memeorandum: Remarks by the President on Strengthening Intelligence and Aviation … (The White House)

9:45 AM ET, January 8, 2010

Top Items:

In Massachusetts, Anxiety for Favored Democrats — BOSTON — Martha M. Coakley, the Democrat running for Senator Edward M. Kennedy's seat in Massachusetts, had seemed so certain of winning the special election on Jan. 19 that she barely campaigned last month. — But the dynamic has changed in recent days.

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, Associated Press, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, msnbc.com, Jules Crittenden, Eye on 2010, sisu, Prairie Weather, Riehl World View and The Page

Andy Barr / The Politico:

Palin rebuffs CPAC, Keene — Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Pain is turning down an invitation to speak at one high-profile conservative gathering while accepting another. — Palin is declining an invitation to address the Conservative Political Action Conference next month because, a source said …

Discussion: Outside The Beltway, Conservatives4Palin.com, The Lonely Conservative, Riehl World View and Gateway Pundit

Hotline On Call:

GOP Insiders Sour On Palin — A poll of GOP insiders suggests that ex-AK Gov. Sarah Palin (R) has little support among the party's professional class — and maybe that's just how she wants it. — In a survey of 109 party leaders, political professionals and pundits, Palin finished 5th …

Discussion: Another Black Conservative, FiveThirtyEight, DaTechguy's Blog, JammieWearingFool, Donklephant and GOP 12

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Sarah Palin and the first 2012 Republican proving ground

Discussion: Mediaite and Boston Globe

Peter Hamby / CNN:
Palin to speak at major GOP event

Discussion: Coop's Corner, Ben Smith's Blog, The Page and Hot Air

Khopkins / Southern Republican Leadership …:
Palin To Address SRLC 2010

Discussion: Conservatives4Palin.com, New Orleans Times-Picayune, Townhall.com and The Atlantic Politics Channel

The White House:

Remarks by the President on Strengthening Intelligence and Aviation Security State Dining Room — THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon, everybody. The immediate reviews that I ordered after the failed Christmas terrorist attack are now complete. I was just briefed on the findings and recommendations …

Discussion: Washington Post, FrumForum, The Daily Dish, democracyarsenal.org and FP Passport

Jesse Lee / White House.gov Blog Feed:
Release of the Security Review Conducted After the Failed Christmas Terrorist Attack

Discussion: Political Punch, Laura Rozen's Blog, Michelle Malkin, Top of the Ticket, Mudville Gazette, ABCNEWS, Taylor Marsh, AMERICAblog News, NO QUARTER and The Lonely Conservative

Jeff Zeleny / The Caucus:
Obama: ‘We Are at War’ — President Obama on Thursday ordered …

Discussion: JustOneMinute, The Politico, The Hill, The Swamp, CNN, Political Byline and The Moderate Voice

Leah Farrall / All Things Counter Terrorism:

Can we stop the hysteria about AQAP please? — Greetings everyone. Allthingsct is officially back on deck for 2010. — Tonight's cynical Friday task is some myth busting in relation to Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, especially since the Xmas Day plots have spawned a good deal …

Discussion: ATTACKERMAN, The Washington Independent and The Majlis

Jim Hoft / Gateway Pundit:

Janet Napolitano Says She's Most Surprised By “Al-Qaeda's Determination” (Video) — Janet Napolitano told reporters today that she was most surprised by Al-Qaeda's determination. — Where has she been for the last 9 years? — They're terrorists, Janet. It's what they do.

Discussion: Founding Bloggers

Lynn Sweet:
Napolitano, Brennan briefing. Transcript. Expect more pat-downs at airports

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, The Lonely Conservative, Sister Toldjah and The Hill

Mike Allen / The Politico:

Palin aide warned of ‘epic debacle’ — Sarah Palin's charming opening debate line for now-Vice President Joe Biden — “Hey, can I call you Joe?” — was scripted after she repeatedly referred to him as “O'Biden” in preparation sessions, former McCain campaign senior adviser Steve Schmidt told “60 Minutes.”

Discussion: Outside The Beltway, DaTechguy's Blog, Conservatives4Palin.com, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and The Atlantic Politics Channel

Robert Costa / The Corner on National Review Online:
Palin Scoops Politico — By: Robert Costa

Discussion: Top of the Ticket

Brian Ross / ABCNEWS:

Shock: Obama Forced to ‘Order’ Follow-Ups of Terrorist Tips — President Pledges ‘Accountability’ But No One Fired for Systemic Intel Failures — In a revealing admission, President Barack Obama said today he was directing U.S. intelligence agencies to begin to do something many had assumed …

Discussion: Washington Post

New York Times:
Obama Orders Improvements in Security Policies

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Wall Street Journal, msnbc.com, Washington Times, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, McClatchy Washington Bureau and Washington Post

Michael Crowley / The New Republic:
The Butt Bomb — Al Qaeda's hidden weapon. — In the wake …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and Israel Matzav

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:

Steele comments have GOP aides pleading, ‘Get him to stop’ — Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele, under fire this week for a string of controversial statements he has made while promoting his new book, has so angered the party's congressional leaders that their aides …

Discussion: The Caucus, Raw Story, Washington Times, The Plum Line, AMERICAblog News, The Note and Washington Monthly

Reid Wilson / Hotline On Call:
GOP Furious At Steele; RNC Admits Little Control

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Politics Daily, The Washington Independent, Riehl World View, TPMDC, Washington Post, MyDD and Daily Kos

Esnr / CBS News:

CIA, Counterterrorism Execs Managed Bomb Crisis from Afar — Posted by Daniel Farber It could be said that the U.S. government can run by remote control. On the day that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab attempted to blow up a Northwest airline flight headed for Detroit, several key government players …

Discussion: Betsy's Page, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS and Weasel Zippers

Allahpundit / Hot Air:
CBS: Panetta didn't interrupt his vacation either after Flight 253 plot

Discussion: CBS News and The Strata-Sphere

Roger Lowenstein / New York Times:

Walk Away From Your Mortgage! — John Courson, president and C.E.O. of the Mortgage Bankers Association, recently told The Wall Street Journal that homeowners who default on their mortgages should think about the “message” they will send to “their family and their kids and their friends.”

Discussion: Grasping Reality …, The Business Insider, Felix Salmon, Financial Times, Calculated Risk and The Awl

Greenwich Time:

Former White House lawyer charged with attempting to kill wife in New Canaan — NEW CANAAN — A prominent attorney and former White House lawyer was charged with attempting to kill his wife Wednesday night. — John Michael Farren, 57, of New Canaan, was charged with attempted murder …

Discussion: TBogg, Law Blog, Above the Law, The BLT, Wonkette, Raw Story and Washington Post

Rachel Slajda / TPM LiveWire:
Former Bush Attorney Charged With Trying To Kill His Wife

Discussion: The BRAD BLOG, Reuters, The Moderate Voice, TalkLeft and skippy the bush kangaroo

Golnaz Esfandiari / Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty:

Iran State TV Suggests Neda's Iconic Death Was ‘Faked’ — Iranian state television has made a documentary about the death of Neda Agha Soltan, a young Iranian woman who was shot dead during the June postelection protests in Tehran, suggesting she was an agent of the United States and Britain who staged her own death.

Discussion: Enduring America, The Moderate Voice, Perfunction, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Hit & Run and FP Passport

David S. Broder / Washington Post:

Failed Christmas bomb plot will likely alter Obama's agenda — Was Christmas Day 2009 the same kind of wake-up call for Barack Obama that Sept. 11, 2001, had been for George W. Bush? — The near-miss by a passenger plotting to blow up an American airliner as it flew into Detroit seems …

Discussion: The Note, Associated Press, Commentary, The Politico and Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog!

New York Times:

Potential Ford Senate Bid Sets Off Scramble — The New York political world reacted swiftly and strongly to the possibility of Harold Ford Jr.'s candidacy for the United States Senate, with top Senate leaders trying to squash the bid and close advisers to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg meeting …

Discussion: New York Post, msnbc.com, The Faster Times and The Page

The Star-Ledger Continuous / New Jersey Online:

N.J. Senate rejects bill legalizing gay marriage … TRENTON — The state Senate rejected a same-sex marriage bill today, a major victory for opponents who contend the measure would infringe on religious freedom and is not needed because the state already permits civil unions.

Discussion: Think Progress, Gothamist, Box Turtle Bulletin, JammieWearingFool, TPM LiveWire and The Corner on National …

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

Bubbles and the Banks — Health care reform is almost (knock on wood) a done deal. Next up: fixing the financial system. I'll be writing a lot about financial reform in the weeks ahead. Let me begin by asking a basic question: What should reformers try to accomplish?

Discussion: Prairie Weather and The Reality-Based Community

Ben Armbruster / Think Progress:

Beck: 'African-American is a bogus, PC, made-up term. I mean, that's not a race.' — Today on his radio show, Glenn Beck wanted to discuss the census. “Apparently the census has come out,” he said. Beck's co-host then chimed in, “Yeah and there's a little confusion because there's three boxes …

Discussion: WCBS-TV, Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog! and TPM LiveWire

Bill Carter / Media Decoder:

NBC Plan Would Move Leno Back to Late Nights — Conan O'Brien, left, and Jay Leno on the set of “The Tonight Show” when Mr. Leno was the host. — Pressed by affiliates and shrinking ratings, NBC has a plan in the works to radically alter its late-night television lineup …

Discussion: Tower Ticker, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Reaction and Mediaite

Seema Mehta / L.A. NOW:

Reagan grandson arrested in Van Nuys [Updated] — Former President Reagan's grandson is in jail this morning after police arrested him at his parents' house in Van Nuys, Los Angeles Police Department officials said. — Cameron Reagan, 31, was arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest …

Discussion: CNN, Politics Daily, Pete Hoekstra .com and Roger Ailes