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9:45 PM ET, May 17, 2010

memeorandum

 Top Items: 
Michelle Malkin:
A gaffetastic new Miss USA  —  She nearly tripped over her gown.  —  She called birth control a “controlled substance.”  —  She argued that contraceptives should be covered by health insurers because they are “expensive” — and then said you could get them for “free” from your OB/GYN's office.
RELATED:
Melissa Clouthier / Liberty Pundits Blog:
More Muslims In Bikinis Please — UPDATED  —  Did the new Miss USA from “Dearbornistan” win because of politics?  I don't really care.  Have you seen the pictures?  —  If you haven't.  Check her out.  She's gorgeous.  And she's not wearing a burqa.  —  She's in a bikini.  And she's not wearing a burqa.
Daniel Pipes:
Affirmative Action in Beauty Contests?  —  News that Rima Fakih, 24, of Dearborn, Michigan, won the Miss USA beauty pageant today prompts me to recall some prior instances of Muslim women winning beauty contests in Western countries. … Juliette Boubaaya, 19, was Mlle Picardie in 2009.
Debbie Schlussel:
Donald Trump, Dhimmi: Miss Hezbollah Rima Fakih Wins Miss USA; Rigged for Muslima?  Miss Oklahoma's Arizona Immigration Answer  —  It's a sad day in America but a very predictable one, given the politically correct, Islamo-pandering climate in which we're mired.
Ethan Sacks / NY Daily News:
Miss USA: Did Arizona immigration hurt Miss Oklahoma Morgan …
Oskar Garcia / Associated Press:
Arab-American from Michigan crowned 2010 Miss USA
Discussion: Taylor Marsh and Newshoggers.com
Zaid Jilani / Think Progress:
Right Wing Reacts With Rage To First Muslim American Miss USA …
Discussion: Feministing
Quinnipiac University:
Specter-Sestak Dem Primary Down To The Wire, Quinnipiac University Pennsylvania Poll Finds; Onorato Leads Dem Governor Primary  —  The Pennsylvania Democratic Senate primary goes down to the wire with U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak taking 42 percent of likely primary voters to Sen. Arlen Specter's 41 percent …
RELATED:
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
White House bracing for Arlen Specter loss?  —  If this is true, it's significant: CBS chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer is now saying that he has it on good authority that the White House is privately bracing for Arlen Specter to lose tomorrow.  —  Schieffer, to my knowledge, has not said this on national TV yet.
Raymond Hernandez / New York Times:
Candidate's Words on Vietnam Service Differ From History  —  At a ceremony honoring veterans and senior citizens who sent presents to soldiers overseas, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut rose and spoke of an earlier time in his life.  —  Multimedia  —  Enlarge This Image
Juliet Eilperin / Washington Post:
Interior official who oversees offshore drilling for MMS resigns  —  The top Interior Department official who oversees offshore oil and gas drilling for the Minerals Management Service will retire on May 31, The Washington Post has learned.  —  Chris Oynes, who oversaw oil and gas leasing …
RELATED:
Erica Werner / Associated Press:
Source: White House to establish commission to investigate BP oil …
Jesse J. Holland / Associated Press:
Court: Sexually dangerous can be kept in prison  —  WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled Monday that federal officials can indefinitely hold inmates considered “sexually dangerous” after their prison terms are complete.  —  The high court reversed a lower court decision that said Congress overstepped …
RELATED:
Adam Liptak / New York Times:
Supreme Court Upholds Commitment of Sex Offenders
Discussion: Newsweek Blogs and Politics Daily
CNN:
Obama doesn't take questions at Freedom of Press Act signing  —  Obama declined to answer questions at bill signing for the Freedom of Press Act.  —  Washington (CNN) - After the signing of the Freedom of Press Act on Monday, President Obama declined to take any questions from the press.
Discussion: The Jawa Report and NO QUARTER
RELATED:
Chip Reid / CBS News:
Press Freedom, Sure.  But No Questions.  —  There was some rich irony at the White House today — President Obama signed the Press Freedom Act, and then promptly refused to take any questions.  —  The new law expands the State Department's annual human rights reports to include a description of press freedoms in each country.
Discussion: Commentary and Pajamas Media
Ben Smith / The Politico:
Pawlenty budget a GOP model  —  Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty's final budget, completed early Monday morning over the protests of angry Democrats and passed in a special session of the state legislature later in the day, positions the 2012 Republican presidential hopeful as the embodiment …
Discussion: Swampland
RELATED:
Glynnis MacNicol / Mediaite:
Too Far?  Family Guy's Vietnam Veterans Memorial ‘Joke’  —  It's not a secret that Family Guy is famous for its offensiveness and tendency to cross the politically correct line.  That said, I suspect they may be called upon to issue some sort of apology after tonight's episode (not that they will …
Katharine Q. Seelye / The Caucus:
Obama's Aunt Is Granted Asylum  —  BOSTON — An immigration judge has granted asylum to President Obama's aunt and will allow her to stay in the United States, her lawyers said Monday.  She could become a citizen in about six years.  —  Zeituni Onyango, 57, who lives in public housing in Boston …
Discussion: Gateway Pundit
RELATED:
Maria Sacchetti / Boston Globe:
Obama's aunt given OK to stay in United States
Discussion: The Hill and ImmigrationProf Blog
Ross Douthat / New York Times:
