memeorandum: California Democratic Party May Dump Its Progressive Caucus for Proposing a Primary Challenge to Obama (Davidswanson/War Is A Crime .org)

12:05 PM ET, August 14, 2011

Top Items:

Pawlenty Drops Out of Republican Race — Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, left, at Thursday's debate in Ames, Iowa, with Jon M. Huntsman Jr. and Newt Gingrich. — DES MOINES — Tim Pawlenty, the former governor of Minnesota, dropped his bid for the Republican nomination for president …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Washington Post, ThinkProgress, NO QUARTER, The Other McCain, New York Magazine, Balloon Juice, American Power and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Political Punch:

Pawlenty Drops Out of Presidential Race After Disappointing Straw Poll Finish — Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty is dropping out of the Republican presidential contest, after a disappointing third place finish in the Iowa Straw Poll yesterday. — “We needed to get some lift to continue …

Discussion: Minneapolis Star Tribune, Washington Post, Washington Monthly, Online NewsHour, Talking Points Memo, Swampland, Daily Kos, TPMDC, The Other McCain, Instapundit, The Political Carnival and The Daily Caller

Catalina Camia / USA Today:

Tim Pawlenty ends presidential campaign — Former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty said today he will end his campaign for the GOP presidential nomination. — Pawlenty informed his supporters in a conference call and then announced his decision on ABC's This Week.

Discussion: Firedoglake, RedState, The Politico, Towleroad News #gay and Conservatives4Palin

Chris Cillizza / Washington Post:

Michele Bachmann wins the Ames Straw Poll — Republican presidential candidate, Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., center, arrives at a breakfast before the GOP Ames Straw Poll in Ames, Iowa, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2011. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)AMES, Iowa — Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann scored …

Discussion: Mother Jones, msnbc.com, A plain blog about politics, The Huffington Post, ABCNEWS, Mediaite, Talking Points Memo, Hit & Run, The Politico, nation.foxnews.com, LewRockwell.com Blog, FiveThirtyEight and New York Magazine

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill:

Bachmann says she can win independents in general election — The morning after her win in the Ames straw poll, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) argued that she could appeal to independent and Democratic leaning voters in a general election and dismissed the challenge from new contender Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Discussion: Washington Monthly

Jon Ward / The Huffington Post:

Ames Win Positions Michele Bachmann As Rick Perry's Top Obstacle To Be Anti-Romney (VIDEO) … AMES, Iowa — Michele Bachmann is Rick Perry's main rival now in the battle to give Republicans a viable alternative to Mitt Romney. Tim Pawlenty's campaign is on life support.

The Politico:
Tim Pawlenty drops out of presidential race

Discussion: CNN, Runnin' Scared and The Caucus

Brian Bakst / Associated Press:
Ex-Minn. Gov. Tim Pawlenty ends White House bid

Discussion: Hot Air, Reuters, Betsy's Page, Outside the Beltway, Guardian, Michelle Malkin and 2012 Election Central

Michael D. Shear / The Caucus:
Bachmann Wins Iowa Straw Poll

Discussion: The Daily Dish, Right Wing News, CNN and Connecting.the.Dots

Des Moines / Iowa Caucuses:
Michele Bachmann wins Iowa Straw Poll

Discussion: The Other McCain, Bloomberg, Washington Post, Outside the Beltway, New York Times, The Politico and CNN

Molly Ball / The Politico:
Rick Perry's presidential run reorders 2012 landscape

Discussion: Booman Tribune, New York Magazine and Wake up America

Ramesh Ponnuru / Bloomberg:
Bachmann Wins Iowa, For Now: The Ticker

Discussion: The Other McCain, Don Surber and GOP 12

Frances Martel / Mediaite:
CNN's Don Lemon: Marcus Bachmann ‘Elbowed Me Into A Golf Cart’

Discussion: Raw Replay, The Note and The Moderate Voice

Fox News:
Perry Makes It Official: He's Running for President

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and 2012 Election Central

Ballot Box:
Bachmann wins Ames straw poll; Ron Paul takes second place

Discussion: The Hill, Weasel Zippers, Hot Air, GOP 12 and The Moderate Voice

CNN:
Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann wins Iowa straw poll

Discussion: Prairie Weather, The Note and Washington Monthly

Perry Bacon Jr / Washington Post:
Rick Perry announces he will join 2012 presidential field to challenge President Obama

Discussion: The Nation, Balloon Juice and Rick Perry for President

Ashley Parker / New York Times:
Promising Better Direction, Perry Enters Race

Discussion: The Politico, ABCNEWS, CNN, Erica Grieder, Reuters, McClatchy Washington Bureau, The Daily What, The Caucus, Salon, American Power, Newshoggers.com, Outside the Beltway, HotAirPundit and The Maddow Blog

Chicago Sun Times: Texas Gov. Perry jumps into 2012 Republican race

New York Times:

White House Debates Fight on Economy — WASHINGTON — As the economy worsens, President Obama and his senior aides are considering whether to adopt a more combative approach on economic issues, seeking to highlight substantive differences with Republicans in Congress and on the campaign trail rather …

Discussion: Economist's View, The Impolitic, The Strata-Sphere, Grasping Reality … and The Hill

Calculated Risk:

White House Debates Doing Little or Nothing — This is depressing ...from the NY Times: White House Debates Fight on Economy … Tax incentives are the “bigger idea”? It sounds like the debate is between doing nothing and doing very little. — If I arrived on the scene today …

Discussion: Paul Krugman, emptywheel, Clusterstock and Grasping Reality …

Charles Dameron / Wall Street Journal:

Rick Perry's Crony Capitalism Problem — The presidential candidate's signature economic development initiative has raised questions among conservatives. — Gov. Rick Perry's presidential pitch goes something like this: During one of the worst recessions in American history, he's kept his state “open for business.”

Discussion: Riehl World View

Davidswanson / War Is A Crime .org:

California Democratic Party May Dump Its Progressive Caucus for Proposing a Primary Challenge to Obama — On July 30th the Progressive Caucus of the California Democratic Party passed a resolution proposing that a primary challenge be offered to Obama next year.

Discussion: naked capitalism and Corrente

Mike Lillis / The Hill:

Clyburn hopes to use supercommittee post to tackle wealth gap — A leading House Democrat is hoping to use his prestigious seat on the deficit-cutting supercommittee to close the growing gully that divides the rich and the poor in America. — Rep. James Clyburn (S.C.) …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and The Lonely Conservative

JSOnline:

Prosser's recount got ample funding — Lawyer who worked on justice's behalf has case pending before court — By Patrick Marley of the Journal Sentinel — Madison - A Philadelphia philanthropist and his wife gave Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice David Prosser $100,000 this spring for his recount effort …

Discussion: Associated Press