memeorandum: Baby Talk — I was struck by these sentences in President Obama's speech: (William Kristol/Weekly Standard)

10:35 AM ET, July 26, 2011

Top Items:

New polls confirm Obama's Democratic base crumbles — With all of the spotlights on the high-stakes debt maneuverings by President Obama and Speaker John Boehner the last few days, few people noticed what Vermont's Sen. Bernie Sanders said: — “I think it would be a good idea if President Obama faced some primary opposition.”

Discussion: Pajamas Media, Betsy's Page, RedState, The Gateway Pundit and The Note

Ylan Q. Mui / Washington Post:

More Americans unhappy with Obama on economy, jobs — More than a third of Americans now believe that President Obama's policies are hurting the economy, and confidence in his ability to create jobs is sharply eroding among his base, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Discussion: The Politico, Naked Politics, Red Dog Report and AMERICAblog News

The Hill:

Conservatives denounce Boehner plan — The chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee wasted little time announcing his opposition to the House GOP leadership's two-step plan to raise the debt ceiling. — Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who stood — visibly uncomfortable …

New York Times:

The Republican Wreckage — House Republicans have lost sight of the country's welfare. It's hard to conclude anything else from their latest actions, including the House speaker's dismissal of President Obama's plea for compromise Monday night. They have largely succeeded in their campaign …

Discussion: Speaker, Shakesville, NewsBusters.org blogs, Daily Kos, Swampland, Prairie Weather, AMERICAblog News and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

The White House:

Address by the President to the Nation — THE PRESIDENT: Good evening. Tonight, I want to talk about the debate we've been having in Washington over the national debt — a debate that directly affects the lives of all Americans. — For the last decade, we've spent more money than we take in.

Discussion: Althouse, Questions and Observations, Washington Post, And So it Goes in Shreveport, Scared Monkeys, White House.gov Blog, NewsBusters.org blogs, CNN, Wizbang and Booman Tribune, more at Mediagazer »

David Espo / Business Week:

Challenging Obama, House GOP unveils new debt bill — WASHINGTON — In a blunt challenge to President Barack Obama, House Republicans drafted legislation Monday to avert a threatened Aug. 2 government default — but along lines the White House has already dismissed. U.S. financial markets shrugged off the uncertainty.

Discussion: The Agonist

The Politico:

Debt ceiling speeches: Obama reasserts himself; Boehner pushes back — President Barack Obama elbowed his way back into the debt ceiling debate Monday night, three days after Republicans shoved him out, but he offered no hint of a solution to the escalating political and financial crisis.

Discussion: Firedoglake, Hot Air, Gothamist, Outside the Beltway, The Moderate Voice, The Sundries Shack, CNN, Michelle Malkin and The Note

David Beard / NationalJournal.com:
Congressional Websites Crash After Obama Urges People to Reach Out on Debt Ceiling

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Angry Bear and The Caucus

Byron York / Washington Examiner: Conservatives bridle at trillions in ‘phony’ cuts

New York Times:
Showdown Nears on Debt as Obama Warns of ‘Crisis’

Discussion: Global Public Square, American Power, Boston Globe, The Politico, The Hill, AMERICAblog News, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, The Talking Dog, Firedoglake, ThinkProgress, JustOneMinute, TalkLeft, Politics, Balkinization and Prairie Weather

Wall Street Journal:
A Leadership Default — The President blames House Republicans for everything.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and The Lonely Conservative

Alicia M. Cohn / The Hill:
Boehner briefed Limbaugh on debt plan

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Salon, Outside the Beltway, Juanita Jean's, Politics, Bloomberg, Washington Post, Crooks and Liars, Washington Monthly, Firedoglake, The Huffington Post and The Politico

Washington Post:
The Senate's gimmicky debt plan: The best of a bad choice

Discussion: NationalJournal.com and The Atlantic Online

cbpp.org:
Statement: Robert Greenstein, President, on House Speaker Boehner's New Budget Proposal

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Washington Post, The New Republic, Taylor Marsh and GoozNews

