memeorandum: Waiver In Hand, Florida's Rick Scott Backs Medicaid Expansion (Diane Webber/capsules.kaiserhealthnews …)

1:20 PM ET, February 21, 2013

Top Items:

Numbers / Pew Research Center for the People …:

If No Deal is Struck, Four-in-Ten Say Let the Sequester Happen — Deficit Reduction: Focus Mostly on Spending But Keep Taxes in Mix — OVERVIEW — After a series of fiscal crises over the past few years, the public is not expressing a particular sense of urgency over the pending March 1 sequester deadline.

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Plum Line, The Fix, Washington Post, PoliticusUSA, Washington Wire, AMERICAblog, The Maddow Blog, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Hill, Prairie Weather and Business Insider

Mike Dorning / Bloomberg:

Obama Rated at 3-Year High in Poll, Republicans at Bottom — President Barack Obama enters the latest budget showdown with Congress with his highest job- approval rating in three years and public support for his economic message, while his Republican opponents' popularity stands at a record low.

Discussion: Business Insider, Taegan Goddard's …, Politico, The Hill, The National Memo, Shakesville, Prairie Weather, The Reaction, Daily Kos, The Moderate Voice and alan.com

USA Today:

On issues, public is more aligned with Obama than GOP — SETTING A NATIONAL AGENDA: WHAT NEEDS TO GET DONE THIS YEAR? — In a USA TODAY/Pew Research Center Poll, Americans were asked how urgent it was for President Obama and Congress to pass major legislation on some top issues this year.

Discussion: ABCNEWS, Taylor Marsh and Balloon Juice

Steve Benen / msnbc.com:

Americans aren't buying what GOP is selling — A new Bloomberg National Poll shows President Obama's approval rating reaching a three-year high and public approval of Republicans reaching a three-year low. The same poll found that a plurality of Americans blame the congressional GOP, not Democrats, for “what's wrong in Washington.”

Discussion: The Week, Daily Kos, Booman Tribune and The Maddow Blog

John Stanton / BuzzFeed:

Ed Markey Compares Campaign Finance Ruling To Decision Upholding Slavery — “The Dred Scott decision had to be repealed, we have to repeal Citizens United,” Massachusetts Democrat says days after meeting with black clergy. — Image by Josh Reynolds / AP — WASHINGTON — Rep. Ed Markey …

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …, Berkshire Eagle Online, Union-News, Post Politics, National Review and Washington Free Beacon

Alexandra Jaffe / Ballot Box:
Markey compares campaign finance ruling to slavery ruling, draws Republican ire

Discussion: The Right Sphere

T.W. Farnam / Washington Post:
McCutcheon case could give Citizens United a run for its money in Supreme Court

Discussion: The Fix and PostPartisan

Talking Points Memo:

McCain Jeered At Town Hall After Opposing Mass Deportation — Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) got an earful from his constituents in his home state while defending his bipartisan immigration plan at a town hall. — According to the Associated Press, an “angry crowd” reacted negatively as McCain described …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars and Post Politics

Rachelle Younglai / Reuters:
Majority of U.S. citizens say illegal immigrants should be deported

Discussion: Boston Herald, NBC Latino, Shakesville, Weasel Zippers, Right Wing News and American Power

Jason Horowitz / Washington Post:
Republican senator John McCain is still raising questions and hackles

Discussion: The Fix, Althouse and Booman Tribune

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill:
Sen. Cruz: Obama trying to ‘scuttle’ immigration reform

Discussion: Politico and Trail Blazers Blog

CNN:

Laura Bush: Take me out of pro-gay marriage ad — (CNN) - Former first lady Laura Bush, who is one of three prominent Republicans featured in a new ad supporting same-sex marriage, has asked the spot's creator to remove a clip of her espousing support for equal marriage rights.

