memeorandum: Five Former U.S. Secretaries Of State: ‘Talk To Iran’ (M. Duss/Wonk Room)

1:45 PM ET, September 16, 2008

Top Items:

Jonathan Martin / The Politico:

Holtz-Eakin: McCain helped create BlackBerry — Asked what work John McCain did as Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee that helped him understand the financial markets, the candidate's top economic adviser wielded visual evidence: his BlackBerry. — “He did this,” Douglas Holtz-Eakin …

Discussion: The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, The Swamp, Matthew Yglesias, AMERICAblog News, Guardian, unbossed.com, Daily Kos, Jack & Jill Politics, MoJoBlog, D-Day, Brilliant at Breakfast, MSNBC, The Marathon Blog, Talking Points Memo, Oliver Willis, TIME.com and They gave us a republic

Associated Press:

Adviser says McCain helped create the BlackBerry — MIAMI (AP) — Move over, Al Gore. You may lay claim to the Internet, but John McCain helped create the BlackBerry. — At least that's the contention of a top McCain policy adviser, Douglas Holtz-Eakin.

Discussion: The RBC, Change of Subject and Wonkette

Washington Wire:
BlackBerry, ‘The Miracle John McCain Helped Create,’ Holtz-Eakin Says

Discussion: Editor and Publisher and Pam's House Blend

Amanda / Think Progress:
McCain Adviser: McCain ‘Helped Create’ The Blackberry

Discussion: Wonk Room and MSNBC

Wall Street Journal:

Why Obama's Health Plan Is Better — The big threat to growth in the next decade is not oil or food prices, but the rising cost of health care. The doubling of health insurance premiums since 2000 makes employers choose between cutting benefits and hiring fewer workers.

Discussion: Buck Naked Politics, D-Day, Grasping Reality …, EconLog and JustOneMinute

Bob Herbert / New York Times:

McCain's Radical Agenda — Talk about a shock to the system. Has anyone bothered to notice the radical changes that John McCain and Sarah Palin are planning for the nation's health insurance system? — These are changes that will set in motion nothing less than the dismantling …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Washington Monthly, Wonk Room, Taylor Marsh, Brilliant at Breakfast, Obsidian Wings, Stop The ACLU, JammieWearingFool and Liberal Values

Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
The Difference on Health Care

Discussion: Outside The Beltway

Jonathan Cohn / The New Republic:
The Essence of McCain's Health Plan: Don't Get Sick

Discussion: American Prospect

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:

Obama's character assassins target another National Review journalist — David Freddoso attempted to appear on Milt Rosenberg's WGN radio show last night, and just as when Stanley Kurtz tried to talk on the same show, the Barack Obama campaign organized a disruption of the show.

Discussion: Mother, May I Sleep …, Cold Fury, Balloon Juice and QandO

Ramesh Ponnuru / The Corner:

The Case Against David Freddoso — Via our Media Blog, I checked out the Obama campaign's alleged factsheet on Freddoso. Its accusations against him are almost all either false or trivial. — The first three accusations are all false. — Claim 1 concerns Obama's friendship with unrepentant terrorists: DF is right.

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, Media Blog and The American Mind

John McCormick / The Swamp:

WGN-AM again target of Obama campaign — by John McCormick and Steven Schmadeke, updated — Chicago radio station WGN-AM is again coming under attack from the presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama for offering airtime to a controversial author. — It is the second time in recent weeks …

Discussion: Power Line, Ben Smith's Blogs, The Campaign Spot, Atlas Shrugs and The Corner

Bradley Burston / Haaretz:

What is truly frightening about Sarah Palin — TEL AVIV - It was in the taxicab this morning that it finally struck me about Sarah Palin. — I get it. I get that millions of Americans have a crying need for someone to stand up and say the things that Sarah Palin has been telling them.

Discussion: Jeffrey Goldberg, MoJoBlog and Eunomia

Byron York / National Review:

On Sex-Ed Ad, McCain Is Right — In recent days, a consensus has developed among the Obama campaign and commentators in the press that John McCain has decided to lie his way to the White House. Exhibit A in this new consensus is McCain's ad, released last week, claiming that Barack Obama's …

Discussion: Townhall.com, Wake up America, Eduwonk, Hot Air, Althouse, The Corner, pandagon.net, QandO and Weekly Standard

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly: OBAMA STAYS ON MESSAGE.... Yesterday morning, the Obama campaign pounced …

Reuters:

Five former U.S. state secretaries urge Iran talks — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Five former U.S. secretaries of state said on Monday the next American administration should talk to Iran, a foe President George W. Bush has generally shunned as part of an “axis of evil.”

