memeorandum: Democratic Indiana candidate says White House secretly backing Baron Hill (Gautham Nagesh/The Daily Caller)

12:10 PM ET, February 16, 2010

Top Items:

Secret Joint Raid Captures Taliban's Top Commander — WASHINGTON — The Taliban's top military commander was captured several days ago in Karachi, Pakistan, in a secret joint operation by Pakistani and American intelligence forces, according to American government officials.

Discussion: Michael Calderone's Blog, Michelle Malkin, The Long War Journal, Washington Monthly, Danger Room, Informed Comment, Registan.net, Politics Daily, The Washington Independent, Neptunus Lex, GayPatriot, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, And So it Goes in Shreveport, Shakesville, ABCNEWS, Another Black Conservative, democracyarsenal.org, Guardian, Raw Story, NPR Blogs, Betsy's Page, Financial Times, Sister Toldjah, MyDD, The Majlis, TigerHawk, Prairie Weather, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Scared Monkeys, News Hounds, Daily Kos, Flopping Aces, Wall Street Journal, PoliBlog, The Moderate Voice, Political Punch, FP Passport, Hot Air, Enduring America, JustOneMinute, Power Line, The Daily Dish, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Corner on National …, The Vail Spot, Outside The Beltway, AMERICAblog News, RedState, Taylor Marsh and New York Magazine

Spencer Ackerman / ATTACKERMAN:

It's Extremely Important We Don't Torture Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar — The Taliban's military commander has been captured in a joint Pakistani-U.S. intelligence raid. A high-five to Langley: this is one serious motherf**king success. Now it's really important we don't screw it all up by abusing Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.

Discussion: Guardian, Wonkette and DaTechguy's Blog

The Huffington Post:

Evan Bayh's Retirement Leaves Democrats Scarred And Demanding Aggression — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — Senator Evan Bayh's abrupt announcement on Monday that he will retire at the end of his term has further united disparate voices within the Democratic Party behind the idea that legislative action …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Hill, Time, Commentary, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and AMERICAblog News

ABCNEWS:

Evan Bayh Blasts ‘Brain-Dead Partisanship’ — Indiana Senator Rules Out 2012 Presidential Run, Mum on 2016 Ambitions — Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, whose retirement announcement Monday stunned the political world, today assailed partisanship in Congress and said he could achieve much more in the private sector than as a senator.

Discussion: Real Clear Politics, The Moderate Voice, The Caucus, Mediaite, The Page, The Politico, Donklephant, Blogcritics, The Eye and Truthdig

Gautham Nagesh / The Daily Caller:

Democratic Indiana candidate says White House secretly backing Baron Hill — Hoosier politics took an unexpected turn Monday night when Democratic Senate candidate Tamyra d'Ippolito accused the White House of conspiring with party officials to secretly draft Rep. Baron Hill to run against her.

Discussion: The Washington Independent, Firedoglake, Open Left and Angry Bear

Charles Lane / PostPartisan:

Bayh to Obama: take this job and shove it — Millions of Americans long to tell their bosses “take this job and shove it.” Hardly any have the power and money to do so, especially in these recessionary times. Sen. Evan Bayh (D) of Indiana, however, is the exception.

Eric Kleefeld / TPMDC:

D'Ippolito: I Have Enough Signatures To Get On The Ballot For IN-SEN Dem Primary — Tamyra d'Ippolito, a cafe owner who has been seeking the Democratic nomination for the Senate seat currently held by Evan Bayh, just told TPMDC that she does have the minimum number of ballot-petition signatures need …

Discussion: The Plum Line, Firedoglake, Talking Points Memo, Ben Smith's Blog, Erick's blog, Althouse, Lynn Sweet and The Political Carnival

Adam Nagourney / New York Times:
Democrats Reel as Senator Says No to 3rd Term

Discussion: CNN, James Fallows, Top of the Ticket, Salon, The Note, NY Daily News, Ta-Nehisi Coates, New York Post, The Politico, Vanity Fair, Washington Post, Open Left, Gawker, Connecting.the.Dots and msnbc.com

David Catanese / The Politico:
Five ways to lose the Senate majority

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, CNN and Don Surber

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Indiana Dem: White House is conspiring to put Baron Hill in Bayh's spot

Discussion: Gateway Pundit, protein wisdom, The Eye and Riehl World View

Sean Trende / Real Clear Politics:
Possibility of a Republican Senate Grows

Discussion: Townhall.com, Washington Times, USA Today and Wake up America

David Barstow / New York Times:

Tea Party Movement Lights Fuse for Rebellion on Right — Less than a year ago, Pam Stout was new to protest politics. Now she runs a Tea Party group in Sandpoint, Idaho. More Photos > — SANDPOINT, Idaho — Pam Stout has not always lived in fear of her government.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Think Progress, Firedoglake, The Reaction, Prairie Weather, First Draft, Los Angeles Times, Right Wing Watch and The Eye

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:

Tea party leaders will meet with Steele and other Republican operatives — About 50 leaders of the grass-roots “tea party” movement will meet in Washington on Tuesday with Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele and other top GOP operatives to discuss campaign strategies and conservative principles.

