memeorandum: ‘What About the Journal?’ A Report from the Special Committee (Wall Street Journal)

2:25 PM ET, July 25, 2011

Top Items:

Wonkbook: Republicans have won. But can they stop there? — (YURI GRIPAS - REUTERS) We don't yet know what the final deal to raise the debt ceiling will be. But now that Harry Reid is developing a proposal with $2.7 trillion in cuts and nothing in revenues, it's a safe bet that it won't include any tax increases.

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Moderate Voice, Washington Monthly, Washington Wire, Sky Dancing, Shot in the Dark, Keith Hennessey, The Hill, Don Surber, Taylor Marsh, Betsy's Page, The Heritage Foundation, Swampland, TPMDC, The Politico and Balloon Juice

Matthew Yglesias / ThinkProgress:

Harry Reid Calls House Republicans' Bluff — Something you often see in negotiations is a mismatch between one side's stated sticking points and its real sticking points. In the debate over the debt ceiling, for example, Republicans have sought to portray themselves as having two bottom lines.

Discussion: JustOneMinute and Talking Points Memo

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:

Speaker Boehner's Big Gamble — The Republican Speaker John A. Boehner, following the collapse of negotiations with President Obama, appears to be considering a path that would involve the House Republicans voting to raise the federal debt ceiling on their own terms, with little expectation of Democratic support.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, NationalJournal.com, Taegan Goddard's … and The Hill

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:

White House stokes debt-ceiling crisis — A Republican aide e-mails me: “The Speaker, Sen. Reid and Sen. McConnell all agreed on the general framework of a two-part plan. A short-term increase (with cuts greater than the increase), combined with a committee to find long-term savings …

Discussion: CNN, Sister Toldjah, JOSHUAPUNDIT, The Politico, Hot Air, Pajamas Media, And So it Goes in Shreveport, Washington Times, Pundit & Pundette, Poor Richard's News, Washington Examiner, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and The Gateway Pundit

Brian Beutler / TPMDC:

GOP Stumbles Over Surprise Dem Debt Limit Offer — Republicans have been tight-lipped so far about Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's surprise offer of $2.7 trillion in spending cuts — and no tax revenue — to raise the debt limit through 2012. — TPM SLIDESHOW: — Debt Negotiations At The White House

Discussion: Washington Monthly and Daily Kos

Byron York / Washington Examiner:

BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL — Reid played key role on debt bill before Obama nixed plan — Aides to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid worked closely over the weekend with staff for House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on a bill to resolve the debt-ceiling standoff …

Discussion: Verum Serum, Weasel Zippers and Pajamas Media

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:

EXCLUSIVE: What Boehner said to the caucus — From a source familiar with the call, this is what House Speaker John Boehner told House Republicans on Sunday: … That suggests to me that the House Republicans will pass a bill, send it to the Senate and let the Democrats decide if they want to send the country into default.

Discussion: The Other McCain, Human Events, Don Surber, The Reaction, NationalJournal.com, Bloomberg, Booman Tribune, The Lonely Conservative, Taegan Goddard's …, Babalú Blog, msnbc.com, The Right Scoop, Hot Air, Shakesville, Politics and The Hill

The Note:
Debt Debate: What are the Odds Congress Can Raise Debt Ceiling by Aug. 2?

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

First Read / msnbc.com:
First Thoughts: Finger-pointing, posturing, and politics

Discussion: Washington Post, Washington Monthly and Mother Jones

Felix Salmon:
How we got into this fine mess

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, New Yorker, Gawker and Paul Krugman

John Avlon / CNN:
Our stupid self-inflicted debt crisis

Discussion: current.com, MN Progressive Project and Guardian

David Kurtz / Talking Points Memo:
What To Expect Today — If you're shaking off the cobwebs …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Zachary A. Goldfarb / Washington Post:
Obama takes political, policy gamble on ‘big deal’

Discussion: The Huffington Post, The Hankster, Hullabaloo, AMERICAblog News, The Impolitic, Paul Krugman and The Politico

The Politico:
John Boehner to pressure Senate Dems on two-step plan

Discussion: Political Punch, Hot Air, Washington Post and Politics

Dan Pfeiffer / White House.gov Blog:
Some Republicans in Congress Once Argued Against Short-Term Solutions - They Were Right

Discussion: Washington Post, Washington Monthly, The Hill, USA Today, TPMDC, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Daily Caller, ThinkProgress, Washington Wire, Politics and Daily Kos

