memeorandum: Limbaugh: ‘I do want and I still want Obama to fail.’ (Ryan Powers/Think Progress)

9:35 AM ET, June 4, 2009

Top Items:

Text: Obama's Speech in Cairo — The following is a text of President Obama's prepared remarks to the Muslim world, delivered on June 4, 2009, as released by the White House. — I am honored to be in the timeless city of Cairo, and to be hosted by two remarkable institutions.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, TalkLeft, The Huffington Post, RedState, New York Times, Time, The Caucus, Jihad Watch, Cato @ Liberty, Raw Story, Latest Open Salon Blog, USA Today, TPMCafe and Confederate Yankee

New York Times:

Obama Calls for Alliances With Muslims — CAIRO — President Obama pledged on Thursday to “seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world,” imploring America and the Islamic world to drop their suspicions of one another and forge new alliances to confront violent extremism and heal religious divides.

Discussion: Townhall.com, Think Progress, Washington Monthly, Washington Post, Haaretz, Capital Journal, Wall Street Journal, Law Dork, 2.0, DownWithTyranny!, marbury, Chris Floyd Online, The Lede and The Atlantic Politics Channel

Mike Allen / The Politico:

Obama seeks Islam ‘common ground’ — CAIRO - In remarks being translated live for broadcasts and Webcasts in every major language, President Barack Obama said Thursday that the United States wants “common ground” and “a new beginning” with the Muslim world, where America's image plummeted …

Discussion: The Note, The Swamp, CNN, Bloomberg, Washington Post, Scared Monkeys, US News, New York Times and Gateway Pundit

Reuters: Iran says Obama “sweet talk” not enough for Muslims

The Politico:

Gay groups grow impatient with Obama — President Barack Obama's promises of change are falling short for one core Democratic constituency: gays and lesbians, whose leaders say Obama's administration isn't keeping up with the times. — Gay rights campaigners, most of them Democrats …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars

Ben Smith / The Politico:

A sheep in Wolffe's clothing? — It was Barack Obama himself who first proposed that Newsweek reporter Richard Wolffe make a play to be this generation's Theodore White—the legendary journalist whose insider account of the 1960 election painted John F. Kennedy in heroic light.

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, Commentary, Hullabaloo and Michael Calderone's Blog

Michael Falcone / The Politico:
Moran goes on offensive in Va. race

Discussion: MyDD

Chris Frates / The Politico: Liberal groups get makeover

Andy Barr / The Politico:
Rush flips; may support Sotomayor

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Hot Air, The Political Carnival, Scorecard's Blog, Pam's House Blend, Daily Kos and skippy the bush kangaroo

Directorblue / Doug Ross:

RED ALERT: Did White House order FBI to “back off” anti-terror investigations of radicalized Muslim converts? — Today's update from Stratfor Research describes the background of a recent attack on U.S. soldiers in Little Rock, Arkansas. One soldier was killed and another critically wounded …

Discussion: Mere Rhetoric, Nice Deb and Dr. Melissa Clouthier

Amy Harder / The Ninth Justice: Will Sotomayor Have To Talk About Ricci?

STRATFOR:
Lone Wolf Lessons

Discussion: Say Anything and Weasel Zippers

Associated Press:
Feds: Muhammad May Have Had Other Targets

Discussion: RedState, JammieWearingFool and Redhot

Boston Globe:

N.H. becomes sixth state where gays can marry — Governor Lynch makes history with the stroke of a pen. — By Eric Moskowitz and Martin Finucane, Globe Staff — Traditionally conservative New Hampshire today became the sixth state in the nation — and the fifth state in New England …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Politics Daily, The Reaction, Newshoggers.com, Daily Kos, Minnesota Independent and #gay

Tom Fahey / UnionLeader.com:
Same-sex marriage becomes law in NH

Discussion: New York Times, Outside The Beltway, Associated Press, Alas, a blog, The Digital Cuttlefish, First Draft, Salon, Pharyngula and On Deadline

Andrew J. Manuse / Reuters:
New Hampshire legalizes gay marriage

Discussion: Politics Daily, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Hotline On Call

Norma Love / Associated Press:
Gay marriage bill signed into law in New Hampshire

Discussion: Runnin' Scared

Paul Demko / Minnesota Independent:

Experts: Prognosis grim as Coleman runs out of legal options — Al Franken Photo: Paul Demko, Minnesota Independent — The end is near in the U.S. Senate contest. That might seem difficult to believe given that the fight has now dragged on for nearly seven months, but the bottom line …

Discussion: MyDD

Eric Kleefeld / TPMDC:
Pawlenty: I'll Certify Franken's Election …

Discussion: Minnesota Independent

Dana Milbank / Washington Post:

Washington Sketch: Liberals Are Taken Aback by Obama's Take-Back of America — President Obama is just killing the progressive movement. — For the past few years, liberal activists have gathered in Washington each spring for the Take Back America conference, where speaker after speaker …

Conor Clarke / Atlantic Correspondents:

What Socialism Looks Like — Have you heard that the United States is headed toward socialism? Jonah Goldberg says it is. Alabama Senator Richard Shelby says it is. Phyllis Schlafly says it is. Richard Viguerie says it is. The Republican National Committee says it is. We must be getting pretty close.

Discussion: Politics Daily, Human Events, Liberal Values and Donklephant

William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:

Sotomayor's Supporters May Spin Her Out Of A Job — The White House explanation for Sonia Sotomayor's 2001 “wise Latina” statement was that Sotomayor used a “poor” choice of words and certainly would “restate” the language. This spin made no sense, as the full text of the 2001 speech …

Discussion: TBogg, Gateway Pundit, theblogprof, Sister Toldjah and Don Surber

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Breaking: Sotomayor Made Same “Wise Woman” Speech In 1990s — And No One Objected

Discussion: Washington Post, CNN, Commentary, Salon, The Politico, Hot Air, Ben Smith's Blog, Weekly Standard, Washington Monthly, 24Ahead, Patterico's Pontifications, Daily Kos, JustOneMinute, TPMDC, Bench Memos, Democracy in America and Townhall.com

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Newt: Sorry about the “racist” allegation

Discussion: Open Left, Patterico's Pontifications and Hullabaloo

Sharon LaFraniere / New York Times:

Police Swarm Tiananmen Square to Bar Protests — BEIJING — China blanketed Tiananmen Square with police officers Thursday, determined to prevent any commemoration of the 20th anniversary of a military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters that left hundreds dead.

Discussion: QandO

Elise Labott / CNN: U.S. urges China to come to terms with Tiananmen Square

The White House:

TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT TO — Dear Senator Kennedy and Senator Baucus: — The meeting that we held today was very productive and I want to commend you for your leadership — and the hard work your Committees are doing on health care reform, one of the most urgent and important challenges confronting us as a Nation.

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, NOW! Blog, D-Day, The Treatment, Wonk Room, The Washington Independent, New York Times, Hullabaloo and Matthew Yglesias

Charles Hurt / New York Post:

BIDEN BID TO BURY BONER — CALLS BACKING FOR DAVE ‘NONPOLITICAL’ — WASHINGTON — Gaffe-prone Vice President Joe Biden backtracked yesterday from comments he made at a Democratic fund-raiser in Manhattan that were widely viewed as an endorsement of Gov. Paterson's re-election.

Discussion: Don Surber, RedState and JammieWearingFool

Daniela Altimari / Hartford Courant:

Internet Radio Host Hal Turner Faces Connecticut Charges — Radio host Hal Turner, shown during his broadcast over the Internet from his New Jersey home, was arrested in that state Wednesday on a warrant obtained by Capitol police in Hartford. Turner, who also hosts a blog …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars and Raw Story

Hannity / Real Clear Politics:

Mitt Romney Wants Obama to Stop His ‘Apology Tour’ — SEAN HANNITY, HOST: The president is off for the Middle East tonight and it's not hard to think that one of the first things on his agenda is to apologize once again on our behalf. And that is our headlines this Tuesday night, “No More Apologies.”

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Washington Independent and ATTACKERMAN