recital of brutal truths — albeit one neither side ever really admits happened.

Discussion: Progress Pond, Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times, Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality, Bloomberg Business and ThinkProgress, more at Mediagazer »

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: Washington Post, RedState, Horizons and CANNONFIRE

Ian Reisner / Facebook:

I am shaken to my bones by the e-mails, texts, postings and phone calls of the past few days. I made a terrible mistake. I was ignorant, naive and much too quick in accepting a request to co-host a dinner with Cruz at my home without taking the time to completely understand all of his positions on gay rights.

Discussion: Bloomberg Business, Business Insider, OnPolitics, Yahoo Politics, The Daily Caller, John Hawkins' Right Wing News and Talking Points Memo

Maggie Haberman / New York Times:

Gay Businessman Who Hosted Ted 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 same-sex marriage, said he had shown “poor judgment.”

Discussion: Liberaland, Talking Points Memo, Hit & Run, Politico, Washington Post, Trail Blazers Blog, Advocate, Hot Air, Mediaite, RedState, Political Wire, The Week and Patterico's Pontifications

Maggie Haberman / New York Times:
Gay Businessman Who Hosted Cruz Event Apologizes

Discussion: Washington Post, Patterico's Pontifications, Mediaite, The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit, The PJ Tatler, Gothamist and Mondoweiss

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, The Moderate Voice, Mediaite, Israel Matzav, Hot Air, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Business Insider, Fox News, Taylor Marsh, Scared Monkeys, BizPac Review, FOX News Radio, “The Lid” and Hit & Run

New York Times:
In Rare Remarks, George W. Bush Argues Against the Lifting of Iran Sanctions

Discussion: Bloomberg Business, Algemeiner.com and Washington Free Beacon

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 …

Discussion: Washington Monthly

Betsy McCaughey / New York Post:
Hillary actually warned us about Clinton Foundation scandals

Discussion: Guardian, The Huffington Post, Business Insider and Betsy's Page

Glenn Harlan Reynolds / USA Today:
Clinton's troubles net winners and losers: Column

Discussion: Hit & Run, The Federalist, No More Mister Nice Blog, Business Insider and The Week

CBS News:

Race to rescue climbers trapped on Everest — Shares - — First the earth heaved and shook, then a huge avalanche thundered toward the sprawling Mount Everest base camp. — German climber Jost Kobusch and his companions managed to take cover, capturing the harrowing incident on video, but at least 17 others died.

Discussion: Hot Air and The Daily Caller

BBC:
Nepal earthquake: Death toll rises above 3,000

Discussion: The Daily Caller and Poynter.

USA Today:
Mount Everest avalanche survivor: ‘I had to survive’

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon

Annie Gowen / Washington Post:
Climbers trapped on Mount Everest ‘are getting desperate’

Discussion: Daily Kos, The Huffington Post, Climb Your Everest, Wall Street Journal and The Week

Jennifer Schuessler / New York Times:

Six PEN Members Decline Gala After Award for Charlie Hebdo — The decision by PEN American Center to give its annual Freedom of Expression Courage award to the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo has prompted six writers to withdraw as literary hosts at the group's annual gala on May 5 …

Discussion: Guardian, Associated Press, PEN American Center, Weekly Standard, Mediaite, The Week, American Spectator, The Intercept, Spectator, The PJ Tatler and NPR, more at Mediagazer »

Glenn Greenwald / The Intercept:
Read the Letters and Comments of PEN Writers Protesting the Charlie Hebdo Award

Discussion: Common Dreams, Hit & Run and Mediaite

Washington Post:

Never before have so many people with so much money run for president — The 2016 Republican presidential contest, designed to be a tidy affair, is instead shaping up to be a chaotic, drawn-out slog, thanks largely to an expanding pool of rich patrons raining money on a broad field of candidates.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Daily Kos and ABC News

Taegan Goddard / The Week:
Can America's politics be unbundled from America's political parties?

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money, Washington Monthly and Political Wire

Washington Post:
Jeb Bush tells his donors they've helped make history

Discussion: New York Times

Lydia Wheeler / The Hill:

Historic ruling expected as SCOTUS takes up gay marriage — The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments this week in a landmark gay marriage case that many legal experts believe will pave the way for same-sex couples to wed in all 50 states. — Same sex-marriage has been the subject …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and The Daily Beast

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

Discussion: Des Moines Register, Daily Kos, Bloomberg Business and Washington Post

Caitlin MacNeal / Talking Points Memo:

Ted Cruz: ‘Liberal Fascism’ Threatens ‘Religious Freedom’ — Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Saturday criticized Democrats for attacking religious freedom and alienating Christians in the U.S. — “Today's Democratic Party has decided there is no room for Christians in today's Democratic Party,” …

Discussion: US News, Shakesville and Washington Post

Mark Hensch / The Hill:
Cruz warns of ‘liberal fascism’ targeting Christians

Discussion: Raw Story, Joe. My. God., The Moderate Voice, FOX News Radio, Politico and The Week

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 »

Discussion: Business Insider, Mediaite and Prairie Weather

Des Moines Register:

Last Slide — When I came to Iowa, I wanted to do something a little different. No big speeches or rallies. Just talking directly with everyday Iowans. Because this campaign isn't going to be about me, it's going to be about Iowans and people across our country who are ready for a better future.

Discussion: Washington Post, Mediaite and Hot Air

USA Today:

Let ‘free range’ kids roam home: Our view — In Maryland, it's hard to tell exactly where the law stops and parenting begins. — Two Sundays ago, Danielle and Alexander Meitiv of Montgomery County, Md., got a call from Child Protective Services. Police had taken their two children …

Evan McMurry / Mediaite:

Man Claims He Concocted Story of Harry Reid Getting Beaten Up to Test Media Gullibility — A Las Vegas man told the Las Vegas Sun he concocted a story about Harry Reid getting beaten up by his brother to test right-wing media gullibility, which he claimed worked like a charm.

Discussion: FOX News Radio, Power Line and Liberaland