memeorandum: Kerry Casts Obama's Syria Decision as ‘Courageous’ (New York Times)

6:00 PM ET, September 1, 2013

Top Items:

Obama's history-defying decision to seek Congressional approval on Syria — President Barack Obama, according to background briefings by his aides, reached a fateful decision late Friday afternoon as he strolled along the White House lawn with his chief of staff Denis McDonough.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Liberal Values and The Atlantic Online

New York Times:

Kerry Casts Obama's Syria Decision as ‘Courageous’ — WASHINGTON — Secretary of State John Kerry, delivering a full-throated defense on Sunday of President Obama's plan to delay military action against Syria, called the move to seek Congressional approval a “courageous decision” …

Discussion: JustOneMinute, The Hinterland Gazette, Gawker and Booman Tribune

Wall Street Journal:

At the Last Minute, Obama Alone Made Call to Seek Congressional Approval — Change in president's thinking confounded White House insiders — After a 45-minute walk Friday night, President Barack Obama made a fateful decision that none of his top national security advisers saw coming …

Discussion: Power Line, Washington Wire and Booman Tribune

Mark Landler / New York Times:

President Pulls Lawmakers Into Box He Made — WASHINGTON — More than once, President Obama has confided to aides that he regards Syria as one of those hellish problems every president faces, where the risks are endless, the choices are all bad, and the pressure to do something is unrelenting.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, americanthinker.com, Connecting.the.Dots and Booman Tribune

Michael Goodwin / New York Post: Obama puts politics over morals in abdicating presidential authority in Syria

CNN:
Text of draft legislation submitted by Obama to Congress

Discussion: Foreign Policy, Opinio Juris, The Volokh Conspiracy, Little Green Footballs and Lawfare

Associated Press:
Syria State-Run Newspaper: Obama Move ‘The Start Of The Historic American Retreat’

Discussion: PoliticusUSA, ThinkProgress and Business Insider

Rose Garden / The White House:
Statement by the President on Syria

Discussion: Guardian, National Review, The Atlantic Online, The Huffington Post, Associated Press, Reuters, New Atlanticist, News Desk, Wall Street Journal, American Spectator, Washington Wire, The Moderate Voice, msnbc.com, White House.gov Blog, Outside the Beltway and Telegraph

Ilya Somin / The Volokh Conspiracy:
Thoughts on the Text of the Obama Administration's Proposed Authorization to Use Military Force in Syria

Discussion: Lawfare, msnbc.com, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Opinio Juris, emptywheel and Politico

Bill Plante / CBS News:
Obama's Syria strike decision aims to get Congress on the record

Discussion: Associated Press

Ashley Killough / CNN:
Kerry: ‘Signatures of sarin’ found in Syria

Discussion: NBCNews, Washington Free Beacon, Business Insider and Politico

Jim Watson / NPR:
Transcript: President Obama Turns To Congress On Syria

Discussion: The Raw Story, The Reaction, Washington Free Beacon, AL.com and NBCNews

BBC:

Sir David Frost, broadcaster and writer, dies at 74 — Veteran broadcaster Sir David Frost has died at the age of 74 after a suspected heart attack while on board a cruise ship. — A family statement said he had been giving a speech aboard the Queen Elizabeth on Saturday night.

Discussion: Guardian, TVNewser, Spectator, Outside the Beltway, Mashable, NPR and The Reality-Based Community, more at Mediagazer »

Mike Allen / Politico:

WELCOME TO SEPTEMBER! — OBAMA AIDE, ON SEEKING CONGRESSIONAL VOTE: 'We don't want them to have their cake and eat it, too' - JOSH DUBOIS wedding — DEE DEE MYERS, STEVE HILDEBRAND b'day — THE 1 PARAGRAPH TO READ: President Obama will probably win congressional approval for a Syrian strike.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Advocate, TVNewser, Towleroad News #gay and Spectator, more at Mediagazer »

NBCNews:
Pioneering British broadcaster David Frost dies of a heart attack

Discussion: Red Alert Politics and The Political Carnival

Brian Stelter / New York Times:
David Frost, Who Interviewed Nixon, Is Dead at 74

Discussion: Towleroad News #gay and Ed Driscoll

CNN:
David Frost, veteran British broadcaster, dies at 74

Discussion: The Week and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

BBC:

Fukushima radiation levels ‘18 times higher’ than thought — Radiation levels around Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant are 18 times higher than previously thought, Japanese authorities have warned. — Last week the plant's operator reported radioactive water had leaked from a storage tank into the ground.

Discussion: Booman Tribune, NPR and Eschaton

Marco Giannangeli / Daily Express:

Senior Syrian military chiefs tell captain: fire chemicals or be shot — BRITISH intelligence chiefs have intercepted radio messages in which senior Syrian military chiefs are heard ordering the use of chemical weapons. — Prepared: UN inspectors in gas masks at work in eastern Damascus

Discussion: The PJ Tatler, Israel Matzav and emptywheel

Mara Gay / NY Daily News:

Anthony Weiner stages a ‘meat’ and greet in Bronx deli — The Democratic mayoral hopeful holds a big Italian sausage and poses with the owner of the Arthur Ave. business — Anthony Weiner is all smiles after getting “The Big Salami” from David Greco (r.), owner of Mike's Deli and Arthur Avenue Trattoria.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Red Alert Politics and Twitchy

Maggie Haberman / Politico:

Bush aide makes Mandela mistake — Former President George H.W. Bush's office mistakenly announced the death of Nelson Mandela on Sunday morning, with a condolences statement about the South African leader. — “STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT GEORGE H. W. BUSH 41 ON THE DEATH OF NELSON MANDELA,” …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland

The Presidency:
Former President Nelson Mandela discharged from hospital

Discussion: Guardian, BBC, NBCNews and NPR

Costas Paris / Wall Street Journal:

Vodafone's Board Expected to Vote on Verizon Deal — LONDON—Vodafone PLC's board of directors was expected to vote on a proposed sale of its 45% stake in Verizon Wireless by Sunday, according to a person familiar with the situation. — Last week, Vodafone confirmed it was in talks …

Discussion: MoneyBeat, GigaOM, Guardian, TechCrunch, The Verge and AllThingsD

Washington Post:

First Person: Jake Tapper, anchor of CNN's ‘The Lead With Jake Tapper’ — Most interviews that I do are not super aggressive. They can't be, and they shouldn't be; that would get pretty tiresome. So when there's an interview that's tough or a question that's tough, it's something that raises eyebrows.

Discussion: The Impolitic