The Politico: Speaker Boehner's remarks, as prepared for delivery

Paul Kane / Washington Post:
President Obama, House Speaker Boehner present dueling debt-limit plans to nation

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Political Punch, Hit & Run, ThinkProgress, Outside the Beltway and The Politico

Philip Klein / Washington Examiner:
BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL — White House Transcript: Obama's speech on the debt limit

Discussion: Power Line, Big Government, Hit & Run, Pundit & Pundette, The Huffington Post and The Gateway Pundit

Jennifer Bendery / The Huffington Post:
Tea Party Coalition Rejects Boehner's Debt Proposal (UPDATE)

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, The Democratic Daily, AlterNet and Washington Post

William Kristol / Weekly Standard:

Baby Talk — I was struck by these sentences in President Obama's speech: … Consider the condescension implicit in the president's statement—"a term that most people outside of Washington have probably never heard of before." These “people outside of Washington” are not little children …

Discussion: theblogprof and Don Surber

Jonathan Chait / The New Republic:
Obama Prepares For Stalemate

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Politics and Pajamas Media

Katherine Burton / Bloomberg:

Soros to End Hedge-Fund Career, Return Money — George Soros, the billionaire best known for breaking the Bank of England, is returning money to outside investors in his $25.5 billion firm, ending a career as hedge-fund manager that spanned more than four decades.

Discussion: DealBook, FT Alphaville and The Big Picture

Jim Hoft / The Gateway Pundit:

Krauthammer on Obama's Address: “I Thought I Was Cynical Until I Heard That Speech” (Video) — Charles Krauthammer unloaded on Obama tonight after his stale poll-driven speech to the nation. Obama still has no plan. — “I thought I was cynical until I heard that speech. It was purely partisan.

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, Pirate's Cove, PoliPundit.com and HotAirPundit

Catherine Rampell / New York Times:

The Help-Wanted Sign Comes With a Frustrating Asterisk — The unemployed need not apply. — That is the message being broadcast by many of the nation's employers, making it even more difficult for 14 million jobless Americans to get back to work. — A recent review of job vacancy postings …

Discussion: Economix and Balloon Juice

PewResearch.org:

Wealth Gaps Rise to Record Highs Between Whites, Blacks and Hispanics — Twenty-to-One — By Rakesh Kochhar, Richard Fry and Paul Taylor, Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends — The median wealth of white households is 20 times that of black households and 18 times …

Discussion: The Politico, Associated Press, ThinkProgress and Jared Bernstein

Sabrina Tavernise / New York Times:
Recession Study Finds Hispanics Hit the Hardest

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Wall Street Journal, The Heritage Foundation and PointOfLaw Forum

David Brooks / New York Times:

Congress In the Lead — Some of us like to think big. We thought at the beginning of this debt crisis that it might be possible to reach a Grand Bargain. This deal would make a serious dent in the country's awful debt problem. It would begin to reform entitlements.

Discussion: NewsBusters.org, No More Mister Nice Blog and Marbury

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:

Gingrich regrets 2008 climate ad with Pelosi — Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) said Tuesday that he regrets making a commercial with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on the need to address climate change. — Gingrich, who partnered with Pelosi while she was Speaker for the 2008 ad …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and TPMDC

WQAD-TV:

Bachmann walks away from WQAD — Davenport, Iowa— Michele Bachmann made a visit to the Quad Cities last night to speak with supporters and give interviews to the local television media, that is, with one exception. Despite promises to WQAD for a one-on-one interview the Congresswoman's managers openly …

Discussion: The Note, ThinkProgress and Towleroad News #gay

Andrew Restuccia / The Hill:

OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Fight over Keystone XL to reach House floor — Tuesday's Big Story: House lawmakers are expected to vote Tuesday on legislation that would force President Obama to make a decision in the coming months on whether to approve a controversial oil pipeline project.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, The Raw Story and The Washington Independent

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:

Durbin: GOP presidential candidates 'don't understand reality' — The Senate's second-ranking Democrat on Tuesday accused GOP presidential candidates of holding a poor grasp on reality when it comes to their positions on raising the debt limit. — Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) …