memeorandum: It's All Over but the Face-Saving? — It remains unclear whether … (Nate Silver/FiveThirtyEight)

10:40 AM ET, July 28, 2011

Top Items:

David Rogers / The Politico:

Biden, McConnell look for way out — Taking square aim at the White House, Republicans prepared to bring to a House vote Thursday a two-step $2.5 trillion debt ceiling bill that will avert default next week but threatens more conflict — and renewed instability — in six months.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, NY Daily News, CNN, Washington Post, Global Public Square, Outside the Beltway, The New Republic, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, Pajamas Media, The Page and Politics

Julie Mason / The Politico:

Carney makes an accusation — Jay Carney took on Fox News's Ed Henry. — John Shinkle/POLITICO — The day after White House press secretary Jay Carney and Fox News reporter Ed Henry tangled over Henry's request for specifics on Obama's plan on debt limit and deficit reduction, Carney and Henry were back at it again on Wednesday.

Discussion: nation.foxnews.com, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Weasel Zippers and Pajamas Media

Molly K. Hooper / The Hill:

Outcome is referendum on Boehner — Thursday's vote on the House Republican debt-limit bill has quickly become a referendum on Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). — It is, without question, the biggest vote of Boehner's reign. Some are even speculating that Boehner's Speakership is on the line.

Discussion: The Politico, Associated Press, The Hill, The Camp Of The Saints, American Spectator, The New Republic, The Other McCain, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog and Booman Tribune

Mike Allen / The Politico:

Debbie Wasserman Schultz says GOP rhetoric could spark ‘chaos’ — ‘This is not leadership. This is almost like dictatorship,’ said Debbie Wasserman Schultz. AP Photo — Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), chair of the Democratic National Committee, said Wednesday that House Republicans …

Discussion: Don Surber, Hot Air, americanthinker.com, The TrogloPundit, Weasel Zippers, Moe Lane, TPMDC, The Gateway Pundit, The Caucus, CNN, The Lonely Conservative, National Review, Firedoglake and Daily Kos

Judson Phillips / Washington Post:

Why the Tea Party is unyielding on the debt ceiling — The liberal media have gone to warp speed in their defense of President Obama and their attacks on the Tea Party. We are “extreme” and “dangerous.” Republicans are “afraid of” the Tea Party. And more.

Discussion: The Politico, ThinkProgress, The Reid Report and Michelle Malkin

Jackie Calmes / New York Times:

President on Sidelines in Critical Battle Over Debt Ceiling — WASHINGTON — For an hour on Wednesday the White House press secretary, Jay Carney, fielded questions about what, if anything, President Obama was doing to help end the impasse in Congress over the imminent need to raise the nation's borrowing limit.

Discussion: Politics, Washington Post and The Caucus

Michael D. Shear / The Caucus:

Senate Democrats Promise to Reject Boehner Plan — Fifty-three Democratic senators have signed a letter to House Speaker John A. Boehner saying they intend to vote against his plan for an increase in the debt ceiling, virtually assuring its defeat in the Senate even as the speaker lines …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Connecting.the.Dots, americanthinker.com, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, ThinkProgress, The Note, TPMDC, The Mahablog and Oliver Willis

Major Garrett / NationalJournal.com:

Six Similarities Between the Boehner and Reid Debt Plans — The deficit-reduction plans put forward by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (left) and House Speaker John Boehner have more in common than people think. — Democrats and Republicans have taken tough shots at the opposite party's deficit-reduction plan.

Discussion: Washington Post, Swampland, The Hill, Patterico's Pontifications, Red Dog Report, Outside the Beltway, Hit & Run and Hot Air

Allahpundit / Hot Air:

All 53 Senate Dems sign letter to Boehner: Your bill will never pass — Awfully nice of them to give Boehner one more little boost on the eve of tomorrow's vote by calling the House GOP's bluff like this. — Default it is, then. … So that's how this story ends.

Discussion: The Hill, Keith Hennessey, The Gateway Pundit and The Politico

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
It's All Over but the Face-Saving? — It remains unclear whether …

Discussion: Prairie Weather, Daily Kos, The Confluence, Washington Post, A plain blog about politics, TPMDC, Hullabaloo, The New Republic and Firedoglake, more at Mediagazer »

Wall Street Journal:
Debt-Crisis Vote Goes Down to Wire in House

Discussion: The Politico, Roll Call, The Page, Taegan Goddard's …, Hotline On Call, The Hill, Daily Kos and The Caucus

Carl Hulse / New York Times:
With G.O.P. Unity at Risk, Boehner Tries Tougher Style

Discussion: Boston Globe, Politics and The Politico

Sam Youngman / The Hill:
President revs up PR in debt-ceiling debate

Discussion: Pirate's Cove

Paul Kane / Washington Post:
Boehner, other GOP leaders ramp up pressure on Republicans to pass debt plan

Discussion: Daily Kos, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Politics

Scott Conroy / Real Clear Politics: Tea Party Leader Blasts Romney, Praises Perry

