memeorandum: U.S. Accuses Iranians of Plotting to Kill Saudi Envoy (J. David Goodman/New York Times)

7:55 PM ET, October 11, 2011

Top Items:

U.S. Says Iran-Tied Terror Plot in Washington, D.C. Disrupted — FBI and DEA agents have disrupted a plot to commit a “significant terrorist act in the United States” tied to Iran, federal officials told ABC News today. — The officials said the plot included the assassination …

Discussion: Hot Air, This Just In, The Heritage Foundation, Fire Andrea Mitchell!, The Jawa Report, Pajamas Media, The Lonely Conservative, No Left Turns, The Raw Story, New York Magazine, American Spectator, Gothamist, ThinkProgress and emptywheel

J. David Goodman / New York Times:

U.S. Accuses Iranians of Plotting to Kill Saudi Envoy — Federal authorities foiled a plot by men linked to the Iranian government to kill the Saudi ambassador to the United States and to bomb the embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said in a news conference on Tuesday.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, The Washington Note, The New Republic, americanthinker.com, News Hounds, FP Passport, Outside the Beltway, Balloon Juice, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog and US Politics

Max Fisher / The Atlantic Online:

Would Iran Really Want to Blow Up the Saudi Ambassador to the U.S.? — The alleged Iranian plot would make great material for a spy novel, but it would go against Iran's own interests and past behabior — It's entirely possible that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder's announcement today …

Discussion: Foreign Policy, democracyarsenal.org and emptywheel

The United States Department of Justice:

Two Men Charged in Alleged Plot to Assassinate Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States — WASHINGTON - Two individuals have been charged in New York for their alleged participation in a plot directed by elements of the Iranian government to murder the Saudi Ambassador to the United States …

Discussion: TalkLeft, ABC News, Pajamas Media, Gawker, Michelle Malkin, Guardian, Blogs of War, Online NewsHour and Fox News Insider

Fox News:
U.S. Ties Iran to Assassination Plot Against Saudi Diplomat on U.S. Soil

Discussion: Atlas Shrugs, Wizbang and Pat Dollard

Washington Post:
Iran behind alleged terrorist plot, U.S. says

Discussion: Little Green Footballs, NO QUARTER and Indecision Forever

Daniel Strauss / The Hill:
Lawmakers: Bombing plot shows Iran's danger to US

Discussion: ABCNEWS

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

Jim Messina broaches a provocative line — There's been at least some discussion this year about the “sabotage” question — whether Republicans are deliberately hurting the country, holding back the economy on purpose, for the express purpose of undermining the Obama presidency.

Discussion: Daily Kos, No More Mister Nice Blog and Booman Tribune

Erik Wasson / The Hill:

Dems scramble to save face on jobs bill — Democratic leaders in the Senate are scrambling to avoid defections on President Obama's jobs package, which appears headed for defeat on Tuesday. — A lack of Democratic unity on the president's bill would be embarrassing for the White House …

Discussion: CNN, Wake up America, Reuters, ABCNEWS, The Confluence, Balloon Juice, The Lonely Conservative, Hot Air, Pundit & Pundette and Campaign 2012

Harry M. Reid / Washington Post:

Trying to restore Senate comity — Democrats have one overriding objective this Congress: to create jobs and get our economy back on track. But our Republican colleagues are so dead set on preventing Democrats from passing job-creating legislation that they have been willing to abuse …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Booman Tribune, Outside the Beltway, CNN, Washington Monthly, Balloon Juice, The Other McCain, The Politico, Don Surber and Political Mojo

James Taranto / Wall Street Journal:

The Left's Nervous Breakdown — Obama has failed, and his supporters are turning to nihilism. — The White House is “bracing for the defeat of President Obama's jobs bill,” the Hill reports. That's hardly surprising, since Republicans control the House—except that it is the Senate …

