memeorandum: Heilemann: Chelsea's Claim Sanders Would ‘Strip Millions’ of Health Insurance a ‘Lie’ (Mark Finkelstein/NewsBusters)

10:45 AM ET, January 14, 2016

Top Items:

Catherine Shoard / Guardian:

Alan Rickman, giant of British screen and stage, dies at 69 — Much-loved star of stage, TV and films including Harry Potter and Die Hard - and owner of one of the most singular voices in acting - has died in London — Alan Rickman, one of the best-loved and most warmly admired British actors …

Discussion: New York Times, CNN, Mediaite, WISH-TV, USA Today, NPR, Mashable, The Week, WDTN-TV, The Verge, CBS 4, WCDC-TV and Althouse

BBC:

Alan Rickman, Harry Potter and Die Hard actor, dies aged 69 — Actor Alan Rickman, known for films including Harry Potter, Die Hard and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, has died at the age of 69, his family has said. — The star had been suffering from cancer, a statement said.

Discussion: The Reality-Based Community, Mashable, Gizmodo and Jammie Wearing Fools

Brent Budowksy / The Hill:

Brent Budowsky: Why Clinton feels the burn — There is joy in the hearts of the army of small donors supporting Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) for president as a growing number of polls show increasing numbers of voters feeling the Bern in Iowa, New Hampshire and nationally.

Discussion: Bloomberg.com

Tony Leys / Des Moines Register:

Iowa Poll: Clinton slides, leads Sanders by 2 points — Hillary Clinton has lost most of her lead over Bernie Sanders in the race to win Iowa's Democratic presidential caucuses, a new Iowa Poll shows. — Clinton, who has been the favorite all along, now leads Sanders by just 2 percentage points …

Discussion: Washington Post, The Week, NBC News, Talking Points Memo and Mashable

The Nation:

Bernie Sanders for President — With integrity and principle, the Vermont senator is calling Americans to a political revolution. — By — Senator Bernie Sanders greets supporters at a campaign rally outside the New Hampshire State House on November 5, 2015. Reuters/Brian Snyder

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, CNNMoney, Vox, Washington Post, Politico and The Week

Mark Finkelstein / NewsBusters:

Heilemann: Chelsea's Claim Sanders Would ‘Strip Millions’ of Health Insurance a ‘Lie’ — Share it Tweet it — Proving that there is nothing and no one she won't sacrifice on the altar of her political ambition, Hillary Clinton today sent her daughter Chelsea out to smear Bernie Sanders …

Discussion: The Resurgent and Don Surber

CNN:
Bernie Sanders may break health care pledge

Discussion: RedState, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, ABC News, Politico, TaxVox, Bloomberg Business and New York Times

Margaret Talev / Bloomberg Business:
Sanders, Clinton Going Down to the Wire, Iowa Poll Shows

Discussion: Politico, Bloomberg View, Washington Times, Washington Post, FiveThirtyEight, Bloomberg.com, RedState, Fox News, Hot Air, Common Dreams and New York Times

MSNBC:
Hello from the other side: When 2016 reporters swapped beats

Discussion: Shakesville

Ezra Klein / Vox:
This is what makes Republicans and Democrats so different

Discussion: Taylor Marsh and The Moderate Voice

Mike McIntire / New York Times:

Ted Cruz Didn't Disclose Loan From Goldman Sachs for His First Senate Campaign — As Ted Cruz tells it, the story of how he financed his upstart campaign for the United States Senate four years ago is an endearing example of loyalty and shared sacrifice between a married couple.

Jesse Byrnes / The Hill:

South Carolina GOP chairman: Coulter's attack on Haley ‘despicable’ — The chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party on Wednesday blasted conservative commentator Ann Coulter for suggesting his state's governor, Nikki Haley, be deported. — “First off, what Ann Coulter said is despicable …

Discussion: Vox Popoli

Sara Jerde / Talking Points Memo:

Nikki Haley Dismisses SOTU Response Backlash: ‘I Stand By What I Believe’ — South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) said Wednesday that she stands by her GOP response to President Barack Obama's State of the Union address, in response to criticism from real estate mogul Donald Trump and some conservative pundits.

