memeorandum: At Annual Meeting, Pro-Israel Group Reasserts Clout (Neil A. Lewis/New York Times)

2:20 PM ET, May 5, 2009

Top Items:

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:

Jeffrey Rosen, TNR and the anonymous smears against Sonia Sotomayor — (updated below- Update II) — Jeffrey Rosen's New Republic smear of Sonia Sotomayor's intellect and character — based almost exclusively on anonymous, gossiping “sources” — is such a model of shoddy, irresponsible …

Discussion: Dallas Morning News, culturekitchen, American Prospect and Unqualified Offerings

Josh Gerstein / The Politico:

Groups push for first gay justice — President Barack Obama is looking to advance diversity with his pick to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter — and early speculation has focused on whether he'll pick a woman, or perhaps the first Hispanic justice.

Discussion: Josh Gerstein's Blog, Don Surber and CNN

Digby / Hullabaloo:

Cookie Cutters — Chris Matthews, speaking for oppressed white male millionaires everywhere says: … Right, I guess a cookie cutter candidate is now someone who is a darker hued, feminine kind of cookie. After all, the women and the minorities are just overflowing the Supreme Court …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Balloon Juice, Lawyers, Guns and Money and American Prospect

Richard Cohen / Washington Post:
A Litmus Test That Counts

Discussion: Commentary, American Prospect, TalkLeft and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Marc Ambinder / The Atlantic Politics Channel:
Sotomayor's Public Image At Risk, Early

Discussion: TalkLeft, The Plank and Spin Cycle

Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias: Sonia Sotomayor and Affirmative Action

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Conservatives Move To Set Tone on Court Fight

Discussion: Congress Matters, NewsBusters.org and DISSENTING JUSTICE

James R. Carroll / Courier-Journal:

Bunning blames McConnell for GOP losses — WASHINGTON — Sen. Jim Bunning today renewed his attacks on his fellow Kentucky Republican, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, accusing him of selfishness and being responsible for lost GOP seats in the Senate.

Discussion: Scorecard's Blog, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, Ben Smith's Blog, MSNBC, Swing State Project, Lawyers, Guns and Money and TPMDC

Chris Cillizza W / Washington Post:

Ridge May Run for Specter's Senate Seat — Former Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge (R) is seriously considering a 2010 bid for the Senate seat held by Republican-turned-Democrat Arlen Specter and will make his decision in the next two weeks, according to several sources familiar with his thinking.

Discussion: TPMDC, Democracy in America, D-Day, GrassrootsPA, Politics Daily, PoliBlog, Salon, Balloon Juice, Sister Toldjah and The Strata-Sphere

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

Just Too Cocky — Last week Arlen Specter's election as a Democrat in 2010 seemed more or less a given. The big man in Pennsylvania politics (Ed Rendell) and the big man in US politics (Barack Obama) both put down their finger and said they were behind him. — But the certainty of that outcome now seems genuinely in doubt.

Discussion: TalkLeft and Eschaton

Matt Lewis / Townhall.com:
Can Tom Ridge Win a Republican Primary in PA?

Discussion: The Corner

Christopher Dean Hopkins / D.C. Wire:

D.C. Council Votes 12-1 to Recognize Other States' Gay Marriages — UPDATE 2: After further debate, a second vote was taken, with D.C. Council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) deciding to vote against the proposal. The final count is 12-1 in favor of recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states.

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, Reason, Associated Press and Joe. My. God.

Teddy Davis / ABCNEWS:
California Gay Marriage Backers Poised to Try Again in 2010

Discussion: Townhall.com

Tim Craig / Washington Post: D.C. Gay Marriage Measure Set for Mayor's Signature

Mark Silva / The Swamp:
Same-sex marriage: D.C. recognizing

Discussion: The Daily Dish

Jeremy Olshan / New York Post:

PHANTOM AIR FARCE PICTURES — The $328,835 snapshots of an Air Force One backup plane buzzing lower Manhattan last week will not be shown to the public, the White House said yesterday. — “We have no plans to release them,” an aide to President Obama told The Post, refusing to comment further.

Discussion: CBS News, Slate, Weekly Standard, Atlas Shrugs, Wake up America, Gates of Vienna, White House Watch, Clusterstock, TD Blog, City Room, Pajamas Media and Hot Air

Beverley Rouse / Press Association:

Named and shamed: the 16 barred from UK — Sixteen people banned from entering the UK were “named and shamed” by the Home Office today. — Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said she decided to make public the names of 16 people banned since October so others could better understand what sort …

Discussion: PoliGazette, The Moderate Voice, Reason, Atlas Shrugs, Right Wing News, JammieWearingFool and Spin Cycle

Stephen Donald Black / Guardian:
The Home Office list of people banned from the UK

Discussion: Politics Daily

David Brooks / New York Times:

The Long Voyage Home — Republicans generally like Westerns. They generally admire John Wayne-style heroes who are rugged, individualistic and brave. They like leaders — from Goldwater to Reagan to Bush to Palin — who play up their Western heritage. Republicans like the way Westerns seem …

Discussion: MoJo Blog Posts, Brilliant at Breakfast, Washington Post, No More Mister Nice Blog, Guardian and Cafe Hayek

Ross Douthat / New York Times:
A Hole in the Center — You can't have a successful political party without centrists.

