memeorandum: Israel Reaches Deal With Hamas to Free Gilad Shalit (Ethan Bronner/New York Times)

9:50 PM ET, October 11, 2011

Top Items:

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, Political Mojo, No More Mister Nice Blog and Booman Tribune

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: Opinionator, Pajamas Media, Wake up America and Online NewsHour

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

Scott Wong / The Politico:

Senate passes China currency bill — A bipartisan bill targeting China's alleged currency manipulation easily cleared the Senate Tuesday night, despite warnings from Beijing and free-trade backers that the legislation could spark a trade war and harm the global economic recovery.

Discussion: Pat Dollard

The Hill:
The Hill's Whip List of selected senators on Obama's jobs bill

Discussion: Campaign 2012 and Booman Tribune

Harry M. Reid / Washington Post:
Trying to restore Senate comity

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

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
A note about motions to proceed

Discussion: BBC, The Moderate Voice, Daily Kos and Balloon Juice

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

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

The Politico:
Obama jobs bill stalls in Senate

Discussion: The New Republic and National Review

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

Discussion: National Review, Hot Air, Daily Kos and Gawker

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

Discussion: Campaign 2012

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

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

Manu Raju / The Politico:
Democrats' Plan B on jobs bill: Go smaller

Discussion: Political Mojo, The Huffington Post, Firedoglake, Pirate's Cove and The Hill

ABCNEWS:

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 …

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

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, Blogs of War, Gawker, Guardian, Michelle Malkin, Online NewsHour and Fox News Insider

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: emptywheel, Global Public Square, Foreign Policy and democracyarsenal.org

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

Discussion: Boing Boing, NO QUARTER, Little Green Footballs and Indecision Forever

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

Discussion: ABCNEWS

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 Post, Hot Air, ABCNEWS, Pat Dollard, Campaign 2012, FrumForum, Weasel Zippers, Swampland, Balloon Juice, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Trail Blazers Blog, Michelle Malkin, American Spectator, Daily Kos and GOP 12

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 …

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
Tonight in New Hampshire — The latest in a series of debates …

Discussion: Washington Post, The Maddow Blog, Big Government and TBogg

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

Discussion: CNN, Hot Air, Political Mojo, Business Insider, Pajamas Media, National Review and Daily Kos

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:
Cain leads in Iowa

Discussion: CNN, Don Surber, Guardian and Outside the Beltway

Chris Cillizza / Washington Post:
Chris Christie endorses Mitt Romney

Discussion: Campaign 2012, The New Republic, Outside the Beltway, Conservatives4Palin and neo-neocon

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: Economix, CANNONFIRE and Riehl World View

Ari Rabin-Havt / Media Matters for America:
We Need a New System

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Philly.com and Eschaton

Adam Serwer / Political Mojo:
Conservative Pundit Says, “Get a Job Hippies!”

Discussion: Daily Kos, American Spectator, Grasping Reality …, The Daily Dish and Gawker

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

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

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

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

Ethan Bronner / New York Times:

Israel Reaches Deal With Hamas to Free Gilad Shalit — JERUSALEM — Israel and Hamas announced an agreement on Tuesday to exchange more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for an Israeli soldier held captive in Gaza for five years, a deal brokered by Egypt that seemed likely to shake …

Discussion: Reuters, YID With LID, Hot Air, Pajamas Media, The Page, Fire Andrea Mitchell! and New York Magazine

Ynetnews:
Shalit deal to include 1,027 security prisoners

Discussion: Haaretz, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Jihad Watch and Israel Matzav

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

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

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

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

Washington Post:
Eric Holder, Obama's albatross

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

Justin Sink / The Hill:

Obama ‘heartbroken’ NBA season will be delayed — President Obama said Tuesday that he's “a little heartbroken that the NBA season is getting delayed” at a fundraiser in Orlando with Magic star Dwight Howard. — NBA commissioner David Stern announced Monday that at least the first two weeks …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

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