Discussion: Gawker, addictinginfo.org, Mother Jones, Vox, Mashable, USA Today, NPR and Daily Kos

Eliza Collins / Politico:

Nikki Haley walks back attacks on Bush and Rubio — Nikki Haley said late Wednesday that she had misspoken when she said that Marco Rubio was for “amnesty” and that Jeb Bush had passed Common Core, the controversial educational standards. — The South Carolina governor had to do some damage control …

Discussion: CNN, Shark Tank, RedState, Talking Points Memo and The Hill

Zeke J Miller / TIME:
South Carolina GOP Chair Blasts Coulter, Defends Haley

Discussion: TheBlaze.com and John Hawkins' Right Wing News

Andrew Kaczynski / BuzzFeed:
Carly Fiorina Slams Nikki Haley's Speech: “It Was The Wrong Note”

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Politico, Mediaite, Washington Post, The Resurgent, USA Today and Breitbart

Jordyn Phelps / ABC News:
Nikki Haley Tells Trump 'You Shouldn't Take These Things Personally'

Discussion: Steyn Online, Hot Air, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, The Resurgent and Politico

John Hinderaker / Power Line:

How Badly Has the U.S. Been Humiliated? Let's Count the Ways [Updated] — Paul has offered thoughts on the release of the U.S. sailors, all of which I agree with. I want to add a few further observations. — The day began with Joe Biden touting the president's State of the Union speech on CBS.

Discussion: Center for Security Policy and Commentary Magazine

David French / National Review:
Iran's Propaganda Victory in One Illegal Image

Reuters:
Iran frees U.S. sailors with start of nuclear deal in sight

Discussion: Daily Kos, Washington Free Beacon, The Week and The Right Scoop

Daniel W. Drezner / Washington Post:
Anatomy of a moment in macho foreign policy posturing

Discussion: The Week, Breitbart, Politico, Vox, Navy.mil The Official Website …, USNI News, War on the Rocks, Little Green Footballs, Outside the Beltway, The Gateway Pundit and Farsnews

Katie Glueck / Politico:

How Ted Cruz wins debates — Wolf Blitzer didn't think Ted Cruz had sufficiently answered his question. Neither did Hugh Hewitt. Or Maria Bartiromo. Or Dana Bash. So each moderator at the last two Republican debates pressed Cruz further. — “Yes or no?” Blitzer demanded.

Discussion: Political Wire and The Week

Alex Isenstadt / Politico:

5 things to watch in tonight's GOP debate — CHARLESTON, S.C. - Establishment Republicans are bracing themselves for a circular firing squad as the 2016 GOP candidates gather here for Thursday's debate. — A cluster of contenders in a fierce competition to command the mainstream GOP lane …

Streiff / RedState:

Ted Cruz Is Breaking Through the Establishment Firewall — Several times on RedState we've commented on how the GOP establishment seems to be poised to support and accept a Donald Trump candidacy if the alternative is Ted Cruz (here | here). What we are hearing comes mostly from the consultant/bottomfeeder class.

Discussion: Booman Tribune and New York Times

Alex Weprin / Politico:

Obama's final State of the Union address draws record-low TV audience — President Barack Obama's final State of the Union address drew 31.3 million viewers across 12 networks, marking a new record low in viewership, according to Nielsen. — More than 21 million people watched on the “big four” broadcast networks.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and Jammie Wearing Fools

Joe Pompeo / Politico:
Al Jazeera America shutting down

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, Al Jazeera English, CANNONFIRE, Hot Air, The Daily Caller, Washington Free Beacon, Mediaite, New York Times, RedState, Truth Revolt, FOX6Now.com, WTVR-TV, Washington Times, The Verge, The Week and Talking Points Memo, more at Mediagazer »

CNN:

Heart doctors outraged Florida dumps hospital standards after big gifts to GOP — (CNN)The state of Florida is putting thousands of children with heart defects at risk, a group of cardiac doctors say, because of a change in policy that came after Tenet Healthcare contributed $200,000 to Florida Republicans.

Discussion: addictinginfo.org, WWLP-TV and Raw Story

Betsy McCaughey / New York Post:

Looming setback for public unions would be a political earthquake — With Bush v. Gore, the Supreme Court took on the outcome of one election. But the case heard by the Supreme Court on Monday could affect elections for many years. — The justices' remarks during arguments …

Discussion: Betsy's Page