memeorandum: The White House Responds (Ezra Klein)

3:00 PM ET, May 24, 2007

Top Items:

Matt Stoller / MyDD:

The Capitulation Bill: "Obviously it's a good move" — The crazy thing about the fight is that Democratic insiders are convinced that capitulation is the right strategy. They actually believe that this will put pressure on the Republicans in the fall, and that standing up to Bush is a bad idea.

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Huffington Post, Brilliant at Breakfast, Taylor Marsh, DownWithTyranny!, Balloon Juice and Daily Kos

Carl Hulse / New York Times:

News Analysis: On War Funds, Democrats Saw No Option but to Cede Ground to Bush — Congressional contortions over the Iraq spending bill could end up with most House Democrats momentarily occupying the position they were so desperate to vacate: the minority.

Discussion: Think Progress, The Politico, Shakesville, Jules Crittenden, MSNBC and Republic of Sestakastan

Susan Ferrechio / CQ.com:

Democrats Set Stage for Next War Debate — Before deciding to blink in the long standoff over war spending and troop withdrawal, House Democrats convinced themselves President Bush is scoring only a short-term victory. — The House is expected to send to the Senate late Thursday …

Discussion: TalkLeft and AMERICAblog

Greg Sargent / Election Central:

Dem Leadership: If We'd Confronted Bush On Iraq, White House Would Have Criticized Us — With the House set to vote on the no-timelines Iraq War funding bill later today, The New York Times provides a glimpse into the thinking among top Dems that led to the current proposal: … Oooooooooooooo, scary!

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Daily Kos

Patrick O'Connor / The Politico:

GOP slams Pelosi in new ad campaign — House Republicans have a fairly simple plan to reclaim the majority: Blame Nancy. — The National Republican Congressional Committee launches its first national advertising blitz Thursday with a drive to tie freshmen Democrats to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Discussion: Capitol Briefing, Bob McCarty Writes, Wizbang and Michael P.F. van der Galiën

Mike Soraghan / The Hill:
House Democrats bracing for unpalatable Iraq vote

Discussion: The Huffington Post, CQ.com, Happy Furry Puppy Story …, Booman Tribune and All Spin Zone

CNN:

Bush: Expect 'heavy fighting' in Iraq this summer … WASHINGTON (CNN) — As Congress was poised to approve money for U.S. forces in Iraq on Thursday, President Bush warned Americans to expect "heavy fighting" this summer during a critical time in his war strategy.

Discussion: CBS News and ImmigrationProf Blog

New York Times:
EX-JUSTICE AIDE ADMITS POLITICS AFFECTED HIRING

Discussion: Washington Post, The Huffington Post, Capitol Briefing, Outside The Beltway, Suburban Guerrilla, Unfogged, Law Blog, Think Progress, The Carpetbagger Report, On Deadline, Michael P.F. van der Galiën and KnoxViews

Paul Kiel / TPMmuckraker:
Bush: Justice Department Investigation Is Being "Drug Out"

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report

Don Surber:
Scandal trolling

Discussion: Macsmind, The American Mind and The Impolitic

Paul Kiel / TPMmuckraker:
Today's Must Read

Discussion: Real Cities, Comments From Left Field, Norwegianity and TIME: Swampland

Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
Monica's Own Monica Problem

Discussion: Firedoglake, Salon, The Carpetbagger Report, TPMCafe blogs, The Agitator, the talking dog, The Heretik, News Hounds and TPMmuckraker

Dale Franks / QandO:

QUESTIONS FOR OUR LIBERAL FRIENDS — Bruce is a big boy, and certainly doesn't need me to help him out, but let's talk about Iraq for a moment. Because I have questions for people like Oliver Willis to which I'm curious to hear the answers. And I'm not asking in a snarky way. I'm honestly interested.

