memeorandum: The Constitution Needs Your Help Today (Christy Hardin Smith/Firedoglake)

5:55 PM ET, September 18, 2007

Top Items:

Student tasered at John Kerry forum Update: A University of Florida student/eyewitness shares what he saw; 12:15 pm Eastern 9/18 update: Another UF student speaks; Update: UF president schedules 2pm press conference...plus: Andrew Meyer, professional taunter — Update 3:10pm Eastern 9/18.

Nick Antosca / The Huffington Post:

Kerry Should be Ashamed, and the Cop Who Tased Andrew Meyer Should be Jailed — By now I'm sure you've seen the videos of University of Florida student Andrew Meyer being attacked and tasered by university police at a John Kerry speaking event. If not, here's one, here's another, and here's another.

Discussion: GainesvilleSun.com, Preemptive Karma, Galley Slaves and Hot Air

Rick Klein / Political Radar:

Kerry Condemns Heckler Arrest — ABC News' Rick Klein Reports: Sen. John Kerry on Tuesday comdemned the arrest of a University of Florida student at one of his speeches, saying that he was engaged in a "good healthy discussion" with 21-year-old Andrew Meyer when he was Tasered and taken into custody.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, The BRAD BLOG, Liberal Values, The Carpetbagger Report, Pandagon and The Raw Story

Associated Press:

Student Zapped With Taser Caught On Tape — Florida Student Who Questioned John Kerry To Be In Court — GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A University of Florida student was Tasered and arrested after trying to ask U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., about the 2004 election and other subjects during a campus forum.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, The Democratic Daily, Attytood, Truthdig and Neptunus Lex

Mike Carney / On Deadline:
Cops Taser student who questioned John Kerry

Discussion: Washington Wire, Shakespeare's Sister, Los Angeles Times, Blast Off!, FRAMESHOP, The Sideshow, The Huffington Post, Wake up America, The Democratic Daily and Wizbang

Michael Goldfarb / Weekly Standard:
"Don't Tase Me Bro" — Michelle Malkin has the most comprehensive …

Discussion: Daily Pundit and Balloon Juice

Christy Hardin Smith / Firedoglake:

The Constitution Needs Your Help Today — Let's hit the phones this morning, people. The Habeas Restoration Act is being put forth again — by Sens. Leahy and Dodd, among others — and they are asking for our help. Please call your Senators this morning and tell them to support Amendment S. 2202 …

Discussion: The Newshoggers, Washington Post, Think Progress, Crooks and Liars, The Carpetbagger Report, TalkLeft, Macsmind, The Impolitic, Taylor Marsh, SWJ Blog, D-Day, Chris Dodd National Blog and WorkingForChange

Christy Hardin Smith / Firedoglake:
Please Continue Making Calls To Restore Habeas

Discussion: MyDD, the albany project, techPresident, Chris Dodd National Blog, My Left Nutmeg, Open Left, Cliff Schecter, SamSederShow.com and Lean Left

Noah Shachtman / Danger Room:

Iraq Diary: Jammers Beat Bombers (Which May Be Bad News) — Radio-controlled bombs used to be the biggest killer of American troops in Iraq. Now, they've been rendered all-but-useless. Good news, right? Like so much else in Iraq, it's not quite that simple.

Discussion: American Prospect, Washington Monthly, Weekly Standard, The Atlantic Online and Total Information Awareness

CREW:

CREW releases "Beyond DeLay: The 22 Most Corrupt Members of Congress (and two to watch)" — Today, CREW released its third annual report on the most corrupt members of Congress entitled Beyond DeLay: The 22 Most Corrupt Members of Congress (and two to watch).

Discussion: Think Progress, MoJoBlog, The BRAD BLOG and AMERICAblog

Karl Rove / Opinion Journal:

Republicans Can Win on Health Care — A market-based system can give us freedom, innovation and health security. — All around America, families are grappling with health-care concerns. They wonder if they'll have insurance at a price they can afford. They worry about how much out-of …

Discussion: JustOneMinute, USA Today, JammieWearingFool, Three Sources, Cato Institute and PrestoPundit

Beth Fouhy / Associated Press:
AP Interview: Clinton on health care

Discussion: The Corner

Mary Beth Sheridan / Washington Post:

D.C. Vote Bill Dies in Senate — Republican lawmakers today blocked the Senate from taking up the D.C. voting rights bill, dealing a major blow to the District's most promising effort in years to get a full member of Congress. — The vote was merely on whether to begin action on the bill.

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, DownWithTyranny!, The Gate, Wake up America and Wonkette

Jonathan Stein / MoJoBlog:
DC Representation Fails in Senate, Mitch McConnell Explains Himself to Space Aliens

Discussion: Think Progress and Open Left

Bryan / Hot Air:

Hot Air TV: Rep. Jack Murtha confronted about Haditha accusations Updated — We've just obtained video of Rep. Jack Murtha being directly confronted over repeatedly accusing the Haditha Marines of murdering Iraqis "in cold blood." I'm editing and processing it now, so we should have it online before too long.

Discussion: The Jawa Report, The Hill, Redstate, Jeff Gannon, protein wisdom, JammieWearingFool and Gateway Pundit

Gallup Poll:

Giuliani still leads GOP race; Thompson in second place — PRINCETON, NJ — Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani continues to lead the national race for the Republican presidential nomination, although his support has faded to one of its lowest readings of the year.

Discussion: Hot Air, Pollster.com and National Review

Kathy Barks Hoffman / Associated Press:
AP NewsBreak: Attorney general to quit as McCain's campaign chair

Discussion: TPM Election Central and D-Day

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System:

For immediate release — The Federal Open Market Committee decided today to lower its target for the federal funds rate 50 basis points to 4-3/4 percent. — Economic growth was moderate during the first half of the year, but the tightening of credit conditions has the potential to intensify …

Discussion: PrestoPundit

Eric Boehlert / Media Matters for America:

MoveOn.org and the media mess — Last Monday, on the same day that Gen. David Petraeus was testifying before Congress about how important progress was being made in Iraq, the Pentagon announced that nine American service members had died that day in Iraq. Given the death toll to date …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Eschaton and rubber hose

Greg Sargent / TPM Election Central:

Poll: Percentage Favoring Withdrawal Has Gone Slightly Up Since Petraeus Show — A new poll from CBS News finds that The Petraeus Show failed to budge public opinion on Iraq. — Indeed, the number favoring withdrawal actually edged slightly upwards since the Scholar Warrior testified before Congress …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Associated Press, Talking Points Memo, Hullabaloo, DownWithTyranny!, Donklephant, The Carpetbagger Report, D-Day, Democratic National Committee and Hot Air

Horses Mouth:

Glenn Greenwald and Atrios have already taken solid whacks today at the media idiocy surrounding the GOP attack on Dems for not condemning MoveOn's Petraeus ad. But the worst media offender by far has to be The Washington Post's Richard Cohen. — Incredibly, Cohen today devotes an entire column …

Discussion: JustOneMinute, Eschaton, The Corner and Booman Tribune

Dominic Gates / Seattle Times:

Fired engineer calls 787's plastic fuselage unsafe — A former senior aerospace engineer at Boeing's Phantom Works research unit, fired last year under disputed circumstances, is going public with concerns that the new 787 Dreamliner is unsafe. — Forty-six-year veteran Vince Weldon contends …