memeorandum: No Compromise in Sight on Debt as Congress Heads into Saturday Session (NationalJournal.com)

6:30 PM ET, July 30, 2011

Top Items:

Manu Raju / The Politico:

GOP leaders ‘fully engaged’ with W.H. on debt deal — Top Republicans in the House and Senate say they have spoken with the White House Saturday and are “fully engaged” in trying to reach a compromise on the debt ceiling. — “It should be clear ... that Senator McConnell and I believe …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Outside the Beltway, The Right Scoop and Daily Kos

Seung Min Kim / The Politico:

Pelosi: Boehner went to ‘dark side’ — House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi didn't mince words on Speaker John Boehner's efforts on the debt ceiling, whipping out a Star Wars reference on the House floor Saturday. — Instead of working out a compromise with Democrats, she said on the House floor …

Discussion: CNN and Weasel Zippers

Ezra Klein / Washington Post:

The trigger that could lead to a debt deal — It's all going to come down to the trigger. — Look closely at the Reid and Boehner bills. The first round of cuts are pretty much the same. The joint congressional committee charged with recommending further deficit reduction is pretty much the same.

Discussion: TalkLeft, Daily Kos and Economist's View

Stephen Dinan / Washington Times:

Democrats enforce filibuster against their own debt bill — Senate Republicans want a 60-vote threshold for a debt-limit bill to pass the chamber, but it's actually Democrats who are enforcing the filibuster on their own legislation, insisting on delaying a vote until 1 a.m. Sunday morning.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and Conservatives4Palin

Molly K. Hooper / The Hill:

‘Fully engaged’ McConnell expresses optimism on debt deal — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Saturday he and Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) are fully engaged with the White House on a debt deal and expressed optimism an agreement will be reached.

Discussion: AMERICAblog News

Josiah Ryan / The Hill:

Forty-three GOP senators pledge opposition to Reid debt-ceiling plan — Forty-three GOP senators on Saturday signed a letter addressed to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) expressing opposition to his debt-ceiling legislation currently being considered in the upper chamber.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

The Hill:

Reid alters debt plan to win GOP support — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has revised his plan to raise the debt limit in a last-ditch bid to attract Republican support. — The biggest change is that Reid would give the president almost unilateral power to raise the debt limit …

Discussion: The Politico, The Note, CNN, Hot Air, The Daily Caller, neo-neocon, Outside the Beltway, Washington Post, Ballot Box, RedState, Crooks and Liars, americanthinker.com and AMERICAblog News

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell:

43 Senators Sign Letter Opposing The Reid Bill — WASHINGTON, D.C. - The following letter is signed by 43 Republican Senators. In it they encourage the Majority Leader 'to abandon this reckless proposal and instead pursue a more responsible course of action. — The full text of the letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid is below.

Discussion: New York Times and Daily Kos

Bob Cusack / The Hill:

Days after lauding McConnell, Democratic leaders rip him — Four days after publicly praising Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), Senate Democratic leaders are now ripping him. — The Democrats' comments about McConnell at an impromptu press conference late Friday night signaled …

Discussion: The Caucus and Connecting.the.Dots

David Dayen / Firedoglake:
As Congress Nears Debt Limit Endgame, Attention Turns to a Trigger

Discussion: Open Congress

Jamie Klatell / The Hill:
Kyl: Dems using debt debate for ‘much broader tax increases’

Discussion: CNN, Hullabaloo, Liberal Values and The Hill

Rosalind S. Helderman / Washington Post:
Senate headed for critical debt vote Sunday

Discussion: Associated Press and Washington Monthly

Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
Reid Aims For GOP Support By Adopting McConnell Debt Limit Plan Fallback Plan

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Christian Science Monitor, Taylor Marsh, The Moderate Voice, The Politico, Daily Kos, The Daily Dish, Washington Post and The Note

Bloomberg:
Congress Deadlocked on Plan to Avert Default

Discussion: The Atlanta Post

Mj Lee / The Politico:

Obama demands plan by Tuesday — Just days ahead of the Aug. 2 debt ceiling deadline and as partisan rankling continued on Capitol Hill, President Barack Obama urged Congress to show him a plan that would divert the country from national default by Tuesday.

Discussion: Right Wing News, Weasel Zippers, Balkinization and Riehl World View

The White House:
WEEKLY ADDRESS: Acting Responsibly on Behalf of the American People

Discussion: The Other McCain and The Gateway Pundit

Gautham Nagesh / The Hill:
Obama: House Republicans wasted ‘precious days’ with Boehner plan

Discussion: Questions and Observations, The Hill and A plain blog about politics

Paul Krugman:

The Corrosion of the Conservative Economic Mind — First Michael Boskin, now John Taylor: there seems be an epidemic of politically conservative economists who used to be technically competent repeating the obviously wrong falsehood that Reagan ushered in an era of “unprecedented” growth.

Discussion: Grasping Reality …, Sky Dancing and National Review

Paul Krugman:

Very Serious Suckers — Jonathan Chait has an excellent piece documenting the way in which what he calls the establishment, and I call Very Serious People, misjudged the way the debt ceiling thing would play out: … He then goes on to show how the usual suspects — the WaPo editorial page …

Discussion: driftglass

New York Times:

Farmers Oppose G.O.P. Bill on Immigration — PATTERSON, Calif. — Farmers across the country are rallying to fight a Republican-sponsored bill that would force them and all other employers to verify the legal immigration status of their workers, a move some say could imperil not only future harvests …

Discussion: The Raw Story