Discussion: Michael P.F. van der Galiën and The Glittering Eye

Oliver Willis:

AN ANSWER TO OUR CONSERVATIVE FRIENDS — I'm going to answer these questions posted by conservative Dale Franks here and not in their comments because I know quite a few of the cons who read my site regularly ask the same questions (and by "ask" I mean regurgitate existing talking points) …

Discussion: Shakesville

Ezra Klein:
The White House Responds

Discussion: Real Clear Politics, Think Progress and TIME: Swampland

Susan Bell / Scotsman:

Raid on spy's home 'reveals details of Chirac's secret £30m bank account' — LONG-STANDING rumours that the former French president Jacques Chirac holds a secret multi-million-euro bank account in Japan appear to have been confirmed by files seized from the home of a senior spy.

Discussion: Betsy's Page and The Moderate Voice

Rose Garden / White House:

Press Conference by the President — THE PRESIDENT: Please be seated. Thank you, all. Good morning. — Today, Congress will vote on legislation that provides our troops with the funds they need. It makes clear that our Iraqi partners must demonstrate progress on security and reconciliation.

Dalia Sussman / New York Times:

POLL SHOWS OPPOSITION TO IRAQ WAR AT ALL TIME HIGH — Americans now view the war in Iraq more negatively than at any time since the war began, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll. — Six in 10 Americans say the United States should have stayed out of Iraq and more than three …

Discussion: Taylor Marsh

CBS News:

CBS Poll: 76% Say War's Going Badly — Record Number In CBS/NYT Survey Say Getting Involved In Iraq Was A Mistake — (CBS) As President Bush and Congress hammer out an Iraq war funding bill, a CBS News/New York Times poll shows the number of Americans who say the war is going badly has reached a new high …

Discussion: TalkLeft and Crooks and Liars

Opinion Journal:

Immigration and Welfare — Most of them will pay at least as much as they collect. — The immigration debate is roaring again, and we're happy to join the fun. One place to start is a myth that has become a key talking point among restrictionists on the right—to wit …

Discussion: Washington Times, ImmigrationProf Blog and Michael P.F. van der Galiën

George F. Will / Washington Post:
A Bill That Earned Its Doubters

Discussion: Hot Air, Maggie's Farm and National Review

Sudarsan Raghavan / Washington Post:

Morgue Data Show Increase In Sectarian Killings in Iraq — More than three months into a U.S.-Iraqi security offensive designed to curtail sectarian violence in Baghdad and other parts of Iraq, Health Ministry statistics show that such killings are rising again.

Discussion: Atlantic Free Press, Informed Comment, Michael P.F. van der Galiën, Balloon Juice and Truthdig

Associated Press:

U.S. military continues to discharge gay Arab linguists, and Congress members seek hearing — WASHINGTON: Lawmakers who say the military has kicked out 58 Arabic linguists because they were gay want the Pentagon to explain how it can afford to let the valuable language specialists go.

Discussion: Brilliant at Breakfast and AMERICAblog

James Joyner / Outside The Beltway:
58 Gay Arab Linguists Ousted From Military

Discussion: Washington Monthly and The Carpetbagger Report

New Hampshire Union Leader:

The gambler: John McCain goes all in — FOR MONTHS, Sen. John McCain has been roughed up by critics who say the maverick senator beloved in 2000 has been replaced by a panderer willing to say anything to get the GOP nomination. Those critics are not paying attention.

Discussion: Townhall.com, American Spectator and Hotline On Call

Gateway Pundit:

Grim Milestone: War on Terror Fatalities Reach Ominous Threshold — It is not an easy decision to vote for war. — It's not easy committing your soldiers to the battlefield. — Yet, the democratic-led Congress did just that in 2002. — Surely, they knew what their vote would mean …

Discussion: The Newshoggers and Confederate Yankee

Washington Post:

Rules Skirted, Millions Wasted on Navy Boat Barriers — The men from al-Qaeda guided their bomb-laden skiff through the harbor and drew near the USS Cole, detonating a quarter-ton of C-4 plastic explosive that killed 17 sailors and tore a 40-foot hole in the side of the Navy destroyer.

Discussion: Danger Room, On Deadline and Balloon Juice