memeorandum: French Troops Help Mali Halt an Islamist Advance (New York Times)

11:55 PM ET, January 11, 2013

Top Items:

Reid to Obama: OK to skip Congress on debt ceiling — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other top Democrats are putting new pressure on the White House to circumvent Congress to boost the nation's debt ceiling if no bipartisan agreement can be reached. — In a strongly worded letter …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Hot Air, Weasel Zippers and White House Dossier

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

Coins Against Crazies — So, have you heard the one about the trillion-dollar coin? It may sound like a joke. But if we aren't ready to mint that coin or take some equivalent action, the joke will be on us — and a very sick joke it will be, too. — Let's talk for a minute …

Discussion: Fortune, Samizdata, Wonkette, New Economic Perspectives, NewsBusters.org, National Review, Business Insider, The Other McCain, Mother Jones, The Democratic Daily, Weasel Zippers, The Moderate Voice, Smartypants, The Plum Line, Applesauce, Patterico's Pontifications, Corrente and News Desk

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:

Top Senate Dems to White House: If you unilaterally raise debt ceiling, we've got your back — In a move that will significantly ratchet up the brinksmanship around the debt ceiling, the four members of the Senate Democratic leadership are privately telling the White House …

Discussion: NRSC, Hullabaloo, Business Insider, The Maddow Blog, Paul Krugman, Eschaton and New York Times

Rep. Jerrold Nadler / Economy & Budget:

The debt ceiling must go — Here is a stubbornly well-kept secret: the debt ceiling is arbitrary, doesn't affect the deficit, and serves no real function in keeping spending down. In addition, it has recently become a cudgel which extremist Republican legislators use to beat the rest of us into submitting to political blackmail.

Discussion: PostPartisan, Washington Examiner and National Republican …

Brian Beutler / Talking Points Memo:
The Wild Origins Of The Trillion Dollar Platinum Coin

Discussion: The Impolitic, Business Insider, CANNONFIRE, correntewire.com, New York Times, JustOneMinute and Wired

Michael O'Brien / First Read:
Dems urge Obama to raise debt limit without Congress, if necessary

Discussion: Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes' and Daily Kos

William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:

David Gregory will not be prosecuted — Just released by D.C. Attorney General there will be no prosecution of David Gregory despite a finding that there was a clear violation of the law (emphasis mine): … D.C. Attorney General Letter Declining to Prosecute David Gregory

Discussion: NewsBusters.org, Erik Wemple, Washington Times, Power Line, Mediaite, The Gateway Pundit and The Daily Caller

Mackenzie Weinger / Politico:

No gun magazine charges for David Gregory — NBC's David Gregory is off the hook for showing a high-capacity gun magazine on “Meet the Press” and will not be prosecuted, D.C.'s attorney general announced on Friday. — D.C. attorney general Irvin Nathan on Friday said he would decline …

Discussion: The Political Carnival and Althouse, more at Mediagazer »

Emily Miller / Washington Times:
David Gregory gets off scot free

Discussion: Hot Air, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Power Line

Peter Hermann / Washington Post:
NBC's Gregory won't be charged for displaying ammunition clip on TV

Discussion: TalkLeft, Deadline.com, Post Politics and Poynter

Jon Gillooly / mdjonline.com:

Gingrey speaks out on the issue of ‘legitimate rape’ and guns — SMYRNA — U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Marietta) tackled such sensitive topics as gun reform, abortion and rape during the Smyrna Area Council of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce breakfast which took place Thursday at the Smyrna Community Center.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Politico, Talking Points Memo, NationalJournal.com, The National Memo, The Atlantic Online, The Maddow Blog, The Plum Line, Outside the Beltway, Washington Examiner, CNN, NBC Politics, The Raw Story, The Hill, Mediaite and Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes'

Evan McMorris-Santoro / Talking Points Memo:

GOP Rep: Todd Akin ‘Partly Right’ On Legitimate Rape — “Legitimate rape” is back. Just a couple months after former Rep. Todd Akin's (R-MO) famous use of the phrase helped contribute to a double-digit loss in the 2012 Missouri Senate race, a Republican congressman and medical doctor …

Discussion: Political Insider, AMERICAblog, Mother Jones, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, Daily Kos, Gawker, Hullabaloo, Little Green Footballs, Taegan Goddard's …, Post Politics and The Hinterland Gazette

Kevin Cirilli / Politico:
Phil Gingrey: Todd Akin ‘partly right’ on rape

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Brian Thompson / nbcnewyork.com:

Lautenberg Has Decided Not to Run Again: Sources — The news comes the same week that Newark Mayor Cory Booker has filed papers allowing him to raise money for a U.S. Senate run in New Jersey. News 4 s Brian Thompson spoke exclusively with Mayor Booker about that decision.

