memeorandum: Charleston and the Age of Obama (David Remnick/New Yorker)

6:50 PM ET, June 19, 2015

Top Items:

Daniel Arkin / NBC News:

Shooter Almost Backed Out Because ‘Everyone Was So Nice’ — Dylann Roof, the man accused of gunning down nine parishioners at a historically black church in Charleston, South Carolina, has been charged with nine counts of murder and illegal weapons possession, police said.

Discussion: fox8.com, Washington Post, American Spectator, TODAY.com, Talking Points Memo, Mashable, Power Line, WBAY-TV, FOX6Now.com, FOX31 Denver, Raw Story, Bloomberg Business, Guardian, Daily Mail, NPR, Mediaite and New York Times

Ed Payne / CNN:

Story highlights — (CNN)[Breaking news update at 7:27 a.m. ET] — Dylann Roof has confessed to authorities to shooting and killing nine people this week at a historically black church in Charleston, South Carolina, two law enforcement officials said Friday.

Brian Tashman / Right Wing Watch:

Rick Perry: Charleston Shooting An ‘Accident’ Due To Drug Use, Manipulated By Obama To Ban Guns — In an interview today with Steve Malzberg of Newsmax, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry described the mass shooting at an African American church in Charleston earlier this week as an “accident” …

Discussion: Raw Story, Guardian, The Huffington Post, Daily Kos, The Bob and Chez Show and Business Insider

Tierney Sneed / Talking Points Memo:

Jeb Bush: 'I Don't Know' If Charleston Shooting Was Racially Motivated — As more becomes clear about the motives of the man believed to be behind the Charleston church shooting, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush was hesitant to connect Dylann Storm Roof's alleged actions to any racial prejudice.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Daily Beast, Yahoo Politics, Daily Kos, Guardian, No More Mister Nice Blog and Fox News

Erick Erickson / RedState:

The Conversation We Won't Have — Dylann Roof appears more evil than disturbed. Perhaps he had mental health issues. But at some point we just need to call him evil. White supremacy and segregation are evils. He appears to have believed in both. People who believe in white supremacy …

Discussion: Advocate

Liz Kreutz / ABC News:

Hillary Clinton Suggests Donald Trump-Like Comments Can ‘Trigger’ Events Like Charleston … Hillary Clinton didn't call The Donald out by name, but she suggested in an interview Thursday that comments like ones the real estate tycoon-turned-Republican presidential candidate made during …

Discussion: Hinterland Gazette, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, BizPac Review, Bloomberg Business and Mediaite

Jesse Byrnes / The Hill:

Lindsey Graham defends Confederate flag: ‘It works here’ — Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican presidential candidate, on Friday said the Confederate flag is part of the heritage of his home state of South Carolina, rebuffing calls for it to be taken down after a mass shooting in the state.

Discussion: Mother Jones, Outside the Beltway, CNN, The Week, msnbc.com, Washington Post and ABC News

David Remnick / New Yorker:

Charleston and the Age of Obama — Between 1882 and 1968, the year Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated, three thousand four hundred and forty-six black men, women, and children were lynched in this country—a practice so vicious and frequent that Mark Twain was moved, in 1901 …

Discussion: New York Times, Washington Post, The Federalist and Balloon Juice

Post and Courier:

Despite mourning, statehouse Confederate battle flag remains at full staff — The Confederate flag flying at the Statehouse in Columbia became part of the Charleston church shooting story Thursday after the U.S. and South Carolina flags were lowered in mourning but the rebel banner was left flying at its full height.

Discussion: Washington Post, Salon, Slantpoint, New York Times, Washington Monthly, Taylor Marsh, PoliticusUSA, Hinterland Gazette, Political Insider blog and NBC News

Justin Wm / Washington Post:
Why South Carolina's Confederate flag isn't at half-mast after church shooting

Jeff Guo / Washington Post:
The legal loophole that allowed Dylann Roof to get a gun

Discussion: New York Times, The Federalist, Hit & Run, Daily Kos, The Gateway Pundit, Hot Air, Talking Points Memo and National Review

Scott Eric Kaufman / Salon:
Lindsey Graham: The Confederate flag is “part of who we are” in South Carolina — even if “it's a racist symbol”

Discussion: Agence France-Presse, Right Wing Watch and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Wall Street Journal:
The Charleston Shooting — An echo of 52 years ago, but also a crucial difference.

