memeorandum: Why We're Raising the Signature Threshold for We the People (Macon Phillips/White House.gov Blog)

1:35 PM ET, January 16, 2013

Top Items:

Obama Gun Proposal to Look Beyond Mass Shootings — A new federal assault weapons ban and background checks of all gun buyers, which President Obama is expected to propose on Wednesday, might have done little to prevent the massacre in Newtown, Conn., last month.

Discussion: JustOneMinute, Politico, Washington Monthly, Guardian, Blue Jersey, Outside the Beltway, Daily Kos, The Plum Line, Israpundit, ThinkProgress, Hit & Run, msnbc.com, The Hill and Law Blog

Paul Waldman / American Prospect:

The NRA Opens Fire — In case you were waiting for the National Rifle Association's reasonable, constructive contribution to our current debate on how best to curb gun violence in America, your wait is over. They are locked, loaded, and ready to bring the crazy.

Discussion: Washington Monthly and Lawyers, Guns & Money

New York Times:

Obama Unveils Proposals for Toughening Laws on Guns — WASHINGTON — President Obama called upon Congress on Wednesday to toughen America's gun laws to confront mass shootings and everyday gun violence, betting that public opinion has shifted enough to support the broadest push for gun control in a generation.

Discussion: Hit & Run, Outside the Beltway, Crooks and Liars, Talking Points Memo and The Caucus

CNN:

NRA airs new TV ad criticizing Obama on eve of White House gun announcement — Washington (CNN) - The National Rifle Association released a new television commercial Tuesday night charging President Barack Obama of hypocrisy for being “skeptical” about placing armed guards at schools …

Discussion: New York Times, Associated Press, ABCNEWS, protein wisdom, The Moderate Voice, BBC, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Week, The Hinterland Gazette, his vorpal sword, Outside the Beltway, The Agonist, US News, The Daily Caller, News Desk, Talking Points Memo, The Raw Story and The Hill

Joe Biden / CNN:

Obama announces 23 exective actions, asks Congress to pass gun laws — President Barack Obama announces 23 executive actions on gun control, separately asks Congress to pass gun-control laws — Obama asks Congress to pass laws that would: require background checks on all gun sales …

Discussion: The Jawa Report and Shakesville

Jason Howerton / TheBlaze.com:
NRA BLASTS ‘ELITIST’, ‘HYPOCRITE’ OBAMA IN SCATHING NEW VIDEO

Discussion: msnbc.com, AMERICAblog, Addicting Info, Politico, The Daily Caller and Weasel Zippers

Paul Waldman / American Prospect: Will Congress Pass Obama's Gun-Control Legislation Proposals?

David Taintor / Talking Points Memo:
Obama's 23 Planned Executive Actions On Guns

Discussion: The Agonist and The Hinterland Gazette

Washington Post:
Obama unveils gun-control proposals

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Washington Monthly, Wonkblog, The Fix, Right Turn, Wonkette, Althouse and Post Politics

Jacob Sullum / Hit & Run:
How Does the Sandy Hook Massacre Demonstrate the Need for Gun Controls That Have Nothing to Do With It?

Discussion: Reuters, The Week and Washington Examiner

Daniel Halper / Weekly Standard:
W.H. Releases Letters from Little Kids Pleading for Gun Control

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Taylor Marsh, The Powers That Be and UrbanGrounds

CNN:
White House blasts NRA ad as ‘repugnant’

Discussion: Politico

Brendan Sasso / The Hill:
Leahy: Senate to hold hearings on proposals to reduce gun violence

Discussion: CNN and Politico

Katie Glueck / Politico:
NRA ad attacked for including President Obama's daughters

Discussion: Addicting Info, Weasel Zippers, The National Memo and msnbc.com

Tom Kludt / Talking Points Memo: Robert Gibbs: NRA No Match For Obama Campaign Apparatus (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro / Talking Points Memo: NRA TV Ad: Obama ‘Elitist Hypocrite’ Because His Daughters Have Armed Guards

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
NRA Is Simply a Disease on the Body Politic

Discussion: The Raw Story, The Week and Lawyers, Guns & Money

BuzzFeed:
NRA's New Ad Calls Obama “Elitist Hypocrite” For Having Secret Service Protection For His Children

Discussion: Post Politics, msnbc.com, Hot Air and Taylor Marsh

Ian Millhiser / ThinkProgress:

Pennsylvania House Republicans Introduce Bill To Rig The 2016 Presidential Election … Earlier this week, Republican National Committee Chair Reince Priebus endorsed a Republican plan to rig the next presidential election to make it nearly impossible for the Democratic candidate to win the White House …

Discussion: Balloon Juice and Booman Tribune

Politico:

Why President Obama's gun plan may be doomed — Before President Barack Obama can even launch his campaign-style blitz for new gun control measures, there are strong indications that any comprehensive legislation restricting weapons and ammunition won't even see a vote on the House floor.