Kbh / Keith Hennessey:
Why I support the Boehner bill

Discussion: The New Republic

Marin Cogan / The Politico:
Tea party rally on Capitol Hill draws thin crowd

Discussion: The Daily Hurricane, Hot Air, Mediaite, Daily Kos, The Hill and Outside the Beltway

Scott Conroy / Real Clear Politics:
Palin to Keynote Tea Party Rally in Iowa

Discussion: Washington Post, TBogg, Conservatives4Palin, The Note, Michelle Malkin, Weasel Zippers, Hot Air, GOP 12, Ballot Box, Don Surber, The Other McCain, The Caucus and Gallup

David Mark / The Politico:
Grover Norquist backs John Boehner's debt bill

Discussion: TPMDC, Hullabaloo, Crooks and Liars, Pajamas Media and The Hill

Gschwarzcnn / CNN:

Bachmann warns of ‘dictator’ Obama — (CNN) - Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann said President Obama would be a “dictator” if he raised the debt ceiling by executive order, using the 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution as justification. — “It's Congress that does the spending.

The Note:

Last-Ditch 14th Amendment Plan Gains Momentum As Debt Clock Ticks — ABC News' Amy Bingham reports: — As fears intensify that Congress will not pass a debt limit increase in time to avoid default, some Democrats are pulling out their pocket Constitutions to find a back-up plan.

Fox News:

EXCLUSIVE: AWOL Soldier Arrested Over Concerns of Possible Second Attack On Fort Hood — At least one U.S. military serviceman has been arrested after raising concerns over another possible attack on Fort Hood, Fox News has learned exclusively. — Pvt. Nasser Jason Abdo …

Discussion: The Jawa Report, Weasel Zippers and americanthinker.com

Evan McMorris-Santoro / TPMDC:

Herman Cain Apologizes To Muslims — Herman Cain had his much-ballyhooed meeting with Muslims Wednesday, and he emerged, he said in a campaign statement “humble and contrite for any statements I have made that might have caused offense to Muslim Americans and their friends.”

Discussion: The Democratic Daily, ThinkProgress, Daily Kos, Booman Tribune and The Right Scoop

Juana Summers / The Politico:
Herman Cain hosts meeting with Muslim leaders

Discussion: CNN, secure.campaigner.com, Outside the Beltway, Iowa Caucuses and The Raw Story

Brad Watson / WFAA-TV:

McKinney Planned Parenthood building damaged by arsonist — MCKINNEY — McKinney police are investigating a case of arson at the Planned Parenthood clinic. — Police said they responded after the fire department got a call of a fire at the clinic on West Eldorado Parkway near U.S. 75.

Discussion: Jezebel and ECHIDNE of the snakes

Danny Gallagher / courier-gazette.com:
Planned Parenthood clinic attacked with Molotov cocktail

Discussion: Shakesville and ThinkProgress

Matthew Yglesias / ThinkProgress:

Maybe Someone Should Do Something — I can think of a lot of reasons a country might have this kind of problem: … What's difficult to think is a good reason for the United States of America to have this problem. The United States can current sell five year bonds at a negative real interest rate.

Discussion: City Room and Eschaton

Becky Bohrer / Yahoo! News:

APNewsBreak: Arctic scientist under investigation — JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A federal wildlife biologist whose observation in 2004 of presumably drowned polar bears in the Arctic helped to galvanize the global warming movement has been placed on administrative leave and is being investigated …

Discussion: The Daily Caller, The Lonely Conservative and JammieWearingFool

Reuven Blau / NY Daily News:

Mayor Michael Bloomberg greets Muslim leaders with ‘Shalom Alaikum’ at Ramadan meeting — Mayor Bloomberg practiced his version of verbal jujitsu Wednesday, mangling a greeting to Muslim leaders at a Ramadan gathering with “shalom alaikum.” — Hizzoner was shooting for “salaam alaikum” …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and The POH Diaries

Jim Spencer / Minneapolis Star Tribune:

Franken's SNL moment on the Senate floor — For a moment Wednesday, Al Franken looked like he was back on the set of Saturday Night Live and not on the floor of the U.S. Senate. In a speech explaining that there would be no money to pay for military and security personnel if Congress …

Discussion: theblogprof, Pajamas Media, The Radio Equalizer and AmSpecBlog

Binyamin Appelbaum / New York Times:

Treasury to Weigh Which Bills to Pay — WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department is preparing to answer a question that it has dodged and rebuffed for months: If there's not enough money for everyone, who is left empty-handed? — Officials said Wednesday that the department would address …

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Political Punch, New York Times and The Politico

Nicholas Ballasy / CNSNews:

Dem. Lawmaker: 'We Don't Have a Deficit Problem Right Now' — The way to get out of “unemployment crisis is to spend money,” Rep. Nadler says. — (CNSNews.com) - Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) argued at a news conference with the Congressional Out of Poverty Caucus that the United States does not currently have a budget crisis.

Discussion: americanthinker.com, Weasel Zippers, No More Mister Nice Blog, YID With LID and The Lonely Conservative

Julian Pecquet / Healthwatch:

Healthcare spending to reach new heights — Healthcare spending will account for almost a fifth of the nation's economy by 2020 with government making up almost half of it, Medicare's actuaries project in a new report published by the journal Health Affairs.