memeorandum: BREAKING: Dems Delay Debt Limit Test Vote (Brian Beutler/TPMDC)

4:55 AM ET, July 31, 2011

Top Items:

Congressional Sources: Republicans and Democrats Reach Tentative Debt Deal — ABC News' Jonathan Karl (@JonKarl) reports: — Democratic and Republican Congressional sources involved in the negotiations tell ABC News that a tentative agreement has been reached on the framework of a deal …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Donklephant, YID With LID, The Sundries Shack, RedState, Weasel Zippers, The Right Scoop, Taegan Goddard's …, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Pajamas Media and Verum Serum

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: The Note, The Gateway Pundit, CNN, Weasel Zippers, Ballot Box, Pirate's Cove, Outside the Beltway and The Hill

David Rogers / The Politico:

Senate debt vote delay is sign of hope — Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell is in active negotiation with the White House on a debt ceiling deal, and Democrats agreed late Saturday night to postpone a partisan-tinged cloture vote to give time for both sides to reach a deal.

Discussion: CNN, Outside the Beltway, Daily Kos, New York Times, Hot Air and Michelle Malkin

Major Garrett / NationalJournal.com:

Outlines of Debt Compromise Emerge — An announcement could come as early as Sunday afternoon. — Here are the outlines of a debt-ceiling deal that congressional leaders and the Obama White House are firming up in preparation for a possible announcement as early as Sunday afternoon.

Discussion: Hot Air, Weekly Standard, TPMDC, Hullabaloo, Patterico's Pontifications, Sky Dancing and Viking Pundit

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:

A deal comes together — Two senior Republican offices have confirmed that while the outlines of a debt-ceiling deal are in place, no “paper” has been exchanged. The agreement would take the country through the 2012 election, but the Boehner bill two-step cutting process would remain.

Discussion: Riehl World View

CNN:

Democrats, Republicans disagree on state of debt talks — What will it take to find a solution to the U.S. Debt crisis? Wolf Blitzer and Don Lemon break down the hurdles and options in “GET IT DONE — Countdown to Debt Crisis,” a CNN Special Report Sunday night at 9 ET on CNN.

Discussion: The Politico, Sky Dancing, CANNONFIRE and Pajamas Media

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: The Note, Outside the Beltway and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog

Brian Beutler / TPMDC:

BREAKING: Dems Delay Debt Limit Test Vote — Senate Democrats have delayed a key Sunday morning test vote on legislation to raise the debt limit, as negotiations to avoid a catastrophic debt default drag on. — Late Saturday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced on the Senate floor …

Discussion: Salon, Washington Post, Open Congress, Washington Monthly, New York Times and Booman Tribune

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell:
43 Senators Sign Letter Opposing The Reid Bill

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight, Taylor Marsh, Daily Kos and TPMDC

Heidi Przybyla / Bloomberg:
White House, Republicans Said to Reach Tentative Deal on U.S. Debt Ceiling

Discussion: Washington Post, The Agonist, NationalJournal.com and CBS News

Carl Hulse / New York Times:
Amid New Talks, Some Optimism on Debt Crisis

Discussion: TalkLeft, Politics and Calculated Risk

Stephen Dinan / Washington Times:
Democrats enforce filibuster against their own debt bill

Discussion: The Lonely Conservative, Weasel Zippers, Conservatives4Palin and The Hill

The Note:
Reid Dismisses GOP Letter Against His Bill, Says His Bill Is ‘Only Game In Town’

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

Michelle Malkin:
Saturday night Kabuki bickerfest; Update: Sunday Senate Vote Pushed Back to 1pm; Backroom deal details emerge

Discussion: The Politico, The Hill, The Other McCain, Hot Air, Firedoglake and AmSpecBlog

Kevin G. Hall / McClatchy Washington Bureau:
Economists: Now is wrong time for Congress to cut spending

Discussion: Prairie Weather, Liberty Street, The Moderate Voice and Firedoglake

Molly K. Hooper / The Hill:
‘Fully engaged’ McConnell expresses optimism on debt deal

Discussion: ThinkProgress and AMERICAblog News

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

Discussion: Weekly Standard, The Atlantic Online, Hot Air and Washington Post

Bob Cusack / The Hill:
Days after lauding McConnell, Democratic leaders rip him

Discussion: The Caucus and The Moderate Voice

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

Discussion: Associated Press, Open Congress and Washington Monthly

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

Discussion: Washington Monthly and AMERICAblog News

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

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Politico, Christian Science Monitor, xpostfactoid, Taylor Marsh, Daily Kos, Bloomberg, The Daily Dish and The Hill

Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:

Rep. McCotter calls for a truce between Republicans, Tea Party — Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (Mich.), a Republican presidential candidate, called Saturday morning for Republicans and the Tea Party to stop fighting and work together to help save the country, presumably from Democratic policies, although he was not specific.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Riehl World View, sisu and Pundits Blog

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: Hullabaloo, Crooks and Liars, The Moderate Voice and driftglass

George F. Will / Washington Post:

Declaration of independents — August is upon us, beaches beckon and Michele Bachmann has set the self-improvement bar high. She recently told The Wall Street Journal, “When I go on vacation and I lay on the beach, I bring von Mises.” The congresswoman may be the first person ever …

Discussion: Hit & Run

Peter Schroeder / The Hill:

Moody's: Neither debt plan protects the nation's AAA rating — The “limited magnitude” of both debt plans put forward by congressional leaders would not put the nation's AAA credit rating back on solid footing, Moody's Investors Service announced Friday. — “Reductions of the magnitude …

Discussion: Vox Popoli and PoliPundit.com