Discussion: Mediaite, The Page, Capital New York, Hot Air, Washington Examiner, Wall Street Journal and The Reaction

Xenos / Reading is for Snobs:

These Are The People The Wall Street Journal Thinks We Should Have Sympathy For? — The Wall Street Journal had an article providing a fairly thorough breakdown of the new tax policies that will now be in effect due to the “fiscal cliff” agreement reached by congress. The article itself wasn't too bad, really.

Discussion: Brad DeLong

TBogg:
Five Finger Discount, Six Figure Pout

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money

Politico:

Why debt limit must be used to force a balanced budget — This Monday, President Obama again asserted that the country would “default” if Congress did not raise the debt limit. “The full and faith and credit of the United States is not a bargaining chip,” he said at a press conference.

Discussion: Daily Kos, Washington Examiner and The Heritage Foundation

Reuters:
Republicans push alternative to default in debt-ceiling battle

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Caucus, First Read and National Review

Stephanie Kirchgaessner / Financial Times:
Hardliners shift stance on US debt ceiling

Discussion: The Plum Line, DownWithTyranny!, The Week, Talking Points Memo, Prairie Weather, Business Insider, Daily Kos, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes' and The Huffington Post

Javier Manjarres / The Shark Tank:

Congressman Radel on Possible Presidential Impeachment- “All Options Should be on the Table” — Congressman Steve Stockman from Texas has taken aim against President Obama's forthcoming executive orders that will further restrict gun rights by “eliminating funding for implementation …

Discussion: Politico, The Hill and The Daily Caller

Josh Feldman / Mediaite:
GOP Rep. Threatening Impeachment: Obama Using Children Like Saddam Hussein Did To Push His Laws

Discussion: Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes'

Fox News:

Al Qaeda-linked group holding at least 3 Americans hostage after taking control of Algerian gas field — Jan. 16, 2013: This undated image released by BP petroleum company shows the Amenas natural gas field in the eastern central region of Algeria, where Islamist militants raided and took hostages.AP/BP

Discussion: The Jawa Report, Weasel Zippers and Atlas Shrugs

Kathryn Bigelow / Los Angeles Times:

Kathryn Bigelow addresses ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ torture criticism — ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ director Kathryn Bigelow answers criticism of the film's depiction of torture, which she says does not equal endorsement of the tactics. — Kathryn Bigelow. — For a long time, measuring more years …

Discussion: Politico, ABCNEWS, The Week and Washington Free Beacon

Macon Phillips / White House.gov Blog:

Why We're Raising the Signature Threshold for We the People — When we launched We the People, none of us knew how popular it would be, but it's exceeded our wildest expectations. Through the past year, interest in We the People exploded and we're closing in on 10 million signatures.

Discussion: Hit & Run, Hot Air, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, Betabeat, The Hill, Gawker and Mashable!

Elise Viebeck / The Hill:

Whole Foods CEO says Obama healthcare law is ‘more like fascism’ — The CEO of Whole Foods Market said President Obama's healthcare law is more like “fascism” than “socialism,” a parallel he drew in 2009, to some backlash. — John Mackey made the remark in an interview Wednesday with NPR.

Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life:

Roe v. Wade at 40: Most Oppose Overturning Abortion Decision — Millennials Far Less Aware of Historic Ruling — As the 40th anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision approaches, the public remains opposed to completely overturning the historic ruling on abortion.

Discussion: CNN, Hullabaloo and Taegan Goddard's …

George Dvorsky / io9:

How 19-year-old activist Zack Kopplin is making life hell for Louisiana's creationists — For Zack Kopplin, it all started back in 2008 with the passing of the Louisiana Science Education Act. The bill made it considerably easier for teachers to introduce creationist textbooks into the classroom.

Discussion: Boing Boing and Little Green Footballs

Jaweed Kaleem / The Huffington Post:

Luis Leon, Episcopal Priest, Will Deliver Obama's Inauguration Benediction, Replacing Louie Giglio — FOLLOW: — Barack Obama , Obama's Inauguration, Religion and Politics, Louie Giglio, Louie Giglio Benediction, Louie Giglio Gay, Luis Leon, Luis Leon Episcopal, Luis Leon Gay …

Discussion: Advocate, CNN, Joe. My. God., The New Civil Rights Movement, Box Turtle Bulletin and Towleroad News #gay

First Read:

First Thoughts: Obama set to go big on guns — Obama set to go big on guns... But the opposition will go equally big... NRA — with its new web video — brings a sledgehammer to the fight... Sandy relief passes the House (but with just a minority of the majority)... And that's instructive …