memeorandum: TPMDC — McConnell: GOP Will Fight To Let ANY Employer Deny Birth Control Coverage (Sahil Kapur/tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com)

5:00 AM ET, February 13, 2012

Top Items:

BBC:

Greek MPs pass austerity plan amid violent protests — The BBC's Mark Lowen: “It was some of the worst violence Athens had seen for months” — Greece's parliament has passed a controversial package of austerity measures, demanded by the eurozone and IMF in return for a 130bn-euro ($170bn; £110bn) bailout to avoid default.

Discussion: naked capitalism and Suburban Guerrilla

New York Times:

Greek Parliament Passes Austerity Plan as Riots Rage — ATHENS — After violent protests left dozens of buildings aflame in Athens, the Greek Parliament voted early on Monday to approve a package of harsh austerity measures demanded by the country's foreign lenders in exchange for new loans to keep Greece from defaulting on its debt.

Discussion: Mish's Global Economic …, Guardian, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Runnin' Scared and The Raw Story

Reuters:

Greek lawmakers pass austerity bill as Athens burns — (Reuters) - Greece's parliament approved a deeply unpopular austerity bill Monday to secure a second EU/IMF bailout and avoid national bankruptcy, as buildings burned across central Athens and violence spread around the country.

Discussion: Power Line and The Raw Story

Sahil Kapur / tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com:

TPMDC — McConnell: GOP Will Fight To Let ANY Employer Deny Birth Control Coverage — Not satisfied with President Obama's new religious accommodation, Republicans will move forward with legislation by Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) that permits any employer to deny birth control coverage …

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Hill, Crooked Timber, The New Republic, TBogg, Daily Kos, Brad DeLong, Democracy in America, CBS News, Bark Bark Woof Woof, Balloon Juice, The Moderate Voice, The Reality-Based Community and Washington Monthly

Charles Johnson / Little Green Footballs: Now the GOP Wants to Permit Any Employer to Deny Contraception Coverage

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

Severe Conservative Syndrome — Mitt Romney has a gift for words — self-destructive words. On Friday he did it again, telling the Conservative Political Action Conference that he was a “severely conservative governor.” — As Molly Ball of The Atlantic pointed out, Mr. Romney “described conservatism as if it were a disease.”

Josh Lederman / Ballot Box:

Rep. Ron Paul not conceding Maine vote — Rep. Ron Paul is not conceding the GOP's Maine caucuses, which state party officials and major networks called Saturday for rival Mitt Romney. — With 84 percent of precincts reporting, Romney has 39 percent to Paul's 36 percent …

Discussion: The Raw Story and Blue Mass Group

Josh Lederman / The Hill:
Santorum suggests Romney may have rigged CPAC poll

Discussion: Politico, The Huffington Post, Politics, Liberal Values, The Impolitic, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Moderate Voice, The Political Carnival, The Other McCain and Ballot Box

Glenn Thrush / Politico:
Santorum suggests Romney rigged CPAC vote

Discussion: American Spectator and Outside the Beltway

Tucker Carlson / The Daily Caller:

Inside Media Matters: Sources, memos reveal erratic behavior, close coordination with White House and news organizations — This is the first in a Daily Caller investigative series on Media Matters For America. Daily Caller reporters Alex Pappas and Will Rahn contributed to this report.

Discussion: Atlas Shrugs, FishbowlDC and TBogg

Trip Gabriel / New York Times:

Gingrich Money Hunt Faces Obstacles — Newt Gingrich recently joined Gov. Rick Perry of Texas on a conference call with more than 50 “bundlers” who had powered Mr. Perry's formidable campaign-cash machine. — Mr. Perry asked his top financial rainmakers to raise money for Mr. Gingrich …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Page, Bark Bark Woof Woof and The Caucus

Charles Johnson / Little Green Footballs:

Fox News Commenters Respond to Whitney Houston's Death With Deluge of Hatred and Racism — I don't even know what to say about this any more. There's a real sickness running rampant in the right wing; the Fox News comment thread on Whitney Houston's death is yet another disgusting deluge …

Discussion: Towleroad News #gay

Fox News:
Singer Whitney Houston dies at 48

Discussion: The Other McCain

John Bresnahan / Politico:

Ethics issues tarnish congressional image — The 112th Congress is the most unpopular ever, but is it the most corrupt? — The dire headlines about bad behavior by members of Congress are everywhere: At least a dozen House members are under investigation for ethical or potential criminal charges …

Discussion: The Page

John Hinderaker / Power Line:

Cronyism 101 — I wrote about my participation in the Koch brothers' semi-annual seminar in Palm Springs two weekends ago here. Along with Peter Schweizer, I did a presentation on cronyism. My speech focused on corporate cronyism, while Peter's centered on the sort of political cronyism …

ABCNEWS:

‘This Week’ Transcript: Jack Lew, Paul Ryan and Rick Santorum — Republican Presidential Candidate Rick Santorum on “This Week” (ABC News) — STEPHANOPOULOS: Good morning, everyone. Many of you have been following that breaking news overnight that the singer, Whitney Houston, died yesterday in Los Angeles.

Discussion: Althouse and Washington Post