memeorandum: Study: Many college students not learning to think critically (Sara Rimer/McClatchy Washington Bureau)

3:10 PM ET, January 18, 2011

Top Items:

Toward a 21st-Century Regulatory System — If the FDA deems saccharin safe enough for coffee, then the EPA should not treat it as hazardous waste. — For two centuries, America's free market has not only been the source of dazzling ideas and path-breaking products, it has also been the greatest force …

The White House:

Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review - Executive Order — By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to improve regulation and regulatory review, it is hereby ordered as follows: — Section 1.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Sunlight Foundation Blog, The Foundry, Rortybomb and Mandel on Innovation …

Elizabeth Williamson / Wall Street Journal:
Obama Launches Rule Review, Pledging to Spur Jobs, Growth

Discussion: The Hill, protein wisdom, msnbc.com, FrumForum and Althouse

Amy Goldstein / Washington Post:

Government finds up to half of Americans under 65 have preexisting conditions — As many as 129 million Americans under age 65 have medical problems that are red flags for health insurers, according to an analysis that marks the government's first attempt to quantify the number of people …

Discussion: HealthCare Notes, Yglesias, neo-neocon, Online NewsHour, The Politico, cab drollery, AOL News, Washington Monthly, Comments from Left Field, FrumForum, Prairie Weather, Don Surber, AlterNet, Truthdig and Fox Nation

George Stephanopoulos / George's Bottom Line:

Newt Gingrich to Sarah Palin: ‘Slow Down’ — Former speaker of the House and potential 2012 presidential contender had some words of advice for Sarah Palin on “GMA” this morning. — “I think that she has got to slow down and be more careful and think through what she's saying and how she's saying it,” Newt Gingrich told me.

Discussion: Washington Wire, USA Today, Outside the Beltway, The Daily Caller and TPMDC

David Lightman / McClatchy Washington Bureau:
Experts doubt GOP claim that health care law's a ‘job killer’

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Angry Bear and AMERICAblog News

Jennifer Epstein / The Politico: White House moves to stymie health care repeal

Lbentzterp / CNN:
Hoyer says Democrats have work to do selling the public on health care

Discussion: The Note

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
FACT-CHECKING A NON-EXISTENT CBO NUMBER.... Following …

Discussion: Associated Press

CNN:
CNN poll: Half favor repealing health care law

Discussion: The Politico and The Note

Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
How The Health Care Repeal Push Marks The End Of The Universal Health Care Consensus

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Ezra Klein, AmSpecBlog and Talking Points Memo

Joe Scarborough / The Politico:

Moving past right-wing rhetoric — We get it, Sarah Palin. You're not morally culpable for the tragic shooting in Tucson, Ariz. All of us around the “Morning Joe” table agree, even if we were stunned that you would whine about yourself on Facebook as a shattered family prepared to bury their 9-year-old girl.

Discussion: Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Sister Toldjah, Liberty Pundits Blog, Pirate's Cove, Outside the Beltway, Scared Monkeys, Taylor Marsh, The Gateway Pundit, Right Wing News, The Other McCain, American Power, Nice Deb, Salon, CNN and The Moderate Voice

Ed Koch / Real Clear Politics:

Palin Holds High Ground Over Harsh and Unfair Critics — As I see it, in the current battle for public opinion Sarah Palin has defeated her harsh and unfair critics. — After the January 8 shooting of U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords and the murder of six others in Tucson, Arizona …

Discussion: No Left Turns, National Review and AmSpecBlog

Jeff Zeleny / The Caucus:
Palin Defends Use of ‘Blood Libel’ Phrase

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Jezebel, The Atlantic Online, Conservatives4Palin, msnbc.com, Connecting.the.Dots and FrumForum

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Even Republicans say media handled shooting better than Sarah Palin did

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog and TPMDC

Colby Hall / Mediaite:
Donny Deutsch Explains America's Fascination With Sarah Palin: 'She's Snooki!'

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Hot Air

Alexander Mooney / CNN:
Palin: ‘I am not going to shut up’

Discussion: Mediaite, AmSpecBlog, Z on TV, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Wake up America, Indecision Forever, Washington Monthly, Outside the Beltway, The Moderate Voice, TPM LiveWire, Reuters, Ballot Box, Shakesville, Media Matters for America, Taylor Marsh and The Reaction

Ben Armbruster / ThinkProgress:
Gingrich: Palin Has To ‘Be More Careful’ And 'Think Through What She's Saying'

Discussion: Mediaite and Lez Get Real

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:

Kent Conrad to retire in 2012 — North Dakota Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad is retiring. Photo by Melina Mara/The Washington Post — North Dakota Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad announced today that he will not seek reelection, creating a potentially prime pickup opportunity for Republicans in a GOP-leaning state.

