memeorandum: President Obama's Big Syria Power Giveaway (Ben Smith/BuzzFeed)

6:20 PM ET, August 31, 2013

Top Items:

Ian Swanson / The Hill:

Some see Syria as edge for Obama in fiscal showdown — U.S. military action in Syria could give the White House an advantage in the looming fiscal showdown with congressional Republicans, according to defense and budget experts. — They said the Syria crisis could boost calls by President Obama …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Politico, ABC News, ABC News, Ed Driscoll and No More Mister Nice Blog

Peter Baker / New York Times:

Obama Will Seek Syria Vote in Congress — WASHINGTON — President Obama stunned the world and paused his march to war on Saturday by asking Congress to give him authorization before he launches a limited military strike against the Syrian government in retaliation for a chemical weapons attack.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Wall Street Journal, Booman Tribune, Lawfare, JustOneMinute, Gawker, Althouse, NPR, Taegan Goddard's … and AL.com

Ben Smith / BuzzFeed:

President Obama's Big Syria Power Giveaway — But now Congress is the “dog that caught the car,” Axelrod gloats. — President Obama speaks at the Rose Garden of the White House Saturday. — Mike Theiler / Reuters — President Barack Obama's abrupt decision to hand over the choice …

Discussion: WorldViews and ABC News

Ernesto Londoño / Washington Post:

Obama says U.S. will take military action against Syria, pending Congress's approval — President Obama said Saturday that the United States has decided to use military force against Syria, calling last week's alleged chemical weapons attack there “an attack on human dignity,” …

Discussion: The Jawa Report, Hot Air, Wonkblog, WorldViews, Daily Kos and Corrente

New York Times:

Experts Fear That U.S. Plan to Strike Syria Overlooks Risks — BEIRUT, Lebanon — President Obama says he is considering a “limited, narrow” military strike against Syria — an aim that many Middle East experts fear overlooks the potential to worsen the violence in Syria and intensify a fight …

Discussion: The Raw Story, Prairie Weather, The Huffington Post, Pressing Issues, Sense of Events, Hot Air and The Public Editor's Journal, more at Mediagazer »

Ian Swanson / The Hill:

Rep. Peter King: Obama ‘abdicating responsibility as commander in chief’ — President Obama is abdicating his responsibility as commander in chief by seeking authorization from Congress to attack Syria, Rep. Peter King said Saturday. — In a scathing statement that differed sharply …

Discussion: PoliticusUSA

CNN:
Obama asks Congress to vote to authorize strike on Syria

Discussion: Global Public Square

Ben Geman / The Hill:
Obama to seek congressional approval for Syrian strike (Video)

Discussion: Israel Matzav and American Power

BBC:
Russia's Vladimir Putin challenges US on Syria claims

Discussion: NPR, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Joe. My. God.

Politico:
Obama seeks Syria strikes, congressional approval

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Red Alert Politics, The Volokh Conspiracy, The Hill and ABC News

Fox News:
President Obama turns to Congress to OK strike against Syria

Discussion: JustOneMinute and Vox Popoli

Wall Street Journal:
Obama Seeks Congressional Vote on Syria

Discussion: Washington Wire, NBCNews and Politicker

David Espo / Associated Press:
UN Experts Enter Lebanon After Leaving Syria

Discussion: Associated Press, Guardian, Firedoglake, Global Grind and Online NewsHour

Michael Graham / Boston Herald: U.S. needed Iraqi foothold that prez abandoned

Washington Post:
John Kerry makes forceful case for U.S. military intervention in Syria

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, Post Politics, The Gateway Pundit, The Fix and Hot Air

Jonathan Martin / The Caucus:

Mary Cheney Criticizes Her Sister on Same-Sex Marriage — Mary Cheney, the younger sister of Liz Cheney, a Wyoming Senate candidate, sharply criticized her sister's stance on same-sex marriage and urged her own Facebook friends to share the message. — Posting on Facebook on Friday evening …

Discussion: Mediaite, Ballot Box, LGBTQ Nation, Joe. My. God., The Raw Story, The Daily Caller and CNN

Karoli / Crooks and Liars:

IRS Scandal Didn't Happen To The Tea Party; It Was Invented By The Tea Party — JennyBeth Martin rallies the troops on May 16, 2013 — Yesterday the Wall Street Journal published an amazingly dishonest profile of Jenny Beth Martin, head of the national Tea Party Patriots organization.

Discussion: The Other McCain and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Jennifer Steinhauer / New York Times:
G.O.P. Senators Fail to Head Off Primary Challenges by Tea Party Rivals

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …

Betsy Karasik / Washington Post:

Sex between students and teachers should not be a crime — Betsy Karasik is a writer and former lawyer. — There is a painfully uncomfortable episode of “Louie” in which the comedian Louis C.K. muses that maybe child molesters wouldn't kill their victims if the penalty weren't so severe.

Discussion: Ed Driscoll, Mediaite, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Hot Air, americanthinker.com, National Review, NewsBusters, The Other McCain and The PJ Tatler

Brett Taylor / Twitchy: Washington Post's ‘second look at statutory rape’ click-trolling inspires #WaPoPitches

Kevin Collier / Salon:

The parody shirt the NSA doesn't want you to wear — The politically themed T-shirt company Liberty Maniacs is in hot water for its latest spoof design — Two days after the world learned the National Security Agency logs practically every American phone call, the agency had started cracking down on entrepreneurs who made fun of it.

Discussion: National Review and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Hanna Rosin / Slate:

You know that “women make 77 cents to every man's dollar” line you've heard a hundred times? It's not true. — How many times have you heard that “women are paid 77 cents on the dollar for doing the same work as men”? Barack Obama said it during his last campaign.

Discussion: FreedomWorks blogs, EconLog and Barcepundit

Jessica McWilliams / CBS Philly:

Police: 2 Women Gang Raped By Juveniles In Wilmington Park — WILMINGTON, Del. (CBS) — Neighbors near Kosciuszko Park in Wilmington expressed anger and outrage Friday, after learning the details of a brutal gang-rape that happened in the park Thursday. — Police say two women, ages 32 and 24 …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Vox Popoli and Scared Monkeys

Sohrab Ahmari / Wall Street Journal:

Craig Zucker: What Happens When a Man Takes on the Feds — Buckyballs was the hottest office game on the market. Then regulators banned it. Now the government wants to ruin the CEO who fought back. — New York — 'So this is what starting over looks like. I have a seven-by-seven space with two little desks in it.