memeorandum @ 9:55 AM ET, October 9, 2011

9:55 AM ET, October 9, 2011

Top Items:

Could this time have been different? — (KEVIN LAMARQUE - REUTERS) Christina Romer had traveled to Chicago to perform an unpleasant task: she needed to scare her new boss. David Axelrod, Barack Obama's top political adviser, had been very clear about that.

Discussion: Political Mojo and Booman Tribune

Ezra Klein / Washington Post:

Financial crisis and stimulus: Could this time be different? — Christina Romer had been asked to scare her new boss. It was six weeks after the 2008 election, and the incoming administration had gathered in Chicago. David Axelrod, Barack Obama's top political adviser …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Charlie Savage / New York Times:

Secret U.S. Memo Made Legal Case to Kill a Citizen — WASHINGTON — The Obama administration's secret legal memorandum that opened the door to the killing of Anwar al-Awlaki, the American-born radical Muslim cleric hiding in Yemen, found that it would be lawful only if it were not feasible to take him alive …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Volokh Conspiracy, Lawfare, Opinio Juris, emptywheel, Mondoweiss, Prairie Weather, Business Insider, The Political Carnival and American Power

Reuters:
Yemen's Saleh says will step down in coming days

Discussion: Informed Comment and americanthinker.com

Daily Mail:

INSIDE MAN: IS PRESIDENT OBAMA SUPPORTING THE PROTESTERS? — Despite claiming to represent ‘the 99 per cent’, not all Americans are behind the Wall Street protests. — But according to the Financial Times, the President himself is unofficially backing their cause.

Discussion: Hot Air, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller, Clayton Cramer's Blog, The Lonely Conservative and The Jawa Report

Jennifer Preston / New York Times:

Wall Street Protest Spurs Online Dialogue on Inequity — What began as a small group of protesters expressing their grievances about economic inequities last month from a park in New York City has evolved into an online conversation that is spreading across the country on social media platforms.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Prairie Weather, The Belgravia Dispatch, Wonkette, Washington Post and Firedoglake

Gail Collins / New York Times:
Wall Street Weeks

Discussion: Pajamas Media, Connecting.the.Dots, Daily Kos, Prairie Weather, Washington Post and National Review

Cara Buckley / New York Times:
Occupy Wall Street Begins to Chafe Its Neighbors

Discussion: Mediaite, Outside the Beltway, Big Government, Hot Air, Babalú Blog, Pundit & Pundette, The Crawdad Hole, Political Mojo and National Review

Liz Barry / www2.newsadvance.com:

Palin says it's time to “reload for America” — During a speech focusing on faith and family, former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin called for the “restoration of America” during the Extraordinary Women Conference at Liberty University in Lynchburg Saturday.

Discussion: The Crawdad Hole and WJLA-TV

Mark Steyn / National Review:

American Autumn — Michael Oher, offensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens, was online on Wednesday night when his Twitter feed started filling up with tributes to Steve Jobs. A bewildered Oher tweeted: “Can somebody help me out? Who was Steve Jobs!” — He was on his iPhone at the time.

Discussion: americanthinker.com, PoliPundit.com, Pajamas Media and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

Andy Crouch / Wall Street Journal:

Steve Jobs: The Secular Prophet — Steve Jobs turned Eve's apple, the symbol of fallen humankind, into a religious icon for true believers in technology. But can salvation be downloaded? — For every magical thing Steve Jobs revealed in his Apple keynote addresses, there were many other things he concealed.

Alexander Burns / The Politico:

Romney criticizes summit speaker for ‘poisonous language’ — Mitt Romney criticized another speaker at the Values Voter Summit Saturday for bringing “poisonous language” into public debate, a day after his Mormon faith came under attack by a Texas megachurch leader here.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Volokh Conspiracy, MyFox New York and The Page

A.Killough / CNN:
Romney jabs controversial speaker at Values Voter Summit

Discussion: JONATHAN TURLEY, The Politico, Riehl World View, Runnin' Scared and Gothamist

Sean Rayment / Telegraph:

200 suicide bombers ‘planning attacks in UK’ — At least 200 potential terrorists are actively planning suicide attacks while living freely in Britain, intelligence chiefs have warned ministers. — Court artist's impression of Irfan Nasser, left, and Irfan Khalid, right, who were arrested over an alleged UK suicide bombing plot

Discussion: Jihad Watch, Atlas Shrugs and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

McConnell takes chutzpah to new levels — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said this week that White House's “explicit strategy” is to “make people believe that Congress can't get anything done.” Seriously, that's what he said. As McConnell sees it, President Obama doesn't want Congress to function.

Erik Wasson / The Hill:
CBO: Obama jobs bill reduces budget deficit

Discussion: The Political Carnival, Liberal Values, Washington Monthly, The Hill and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Doug Powers / Michelle Malkin:

Undrained Swamp Update: Things You Can't Believe are Legal Inside the Beltway, Part XXVII — It isn't difficult to see why so many in Washington can't or won't recognize the inherent problem with things like the Solyndra debacle — or crony capitalism in general.