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Bill would force Obama to pay Social Security, military if US defaults

Discussion: Washington Post, Scared Monkeys, The Mahablog, The Gateway Pundit, Balloon Juice, The Politico and RedState

Scott Shane / New York Times:

Killings in Norway Spotlight Anti-Muslim Thought in U.S. — The suspect behind the attacks in Norway said he believed multiculturalism to be a threat. Here, mourners at Oslo Cathedral. More Photos » — The man accused of the killing spree in Norway was deeply influenced …

Boris Johnson / Telegraph:
Anders Breivik: There is nothing to study in the mind of Norway's mass killer

Discussion: Guardian, Obsidian Wings, Marbury and Shakesville

Bruce Bawer / Wall Street Journal:
Inside the Mind of the Oslo Murderer

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Washington Post, The Daily Dish, Runnin' Scared, Towleroad News #gay and Roger Ailes

Washington Wire:

Mike Ross, a Leading Blue Dog Democrat, to Leave the House — Rep. Mike Ross of Arkansas, a leader of the Blue Dog coalition of fiscally conservative Democrats, said Monday that he would not seek re-election, which could be good news for Republicans as they aim to pick up another seat in the 2012 elections.

Discussion: USA Today

Jessica Taylor / NationalJournal.com:
Rep. Mike Ross the Latest Blue Dog Dem to Not Seek Reelection

Discussion: TPMDC and The Daily Caller

Cameron Joseph / Ballot Box:
Rep. Mike Ross to retire

Discussion: CNN

Niall Stanage / The Hill:

The Hill Poll: Most voters see media as biased and unethical — Likely voters hold a dismal view of the news media, generally regarding reporters as biased, unethical and too close to the politicians they purport to cover, according to a new poll for The Hill.

Discussion: Questions and Observations, Big Journalism, Weasel Zippers, Red Dog Report, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, NewsBusters.org and JammieWearingFool

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:

Politics of a downgrade — A bond trader forwards on a note from Bank of America analysts today, anticipating a short term debt deal, likely followed at some point by a downgrade of America's bond rating from AAA to AA: — We expect the US credit rating to remain on negative outlook …

Discussion: Politics and Taylor Marsh

Paul Krugman:
Moody's Blues, Poor Standards, and the Debt

Discussion: Mother Jones, Economist's View and Rortybomb

Daniel Frankel / Yahoo! News:

Palin doc headed for PPV as ticket sales plummet — LOS ANGELES (TheWrap) - With its Sarah Palin documentary “The Undefeated” increasing its playdates by 40 percent this weekend, only to watch box office revenue decline by more than 63 percent, distributor Arc Entertainment announced Sunday …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Ben Smith's Blog, Outside the Beltway and GOP 12

The Hill:

Obama administration's charm offensive fails to win over business groups — The Obama administration's push to mend its relationship with business has gone cold only six months into the effort. — Complaints abound about the regulations pouring out of federal agencies to implement …

Discussion: Red Dog Report and Right Wing News

Washington Times:

CURL: Is Obama a pathological liar? — “Mendacity is a system that we live in.” — In the weird world that is Washington, men and women say things daily, hourly, even minutely, that they know deep down are simply not true. Inside the Beltway, we all call those utterances “rhetoric.”

Discussion: Pajamas Media and BizzyBlog

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
First lady says ‘N-O’ to career in politics post-White House

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

Bunny Mellon / Newsweek:

The Secret-Keeper — On the eve of her 101st birthday, reclusive philanthropist Bunny Mellon, the wealthy zelig who cavorted with Kennedys and stood by John Edwards, talks exclusively to Meryl Gordon about life with Paul, her famous friends, and the secrets buried in her gardens.

Discussion: The Politico, USA Today, Ben Smith's Blog and Taegan Goddard's …

Clive Crook / Financial Times:

Washington is drowning America — When I moved from Britain in 2005 to live and work in the US, I was a born-again admirer of the American people, the American project and the American system of government. I had no patience with the view that the country was entering its twilight years.

Discussion: AMERICAN FUTURE and Paul Krugman

Christine Haughney / New York Times:

To Reach Simple Life of Summer Camp, Lining Up for Private Jets — Gov. Paul LePage of Maine happened to be waiting for his flight at Augusta State Airport on a recent Saturday when the weekend crush began. — A turboprop Pilatus PC-12 carrying Melissa Thomas, her daughter …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Gothamist and Gawker