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1:10 PM ET, April 23, 2009

memeorandum

 Top Items: 
Ali Soufan / New York Times:
My Tortured Decision  —  FOR seven years I have remained silent about the false claims magnifying the effectiveness of the so-called enhanced interrogation techniques like waterboarding.  I have spoken only in closed government hearings, as these matters were classified.
RELATED:
Scott Shane / New York Times:
Interrogations' Effectiveness May Prove Elusive  —  WASHINGTON — Even the most exacting truth commission may have a hard time determining for certain whether brutal interrogations conducted by the Central Intelligence Agency helped keep the country safe.  —  Last week's release …
Peter Hoekstra / Wall Street Journal:
Congress Knew About the Interrogations  —  Obama should release the memo on the attacks prevented.  —  Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair got it right last week when he noted how easy it is to condemn the enhanced interrogation program “on a bright sunny day in April 2009.”
Ed Rollins / CNN:
Commentary: Obama waffled on torture, looks weak
Discussion: PrairiePundit
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Flashback: Bush's FBI Director Said Torture Didn't Foil Any Terror Plots
Discussion: CNN, Washington Monthly and CJR
Ceci Connolly / Washington Post:
GOP Stymies Vote on Sebelius  —  President Obama will have to wait a bit longer to round out his Cabinet.  Senate Republicans refused today to allow a confirmation vote on his health secretary nominee Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D-Kan.).  She is the last Cabinet member awaiting Senate approval.
RELATED:
Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
John Ensign's Unapologetic Critique  —  John Ensign wants to make one thing very clear: he's not sorry for saying it was “irresponsible” of President Obama to be seen laughing with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez at last week's Summit of the Americas.  —  “That visual image is going to be used …
Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog
Joe Klein / Time:
Sizing Up Obama's First 100 Days  —  The President almost seemed apologetic.  “This may be a slightly longer speech than I usually give,” he told his audience at Georgetown University on April 14.  “This is going to be prose and not poetry.”  What followed, as promised, was not poetry.
RELATED:
Jeff Stein / SpyTalk:
Intelligence Officials Tipped Pelosi To Harman Wiretap  —  Intelligence officials, angry that former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales had blocked an FBI investigation into Democratic Rep. Jane Harman's interactions with a suspected Israeli agent, tipped off Nancy Pelosi, the House Democratic leader …
RELATED:
The Hill:
Wiretap: The plot thickens in Harman drama
Discussion: PoliGazette
Drudge Report:
CNN ASKS PALIN DADDY IF SEX WAS IN THE HOUSE  —  CNN's Larry King turned horndog Wednesday night during his controversial interview with the father of Sarah Palin's grandchild.  —  KING: Where — was — did sex occur in their house?  —  LEVI JOHNSTON, EX-FIANCE OF BRISTOL PALIN …
RELATED:
CNN:
Johnston 'didn't think it was going to get this rough'
Discussion: The XX Factor
Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
Rep. Joe Barton: I ‘Stumped’ Nobel Prize Winning Scientist  —  Oh the (rare, but occasionally exceptional) joys of Twitter.  Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX)—the ranking member on the House Energy & Commerce Committee—says (tweets?)  “I seemed [sic] to have baffled the Energy Sec with basic question - Where does oil come from?”
Discussion: The Huffington Post and D-Day
RELATED:
Liz Rappaport / Wall Street Journal:
Lewis Testifies U.S. Urged Silence on Deal  —  Bank of America Chief Says Bernanke, Paulson Barred Disclosure of Merrill Woes Because of Fears for Financial System  —  Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and then-Treasury Department chief Henry Paulson pressured Bank of America Corp …
Pew Research Center:
Obama at 100 Days: Strong Job Approval, Even Higher Personal Ratings  —  Better Ratings for Foreign Policy than Domestic Issues  —  As he approaches the 100-day mark of his presidency, Barack Obama's job approval ratings are higher than those of his most recent predecessors.
Michael Calderone / Michael Calderone's Blog:
WaPo hires Prospect's Klein  —  The American Prospect's Ezra Klein, one of the top bloggers on politics and policy, is heading to the Washington Post.  —  Rumors about Klein's upcoming move spread on Wednesday night during a reception thrown by The Nation magazine in honor of D.C. bureau chief Chris Hayes.
Discussion: Matthew Yglesias and ATTACKERMAN
Wall Street Journal:
Presidential Poison  —  His invitation to indict Bush officials will haunt Obama's Presidency.  —  Mark down the date.  Tuesday, April 21, 2009, is the moment that any chance of a new era of bipartisan respect in Washington ended.  By inviting the prosecution of Bush officials …
RELATED:
Los Angeles Times:
Prosecuting ‘torture memo’ authors called ‘a real stretch’
Discussion: Law Blog and The Note
Associated Press:
AP Poll: Americans high on Obama, direction of US  —  Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition  —  WASHINGTON - For the first time in years, more Americans than not say the country is headed in the right direction, a sign that Barack Obama has used the first 100 days …
David Carr / New York Times:
Editor Is Leaving The Observer, New York's Scorecard  —  Peter W. Kaplan, the editor of The New York Observer, announced his resignation on Wednesday and said he would be leaving the weekly in June.  For the past 15 years Mr. Kaplan has used tart headlines and talented young writers to create …
RELATED:
Keith J. Kelly / New York Post:
OBSERVER DECKED  —  EDITOR WALKS AS SALMON WEEKLY'S SALE RUMORS FLY
Discussion: New York Magazine
The Huffington Post:
Shepard Smith Uncensored: “We Are America, We Do Not F**king Torture!”  (VIDEO)  —  Update: scroll down for Smith's uncensored comments  —  Fox News viewers witnessed a rather incredible scene on Wednesday as anchor Shepard Smith and Fox contributor Judith Miller (of CIA leak infamy) …
Randy E. Barnett / Wall Street Journal:
The Case for a Federalism Amendment  —  How the Tea Partiers can make Washington pay attention.  —  In response to an unprecedented expansion of federal power, citizens have held hundreds of “tea party” rallies around the country, and various states are considering “sovereignty resolutions” …
Faiz Shakir / Think Progress:
Bill O'Reilly's response to waterboarding: ‘Torture, my ass.’  —  Last night on The Factor, Bill O'Reilly hosted Newsday columnist Ellis Henican, who criticized O'Reilly's tolerance of torture.  “You disappoint me, you disappoint me,” Henican said, pointing his finger at O'Reilly.
Metro Pulse:
The Tea Party  —  Wallace, Perot demonstrated anger's impact on political process  —  The national tea party movement, exemplified by the protest on the World's Fair site last week, is, according to its critics, an incoherent and illogical phenomenon invented and promoted by bloggers, Fox News, and talk radio hosts.
Discussion: Redhot
Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
Why is the GOP Throwing Senate Races?  —  Dave Weigel notes that Senator Jon Cornyn (R-TX), in charge of helping GOP Senate candidates, is being surprisingly friendly with former Rep. Pat Toomey who's mounting a challenge-from-the-right to Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA).
George F. Will / Washington Post:
Obama's Budget Satire  —  Monday morning the government braced for austerity, as the government understands that.  Having sent Congress a $3.5 trillion budget, the president signaled in advance — perhaps so his Cabinet members could steel themselves for the new asceticism …
Discussion: Reason, Commentary and Betsy's Page
 
 
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 More Items: 
Rebekah Kebede / Reuters:
Recession linked to more abortions, vasectomies
Discussion: Townhall.com and Wonkette
Quinnipiac University:
More New Jersey Voters Back Same-Sex Marriage, Qunnipiac University …
Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog
Ralph Z. Hallow / Washington Times:
Steele urged to label Obama a socialist
Andy Barr / The Politico:
McCain: Obama starting ‘witch hunt’
Discussion: Weekly Standard
Jackie Kucinich / Roll Call:
Conservatives Call on Napolitano to Resign
 Earlier Items: 
Timothy Williams / New York Times:
At Least 75 People Are Killed in Two Attacks in Iraq
Wall Street Journal:
Democracy Kung Fu
Discussion: Reason
Pew Research Center:
Fox News Stands Out as “Too Critical” of Obama
Discussion: MyDD and FishBowlDC
Karl Rove / Wall Street Journal:
The President's Apology Tour
Kevin Jon Heller / Opinio Juris:
Want to Prosecute the Lawyers?  Cite Ministries — Not the Justice Case
Discussion: JustOneMinute and Salon
Elspeth Reeve / Blogs and Stories:
Serving Under the Army's Most Ruthless Soldier