Discussion: myfox8.com, Daily Kos, Hullabaloo, Talking Points Memo and Balloon Juice

New York Times:
In Charleston, Raw Emotion at Hearing for Suspect in Church Shooting

Discussion: theGrio, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Stranger …, Slantpoint and ABC News

Colin Campbell / Business Insider:
Rick Perry's campaign says he misspoke about Charleston shooting

Discussion: Mediaite and Salon

ABC News:
Dylann Roof's Uncle Would ‘Push Button’ Himself If Nephew Receives Death Penalty

Discussion: Slantpoint, The Huffington Post, Mashable, Daily Mail, Hinterland Gazette, The Moderate Voice, Guardian and Outside the Beltway

Washington Post:
For accused killer Dylann Roof, a life that had quietly drifted off track

Discussion: CNN, Associated Press, The Other McCain, Shakesville, CBS Atlanta, Talking Points Memo, Wall Street Journal, The Daily Caller, Daily Mail and The Daily Beast

The Huffington Post:
The Confederate Flag Isn't Budging From South Carolina's Capitol — Because It's Protected Under State Law

Discussion: Vox, Newsweek, Hit & Run, Slantpoint, ThinkProgress, Daily Kos, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Bloomberg View and Booman Tribune

Ali Dukakis / ABC News:
Lindsey Graham Says SC Church Shooting Suspect Dylann Roof Was His Niece's Classmate

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Hit & Run, CNN, Slantpoint, Raw Story, The Intercept, The Huffington Post and Mediaite

The Huffington Post:
Jeb Bush: 'I Don't Know What Was On The Mind' Of Charleston Shooter

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Infowars, Slantpoint, Washington Post, Mediaite, Guardian, Daily Kos, Raw Story, Florida Today, WESH-TV, Reuters, Mashable and ThinkProgress

Beth Reinhard / Wall Street Journal:

Jeb Bush Makes Surprise Pick for Political Director — For the second time in less than two weeks, Jeb Bush is shuffling the top tier of his 2016 campaign staff. — The job of political director - expected to go to Kentucky-based consultant Scott Jennings - will instead be filled by David James …

Alex Isenstadt / Politico:
Operation Replace Jeb Bush

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money, New York Times and Washington Monthly

Paul Krugman / New York Times:
Voodoo, Jeb! Style

Discussion: Vox Popoli

Ed Kilgore / Washington Monthly:

Ballot Access Problem For Bernie Sanders? — In what I assume is a moment of mischief, former NH Republican congressman Charlie Bass has penned a WaPo op-ed suggesting that Bernie Sanders' robust poll numbers in NH may not matter because he will not be elgible to run for president in the Granite State as a Democrat.

Discussion: Democratic Strategist

Katie Glueck / Politico:
Insiders: Marco Rubio has an Obama problem

Discussion: Bloomberg Business and Political Wire

Charles F. Bass / Washington Post: Bernie Sanders's primary problem

David Nakamura / Washington Post:

In L.A., Obama addresses Washington's dysfunction: ‘I did not say I would fix it’ — BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — President Obama wrapped up a day he began with an angry and frustrated reaction to the mass killings in Charleston, S.C., by acknowledging that he has been unable to change the culture …

Discussion: Political Insider blog, RedState, Hot Air, The Daily Caller and Moe Lane

Allison Sherry / Star Tribune:

Michele Bachmann is still in a race - for money — Fundraising goes on, and so does her spending. — U.S. Rep.Michele Bachmann spoke to family, friends and supporters during a tribute at Monticello High Friday, April 11, 2014, in Monticello, MN. — TEXT SIZE

Discussion: Washington Monthly and Daily Kos

Nadia Khomami / Guardian:

Stowaway fell to death from plane on to London office after 8,000-mile flight — Body of man discovered on office below Heathrow flight path in Richmond, while another is in hospital in serious condition after surviving flight from South Africa — A suspected stowaway has been found …

Discussion: NPR, The Daily Caller, Fox News Insider and Mashable

Rosie Gray / BuzzFeed:

Here's The Video A Tea Party Group Made That Implies Oral Sex Between A Panda And Hillary Clinton — WASHINGTON — BuzzFeed News has obtained parts of the video produced by Tea Party group FreedomWorks several years ago that features two female interns dressed up as a panda bear and Hillary Clinton …

Discussion: Politico, Wall Street Journal and Hit & Run