Discussion: The Hill

Tom Benning / Trail Blazers Blog:
Former first lady Laura Bush asks to be removed from newly launched pro-gay marriage ad campaign

Discussion: Politico, Mediaite, Post Politics, Towleroad News #gay, TheBlaze.com, Taylor Marsh, msnbc.com, Respect for Marriage News, Daily Kos and Right Turn

Quinnipiac News + Events:

Release Detail — February 21, 2013 - Donor Controversy Takes Toll On NJ Senator, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Booker Tops Rivera 2-1 In 2014 Senate Race — New Jersey voters disapprove 41 - 36 percent of the job U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez is doing, a 15-point drop in less than a month …

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Politico, The Hill, Hot Air, NBC Latino and Capital New York

Kevin Liptak / CNN:
Poll: Menendez allegations take toll; Geraldo unpopular

Discussion: The Rightnewz, Politico and The Gateway Pundit

Eric Fleischauer / Decatur Daily:

Sen. Shelby: budget cuts ‘draconian’ — HARTSELLE — U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby said automatic budget cuts scheduled to take effect March 1 are “draconian” but don't reduce spending enough. — The Tuscaloosa Republican voted against the 2011 deal designed to resolve a debate over whether Congress …

Discussion: Post Politics

Luke Johnson / The Huffington Post:
Richard Shelby Plans To Vote For Chuck Hagel Confirmation

Discussion: Right Turn, Post Politics and Daily Kos

Karl Rove:

A Better Republican Sequester Strategy — Congressional Republicans are simultaneously united, divided and confused about the $85 billion of cuts in defense and domestic discretionary spending that begin on March 1 when the budget sequester takes effect. — Republicans are united …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and National Review

Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:
G.O.P. Resisting Obama on Tax Increase

Discussion: American Prospect, The Caucus, Angry Bear, Wonkblog, NBC Southern California, PoliticusUSA, The Fix, Washington Examiner, americanthinker.com, Campaign for America's Future, The Hill, The Reaction, CRFB.org, Booman Tribune and msnbc.com

Fox News:

South Africa names new head in Pistorius' murder investigation; previous investigator faces reinstated attempted murder charges — Prosecutors reinstated attempted murder charges against a policeman leading the murder investigation into Olympian Oscar Pistorius, in the latest twist in a case …

Discussion: Gretawire

Ed Payne / CNN:
Police: Investigator faces charges himself

Discussion: New York Times, The Week, This Just In and Scared Monkeys

Steven Nelson / US News:

Joe Biden's Shotgun Advice Could Land Jill Biden in Jail — Felony aggravated menacing, reckless endangering charges could result from shooting gun in air — Vice President Joe Biden might want to have a talk with his son, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, before he makes another public statement about guns.

Discussion: Hit & Run, Weasel Zippers, Sense of Events and National Review

Glenn Thrush / Politico:

John Kerry: The un-Hillary Clinton — John Kerry is no Hillary Clinton — and he's OK with that. — In the three weeks since Kerry succeeded Clinton as secretary of state, he's already sent unmistakable signals of his independence with a more assertive, proactive and risk-taking stewardship …

Discussion: Taylor Marsh

Diane Webber / capsules.kaiserhealthnews.org:

Waiver In Hand, Florida's Rick Scott Backs Medicaid Expansion — Florida Gov. Rick Scott announced Wednesday that he would back expansion of the Medicaid program under the federal health law. At a hastily-called press conference, Scott, a Republican, said he supported expanding Medicaid for three years …

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Maddow Blog, Tampa Bay Times, msnbc.com and Hit & Run

Erick Erickson / RedState:
I Am Very Disappointed in Governor Rick Scott

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Orlando Sentinel, Bloomberg, New York Times, Taylor Marsh, Tampa Bay Times, The Raw Story, The Hill and Hot Air

Kevin Liptak / CNN:

Rand Paul returns more money to Treasury — (CNN) - Sen. Rand Paul cut another six-figure check to the United States Treasury Wednesday, taking the money he said he didn't need from his office's budget to make a tiny dent in the nation's massive federal debt.

Discussion: The Hill

David Welna / NPR:

Meet The Virginian Shaping The House GOP's Immigration Plan … Comprehensive immigration reform seems to top everyone's legislative wish list this year, and bills are already taking shape in the White House and the Democratic-led Senate. — A bipartisan group of senators recently laid …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and The Hill

Jim DeMint / Politico:

DeMint to Cruz critics: Cork it — Imagine a new senator who ran a campaign of “no more business as usual.” No more special interest politics, no more backroom deals — and he won. He came to Washington, and he delivered. He didn't stay quiet, he spoke passionately for what he believed in …

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Trail Blazers Blog, First Read, msnbc.com and The Heritage Foundation

Chris Geidner / BuzzFeed:

Opponents Of Proposition 8 Tell Supreme Court To Allow Gay Couples To Marry — “The only substantive question in this case is whether the State is entitled to exclude gay men and lesbians from the institution of marriage and deprive their relationships—their love—of the respect …

Discussion: Joe. My. God.