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5:20 PM ET, May 19, 2010

memeorandum

 Top Items: 
The Politico:
The GOP's special failure  —  All the evidence pointing to monster Republican House gains this fall—the Scott Brown upset win in Massachusetts, the scary polling numbers in once-safely Democratic districts, the ever-rising number of Democratic seats thought to be in jeopardy—was contradicted Tuesday.
RELATED:
Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
What Tuesday Really Meant  —  There were five races that we were tracking closely over the course of the evening — and I've already seen analysts drawing flimsy conclusions from each of them.  —  Pennsylvania — Democratic Senate primary  —  The results: Joe Sestak defeats Arlen Specter, 54-46.
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
‘WHERE IS THE WAVE?’....  Arguably the most important election yesterday wasn't a primary race, but rather, the congressional special election in Pennsylvania's 12th — a contest to fill the vacancy left by the late Rep. Jack Murtha (D).  —  Observers in both parties considered the race something of a bellwether.
Glen Bolger / Public Opinion Strategies:
The Death Of Independence  —  Analysts are pointing toward last night's primary results (the defeat of Arlen Specter, Trey Grayson, and the run-off for Blanche Lincoln) as - when combined with Bob Bennett and Alan Mollohan's defeats - proof of anti-incumbency and anti-Washington establishment.
Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
Resultsblogging II: PA-12  —  Former John Murtha staffer Mark Critz's win in the PA-12 House election is just straight-up embarrassing for Republicans.  The Democratic strategy was straight out of the 2006/2008 playbook.  Find a moderately conservative House district and run a somewhat heterodox Democrat.
Daniel Larison / Eunomia:
PA-12 and The Single Greatest Pushback in American History
Reuters:
Activists seize control of politics
Michael Barone / Beltway Confidential:
Republican lesson from Pennsylvania 12 special
Discussion: Riehl World View
New York Times:
Specter Defeat Signals a Wave Against Incumbents
Peter Baker / The Caucus:
Obama Turns His Back On the Press  —  At a ceremony to sign a bill promoting press freedom around the world on Monday, President Obama refused to take questions from the reporters in attendance.  “I'm not doing a press conference today,” he told Chip Reid of CBS News, “but we'll be seeing you guys during the course of the week.”
RELATED:
Sam Youngman / The Hill:
Obama shuns U.S. outlets at news conference  —  President Barack Obama did not call on any U.S. news outlets at his Wednesday press conference with Mexican President Felipe Calderon, possibily to avoid any questions on Tuesday's primary elections.  —  In the White House Rose Garden …
Discussion: The Swamp and CNN
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
More on Rand Paul  —  So is Rand Paul, on a personal level, just a deeply unlikeable guy?  One of the weird things about his acceptance speech last night was that he held it at the local country club — to what looked uncannily like a members only crowd.  This morning he defended the venue …
RELATED:
Adam Serwer / American Prospect:
Is Rand Paul Good For Civil Liberties?
George F. Will / Washington Post:
Slow learners at the 9th Circuit  —  The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is a stimulus package for the Supreme Court, which would rather not have one.  The 9th Circuit, often in error but never in doubt, provides the Supreme Court with steady work: Over the past half-century …
RELATED:
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
The Cocoons We Live In, Ctd
Simon McGregor-Wood / ABCNEWS:
Rahm's Son's Bar Mitzvah Irks Some in Israel  —  Israeli Activists Say They Will ‘Blow Up,’ Figuratively, Zach Emanuel's Bar Mitzvah  —  White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel's plan to take his son, Zach, to Jerusalem's famous Western Wall for his Jewish coming-of-age ritual appeared to have run into serious trouble.
Discussion: Raw Story
RELATED:
Gil Hoffman / Jerusalem Post:
W. Wall bar mitzva for Emanuel's son?
Matt Corley / Think Progress:
Right-wing Israeli activists threaten to protest Rahm Emanuel's …
Discussion: Gateway Pundit
Devin Dwyer / ABCNEWS:
Immigrant Students Face Deporation After McCain Protest  —  Undocumented Student Activists Press Lawmakers for Action on Dream Act  —  Mohammad Abdollahi, an undocumented Iranian immigrant, takes the finger-pointing in Congress over stalled immigration legislation personally.
RELATED:
Andy Barr / The Politico:
Dean: N.Y. Times story a ‘hatchet job’  —  Howard Dean on Wednesday took the New York Times to task for running a “hatchet job” story on Democratic Senate candidate Richard Blumenthal misstating his service in Vietnam without acknowledging that the information came from a GOP campaign.
RELATED:
Jamison Foser / Media Matters for America:
The New York Times has some explaining to do  —  This Associated Press report about the controversy surrounding Richard Blumenthal's description of his military service raises some questions about the New York Times' handling of the story: … So why didn't the Times include Blumenthal …
NBC Los Angeles:
Power Play Over Immigration Law  —  LA's boycott resolution sparks a threat over power the city receives from Arizona  —  An Arizona utility commissioner said he's willing to pull the plug on Los Angeles if the city goes through with a boycott of his state.
RELATED:
Judson Berger / Fox News:
Arizona Official Threatens to Cut Off Los Angeles Power as Payback for Boycott
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Who woulda thunk it: Fact-checking is popular!  —  Has anyone else noticed that the Associated Press has been doing some strong fact-checking work lately, aggressively debunking all kinds of nonsense, in an authoritative way, without any of the usual he-said-she-said crap that often mars political reporting?
Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog
RELATED:
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
WHY JOURNALISTS ‘GOT IN THE BUSINESS’.... Perhaps no problem …
Discussion: Eschaton
Karen Travers / Political Punch:
Immigration Hits Home for Young Girl and First Lady Michelle Obama  —  ABC News' Karen Travers reports: During First Lady Michelle Obama's visit to an elementary school in Silver Spring, Md., Wednesday, a second grade female student brought up immigration reform in a very personal way.
RELATED:
Matthew Stabley / NBC Washington:
Girl Outs Mother's Citizenship Status During First Lady's School Visit
John Fritze / USA Today:
Utah Sen. Bennett may announce future tomorrow  —  Sen. Bob Bennett, kicked off the ballot this month at Utah's Republican convention, could make a decision about whether to seek a fourth-term as a write-in candidate as early as tomorrow, Bennett tells USA TODAY.
David Dayen / Firedoglake:
Why Are Incumbents Faltering?  Check Out The Election Night FinReg Massacre  —  Yesterday's results in the election showed what has now become conventional wisdom: an “anti-incumbent mood,” something the media will parrot from now to November.  Have they explored why?
 
