memeorandum: Education Secretary Arne Duncan: I believe in same-sex marriage (Drew Katchen/msnbc.com)

1:25 PM ET, May 7, 2012

Top Items:

James Hohmann / Politico:

Battleground Poll: Obama, Romney in dead heat — A new POLITICO/George Washington University Battleground Poll finds a dead heat in the presidential race six months before the election. — Mitt Romney edged out President Barack Obama 48 percent to 47 percent among likely voters …

Discussion: GOP 12, Weasel Zippers, LifeNews.com, Washington Post, White House Dossier, CNN, No More Mister Nice Blog and ThinkProgress

Susan Page / USA Today:

Swing states' poll: Big challenges loom for Obama, Romney — Six months out, it's a tie. — The first USA TODAY/Gallup Swing States Poll since the GOP settled on a presumptive nominee shows big challenges for each side: Mitt Romney in generating enthusiasm and a personal connection with his supporters …

Discussion: Campaign 2012, ABCNEWS, GOP 12, The Hill, Mediaite, CNN, msnbc.com and National Review

Mark Halperin / Swampland:

The View from One Prudential Plaza: Why the Obama Campaign Is So Confident About Beating Romney — President Obama pauses while speaking at a campaign event in Columbus, Ohio, on May 5, 2012 — Barack Obama's decision to base his re-election campaign outside of Washington seems to be working pretty darn well.

Lydia Saad / Gallup:

Obama-Romney Race Competitive in 2012 Swing States — Obama currently holds advantage on strength of support and enthusiasm — PRINCETON, NJ — In the first USA Today/Gallup swing-state poll conducted since Mitt Romney became the presumptive Republican nominee, Romney and President Barack Obama …

Discussion: Firedoglake, American Prospect, GOP 12, The Moderate Voice, msnbc.com, The Daily Caller and blogs.telegraph.co.uk

Paul Waldman / American Prospect:
It's the Economy, Smartypants

Discussion: Mother Jones and ABCNEWS

James Hohmann / Politico: Battleground Poll: Obama, Romney in dead heat

Politico:
Republican poll analysis: The race to November begins

Discussion: CNN

James Hohmann / Politico:
Poll: 2012 race a dead heat

Discussion: Hit & Run, The Page, Associated Press and National Review

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

Those Revolting Europeans — The French are revolting. The Greeks, too. And it's about time. — Both countries held elections Sunday that were in effect referendums on the current European economic strategy, and in both countries voters turned two thumbs down.

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Moderate Voice, Hit & Run, Washington Monthly, ABCNEWS, Taylor Marsh, Hullabaloo, American Power, Daily Kos, ABCNEWS, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Althouse, Cafe Hayek and THE BURNED OVER DISTRICT

Matthew Yglesias / Slate:
Can This Man Save The Eurozone Economy?

Discussion: Firedoglake, BuzzFeed, American Prospect, Ezra Klein, Free exchange, Guardian, Via Meadia, The Barrometer, Agence France Presse and The Daily Dish

Noah Barkin / Reuters:
Analysis: Greek, French voters reject German-led austerity

Discussion: National Review, The PJ Tatler and New York Times

Drew Katchen / msnbc.com:

Education Secretary Arne Duncan: I believe in same-sex marriage — Vice President Joe Biden's declaration Sunday on “Meet the Press” that he's “absolutely comfortable” with gay marriage continued to reverberate Monday. — On Morning Joe, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan echoed Biden.

Discussion: Guardian, Politicker, Politico and Gay Politics

Michael Barbaro / New York Times:

A Scramble as Biden Backs Same-Sex Marriage — Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. said on Sunday that he was “absolutely comfortable” with same-sex marriages and was heartened by their growing acceptance across the country, a position that moves well beyond the “evolving” views that President Obama has said he holds on the issue.

