memeorandum: Boehner, American Hero (Ross Douthat/New York Times)

9:45 AM ET, January 7, 2013

Top Items:

Josh Gerstein / Politico:

John Brennan tapped to lead CIA — President Barack Obama will announce Monday that he's nominating the White House's point person on counterterrorism, John Brennan, to be the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency, White House officials told POLITICO.

Discussion: Israel Matzav, CNN and Business Insider

CBS News:

Obama to tap John Brennan to head CIA: sources — President Obama will nominate John Brennan as his next director of the Central Intelligence Agency, senior administration officials tell CBS News White House correspondent Major Garrett. — Brennan, a 25-year CIA veteran, currently serves as Mr. Obama's top counterterrorism adviser.

Discussion: Hot Air and CBS New York

Michael Schwirtz / New York Times:

Obama Expected to Pick Chuck Hagel for Defense Post — President Obama has selected a former Nebraska senator, Chuck Hagel, as his next defense secretary, a White House official said Sunday, turning to a prominent Republican to lead the Pentagon as it faces of the challenge of winding …

Discussion: First Read, Politico, msnbc.com, Taegan Goddard's …, BuzzFeed, Taylor Marsh, The BLT, The Week, Quartz, Talking Points Memo, The Caucus and CNN

Julie Pace / Associated Press:
Obama taps Hagel for Pentagon, Brennan for CIA

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …

Scott Wilson / Washington Post:
Obama to nominate Chuck Hagel for defense secretary

Discussion: The Page, Los Angeles Times, National Review, The Fix, Firedoglake, AMERICAblog and The Reaction

presstv.ir:
Obama to name anti-Israeli Hagel as Defense Secretary: Reports

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon, Atlas Shrugs and Weasel Zippers

Fox News:
Obama to nominate counter-terrorism adviser John Brennan for CIA director

Discussion: Althouse

Ewen MacAskill / Guardian: Barack Obama readies for host of reforms on Washington return

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill:
Sen. Graham blasts Hagel pick as an ‘in your face nomination’ from Obama

Discussion: Politico, CNN and Balloon Juice

Ben Armbruster / ThinkProgress:
Lindsey Graham Lobs Disingenuous Attacks At Chuck Hagel

Discussion: Slate and Guardian

Kevin Liptak / CNN:
GOP senators: Hagel is in for a fight

Discussion: Washington Monthly, KDVR.com and Gawker

Stephen Moore / Wall Street Journal:

The Education of John Boehner — Leverage for the next clash: GOP willingness to let the spending sequester take effect. — What stunned House Speaker John Boehner more than anything else during his prolonged closed-door budget negotiations with Barack Obama was this revelation …

Discussion: Washington Wire, Althouse, Power Line, Outside the Beltway, The Fix, The Gateway Pundit, Booman Tribune and Taegan Goddard's …

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Democrats look for up to $1 trillion in new tax revenues this year — Democrats say they want to raise as much as $1 trillion in new revenues through tax reform later this year to balance Republican demands to slash mandatory spending. — Democratic leaders have had little time to craft …

Discussion: New York Times and The New Republic

Mike Lillis / The Hill:
Pelosi: More tax revenues must be part of next deficit deal

Discussion: Right Wing News and Weasel Zippers

Sam Stein / The Huffington Post: Mitch McConnell On Future Debt Deals: ‘The Tax Issue Is Finished’ (VIDEO)

Jake Miller / CBS News:
Pelosi: “Not enough” revenue in “fiscal cliff” deal

Discussion: Michelle Malkin and The Raw Story

Elisabeth Arriero / The Charlotte Observer:

Man ID'd as Rand Paul's son arrested at airport — A teenager identified in several media outlets as the son of U.S. Sen. Rand Paul and the grandson of former presidential candidate Ron Paul was arrested Saturday morning at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

Discussion: ABCNEWS and The Raw Story

Josh Haskell / ABCNEWS:

Senator Rand Paul's Son Arrested at Charlotte Airport — The 19-year-old son of Sen. Rand Paul and grandson of former presidential candidate Ron Paul was arrested Saturday morning for allegedly being intoxicated at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport. — William Hilton Paul arrived in Charlotte …

Discussion: Post Politics and Joe. My. God.

Bobby Cervantes / Politico:
Rand Paul's son arrested, report says

Discussion: The Hinterland Gazette

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

The Big Fail — It's that time again: the annual meeting of the American Economic Association and affiliates, a sort of medieval fair that serves as a marketplace for bodies (newly minted Ph.D.'s in search of jobs), books and ideas. And this year, as in past meetings …

Discussion: CANNONFIRE and Prairie Weather

Ian Millhiser / ThinkProgress:

GOP Rep: 'It's About Time' We Had Another Government Shut Down — Appearing on CBS' Face the Nation this morning, Rep. Matt Salmon (R-AZ) enthusiastically called for a government shut down: … Watch it: — Salmon's theory, that the government shutdown somehow led to balanced budgets …

Discussion: Prairie Weather and The Political Carnival

Jennifer Martinez / The Hill:

‘Shell-shocked’ lawmakers shy away from online piracy in new Congress — Nearly a year after a wave of online protests killed two anti-piracy bills, lawmakers are skittish about moving forward with legislation aimed at cracking down on websites that illegally distribute copies of movies and music.

NY Daily News:

Drunk man celebrating his birthday busted after fatally shooting 34-year-old man inside Brooklyn diner — The inebriated customer grabbed a woman who had been standing next to patron Jason Lewis at the counter of the Country House Diner in Clinton Hill. — Police responded to a shooting at the Country House Diner.

Discussion: The Hinterland Gazette, Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes' and The Reality-Based Community

Jonathan Strong / Roll Call:

Boehner Coup Attempt Larger Than First Thought — A concerted effort to unseat Speaker John A. Boehner was under way the day of his re-election to the position, but participants called it off 30 minutes before the House floor vote, CQ Roll Call has learned.

Discussion: The Political Carnival and Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes'

Katie Pavlich / Townhall.com:

Democrat Says Obama's Gun Control Proposals Are Extreme — On ABC's This Week yesterday, Democratic Senator Heidi Heitkamp described President Obama's gun control proposals as “extreme.” … Unfortunately your browser does not support IFrames. — Heitkamp's comments come …

Discussion: The Maddow Blog, Washington Post and The Hill

Meghashyam Mali / Ballot Box:

Booker wants to give Lautenberg ‘space’ to decide on reelection bid — Newark Mayor Cory Booker (D) on Monday declined to say if he would mount a primary challenge against Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), saying he wanted to give the long-term senator “space” to decide his plans.

Discussion: CNN