memeorandum: Research Desk researches: How do the U.S., Switzerland and Sweden spend money? (Ezra Klein)

5:00 PM ET, July 6, 2010

Top Items:

Obama's worst foreign-policy mistake — Given President Obama's glaring domestic policy missteps, it is understandable that the public has largely been blinded to his foreign policy failings. In fact, these may have been even more damaging to America's future.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Wonk Room, CNN, Moonbattery, Newshoggers.com, Riehl World View, The Caucus, The Foundry, Gawker, The Hill, Eunomia, Taylor Marsh, Conservatives4Palin.com, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog and New York Times

Zombie / Pajamas Media:

Did Huffington Post crop AP photo to give Netanyahu devil horns? — Photo of Netanyahu as it appeared on Huffington Post. — The picture of Benjamin Netanyahu shown to the left appears on the front page of today's Huffington Post, illustrating a story about Israel easing its blockade of Gaza.

Discussion: The Jawa Report, Wonkette and Gateway Pundit

Mike Allen / The Politico:
Biden, on President's Iraq policy: 'We told you what we were going …

Discussion: MyDD, The Caucus, iOwnTheWorld.com and White House.gov Blog Feed

Jake Tapper / Political Punch:
Bibi and Barack, Take Five: Direct Peace Talks ‘In the Coming Weeks’?

Discussion: New York Magazine and The Plum Line

Sam Youngman / The Hill:
As Netanyahu visits, White House insists ‘no rift’ between Israel, U.S.

Discussion: The Politico, The Swamp, New York Times, D.C. Now, Washington Post, CNN, Politics Daily, Los Angeles Times, Jerusalem Post, USA Today, Taylor Marsh and Yourish.com

David Brooks / New York Times:

A Little Economic Realism — Let's say you're the leader of the free world. The economy is stuck in the doldrums. Naturally, you want to do something. — Many economists say we need another stimulus bill. They debate about whether the stimulus should take the form of tax cuts or spending increases …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Atlantic Online, The New Republic, Ezra Klein, Swampland, Balloon Juice, The Moderate Voice and Vox Popoli

Paul Krugman:

Arguments From Authority — A quick note on David Brooks's column today. I have no idea what he's talking about when he says, … Funny, I thought we had a perfectly good explanation: severe downturn in demand from the financial crisis, and a stimulus which we warned from the beginning wasn't nearly big enough.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and driftglass

Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
Productivity and the Recession — David Brooks, writing skeptically …

Discussion: The American Scene and Econbrowser

CEPR:
The Arrogant David Brooks Tells Readers That Stimulus Will Risk National Insolvency

Discussion: Firedoglake, Washington Monthly, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Hullabaloo and ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*

Jerry Markon / Washington Post:

Justice Dept. expected to sue Ariz. on immigration, citing ‘preemption’ grounds — The Justice Department has decided to file suit against Arizona on the grounds that the state's new immigration law illegally intrudes on federal prerogatives, law enforcement sources said Monday.

Josh Gerstein / The Politico:

DoJ sues over Ariz. immigration law — The federal government filed a lawsuit Tuesday aimed at blocking a controversial Arizona law that gives local police and sheriffs the authority to question and arrest anyone suspected of being in the country illegally.

Discussion: CNN, Associated Press, The Washington Independent, TalkLeft and The New Republic

Fox News:
Ex-Official Accuses Justice Department of Racial Bias in Black Panther Case

Discussion: Breitbart.tv

CNN:
Feds sue to stop Arizona immigration law

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Paul Krugman:

Confidence Fairies Have Infiltrated The White House — I was on Good Morning America this not-so-good morning, doing what I could. But I was struck by something that George Stephanopoulos said: he claimed to have been speaking to an administration official who asserted that what we need …

Discussion: TalkLeft, The Moderate Voice, Shakesville, Grasping Reality …, AMERICAblog News and Eschaton

Thomas M. Defrank / NY Daily News:

Bad news for Obama: Conservative Justice Kennedy tells pals he's in no rush to leave Supreme Court — WASHINGTON - President Obama may get liberal Elena Kagan on the Supreme Court, but conservative swing-voter Anthony Kennedy says he's not going anywhere anytime soon.

Discussion: Left Coast Rebel, Weekly Standard, Hot Air, Wonkette, No More Mister Nice Blog, Sister Toldjah, The Hill, The Political Carnival, New York Magazine, Outside the Beltway, Wake up America and JammieWearingFool

David G. Savage / Los Angeles Times:
Obama and Supreme Court may be on collision course

Discussion: Questions and Observations, SCOTUSblog, Patterico's Pontifications, New York Times and Washington Post

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:

Kentucky Senate race knotted — Kentucky voters don't think much of Rand Paul and as a result the race to replace Jim Bunning in the Senate is tied. Paul and Jack Conway are getting 43% each. — The more Kentucky voters get to know Rand Paul, the less they like him.