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Think Progress and Matthew Yglesias

M. Duss / Wonk Room:

Five Former U.S. Secretaries Of State: ‘Talk To Iran’ — Yesterday, a big chunk of The American Foreign Policy Establishment came out in support of engagement with Iran: … Kissinger specifically came out in favor of negotiating with Iran “without conditions.”

Discussion: Commentary and Political Radar

IBDeditorials.com:

The Real Culprits In This Meltdown — Big Government: Barack Obama and Democrats blame the historic financial turmoil on the market. But if it's dysfunctional, Democrats during the Clinton years are a prime reason for it. — Read More: Business & Regulation

Discussion: Hot Air, The Right Coast and Cold Fury

ABCNEWS:
McCain Calls for ‘9/11 Commission’ for Economic Crisis

Discussion: TPM Election Central, Firedoglake, New York Times, New York Times, McClatchy Washington Bureau, Jonathan Martin's Blogs, Yahoo! News, Political Punch, Political Radar, The Mahablog, The World Newser and The Jed Report

Adam Serwer / American Prospect:

IF OBAMA LOSES. — In this weekend's Washington Post, Randall Kennedy considers the effect of an Obama loss on the black community: … There's been a some racist fearmongering from the usual suspects about riots about the aftermath of an Obama loss (something that is extremely unlikely).

Discussion: The Huffington Post and TBogg

Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
Today in Food Facts

Discussion: The Debatable Land

David Brooks / New York Times:

Why Experience Matters — Philosophical debates arise at the oddest times, and in the heat of this election season, one is now rising in Republican ranks. The narrow question is this: Is Sarah Palin qualified to be vice president? Most conservatives say yes, on the grounds that something …

Discussion: Weekly Standard, pw, Townhall.com, The Corner, Ta-Nehisi Coates, MSNBC, The New Republic, Macsmind and Eunomia

Washington Wire:

Palin Tells Debunked Teleprompter Tale — Elizabeth Williamson reports from Canton, Ohio on the presidential campaign. — “Country Club First” read a lonely protestor's sign, lampooning the McCain campaign's Country First mantra, as the Sarah Palin motorcade swung past.

Discussion: Washington Monthly

Lee Speigel / Political Punch:
Palin and the Teleprompter

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, The Daily Dish, Political Radar, Althouse, The Jed Report and Lawyers, Guns and Money

Big Tent Democrat / TalkLeft:

Why The Lack Of Respect For The Netroots? — Matt Stoller and Chris Bowers discuss the Netroots and its actions. Bowers uses the provocative title “Why Should Anyone Respect The Netroots?” It is a good question. I know I personally lost a lot of respect for the Netroots in the past 2 years.

Discussion: JustOneMinute

Chris Bowers / Open Left: Why Should Anyone Respect The Netroots?

Agence France Presse:

Obama camp hits back at Iraq double-talk claim — PUEBLO, Colorado (AFP) — Barack Obama's White House campaign angrily denied Monday a report that he had secretly urged the Iraqis to postpone a deal to withdraw US troops until after November's election. — In the New York Post …

Discussion: Hot Air, JustOneMinute, Pajamas Media, Sister Toldjah, Stop The ACLU, Copious Dissent, NewsBusters.org and Wizbang

Ryan Tate / Gawker:

McCain Spokesman Told Off On All Networks — Congratulations to the John McCain campaign, which has now officially been told off on all three big cable news networks! Attached is a video of MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell taking some hard swings at McCain's sacrificial spokesman, Tucker Bounds, about campaign lying Monday.

Richard Cohen / Washington Post:

The Ugly New McCain — Following his loss to George W. Bush in the 2000 South Carolina primary, John McCain did something extraordinary: He confessed to lying about how he felt about the Confederate battle flag, which he actually abhorred. “I broke my promise to always tell the truth,” McCain said.