Discussion: Pajamas Media, Online NewsHour, The Daily Caller and ACS Blog

Scott Wong / The Politico:
Senate passes China currency bill

Discussion: Pat Dollard

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
If moderate Dems vote No on jobs bill, they're only hurting themselves

Discussion: The Hill, The Atlantic Online, CBS News, The Crawdad Hole, Washington Monthly, Booman Tribune, The Mahablog, Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo, Big Government and Pat Dollard

Sam Youngman / The Hill:
White House braces for defeat of jobs bill

Discussion: msnbc.com, The Political Carnival, Daily Kos and ABCNEWS

The Politico:
Obama jobs bill may not get 51 in Senate

Discussion: The New Republic, Firedoglake, Pirate's Cove, National Review and Associated Press

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Will Dems fall short of majority for jobs bill?

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Daily Kos and Gawker

Erik Wasson / The Hill:
Shaheen to fly in for jobs vote

Discussion: Campaign 2012

The Politico:

Herman Cain: 'I'm going after Romney' at debate — In a radio interview just now, Herman Cain previewed his Tuesday night debate plan: “I'm going after Romney.” — “I'm not going after Perry. I don't need to go after Perry,” Cain said, per POLITICO's Juana Summers.

Discussion: Public Policy Polling, Washington Monthly, Washington Post, Hot Air, ABCNEWS, FrumForum, Pat Dollard, Balloon Juice, Michelle Malkin, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Campaign 2012, Weasel Zippers, Swampland, American Spectator, Trail Blazers Blog, Daily Kos, GOP 12 and National Review

Fox News:

Christie to Endorse Romney Ahead of GOP Debate — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, just one week after definitively announcing he will not run for president in the 2012 race, plans to endorse Mitt Romney for the job Tuesday afternoon, Fox News has learned. — The event is set to take place …

Discussion: Hot Air, Washington Post, Michelle Malkin, The Other McCain, ABCNEWS, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Pajamas Media, Datechguy's Blog, Nice Deb, PolitickerNY, Pat Dollard, NO QUARTER, The Enterprise Blog, The Moderate Voice, Campaign 2012, Fire Andrea Mitchell!, Gawker and The Lonely Conservative

Chris Cillizza / Washington Post:
Chris Christie endorses Mitt Romney

Discussion: The New Republic, Michelle Malkin, neo-neocon, Outside the Beltway and Conservatives4Palin

Alexander Burns / The Politico:
Christie slaps Perry over Jeffress Mormon comments

Discussion: Hot Air, Business Insider, Pajamas Media, Little Green Footballs and National Review

The Politico:
Chris Christie to endorse Mitt Romney

Discussion: CNN, The Caucus, A plain blog about politics, Weasel Zippers, Ben Smith's Blog, The Page and iOwnTheWorld.com

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:
Cain leads in Iowa

Discussion: Guardian, CNN and Outside the Beltway

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

About those ‘53 percent’ — Republicans have been preoccupied for much of the year with those Americans who don't make enough money to qualify for a federal income tax burden. Some are working-class families who fall below the tax threshold; some are unemployed; some are students; and some are retired.

Discussion: Riehl World View, CANNONFIRE and Daily Kos

Ari Rabin-Havt / Media Matters for America:

We Need a New System — In the Spring of 2000, my friend and former colleague Zack Exley arrived in Washington, DC, to observe the protests that had engulfed the city during the World Bank's annual meeting. Driving into Washington from the airport, out the window of his taxi he saw …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Philly.com and Eschaton

Adam Serwer / Mother Jones:
Conservative Pundit Says “Get A Job Hippies!”