The Great Consolidation  —  This feels like a populist moment.  Americans are Tea Partying.  Greeks are rioting.  Incumbents are being thrown out; the Federal Reserve is facing an audit; Goldman Sachs is facing prosecution.  In Kentucky, Ron Paul's son might be about to win a Republican Senate primary.
Norm Eisen / White House.gov Blog Feed:
The President & Vice President's Financial Disclosure Forms  —  Today, the President and Vice President released their 2009 financial disclosure reports.  —  The Ethics in Government Act of 1978 requires high-level federal officials to publicly disclose their personal financial interests.
Megan McArdle / The Atlantic Online:
Why Does Academia Treat Its Workforce So Badly?  —  A piece on adjuncts in Inside Higher Ed has been attracting a lot of attention among academics of my acquaintance.  Its description of academic life is shockingly brutal—shocking even to me, who knows enough PhDs to be acquainted with the dismal facts:
John Byrne / Raw Story:
What spill?  Rig owner approves $1 billion dividend to shareholders  —  Five days after appearing before Congress to testify about its responsibility in one of the worst oil spills in US history, the Swiss company that owned and operated the oil rig that sunk into the Gulf of Mexico announced …
Discussion: Think Progress and Balloon Juice
Perry Bacon Jr / Washington Post:
In Ky., confident Paul foresees ‘a tea party tidal wave coming’  —  BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Even before Republican voters in Kentucky cast their ballots on Tuesday, the favorite in the Republican U.S. Senate primary has already declared “there's a tea party tidal wave coming.”
David Ranson / Wall Street Journal:
The Revenue Limits of Tax and Spend  —  Whether rates are high or low, evidence shows our tax system won't collect more than 20% of GDP.  —  The Greeks have always been trendsetters for the West.  Washington has repudiated two centuries of U.S. fiscal prudence as prescribed by the Founding Fathers …
Ethan Bronner / New York Times:
Israel Roiled After Chomsky Barred From West Bank  —  JERUSALEM — A fierce debate broke out in Israel on Monday amid finger pointing and hand wringing over the country's refusal a day earlier to permit Noam Chomsky, the linguist and icon of the American left, to enter the occupied West Bank from Jordan.
entertainment.blogs.foxnews.com:
Woody Allen says President Obama should be granted dictatorial powers (seriously)  —  Woody Allen and wife Soon-Yi Previn.  (AP)  —  Woody Allen has a strange take on the democracy that allowed him to become rich and famous.  —  The “Scoop” director said it would be a cool idea …
Capitol Confidential / Big Government:
Eyewitness: On the Ground With the Tim Burns Campaign in Pennsylvania  —  The conservative, grassroots movement has successfully shown that gerrymandered congressional districts and state boundaries no longer limit citizen involvement in any campaign regardless of where you live.
Erin McPike / Hotline On Call:
Romney Outraises Obama In NYC  —  Ex-MA Gov. Mitt Romney (R) held a fundraiser in Manhattan last week and outperformed Pres. Obama's own cash grab a day later on behalf of the DCCC, another sign of trouble brewing for Dems this cycle in all corners of the country.
Discussion: The Hill and The Page
Anill / Think Progress:
Texas teacher singles out Latino student during SB-1070 discussion, says Mexicans always ‘expect handouts.’  —  The San Antonio News reports that a Jefferson High School English teacher has been “removed from the classroom” for singling out a Latino student wearing a Mexican soccer jersey and publicly insulting him.
Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
Politics as Entertainment  —  One of the most disturbing trends in American politics has been the increasing rise of conservative pundits who I don't think are honestly mistaken or lying for tactical political advantage, but rather just making stuff up because they don't really care …
Discussion: Dennis the Peasant
Jonah Goldberg / The Corner on National Review Online:
Birthers v. Truthers, Again — By: Jonah Goldberg  —  As I wrote last year, I find it amazing that the “Birthers” are considered more dangerous and evil than the “Truthers.”  The Birthers believe that an ambitious man who travelled a lot as a kid has concealed the circumstances of his birth so he could be eligible for the presidency.
Discussion: The New Republic and Brendan Nyhan
Marc Ambinder / The Atlantic Online:
Palin Calls Huntsman Out  —  Even though Jon Huntsman, Jr. stopped pretending not to run for president to become President Obama's ambassador to China, associates of the former Utah Governor say that he will return to the U.S. as a proud Republican and will probably try to position himself for a 2016 run.
 
 
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 More Items: 
Washington Examiner:
Public option is alive and well, but hidden
Stanley Fish / Opinionator:
Arizona: The Gift That Keeps On Giving
Discussion: American Power and Open Left
Ilya Somin / The Volokh Conspiracy:
Bad News for Federalism? Some Preliminary Reflections on Comstock
Discussion: Cato @ Liberty and Althouse
Jonathan Weisman / Washington Wire:
Obama Discloses Book Advance, Bo's Price Tag
Discussion: Wonkette
Riptide 2.0:
Before He Hired an Escort, Rekers Tried to Spank the Gay Away
 Earlier Items: 
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Crisis of Legitimacy  —  TPM Reader MM says it's a crisis …
Discussion: Don Surber and Matthew Yglesias
Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
In Backing Insurgents, Republicans Face November Risks
Discussion: The Swamp and Balloon Juice
Rowan Hooper / New Scientist:
Bat fellatio causes a scandal in academia
JSOnline:
Big Ten Conference likely seeking universities that fit its identity …
Rebecca Mead / New Yorker:
Andrew Breitbart's empire of bluster.
Discussion: Big Government