Discussion: ABCNEWS, Politico, Althouse, Daily Kos, msnbc.com, The Caucus, The Huffington Post, JustOneMinute, Capital New York, Campaign 2012, Gay Politics, The Daily Dish and ThinkProgress

Donovan Slack / Politico:
Arne Duncan's support of gay marriage draws praise from advocates, ratchets up pressure on Obama

Discussion: National Review, White House Dossier, Guardian, Newsy and The Hill

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:
Arne Duncan Endorses Marriage Equality

Discussion: Business Insider, Shakesville, Indecision Forever, Washington Blade, Poliglot, The Raw Story, Taylor Marsh, Catholic Bandita, Towleroad News #gay, 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com and The Reaction

Washington Wire:
What Did Joe Biden Actually Say on Gay Marriage?

Discussion: Politicker and Wall Street Journal

BuzzFeed: Another Obama Cabinet Member Comes Out For Gay Marraige

BuzzFeed:

Mitt Romney Was Arrested For Disorderly Conduct In 1981 — The charges were dropped after Romney threatened to sue. “I was not a disorderly person,” Romney said. — Mitt Romney campaigns in Pittsburgh. — It's a little reported anecdote, but in 1981 presumptive Republican Presidential …

Discussion: GOP 12, Daily Kos, Naked DC and Indecision Forever

Brian Topp / Globe and Mail:

With Hollande's defeat of Sarkozy, France dodges a bullet — On election day in Paris, Place de la Bastille (home of the left) was full and Place de la Concorde (home of the right) was empty. As sure a sign as any that the Socialist Party was about to win the presidency, as it went on to do.

Discussion: The Reaction

Agence France Presse:
Obama invites Hollande to White House

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and Scared Monkeys

Peter Grier / Christian Science Monitor:

Why Ron Paul's big wins in Maine and Nevada matter — When Ron Paul delegates show up at the Republican National Convention in August, they may be strong enough to throw the event into disarray - just at the moment Mitt Romney needs to show the GOP united behind him.

Discussion: Business Insider and Hit & Run

Steve Mistler / Portland Press-Herald:
Ron Paul in Maine: Delegates in hand, but trouble afoot?

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Politico, The New Republic, Balloon Juice and Las Vegas Sun

Kevin Sieff / Washington Post:

Secret U.S. program releases high-level insurgents in exchange for pledges of peace — KABUL — The United States has for several years been secretly releasing high-level detainees from a military prison in Afghanistan as part of negotiations with insurgent groups, a bold effort to quell violence …

Discussion: Power Line, The Jawa Report, Hit & Run, ThinkProgress, The Gateway Pundit, CNN, Reuters, New York Magazine, This ain't Hell … and The PJ Tatler

Adweek:

Secret Meeting Has ‘Washington Post’ Buzzing As paper struggles, big-name journalists meet with the paper's top business exec By Lucia Moses — Washington Post staffers are buzzing about a secret meeting between some 10 big-name Post journalists including Dana Priest, David Finkel and Carol Leonnig …

Discussion: Capital New York, FishbowlDC, Poynter, Mediaite, New York Magazine and JIMROMENESKO.COM, more at Mediagazer »

Dave Umhoefer / PolitiFact:

Behind the rhetoric: Why Scott Walker was able to raise unlimited funds — Democrats and their recall allies decry the law that has helped Gov. Scott Walker out-raise his opponents combined by $11 million dollars without regard to normal campaign contribution limits.

Discussion: FreakOutNation

Michelle Kosinski / msnbc.com:

Prostitute at center of Secret Service scandal: Agents were ‘stupid brutes’ — MADRID, Spain — A woman identifying herself as the Colombian prostitute at the center of a scandal involving U.S. Secret Service personnel has called the group of agents “stupid brutes” who put partying above President Barack Obama's security.

Discussion: Mediaite, New York Magazine, The Raw Story and Business Insider

Peter Berkowitz / Wall Street Journal:

Why Colleges Don't Teach the Federalist Papers — At America's top schools, graduates leave without reading our most basic writings on the purpose of constitutional self-government. — It would be difficult to overstate the significance of The Federalist for understanding the principles …

Discussion: Power Line