memeorandum: A Conflict Without End (New York Times)

10:45 PM ET, May 17, 2011

Top Items:

Jake Sherman / The Politico:

Newt Gingrich owed six figures to Tiffany's — Newt Gingrich, a fiscal conservative? Not when it comes to Tiffany's. — In 2005 and 2006, the former House speaker turned presidential candidate carried as much as $500,000 in debt to the premier jewelry company, according …

Aharding / CNN:

Gov. Nikki Haley hammers Gingrich over Medicare remarks — Dallas (CNN) - Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich might not want to count on a presidential endorsement from South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. — In an interview with CNN Tuesday, Haley sharply admonished Gingrich for his comments …

Mike Allen / The Politico:

Newt Gingrich apologizes to Paul Ryan — Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich apologized in a telephone call to House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) on Tuesday afternoon for his remarks on “Meet the Press,” where the presidential candidate referred to Ryan's Medicare proposal as “radical change.”

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Fox Nation, Weasel Zippers, Politics, The Daily Caller and New York Magazine

Rich Lowry / National Review:
Newt the Unreliable

Discussion: Salon, Crooks and Liars, ThinkProgress, Washington Times, The Daily Dish, The Daily Caller, TPMDC, The Blaze, Daily Kos, The Politico, AmSpecBlog, RushLimbaugh.com, Washington Post and CNN

Major Garrett / NationalJournal.com:
Rep. Paul Ryan Staying in House, Won't Run for U.S. Senate

Discussion: JSOnline, host.madison.com, The Politico, ThinkProgress, Weigel, TPMDC, Daily Kos, Booman Tribune, The Raw Story, Firedoglake, Pajamas Media, The Note and First Draft

Chris Stirewalt / Fox News:
GOP Braces for Bachmania

Discussion: Hot Air, FrumForum and Fox Nation

Scott Keyes / ThinkProgress:
Allen West Slams Newt Gingrich's Poll Test Proposal: 'That's [What] My Parents Had To Contend With'

Discussion: TPMDC, Mediaite and Outside the Beltway

Jim Hoft / The Gateway Pundit:
Newt Gingrich: I Will Not Allow Democrats to Lie About Me... “Democrats Have Nothing to Offer But Fear Itself” (Audio)

Discussion: Hot Air and National Review

Ben Stein / American Spectator:

Presumed Innocent, Anyone? — Now for a few humble thoughts about Dominique Strauss-Kahn and his recent brush with law and journalism, bearing in mind that it's possible indeed, maybe even likely, that he is guilty as the prosecutors charge: — 1.) If he is such a womanizer and violent guy with women …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, The Atlantic Wire, Daniel W. Drezner, Salon, News Desk, Washington Post, ABCNEWS, The Informer, Jezebel, Gothamist, National Review, New York Magazine, RADAMISTO, Balloon Juice and FrumForum

William K. Rashbaum / New York Times:

I.M.F. Chief May Claim Consensual Sex as a Defense — As Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, spent his first full day on Rikers Island, the hotel housekeeper who accused him of sexual assault is struggling with what her lawyer says is a life upended by the case.

Discussion: TalkLeft, Pajamas Media, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Fox News and This Just In

New York Post:
IMF chief claims consent in hotel ‘attack’

Discussion: Runnin' Scared, Jezebel and Pajamas Media, more at Mediagazer »

Annie Lowrey / Slate Magazine:
Dominique Strauss-Kahn's Lavish Life

Discussion: Hot Air, Financial Times, Time, judicialwatch.org, FrumForum and newsfeed.time.com

John Cook / Gawker:

Is This Arnold Schwarzenegger's Love Child? — News of Arnold Schwarzenegger having fathered a child with a member of his household staff more than a decade ago shouldn't come as a surprise. The alleged existence of an out-of-wedlock son, including his name and his mother's name, was reported by the London Daily Mail in 2003.

Discussion: Poynter, Doug Ross, The Informer and BuzzFeed

Los Angeles Times:

Schwarzenegger fathered a child with longtime member of household staff — His wife, Maria Shriver, moved out of their Brentwood mansion earlier this year after the former governor acknowledged the child was his. The staff member worked for the family for 20 years, retiring in January.

Elizabeth Leonard / People.com:
Maria Shriver: ‘This Is a Painful & Heartbreaking Time’

Discussion: CNN, The Page and Wilshire & Washington

Kevin Drum / Mother Jones:
Arnold's True Love Child: California's Deficit Problem

Discussion: Hullabaloo, msnbc.com and Poynter

Brian Beutler / TPMDC:

Democrats' Oil Subsidy Repeal Bill Is Actually Unconstitutional — Republicans may have a point that Democrats are playing politics with oil subsidies. To understand why, look no further than the fact that the bill Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will bring to the floor for a vote Tuesday evening …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Hot Air, RedState and Open Congress

Lee Fang / ThinkProgress:
Constituents Laugh At GOP Rep. Quayle For Denying Existence Of Billions In Special Oil Subsidies

Discussion: RADAMISTO, Crooks and Liars and Daily Kos

Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
GOP Closes Ranks Around Continuing Oil Subsidies

Discussion: Daily Kos, Firedoglake, Open Congress and The Reality-Based Community

Justin Elliott / Salon:

Santorum: What does McCain know about torture? — (UPDATED) John McCain has been on something of a crusade this week on the question of how we found Osama bin Laden, giving speeches and writing Op-Eds outlining his position that it was not torture of detainees that led the U.S. to its man.