Discussion: The Atlantic Politics Channel, Politics Daily, Hotline On Call, Riehl World View, The Page and msnbc.com

Domenico Montanaro / msnbc.com:
FIRST THOUGHTS: BYE, BAYH

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, pa2010.com, The Caucus, The Fix, Democratic Strategist and Taegan Goddard's …

Scott Horton / Harper's:

Does Dick Cheney Want to Be Prosecuted? — After he was indicted for the murder of Alexander Hamilton, vice president Aaron Burr fled to South Carolina, to hide out with his daughter. Another vice president, Spiro Agnew, kept completely silent before pleading nolo contendere on corruption charges.

Discussion: ABCNEWS

Susie Madrak / Crooks and Liars: Maybe Eric Holder Should Pay Attention To Dick Cheney's Boasts

Andrew Orlowski / The Register:

Now IPCC hurricane data is questioned — Open science: Got Excel? Debunk this — More trouble looms for the IPCC. The body may need to revise statements made in its Fourth Assessment Report on hurricanes and global warming. A statistical analysis of the raw data shows that the claims …

Discussion: theblogprof, Orange County Register, Gateway Pundit, Hot Air, The Strata-Sphere, YID With LID, EU Referendum and GayPatriot

Jim Hoft / Gateway Pundit:

FAIL... Just 6% of Americans Believe Obama's $787 Billion Stimulus Created Jobs — In December the Obama Administration announced they had “saved or created” 1.1 million jobs. — In January the Obama Administration announced they had “saved or created” 2 million jobs.

Discussion: The Atlantic Politics Channel, protein wisdom, The Hill, Scared Monkeys and Outside The Beltway

CNN:

New Jersey senator suffers fall — Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-New Jersey, was hospitalized Monday after taking a fall, his spokesman said. — (CNN) - Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-New Jersey, was hospitalized Monday after taking a fall, his spokesman said. — The 86-year-old Lautenberg …

Discussion: The Note and The Political Carnival

James Queally / New Jersey Online:
U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg is taken to area hospital after fall

Discussion: TPMDC

Jane Taber / Globe and Mail:

Romney threatened on flight out of Vancouver — Republican politician Mitt Romney was physically threatened by a violent passenger on an Air Canada flight leaving Vancouver this morning. — Mr. Romney, who has been in Vancouver since Friday for the Olympic Winter Games, did not respond to the attack.

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, Gateway Pundit and TPMDC

Mary E. O'Leary / New Haven Register:

Blumenthal speaks to Yale Dems — NEW HAVEN — Richard Blumenthal, the state's Democratic attorney general, who is running for the U.S. Senate, Monday said it was “an open question,” whether he would ask President Barack Obama to campaign on his behalf. — Asked if the president's appearance …

Discussion: The Hill and National Review Online

Michael Calderone / Michael Calderone's Blog:

Milbank writing Beck book: ‘Tears of a Clown’ — Dana Milbank recently wrote how a Fox News star has really “captured the moment,” before posing the question: “Is Glenn Beck America?” — Milbank, who only had about 750 words to tackle that question in his Washington Post column …

Discussion: Mediaite, Romenesko and Gawker

Kevin Sack / New York Times:

In California, Exhibit A in Debate on Insurance — LOS ANGELES — When Bernhard Punzet opened the dreaded envelope from Anthem Blue Cross one recent Saturday, it ruined his weekend. — Although he had no known medical problems, the company was raising the premium on his individual health insurance policy …

Discussion: The Huffington Post and The Reality-Based Community

Julie Rovner / wbur.org:

Republicans Spurn Once-Favored Health Mandate — For Republicans, the idea of requiring every American to have health insurance is one of the most abhorrent provisions of the Democrats' health overhaul bills. — “Congress has never crossed the line between regulating what people choose …

Discussion: Washington Monthly and Open Congress

NBC Chicago:

Wisconsin Billboard Calls for Obama's Ouster — Billboard will remain until June — Somebody in Wisconsin doesn't like President Barack Obama all that much. — An unnamed company has paid for a billboard along Highway 41 in Oshkosh that reads, “Impeach Obama.”

Discussion: Another Black Conservative, No Sheeples Here and Power Line

Ezra Klein:

All you ever wanted to know about the research on health insurance and health — and more — I think I've said quite enough on the question of whether health-care insurance reduces the risk of death. But one of the first things I did when looking into the subject was call Stan Dorn …

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias and The Incidental Economist

Sergio Bendixen / The Huffington Post:

Democrats' Chance to Win in Florida in 2010 — Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart's announcement on Thursday that he would not seek re-election this November set off one of the rarest games of musical chairs in American politics. Within minutes of Diaz-Balart's announcement, his brother …

Andrew Malcolm / Top of the Ticket:

New poll: Now, signs of real vulnerability for California's Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer — So, is California's brittle Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer about to become the next Harry Reid? Which is to say, embattled at home. — As Reid worked the wallets of San Francisco on Presidents …

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, GayPatriot, Daily Kos, Commentary, Another Black Conservative, Wizbang, Don Surber and Weasel Zippers

Tom Doggett / Reuters:

Obama to announce loan help for U.S. nuclear power — * Two nuclear reactors could be in service in 2016, 2017 — * Obama asks Congress to triple nuclear loan guarantee fund — The Obama administration, advancing nuclear power use to help cut greenhouse gas emissions …

Discussion: The Atlantic Business Channel and The Corner on National …

Edward Luce / Financial Times:

Former aide urges Obama to regain ‘political narrative’ — Barack Obama, US president, has lost control of the political narrative and needs to make more use of his cabinet in order to regain it, says John Podesta, the man who headed the president's transition team.