memeorandum: President Pushover — Updated: Drew article now available. (Paul Krugman)

5:25 PM ET, July 24, 2011

Top Items:

President Pushover — Updated: Drew article now available. — The redoubtable Elizabeth Drew has a forthcoming article in the New York Review of Books — that confirms all our worst fears. She tells us that past concessions have … Even more alarming, however, is her window on what the White House is thinking:

Discussion: AMERICAblog News, Moe Lane, Balloon Juice and TBogg

Elizabeth Drew / New York Review of Books:

What Were They Thinking? — Someday people will look back and wonder, What were they thinking? Why, in the midst of a stalled recovery, with the economy fragile and job creation slowing to a trickle, did the nation's leaders decide that the thing to do—in order to raise the debt limit …

Discussion: Booman Tribune, Daily Kos and Hullabaloo

The Note:

Debt Crisis Update: No Deal Likely by 4 p.m. — ABC News' Jonathan Karl reports: — Asian markets? They are on their own. A Republican source tells ABC News negotiators do not expect to have a deal or even the framework of a deal on the debt ceiling by 4 p.m. today …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, The Mahablog and Politics

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

If Boehner prioritizes blame over success — The House went through the motions earlier this week, passing a radical “Cut, Cap, and Balance” debt-reduction plan that Republicans knew would fail. They did this as a sort of vanity exercise, intended to make GOP lawmakers and their activist base feel better about themselves.

Discussion: Grasping Reality …, Raw Replay, Booman Tribune and Prairie Weather

Manu Raju / The Politico:

Congress ditches Obama on debt talks — First came the Biden talks. When those blew up, the Obama-Boehner talks took center stage. And when that failed, the McConnell-Reid talks looked promising. And after they faltered, the Obama-Boehner talks tried to find a new life.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Michelle Malkin, Wake up America, The Caucus, Outside the Beltway, Weasel Zippers, Pajamas Media, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Washington Post and The Hill

Alicia M. Cohn / The Hill:

Speaker Boehner: President Obama ‘worried about his next election’ — With his self-imposed deadline for releasing a deficit plan before overseas markets open just a few hours away, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said both sides were “not there yet” and pushed for a two-stage debt-limit vote.

Discussion: The Note, The Gateway Pundit, RedState, Wizbang and JammieWearingFool

Alicia M. Cohn / The Hill:

Durbin to Boehner: ‘You break it, you own it’ — The second most powerful Democrat in the Senate warned Republicans Sunday that they are toying with a fragile economy and would take the blame for any fallout from a debt default. — On Sunday, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) …

Discussion: CBS News

Molly K. Hooper / The Hill:

House GOP leaders schedule Sunday conference call — House Republican lawmakers are set to participate in a conference call with GOP leaders at 4:30pm Sunday, according to a source notified of the second such meeting in as many days. — The source, who intends to dial into the telephone conference …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Washington Monthly and Swampland

The Note:
Obama and Boehner Back at the Altar?

Discussion: Politics, Mediaite, Crooks and Liars and blogs.abcnews.com

Lori Montgomery / Washington Post:
Boehner hints at a unilateral debt plan; Geithner shoots down short-term options

Discussion: The Reaction, Pirate's Cove, Washington Monthly, Prairie Weather, Reuters, State of the Union, Wall Street Journal, Angry Bear, Weasel Zippers, Sky Dancing, The Huffington Post, The Mahablog and Bloomberg

New York Times:
Boehner Says G.O.P. Is Ready to Act Alone on Debt Deal

Discussion: TalkLeft

Ryan Grim / The Huffington Post:
‘Super Congress’: Debt Ceiling Negotiators Aim To Create New Legislative Body

Discussion: Firedoglake, Associated Press, naked capitalism, Taylor Marsh and Hullabaloo

The Hill:
Geithner: Deal must remove default threat through 2012 election

Discussion: Scared Monkeys and The Confluence

Byron York / Washington Examiner:
BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL — GOP readies new debt ceiling plan; bill set for Sunday

Discussion: Washington Post, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, americanthinker.com, Hot Air, James Pethokoukis, A plain blog about politics, Power Line, The Lonely Conservative, The Hill and The Gateway Pundit

Ezra Klein / Washington Post:
A small deal won't cut it

Discussion: The New Republic, Rortybomb, Grasping Reality …, The Hill and Firedoglake