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Weigel, The Blotter, TPMDC, Washington Monthly, Booman Tribune, Wonk Room, Tucson Weekly, The Moderate Voice and The Atlantic Online

The Hugh Hewitt Show:
Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum reacts to Newt Gingrich's slam of Paul Ryan

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Outside the Beltway, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Blue Mass Group, The Politico, The Daily Caller and The Caucus

Matthew Boyle / The Daily Caller:

Gov. Sarah Palin on Pelosi district's Obamacare waivers: ‘Seriously, this is corrupt’ — In response to the revelation that about 20 percent of the latest slew of Obamacare waivers went to luxurious restaurants, nightclubs and hotels in House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's district …

Discussion: Mother Jones, Pajamas Media, Don Surber, Weasel Zippers and Conservatives4Palin

Healthwatch:
Business, not Pelosi, asked for waivers

Discussion: White House.gov Blog

Matthew Boyle / The Daily Caller:
Nearly 20 percent of new Obamacare waivers are gourmet restaurants, nightclubs, fancy hotels in Nancy Pelosi's district

Discussion: National Review, Healthwatch, The Foundry, theblogprof, Moonbattery, Doug Ross, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, NO QUARTER, The Lonely Conservative, UrbanGrounds, iOwnTheWorld.com, Hot Air, White House Dossier, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and AmSpecBlog

Associated Press:

Clinton says Obama believes 8 years is enough — WASHINGTON - Eight years as president is enough, thank you. At least that's what Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says President Barack Obama told her the other day. — Clinton said Tuesday that she and Obama often marvel …

Discussion: Pajamas Media and National Review

Real Clear Politics:

Rick Perry Presidential Push Quietly Gains Steam — As many grass-roots Republicans remain in search of a conservative candidate with the pizazz to go toe-to-toe against President Obama, a man from deep in the heart of Texas who was tea party before the tea party was cool, appears to be giving the presidential race some thought.

Discussion: Mediaite, GOP 12, CNN, Hair Balls and Mother Jones

CNN:

Egyptian Saif al-Adel now acting leader of al Qaeda, ex-militant says — (CNN) — An Egyptian who was once a Special Forces officer has been chosen “caretaker” leader of al Qaeda in the wake of Osama bin Laden's death, according to a source with detailed knowledge of the group's inner workings.

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Jawa Report, Pajamas Media, Gawker, Hot Air, Runnin' Scared, Mediaite and New York Magazine

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Coburn out of Gang of Six talks — Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) announced Tuesday that he would pull out of the talks with two other Republican and three Democratic colleagues. — Coburn said the talks have collapsed over the tough issue of entitlement reform.

Discussion: TPMDC, The Politico, The Note, National Review, CNN, Hot Air and The Page

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:

Ex-Sen. Feingold says Lieberman, McCaskill, Hoyer fit for ‘shame’ — Former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) has tabbed two Democrats and Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman (Conn.) as fit for “shame” for being too beholden to corporate interests. — Feingold, the former liberal senator who leads …

Discussion: The Politico and Firedoglake

Benjy Sarlin / TPMDC:
Russ Feingold, Potential Senate Candidate, Rips Democrats For ‘Corruption’

Discussion: Hotline On Call and Hot Air

Keith Koffler / White House Dossier:

Obama: “My People, You Continue to Have My Blessing.” — What kind of political leader tells his supporters this? … President Obama does. That's what he said toward the end a speech at a campaign fundraiser last night in Washington to a relatively youthful crowd of supporters …

Discussion: Pundit & Pundette, Weasel Zippers and Doug Ross

Mahmoud Abbas / New York Times:

The Long Overdue Palestinian State — SIXTY-THREE years ago, a 13-year-old Palestinian boy was forced to leave his home in the Galilean city of Safed and flee with his family to Syria. He took up shelter in a canvas tent provided to all the arriving refugees.

Discussion: Washington Post, JOSHUAPUNDIT, NewsReal Blog, Elder of Ziyon, The Enterprise Blog, Truthdig, Pajamas Media and Israel Matzav

Michael Ausiello / TVLine:

House Shocker: A ‘Disappointed’ Lisa Edelstein Calls It Quits — House fandom, brace for impact: Dr. Cuddy is checking out. — Lisa Edelstein — whose long-term contract expires this month — has opted not to return for the show's eighth and likely final season.

Discussion: Yglesias and Deadline.com

Noel Sheppard / NewsBusters.org:

Chris Matthews: ‘Sarah Palin Has Proven Herself To Be Profoundly Stupid’ — When MSNBC's Chris Matthews isn't calling a potential Republican presidential candidate racist, he's calling them idiots. — On Tuesday's “Hardball,” after one of his guests said, “We shouldn't forget Sarah Palin” …

Wall Street Journal:

Spuds, on the Verge of Being Expelled, Start a Food Fight in the Cafeteria — Federal Plan to Limit Potatoes on School Menus Whips Up Supporters; ‘Gateway Vegetable’ — PORTLAND, Maine—Around here, you can find “Maine Potato Candy”—mashed potatoes rolled in coconut and dipped in chocolate—and potato donuts.

Discussion: Yglesias, Hot Air, Gawker, Mother Jones and The Blotter

Reuters:

Skepticism grows on Geithner's US debt limit deadline — * Tea Party Republicans say sell assets instead — * Skepticism raises stakes in debt limit debate — U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is facing growing criticism for his changing predictions on when the country might face a debt default …

Discussion: ThinkProgress

Matt Negrin / The Politico:

Obama had no reaction to Trump?! — The president had a ‘surprisingly subdued reaction’ to the Trump news, says Jay Carney. — AP Photo — Despite ribbing Donald Trump in front of Washington's top media and political players, President Obama didn't have any noteworthy reaction …

Discussion: Mediaite

Jerome R. Corsi / WorldNetDaily:

Nordyke numbers expose Obama document fraud? — Newly found details about birth registration show president's certificate out of sequence — NEW YORK - Newly unearthed information about Hawaii's procedure for numbering birth records at the time Barack Obama was born casts further doubt …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars