memeorandum: Our Economic Dilemma — Although it is too soon to tell whether … (Martin Feldstein/Wall Street Journal)

1:30 AM ET, February 21, 2008

Top Items:

For McCain, Self-Confidence on Ethics Poses Its Own Risk — WASHINGTON — Early in Senator John McCain's first run for the White House eight years ago, waves of anxiety swept through his small circle of advisers. — A female lobbyist had been turning up with him at fund-raisers, in his offices and aboard a client's corporate jet.

Washington Post:

McCain's Ties To Lobbyist Worried Aides — Before 2000 Campaign, Advisers Tried to Bar Her — Aides to Sen. John McCain confronted a telecommunications lobbyist in late 1999 and asked her to distance herself from the senator during the presidential campaign he was about to launch …

Discussion: JustOneMinute, The New Republic, Talking Points Memo, Crooks and Liars, Firedoglake, PERRspectives Blog and progressive involvement

Noam Scheiber / The New Republic:

Bonus TNR Angle on the McCain Story — The McCain campaign is apparently blaming TNR for forcing the Times' hand on this story. We can't yet confirm that. But we can say this: TNR correspondent Gabe Sherman is working on a piece about the Times' foot-dragging on the McCain story...

Discussion: protein wisdom

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

THE MCCAIN STORY — This afternoon, before the Times story came out, I was working on a post about national political reporters' tendency not to give much of any scrutiny to various McCain flipflops, contradictions and bamboozlements. Obviously, the terrain has changed a bit since …

Discussion: The New Republic, Eschaton and The RBC

Rich Lowry / The Corner:

First-Blush Reaction — The Times doesn't have the goods—at least from what's in the story—and shouldn't have run it. Let's be honest: this story is all about the alleged affair, and all the Keating Five and campaign finance reform re-hash is window dressing. A key passage:

Discussion: The New Republic

Noam Scheiber / The New Republic:

McCain Bombshell — About two-thirds of one anyway. See here. — Some key passages: … The story reads to me like it had originally been much more ambitious, but had its guts ripped out somewhere along the way. The obvious question is whether those guts will ever trickle out now that this story has surfaced.

Allahpundit / Hot Air:

NYT: McCain may have behaved unethically and cheated on his wife, but we're not sure; Update: Pressured by the New Republic? Update: McCain responds; Update: Carl Cameron video added; Update: TNR confirms? Update: WaPo piles on — A sex scandal that may not be a scandal tucked inside …

Discussion: Gateway Pundit and The Sundries Shack

Jeralyn / TalkLeft:

McCain Slams NY Times Article Linking Him to Female Lobbyist — Bump and Update: McCain releases a statement condemning the New York Times article. Olbermann read it really fast but I didn't hear any denial of the allegations pertaining to the female lobbyist. — Update: Salon has more.

Marc Ambinder:

McCain/Lobbyist Story In The New York Times Finally Drops — There's lots of fairly well-reported innuendo about a lobbyist named Vicki Iseman and a well-written recapitulation of the case against McCain as a good judge of optics... ... but nothing to suggest that McCain compromised his political principles.

Discussion: protein wisdom, Taegan Goddard's … and Atlas Shrugs

Logan Murphy / Crooks and Liars:
Countdown: McCain In Bed With Lobbyist. No, Really In Bed With Lobbyist

Discussion: Firedoglake

David Kurtz / Talking Points Memo:
MCCAIN CAMPAIGN ISSUES STATEMENT

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias and D-Day

RADAR: WAS JOHN MCCAIN GETTING ‘LOBBIED’ BY A WOMAN 30 YEARS HIS JUNIOR?

