memeorandum: Obama's legal tactics seen as possibly hurting chances to save health-care law (Peter Wallsten/Washington Post)

11:15 AM ET, June 24, 2012

Top Items:

Past Denials of Vulnerability Raise Health Act What-Ifs — WASHINGTON — With the Supreme Court set to render judgment on President Obama's health care law as early as Monday, the White House and Congress find themselves in a position that many advocates of the legislation once considered almost unimaginable.

Discussion: Politico, Power Line, Right Wing News and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog

Peter Wallsten / Washington Post:

Obama's legal tactics seen as possibly hurting chances to save health-care law — Some prominent legal scholars say a series of tactical decisions by President Obama's legal team may have hurt the chances of saving his landmark health-care legislation from being gutted by Supreme Court conservatives.

Discussion: Riehl World View

Brian Beutler / Talking Points Memo:

Six Of One — Supporters of the Affordable Care Act are having a slight disagreement over what approach to take if the Supreme Court strikes the individual mandate. Some Democrats want to make a swift, aggressive push to restore a mandate or some incentive for people to buy health insurance …

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, The Mahablog and tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com

Jodi Kantor / New York Times:
White House Memo: White House Waits Tensely for Decision on Health Law

Discussion: The Lonely Conservative and Althouse

Politico:
HHS pushes out cash ahead of ruling

Discussion: americanthinker.com, Weasel Zippers and The Gateway Pundit

Josh Israel / ThinkProgress:

GOP Oversight Chair Admits There Is No Evidence Of White House Involvement In Fast And Furious — Last week, Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) claimed that the White House decision to invoke executive privilege to prevent the release of some documents related to the “Fast and Furious” …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland and The Raw Story

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Issa: House will vote Holder in contempt — House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) predicted Sunday that Republicans and Democrats would vote to find Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress this week. — “I believe they will, both Republicans and Democrats will vote that …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Michael Barbaro / New York Times:

For Wealthy Romney Donors, Up Close and Personal Access — PARK CITY, Utah —They schmoozed with Mitt Romney at a barbecue cookout at the Olympic Park, pressing him on labor regulations and the threat of a nuclear Iran as downhill skiers performed midair flips behind them.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Mother Jones and Eclectablog

Washington Post:

Members of Congress trade in companies while making laws that affect those same firms — One-hundred-thirty members of Congress or their families have traded stocks collectively worth hundreds of millions of dollars in companies lobbying on bills that came before their committees …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Jacqueline Stevens / New York Times:

Political Scientists Are Lousy Forecasters — DESPERATE “Action Alerts” land in my in-box. They're from the American Political Science Association and colleagues, many of whom fear grave “threats” to our discipline. As a defense, they've supplied “talking points” we can use …

Discussion: The Monkey Cage, americanthinker.com, American Power, Daily Kos and The Volokh Conspiracy

Fox News:

New Hampshire town asks Obama campaign to pay for costs of upcoming visit — DURHAM, NH - A New Hampshire town is asking the Obama campaign to foot the up to $30,000 bill for the president's upcoming campaign stop in their city. — MyFoxBoston reports the town of Durham is asking Obama's campaign …

Discussion: Scared Monkeys and CBS Boston

Jonathan Martinand Alexander Burns / Politico:

Mitt's no policy problem — Mitt Romney's aides suggested that when the Republican appeared before a Hispanic advocacy group on Thursday he'd address immigration. — But when Romney spoke to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), he only reiterated …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Alex Williams / New York Times:

Chris Hayes Has Arrived With ‘Up’ — AROUND 11 p.m. on a Friday this past spring, Ted Leo, a singer and songwriter considered something of a legend in New York punk and indie-rock, opened a raucous late set at the Black Cat club in Washington with a curious greeting to his followers.

Discussion: NewsBusters.org, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »

Charles M. Blow / New York Times:

Bullies on the Bus — “Making the Bus Monitor Cry.” — That's the name of the video. It's more than 10 minutes long, but if you make it through more than three of them with your eyes not getting misty and your blood not boiling then you are a rock, or at least your heart is.

Discussion: NewsBusters.org, Riehl World View and Daily Kos