 
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 More Items: 
Jeremy Boren / PittsburghLIVE.com:
Rothfus trounces Buchanan in 4th Congressional
Discussion: Ballot Box and TPMMuckraker
Mike Mandel / Mandel on Innovation and Growth:
Why Financial Jobs Have Fared Relatively Well
Rasmussen Reports:
Election 2010: Arizona Republican Primary for Senate
Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
What If They Gave a Terrorist Attack And Nobody Noticed?
Choire / The Awl:
Hooray! “Tourists” Lane Proposed for NYC Sidewalks
Discussion: Gothamist
 Earlier Items: 
Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:
Bennet now leads general
Discussion: Taegan Goddard's … and TPMDC
Washington Examiner:
Campbell Brown scurries out, Eliot Spitzer jumps in
Jane Horwitz / Washington Post:
Theater J pulls Madoff play after objections from activist Elie Wiesel
Discussion: Mondoweiss
Nick Gillespie / Hit & Run:
Why We're Having an Everybody Draw Mohammed Contest on Thursday May 20
Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
Scandals in the House Republican Class of 1994
Patrick Gavin / The Politico:
HOUSE PASSES BEER RESOLUTION
Discussion: JONATHAN TURLEY and Don Surber
 

 
From Mediagazer:

Benjamin Mullin / New York Times:
Authentic Brands licenses Sports Illustrated's publishing rights to The Players' Tribune owner Minute Media for 10 years, with plans to keep the print edition

Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
Ofcom rules that five GB News programs presented by Conservative politicians have broken its due impartiality rules and puts the channel “on notice”

Todd Spangler / Variety:
YouTuber MrBeast announces a deal with Prime Video for Beast Games, a reality-competition show with 1,000 contestants, promising the winner a $5M cash prize

 
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