Will / Attytood:
McCain's lobbyist friend: “A View from the Top”

Discussion: Wonkette

Sara Just / Political Radar:
McCain Campaign Responds Angrily to Report Questioning Ethics

Discussion: TIME: Swampland, Pam's House Blend, Daily Kos and Commentary

Jonathan Martin / The Politico:
NYT prints allegation of McCain relationship

Discussion: TownHall Blog, protein wisdom and Macsmind

Texas Senator Kirk Watson:

MSNBC and Me — On Tuesday night, after an important and historic victory in the Wisconsin Presidential Primary by Senator Barack Obama, I appeared on the MSNBC post-election program. “Hardball” host Chris Matthews (who is, it turns out, as ferocious as they say), began grilling me on Senator Obama's legislative record.

Hilzoy / The Daily Dish:
Dear Chris Matthews: Please Do Your Job

Discussion: Weekly Standard, The Swamp, Talking Points Memo, UrbanGrounds and The Democratic Daily

David Kurtz / Talking Points Memo: VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED

Media Matters for America:

O'Reilly: “I don't want to go on a lynching party against Michelle Obama unless there's evidence, hard facts, that say this is how the woman really feels" — During the February 19 edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, Bill O'Reilly took a call from a listener who said of Michelle Obama …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Crooks and Liars, Los Angeles Times, Talking Points Memo, Shakespeare's Sister, Taylor Marsh, The Agitator, Wonkette, Pam's House Blend, Daily Kos and Associated Press

CNN:

Michelle Obama clarifies: I've always loved my country — (CNN) - Michelle Obama said Wednesday she has always loved America, seeking to quell the firestorm over her comment earlier in the week that seemed to suggest she is only now proud to be an American.

Discussion: GINA COBB, Spin Cycle and PERRspectives Blog

Jill Miller Zimon / The Moderate Voice: Joe was right: the talking heads are out of control

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:

Clinton's Blueprint — A trio of senior advisers to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (N.Y.) presidential campaign held a conference call this afternoon to lay out what they believe is a blueprint that — over the next two weeks — will restore the race for the nomination to rough parity between …

Discussion: Power Line and Wonkette

Mike Allen / The Politico:
Obama camp slams Clinton ‘lunacy’

Discussion: Power Line

Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:
The Establishment Reaction To Obama

Discussion: Associated Press

ABCNEWS:
Bill Clinton: Texas Could Be Hillary's Last Stand

Discussion: Political Radar and TalkLeft

Robert Burns / Associated Press:

Navy Missile Hits Spy Satellite — WASHINGTON (AP) - A missile launched from a Navy ship successfully struck a dying U.S. spy satellite passing 130 miles over the Pacific on Wednesday, a defense official said. Full details were not immediately available. — It happened just after 10:30 p.m. EST.

Discussion: Redstate and Jules Crittenden

CNN:
Military sources: Dying spy satellite hit by missile

Discussion: AngryBlackBitch and The Foundry

Sarah Lyall / New York Times:

Use of Private Care Tests British Health System — LONDON — Created 60 years ago as a cornerstone of the British welfare state, the National Health Service is devoted to the principle of free medical care for everyone. But recently it has been wrestling with a problem its founders never anticipated …

Discussion: protein wisdom, Democracy Project, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Megan McArdle and Redstate

Thomas W. / tbo.com:

TIA Passenger Had Box Cutter In Hollowed-Out Book — A security officer at Tampa International Airport found a box cutter hidden in a hollowed-out book on Sunday. — TAMPA — A 21-year-old Clearwater man was arrested at Tampa International Airport this weekend after security personnel found …

Discussion: Power Line, Captain's Quarters, Atlas Shrugs, michellemalkin.com, Wake up America and Jihad Watch

Spiegel Online:

Danish Caricaturist of Muhammad Fame Now Homeless — Two years ago Kurt Westergaard was in his Copenhagen home drawing pictures. One of them was of the Muslim prophet, Muhammad. Now Westergaard is homeless. — Draw a picture offensive to Muslim extremists, and you might find yourself without a roof.

Discussion: Hot Air, The Jawa Report and Captain's Quarters