memeorandum: Seeking to Save the Planet, With a Thesaurus (John M. Broder/New York Times)

12:05 AM ET, May 3, 2009

Top Items:

Jack Kemp, former quarterback and VP nominee, dies — WASHINGTON - Jack Kemp, the ex-quarterback, congressman, one-time vice-presidential nominee and self-described “bleeding-heart conservative,” died Saturday. He was 73. — Kemp died after a lengthy illness, according to spokeswoman Bona Park …

Discussion: The Foundry, Jack & Jill Politics, Outside The Beltway and No Sheeples Here!

Associated Press:

AP Top News at 10:42 p.m. EDT — WASHINGTON (AP) — Jack Kemp, the ex-quarterback, congressman, one-time vice-presidential nominee and self-described “bleeding-heart conservative” died Saturday. His spokeswoman Bona Park and longtime friend and former campaign adviser Edwin J. Feulner confirmed that Kemp died after a lengthy illness.

Discussion: Little Green Footballs

GayPatriot:

As Leftists Mock and Belittle Carrie PrejeanShe Becomes More Popular Than They Can Possibly Imagine — Welcome Instapundit Readers!! — To see just how far discourse on controversial social issues has declined in our culture, all you need do is watch a few liberals take on Carrie Prejean …

Discussion: Firedoglake, TigerHawk, Chicago Boyz and Hot Air

Glenn Reynolds / Instapundit:
YOUR ENLIGHTENED MAINSTREAM: Video: Miss California is a piece …

Discussion: Sister Toldjah, GayPatriot, protein wisdom, The Sundries Shack, Wake up America, Hot Air, Villainous Company, The Other McCain and Gateway Pundit

Theresa Cook / Political Punch:

White House Denies Charge By Attorney that Administration Threatened to Destroy Investment Firm's Reputation — Jake Tapper is ABC News' Senior White House Correspondent based in the network's Washington bureau. He writes about politics and popular culture and covers a range of national stories.

Discussion: Don Surber, Erick's blog, Pajamas Media and The Rhetorican

Corky Boyd / Island Turtle:
White House uses strong arm tactics to extort concessions from lenders

Discussion: Power Line, Reason, Flopping Aces, The Mahablog, Politics Daily, NewsBusters.org, The Other McCain, The Sundries Shack, Gateway Pundit, Pajamas Media, Instapundit, NO QUARTER, Clayton Cramer's BLOG, Hot Air, Nice Deb and Founding Bloggers

The Huffington Post:

Ben Nelson Plans To Oppose Public Health Plan — Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) said Friday that he will oppose legislation that would give people the option of a public health insurance plan. The move puts him on the opposite side of two-thirds of Americans. — A poll released this week …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Washington Monthly, DownWithTyranny!, MyDD and D-Day

Jason Rosenbaum / NOW! Blog:

Ben Nelson bows to the insurance industry — Ben Nelson came out today against a public health insurance option: (via CQ, no link) … The company Nelson finds himself in is laid out clearly: business, the insurance industry, and Republicans. Of course, this isn't surprising, considering his campaign donation history.

Discussion: Think Progress and Crooks and Liars

John Amato / Crooks and Liars:

David Shuster destroys NOM's Brian S. Brown over their misleading ad against gay marriage — You can view this video right here by getting the latest version of Flash Player! — David Shuster exposed the distortions being used by NOM's Brian S. Brown over the issue of gay marriage.

Discussion: Politics Daily and nationformarriage.org

Patterico's Pontifications:

Latest Copyright Thug: Perez Hilton — Perez Hilton is the latest thug to use a bogus copyright claim to get an embarrassing video removed from YouTube. — The video in question was produced by the National Organization for Marriage, a group that opposes gay marriage.

Discussion: Redhot, ONTD: Politics and Cold Fury

Heather / Crooks and Liars:

Ed Schultz: This is No Time for Bipartisanship — We Need a Liberal on the Supreme Court — You can view this video right here by getting the latest version of Flash Player! — From the Ed Show May 1, 2009. Ed Schultz's “Op-Ed” on President Obama's choice for David Souter's replacement on the Supreme Court.

Discussion: PERRspectives and PoliGazette

NY Daily News:
Bronx girl makes good: Sonia Sotomayor merits look for U.S. Supreme Court

Discussion: Think Progress, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Christy Hardin Smith

Room for Debate:
The Judgment on Justice Souter

Discussion: Balkinization, Washington Post, TigerHawk and New York Times

Mark Tapscott / www.washingtonexaminer.com:

President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and Others Owe 1.2 Million Tea Party Patriots Apology — The following statement was issued this afternoon by Jenny Beth Martin and theTea Party Patriots, a national organizing effort created following the April 15 Tea Party protests:

Discussion: GayPatriot, Cold Fury and Dodgeblogium

CNN:

Bob Barr: GOP in ‘very deep trouble’ — (CNN) — Former Georgia Rep. Bob Barr said Saturday it's hard to “overestimate the damage” that's been inflicted on the Republican Party — not only with this week's defection of Sen. Arlen Specter, but also the “lack of any coherent philosophy, vision or leadership.”

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and Raw Story

Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:

Profiles in Courage — I continue to feel that the House GOP's impressive level of partisan unity hasn't been explored to the extent that it should. You often hear it explained with reference to the fact that most members have uncompetitive, very conservative districts. Which is true enough.

Discussion: Eunomia and MoJo Blog Posts

Atrios / Eschaton:

Recast — I do worry that our policymakers think the foreclosure problem underlying the financial crisis is basically over. If so, they're wrong. Very wrong. — Tanta, who is sadly no longer with us, in an old post reminds me to use the correct terminology to describe the problem.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, HorsesAss.Org and MoJo Blog Posts

BBC:

Swine flu spread ‘not sustained’ — There is no evidence of the swine flu virus spreading in a sustained way outside North America, a top World Health Organization official says. — Dr Michael Ryan, WHO Director of Global Alert and Response, praised European nations' handling of cases and said events did not seem out of control.

Discussion: Don Surber