Molly K. Hooper / The Hill:
Boehner aims to release new debt plan by Sunday afternoon

Discussion: The Politico, The Gateway Pundit, AMERICAblog News and New York Times

Josh Gerstein / The Politico:
Boehner paints two-step deal as only option

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Fox News and Washington Monthly

Josh Gerstein / The Politico: Boehner prepared to move debt plan by himself

New York Times:

Police Say Oslo Suspect Admits ‘Facts’ in Massacre — OSLO — The Norwegian man charged with attacks in and near Oslo, killing over 90 people, has admitted “to the facts” of the case, the police and his lawyer said on Sunday, and claims to have acted alone in a strike eerily foretold …

Discussion: Associated Press, New York Magazine, The Huffington Post, MyDD and Reuters

Nicholas Kulish / New York Times:

Norway Attacks Put Spotlight on Rise of Right-Wing Sentiment in Europe — BERLIN — The attacks in Oslo on Friday have riveted new attention on right-wing extremists not just in Norway but across Europe, where opposition to Muslim immigrants, globalization, the power of the European Union …

Discussion: Guardian, Booman Tribune, American Power, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

Reuters:
Norway mourns victims of anti-Islam “Crusader”

Discussion: Runnin' Scared and Maggie's Farm

Thomas L. Friedman / New York Times:

Make Way for the Radical Center — DID I mention that I've signed a pledge — just like those Republican congressmen who have signed written promises to different political enforcers not to raise taxes or permit same-sex marriage? My pledge is to never vote for anyone stupid enough to sign a pledge …

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Economist's View, Lean Left, Hullabaloo, Cogitamus, Slate, AMERICAN FUTURE, CANNONFIRE and The Daily Beast

Breaking News:

Taliban hang 8-year-old boy in southern Afghanistan — KABUL (BNO NEWS) — Suspected members of the Taliban on Friday hung the 8-year-old son of a local police commander in southern Afghanistan after ordering his father to surrender, according to a news report on Saturday.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Weasel Zippers and Jihad Watch

David Ariosto / CNN:
Militants hang 8-year-old boy in southern Afghanistan

Discussion: americanthinker.com and The Long War Journal

Tommy Christopher / Mediaite:

Debate Clucker Tim Pawlenty Asks Candy Crowley ‘Is President Obama Chicken?’ — In a statement so rich, Republicans are refusing to tax it, GOP presidential can'tidate Tim Pawlenty (R-The Drain) rhetorically asked CNN's Candy Crowley of President Obama, “Is he chicken?”

Discussion: Raw Replay and MN Progressive Project

Matt Schneider / Mediaite:

Chris Matthews Show Panelist: Obama In 2008 Was ‘Hope,’ In 2012 He'll Use ‘Politics Of Fear’ — Chris Matthews hosted a discussion with his guests regarding what President Obama might have to do in order to appeal to independent voters and get re-elected? While some on the panel suggested …

Oregonian:

Oregon Rep. David Wu hears calls to resign after revelations of unwanted sexual encounter — BY CHARLES POPE, BETH SLOVIC and HARRY ESTEVE — Pressure on Democratic Rep. David Wu to resign intensified Saturday as leaders in his own party began confronting the embattled Oregon lawmaker …

Discussion: UrbanGrounds, The Gateway Pundit, Hot Air, The Politico and Scared Monkeys

Associated Press:
APNewsBreak: Wu to talk with Congress leaders

Discussion: Oregonian, Weasel Zippers, Red Dog Report and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Nicholas D. Kristof / New York Times:

Republicans, Zealots and Our Security — IF China or Iran threatened our national credit rating and tried to drive up our interest rates, or if they sought to damage our education system, we would erupt in outrage. — Well, wake up to the national security threat.

Discussion: Washington Post, Washington Monthly, PoliPundit.com, Daily Kos, NewsBusters.org and The Mahablog

Tara Lynn Wagner / NY1.com:

Marriage Equality Comes To The City … Hundreds of LGBT New Yorkers in the five boroughs are finally tying the knot today, as the state Marriage Equality Act takes effect and the City Clerk's offices are open for weekend weddings. — Sealing their wedding vows with a kiss shortly after 9 a.m. …

Discussion: Runnin' Scared