memeorandum: The 14th Amendment, the Debt Ceiling and a Way Out (Adam Liptak/New York Times)

9:25 PM ET, July 24, 2011

Top Items:

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: The Politico, Outside the Beltway, The Lonely Conservative, The Hill, The Mahablog, Politics, The Gateway Pundit and AMERICAblog News

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

Paul Krugman:

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

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Bill would force Obama to pay Social Security, military if US defaults — Tea Party conservatives hope to make a push on the House floor to force President Obama to avoid a national default if Congress fails to raise the debt limit. — Members of the Senate Tea Party Caucus have met …

Discussion: New York Magazine and RedState

The Hill:

Boehner expects to have proposal Monday; Reid, Pelosi meet Obama — On a Sunday afternoon conference call with House Republican lawmakers, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) called on the GOP to “stick together” in the debt-ceiling negotiations and presented a a timeline that could see a vote on a proposal by Wednesday.

Discussion: Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog and nation.foxnews.com

The Politico:

No debt deal in sight, parties go separate ways — With no agreement reached by Sunday afternoon, House and Senate leaders appear to be moving in different directions with competing plans to raise the nation's debt ceiling, dramatically highlighting the major discord on Capitol Hill …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Lori Montgomery / Washington Post:
Debt-limit talks at a standstill as parallel strategies take shape in House, Senate

Discussion: The New Republic, msnbc.com and naked capitalism

New York Times:
Deadline Passes as Debt Ceiling Talks Languish

Discussion: The Page and TalkLeft

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
If Boehner prioritizes blame over success

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

John Hayward / Human Events:
Barack the Mad — The American presidency comes off the rails.

Discussion: Doug Ross

Alicia M. Cohn / The Hill:
Speaker Boehner: President Obama ‘worried about his next election’

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

CBS News:
“Face the Nation” transcript: July 24, 2011

Discussion: Crooks and Liars

David Dayen / Firedoglake:
CNN: Reid Working on His Own All-Cuts Debt Limit Proposal

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, Associated Press and The Huffington Post

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
EXCLUSIVE: What Boehner said to the caucus

Discussion: Babalú Blog, Politics and The Right Scoop

Manu Raju / The Politico:
Congress ditches Obama on debt talks

Discussion: CNN, Weasel Zippers, The Moderate Voice, Michelle Malkin, Outside the Beltway, The Caucus, Wake up America, The Huffington Post, The Lonely Conservative, Pajamas Media, Washington Examiner, Washington Post, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Wall Street Journal and The Hill

Alicia M. Cohn / The Hill: Durbin to Boehner: ‘You break it, you own it’

Molly K. Hooper / The Hill:
House GOP leaders schedule Sunday conference call

Discussion: Firedoglake and Washington Monthly

Alexander Burns / The Politico:

Michele Bachmann launches scathing attack on Tim Pawlenty — In a statement just released from her presidential campaign, Michele Bachmann delivers a harsh counterattack on her former home-state governor, hitting back at his charge that she lacks the experience to be president and blaming Tim Pawlenty for a …

Discussion: The Note, Red Dog Report, Weasel Zippers, Pirate's Cove, The Daily Caller and The Page

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: PERRspectives, Raw Replay and MN Progressive Project

Newsweek:

The Maid's Tale — She was paid to clean up after the rich and powerful. Then she walked into Dominique Strauss-Kahn's room—and a global scandal. Now she tells her story. — “Hello? Housekeeping.” — The maid hovered in the suite's large living room, just inside the entrance.

Discussion: The Politico, TalkLeft, The Raw Story and Media Decoder, more at Mediagazer »

ABCNEWS:

Dominique Strauss-Kahn Accuser Speaks Out in Exclusive ABC News Interview — In an exclusive television interview, ABC News' Robin Roberts speaks with the hotel employee who alleges she was sexually assaulted by former International Monetary Fund Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

Discussion: Runnin' Scared and The Wire

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, MyDD, The Huffington Post, New York Magazine and Reuters

Nicholas Kulish / New York Times:
Norway Attacks Put Spotlight on Rise of Right-Wing Sentiment in Europe

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

James S. Robbins / Washington Times:
Exclusive: The Oslo Terrorist in His Own Words: Bomber Predicted “Europe soon will burn once again”

Discussion: ABCNEWS, Pajamas Media, American Power and The Lonely Conservative

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

Discussion: Reuters, Runnin' Scared and Maggie's Farm

Paul Krugman:

Means-testing Medicare — I've been thinking about this issue more since Friday's discussion with David Brooks, and have come to the conclusion that this is an even worse idea, on pure policy grounds, than even most liberals realize. — The usual argument against means-testing …

Discussion: Modeled Behavior and Marginal Revolution

Rasmussen Reports:

Voters Give GOP 10-Point Edge Over Democrats on Economy — With lawmakers haggling over government debt and consumer confidence at a two-year low, voter confidence in Republicans to handle the economy is growing. — The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely Voters shows …

Discussion: Power Line, Pajamas Media and Red Dog Report

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, Hullabaloo, Lean Left, Slate, Cogitamus, CANNONFIRE, AMERICAN FUTURE and The Daily Beast, more at Techmeme »

Adam Liptak / New York Times:

The 14th Amendment, the Debt Ceiling and a Way Out — WASHINGTON — A few days ago, former President Bill Clinton identified a constitutional escape hatch should President Obama and Congress fail to come to terms on a deficit reduction plan before the government hits its borrowing ceiling.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Firedoglake, The Other McCain, Pajamas Media, Sky Dancing, Prairie Weather and Pirate's Cove

David Ariosto / CNN:

Militants hang 8-year-old boy in southern Afghanistan — Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) — An 8 year-old boy was hanged by militants in Afghanistan's Helmand province after the boy's father — a police officer in the southern city of Gereshk — refused to comply with militants' demands to provide them with a police vehicle, officials said.

Discussion: americanthinker.com and The Long War Journal