Discussion: Politico, The Hill, Hot Air, Ballot Box and The Daily Caller

Geoff Mulvihill / Associated Press:
NJ Mayor Booker Files to Run for US Senate in 2014

Discussion: Politico and CNN

Evan McMorris-Santoro / Talking Points Memo:

Gun Appreciation Day Leader: If Blacks Had Guns, They Would Not Have Been Slaves — Larry Ward, chairman of the national Gun Appreciation Day gun rights advocates have planned for the weekend of President Obama's second inauguration, told CNN Friday that there never would have been slaves in America if black people had guns.

Discussion: Wonkette, Little Green Footballs, The Atlantic Online, The Impolitic, The Agonist and The National Memo

David Edwards / The Raw Story:
‘Gun Appreciation Day’ chairman: Slavery wouldn't have happened if slaves were armed

Discussion: p m carpenter's commentary and Colorlines

Justin Sink / The Hill:

Biden: ‘No silver bullet’ to stop gun violence — The vice president downplayed harsh criticism the National Rifle Association has made about the administration's gun violence task force. — Vice President Biden said Friday that his task force on gun violence recognized there was …

Discussion: Politico and Weasel Zippers

Washington Post:
Biden gun task force must not overreach

Discussion: msnbc.com, Hit & Run, NewsBusters.org, Daily Kos and The Fix

BBC:

France confirms Mali intervention — President Francois Hollande says French troops are taking part in operations against Islamists in northern Mali. — French troops “have brought support to the Malian army to fight against the terrorists”, Mr Hollande said.

Discussion: Reuters, National Review, The Agonist and Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes'

New York Times:
French Troops Help Mali Halt an Islamist Advance

Discussion: Wired and ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES

Reuters:

Supreme Court to consider if silence can be evidence of guilt — (Reuters) - The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to consider whether a suspect's refusal to answer police questions prior to being arrested and read his rights can be introduced as evidence of guilt at his subsequent murder trial.

Benjy Sarlin / Talking Points Memo:

DREAM Activist's Family Arrested After Home Raided By ICE — Erika Andiola, a young undocumented immigrant and activist, may be free from the threat of raids and deportation, but her family is another story. — On Thursday night, Andiola's home in Arizona was raided by Immigrations …

Discussion: The Raw Story and Democracy in America

Anemona Hartocollis / New York Times:

New York City to Restrict Prescription Painkillers in Public Hospitals' Emergency Rooms — Some of the most common and most powerful prescription painkillers on the market will be restricted sharply in the emergency rooms at New York City's 11 public hospitals, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg …

Discussion: Gothamist, Balloon Juice, Infowars and Vodkapundit

Colin Campbell / Politicker:
Bloomberg Slaps Down Criticism of Painkiller Restriction Plan

Discussion: Hot Air, The Spectacle Blog, The Agonist and National Review

The White House:

Joint Statement by President Obama and President Karzai — At the invitation of President Obama, President Karzai and his delegation visited Washington January 8-11, 2013. President Karzai's visit comes at an important juncture for both our nations, as we take steps to further strengthen …

Discussion: Twitchy, Lawfare, New York Times and Michelle Malkin

Devin Dwyer / ABCNEWS:
Obama Promises Faster Transition in Afghanistan

Discussion: Politico

Cindy Adams / New York Post:

Patti Davis rips ‘1600 Penn’ ‘stupidity’ — “1600 Penn” - NBC's new sitcom about a dysfunctional First Family - gets a thumbs-down from Patti Davis, who was there for eight years when her father Ronald Reagan was president. — Davis — who tried to sell a similar TV show last year titled …

Discussion: Associated Press

Jim DeMint / Washington Post:

Conservative ideas need a new message — Jim DeMint represented South Carolina in the Senate from 2005 to 2013 and in the House from 1999 to 2005. — The U.S. Senate reached an all-time low — a hard mark to achieve — last week as I said my goodbyes to rejoin the real world.

Discussion: The Maddow Blog, The Fix, Right Wing Watch, The Heritage Foundation, p m carpenter's commentary, The Agonist and Booman Tribune

Hunter Walker / Politicker:

Satanists Rally For Rick Scott — The Satanic Temple logo. — A group of Florida-based Satanists will be holding a rally in support of the Sunshine State's Republican Governor Rick Scott on January 25. According to a press release for the event, the Satanic Temple, which organized the rally …

Discussion: Riptide 2.0, The Raw Story and Pharyngula