Discussion: Political Mojo, Grasping Reality …, TBogg, Gawker and The Daily Dish

David Brooks / New York Times:
The Milquetoast Radicals — The U.S. economy is probably …

Discussion: New York Magazine, Pajamas Media, Paul Krugman, Firedoglake, Outside the Beltway, ECHIDNE of the snakes, ABCNEWS, The Baseline Scenario, Left of the Hudson, Daily Kos, The Huffington Post, A plain blog about politics, Mediaite and Washington Post

Susie Madrak / Crooks and Liars:
Who Really Owns The NYPD? Turns Out It's Not Such A Rhetorical Question

Discussion: Suburban Guerrilla, CounterPunch, Hullabaloo, Shakesville and Dependable Renegade

Russell Berman / The Hill:
Cantor shifts tone on Wall Street protesters, calls frustration ‘justified’

Discussion: Firedoglake, CNN, ThinkProgress, Sky Dancing, ABCNEWS and Connecting.the.Dots

CNNMoney.com:
Occupy Wall Street... mansions

Discussion: NewsBusters.org blogs, AM New York, Don Surber, RedState, The Crawdad Hole, The Raw Story, The Politico, Poynter and Big Government

Ethan Bronner / New York Times:

Israel and Hamas Agree to Swap Prisoners for Soldier — JERUSALEM — Israel and Hamas, two of the Middle East's most implacable foes, announced Tuesday they had reached a tentative agreement brokered by Egypt to exchange more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for an Israeli soldier held captive in Gaza for more than five years.

Discussion: Pajamas Media, Israel Matzav, The Page and New York Magazine

Haaretz:
Israel, Hamas reach Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange deal, officials say

Discussion: The Enterprise Blog, msnbc.com, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Attackerman

Sharyl Attkisson / CBS News:

“Gunwalking” subpoena for AG Holder imminent — PLAY CBS NEWS VIDEO — CBS News has learned a congressional subpoena directed to Attorney General Eric Holder could go out as early as Tuesday, ordering him to turn over documents to lawmakers about when he was aware of a controversial gun smuggling operation known as Fast and Furious.

Discussion: Fox News, Business Insider, Hot Air, PERRspectives, Weasel Zippers, Flopping Aces, Pajamas Media and Sister Toldjah

Washington Post:
Eric Holder, Obama's albatross

Discussion: neo-neocon, Questions and Observations and Pajamas Media

Neil W. McCabe / Human Events:

SunPower: Twice As Bad As Solyndra, Twice As Bad For Obama — Congressman's son lobbied for failing solar panel company … How did a failing California solar company, buffeted by short sellers and shareholder lawsuits, receive a $1.2 billion federal loan guarantee for a photovoltaic …

Discussion: The Daily Caller and The Lonely Conservative

Maggie Haberman / The Politico:

Rudy Giuliani: I'm not running in 2012 — In other news on doors shutting, Rudy Giuliani announced at a Long Island Association event just now that he's not running for president. — Asked by the group's president Kevin Law about reports that he had sent messages to New Hampshire supporters …

Discussion: CNN, New York Magazine, Balloon Juice, Outside the Beltway, Gothamist, GOP 12, Swampland, The Political Carnival and Business Insider

New York Times:

Slovakia Rejects Euro Bailout — WARSAW — Slovakia's Parliament rejected participating in a crucial euro rescue fund on Tuesday night in a vote that backfired on the prime minister, who had tied her government to the legislation through a confidence vote. — Negotiations to try to stave off …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Outside the Beltway, Associated Press, msnbc.com and Calculated Risk

Adam Weinstein / Mother Jones:

Rick Scott to Liberal Arts Majors: Drop Dead — Florida's unpopular tea party governor, Rick Scott, wants more of the state's youths to pick up college degrees... but only if the degrees are useful to corporations and don't teach students to question social norms. “You know what?

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money and ThinkProgress

Bruce Bartlett / Economix:

Inside the Cain Tax Plan — Bruce Bartlett held senior policy roles in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations and served on the staffs of Representatives Jack Kemp and Ron Paul. — With recent polls showing increased support for Herman Cain as the G.O.P. presidential nominee …

Discussion: National Review, ABCNEWS, The Enterprise Blog, New York Times, americanthinker.com and American Spectator