Michael O'Brien / The Hill: Kaine says no to Senate run if Webb retires

The Politico:
Conrad gives GOP chance for pick-up

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Senator Kent Conrad and AmSpecBlog

Shane D'Aprile / Ballot Box:
Rep. Pomeroy doesn't rule out Senate bid

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog

Tom Junod / Esquire:

Why Does Roger Ailes Hate America? — An exclusive and unbiased investigation into the highly paid operative of a foreign-born tycoon, a man who reengineered political and media culture and fomented a revolt that threatens the very stability of our country — Today, here at Esquire …

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, Runnin' Scared, New York Magazine, Mediaite, The Wire, Gawker and Suburban Guerrilla, more at Mediagazer »

Mark Pazniokas / ctmirror.org:

Bysiewicz declares for U.S. Senate — Susan Bysiewicz today declared herself a candidate for U.S. Senate, trying to put the disasters of 2010 behind her by getting an early jump on 2012, when U.S. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman is up for re-election. — Bysiewicz, 49, a Democrat whose career derailed …

Discussion: The Hill, Ballot Box, TPMDC and Hotline On Call

Jsimoncnn / CNN:
Bysiewicz to vie for Lieberman's Senate seat

Discussion: The Politico

David White / The Birmingham:

Gov.-elect Robert Bentley intends to be governor over all, but says only Christians are his ‘brothers and sisters’ — MONTGOMERY — Gov.-elect Robert Bentley in a speech at a Baptist church this afternoon said he plans to be the governor of all Alabamians and be color-blind …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Gawker, Guardian, TPMMuckraker, Taegan Goddard's …, Salon and Religion Dispatches

Sara Rimer / McClatchy Washington Bureau:

Study: Many college students not learning to think critically — NEW YORK — An unprecedented study that followed several thousand undergraduates through four years of college found that large numbers didn't learn the critical thinking, complex reasoning and written communication skills …

Discussion: Booman Tribune, Achenblog, Outside the Beltway, Althouse, JammieWearingFool and Mother Jones

ABCNEWS:

Obama Approval Rises, But Hazards Remain — Obama's Job Approval Has Matched his Highest in More Than a Year — Aided by his response to the Tucson shootings, popular lame-duck legislation and a hint of economic relief, Barack Obama has matched his highest job approval rating in more than a year …

Discussion: CNN, The Daily Dish, The Note, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Political Punch, Hot Air, Taegan Goddard's …, NewsBusters.org blogs, HotAirPundit and Outside the Beltway

Washington Post:
Poll shows high marks for Obama on Tucson, low regard for political dialogue

Discussion: Firedoglake, Quinnipiac University, The Fix, The Plum Line, Hotline On Call, Swampland, National Review, Behind the Numbers and New York Magazine

Chris Matthews / Washington Post:

What Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill could teach Washington today — A vigorous debate over the role of government is always at the heart of our democracy. Since the shootings in Arizona, however, many have said that our partisan ferocity is unhealthy. — So it seems like a good time to reflect on Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill.

Discussion: Commentary, TalkLeft, The Enterprise Blog and National Review

Steven Hayward / No Left Turns: I Want to Wallow in the Hate

David Brooks / New York Times:

Amy Chua Is a Wimp — Sometime early last week, a large slice of educated America decided that Amy Chua is a menace to society. Chua, as you probably know, is the Yale professor who has written a bracing critique of what she considers the weak, cuddling American parenting style.

Discussion: The Huffington Post

Media Decoder:

F.C.C. Approves Comcast-NBC Deal — The proposed combination of Comcast and NBC Universal was approved by the Federal Communications Commission Tuesday, smoothing the way for the deal to close by the end of January. — The other government agency that is reviewing the deal, the Justice Department …

Discussion: Suburban Guerrilla, more at Techmeme »

Cecilia Kang / Post Tech:
FCC approves Comcast and NBC joint venture

Discussion: Mediaite and Raw Story, more at Mediagazer »

The Huffington Post:

Bill Frist: Health Care Is ‘Law Of The Land,’ GOP Should Drop Repeal And Build On It … WASHINGTON — As congressional Republicans ready themselves for a largely symbolic effort to repeal President Obama's health care reform law, at least one former GOP leader is urging them to drop the charade and build on the legislation instead.

Discussion: The Note, Politics Daily, Washington Monthly, USA Today, Taegan Goddard's …, The Politico, American Conservative Values, Raw Story and FrumForum

Associated Press:

Court rejects appeal over DC gay marriage law — WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from opponents of same-sex marriage who want to overturn the District of Columbia's gay marriage law. — The court did not comment Tuesday in turning away a challenge from a Maryland pastor …

Discussion: Box Turtle Bulletin, Lez Get Real, TPMMuckraker, AMERICAblog Gay and Joe. My. God.

Blake Hounshell / FP Passport:

Seymour Hersh unleashed — DOHA, Qatar—David Remnick, call your office. — In a speech billed as a discussion of the Bush and Obama eras, New Yorker journalist Seymour Hersh delivered a rambling, conspiracy-laden diatribe here Monday expressing his disappointment with President Barack Obama …

Discussion: Commentary and National Review

Patrick J. Michaels / Washington Times:

China-style dictatorship of climatologists — NASA's Hansen prefers rule by decree to fight ‘global warming’ — November's election made it quite clear that the people of the United States do not want to radically change our society in the name of global warming.

Discussion: YID With LID, iOwnTheWorld.com, Moonbattery, Pajamas Media and blogs.telegraph.co.uk