Discussion: TPMDC, Ballot Box and RedState

Mike Allen / The Politico:
Biden: No Dem ‘debacle’ in November

Discussion: CNN, Questions and Observations, Power Line and Beltway Confidential

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Tea Party=Republican party?

Discussion: Washington Monthly and The Plum Line

Fox News:

NASA Official Softens Claim Muslim Outreach Is ‘Foremost’ Mission — NASA Administrator Charles Bolden testifies before the House Science and Technology committee on Capitol Hill in Washington May 26. (Reuters Photo) — A NASA official on Tuesday stood by Administrator Charles Bolden's statement …

Discussion: The Corner on National …, Weasel Zippers, Pajamas Media, NASA Watch and Washington Examiner

John Derbyshire / The Corner on National Review Online:
NASA's True Mission — By: John Derbyshire

Discussion: Grim's Hall, Cold Fury and ParaPundit

Jim Hoft / Gateway Pundit:
Krauthammer Bashes Obama's Infantile NASA Muslim Outreach Program

Discussion: Weekly Standard, NASA Watch, The Foundry, Moonbattery, This Just In, Wizbang, NewsBusters.org and Betsy's Page

Byron York / Washington Examiner:
NASA's new mission: Building ties to Muslim world

Discussion: Jules Crittenden, Fausta's Blog, Beltway Confidential, The Daily Caller, Sister Toldjah, Althouse, The TrogloPundit and Hot Air

Reid Wilson / Hotline On Call:

GOP Moves Toward West Virginia Suit — Top GOP strategists are plotting ways to force WV to hold a special election this year, in hopes of giving the party a better chance to pick off the seat of the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV), according to several party sources.

Discussion: Swing State Project, TPMDC and SENATUS

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Will Michael Steele stay or go?

Discussion: CNN, The Daily Dish, No More Mister Nice Blog, Ballot Box, NO QUARTER, Daily Kos and Outside the Beltway

Jess Mancini / Parkersburg:
Dem: Manchin favored for seat

Discussion: Politics Daily and The Caucus

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:

McCain favors immigration reform that would deport ‘many’ illegals — Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said on Tuesday he would favor immigration reform that would deport most of the residents of the U.S. who are here illegally. — McCain, who at one point had been the top Republican advocate …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Online NewsHour, Wonkette, Gawker, Pat Dollard, Weasel Zippers and TPMDC

New York Times:

Are Profits Hurting Capitalism? — A STREAM of disheartening economic news last week, including flagging consumer confidence and meager private-sector job growth, is leading experts to worry that the recession is coming back. At the same time, many policymakers, particularly in Europe …

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, MyDD, The Glittering Eye and EconLog

Yves Smith / naked capitalism:
Our New York Times Op Ed on the Corporate Savings Glut

Discussion: Rortybomb

Rep. Barney Frank / The Huffington Post:

Why We Must Reduce Military Spending — As members of opposing political parties, we disagree on a number of important issues. But we must not allow honest disagreement over some issues interfere with our ability to work together when we do agree. — By far the single most important …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Glittering Eye and TPMCafe

Metro.co.uk:

Rare 1970s BP board game promises oil ‘thrills’ comes back to haunt them — A rare 1970s BP game - yes, that's the company badge on the box - promises all the ‘thrills of drilling’ offshore, with the first player to earn $120million being crowned the winner. — BP - Beyond Parody: The game's cover has an ‘overall sense of doom’.

Discussion: Climate Progress, Think Progress, Swampland and JammieWearingFool

Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:

A Hypothetical — David Carr makes an excellent point about the departure of my friend Dave Weigel from The Washington Post: … And if I may say so, the Post handled the “Mouthpiece Theater” fiasco more-or-less correctly. The concept was bad and the execution terrible, so they called it off.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and Balloon Juice

David Carr / New York Times:
Outspoken Is Great, Till It's Not

Discussion: FAIR Blog, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Hullabaloo

Brian Moylan / Gawker:

Priest Stole $1.3 Million to Spend on Male Escorts, Designer Clothes, Other Stereotypically Gay Things — Kevin Gray, a priest at Sacred Heart Church in Waterbury, Connecticut, is expected to turn himself in after being charged with siphoning $1.3 million from church coffers to pay for his secret gay lifestyle.

Discussion: Waterbury Republican American, The Other McCain and New York Magazine

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:

High Profile Dems Helpful? — PPP has polled on the impact of a Barack Obama endorsement in 5 key Senate races over the last month, and it's looking more and more clear that there's just about nowhere Democratic candidates would benefit from having the President come to campaign with them.

Discussion: The Corner on National …