Discussion: Washington Post, Eunomia, Wall Street Journal, Pajamas Media and The Note

Haaretz:

Obama gets tougher with Israel on Palestinians, Iran — As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington May 17 approaches, the United States is sending strong messages on the establishment of a Palestinian state and Israeli settlement activity. — Gen. James Jones …

Associated Press:
Biden tells AIPAC: Israel must support two-state solution

Discussion: Haaretz, Ben Smith's Blog and TPMCafe

Neil A. Lewis / New York Times:
At Annual Meeting, Pro-Israel Group Reasserts Clout

Discussion: CBS News and The Caucus

Elizabeth Edwards / Time:

How I Survived John's Affair — On May 3, former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards acknowledged that a federal investigation had been opened into whether his campaign improperly gave money to a woman with whom Edwards had an extramarital affair. Edwards has denied any wrongdoing by his campaign.

Discussion: Brilliant at Breakfast, NY Daily News, Taylor Marsh, skippy the bush kangaroo, Buck Naked Politics, Radio Iowa, Newsweek Blogs, Fausta's Blog and Ben Smith's Blog

Ezra Klein / American Prospect:

WILL WE GET TAX REFORM? — For a bit more on the administration's changes to the corporate tax code, check out this post from real life tax lawyer Daniel Shaviro. In particular, he offers a depressingly realistic take on the difficulties facing any effort to force corporations to pay higher taxes on investment abroad:

Discussion: The Atlantic Business Channel

The White House:
Continuing the Conversation: Tax Reform for American Jobs

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias, techPresident and The Atlantic Business Channel

Ryan J. Donmoyer / Bloomberg:
Obama's Bid to End Offshore Tax Havens Faces Hurdle in Congress

Discussion: Washington Post, Think Progress, Financial Times, Wonk Room, Open Left and Wall Street Journal

Washington Post:

Murtha's Nephew Got Defense Contracts — Millions in Work Came Without Competition — The headquarters of Murtech, in a low-slung, bland building in a Glen Burnie business park, has its blinds drawn tight and few signs of life. On several days of visits, a handful of cars sit in the parking lot …

Discussion: MSNBC, Politics Daily, Buck Naked Politics, Think Progress, Hot Air, RebelReports, The Strata-Sphere, The BLT, Clayton Cramer's BLOG and The Washington Independent

Chris Vanocur / KTVX-TV:

Obama's campaign manager fears Jon Huntsman the most in 2012 … SALT LAKE CITY - (ABC 4 News) - There is one republican presidential candidate that President Barack Obama's campaign manager fears the most in 2012...and his name is Jon Huntsman Jr. — This week for Governor Huntsman, good things are coming in threes.

Discussion: MyDD, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room and Ben Smith's Blog

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:

Palin to WHCD — Taking a break from her present Alaska First posture, Sarah Palin will appear at the White House Correspondents Dinner Saturday night, according to — where else — US Magazine. — As US reports it: … post comment | … Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Discussion: The Hill's Blog Briefing Room

CNN:
Palin joins GOP rebranding effort, Limbaugh says leaders fear her

Discussion: Washington Monthly and Christian Science Monitor

The Delaware Business Ledger:

Poll shows Castle thumping Biden in hypothetical Senate race — A poll shows Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Castle topping Democrat Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden in a mythical Senate race. — The poll was conducted by Susquehanna Polling and Research, a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based …

Discussion: The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, Weekly Standard and Scorecard's Blog

New York Times:

Porous Pakistani Border Could Hinder U.S. — PESHAWAR, Pakistan — President Obama is pouring more than 20,000 new troops into Afghanistan this year for a fighting season that the United States military has called a make-or-break test of the allied campaign in Afghanistan.

Discussion: Washington Post, Boston Globe, Commentary, abu muqawama, The Washington Independent, Swampland, Chris Floyd Online, Associated Press, Los Angeles Times and MSNBC

Ahmed Rashid / Washington Post:
Pakistan's Critical Hour

Discussion: The Washington Note, Times of London, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, Cato @ Liberty, Danger Room and CNN

Edward Klein / Vanity Fair:

The Lion and the Legacy — Senator Edward Kennedy's diagnosis of brain cancer, in May 2008, touched off an extraordinary medical battle—and a veiled rivalry over who might succeed him as symbolic head of America's fabled dynasty. Would it be R.F.K.'s oldest son, Joe? J.F.K.'s daughter, Caroline?

Discussion: Newsweek Blogs, Blogs and Stories, Liberal Values and Taegan Goddard's …

Robert Pear / New York Times:

Schumer Offers Middle Ground on Health Care — WASHINGTON — In an effort to defuse the most explosive issue in the debate over comprehensive health care legislation, a top Senate Democrat has proposed that any new government-run insurance program comply with all the rules and standards that apply to private insurance.