memeorandum: After classified briefing, lawmakers skeptical on Syria attack (Ed O'Keefe/Post Politics)

9:50 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: Liberal Values, The Moderate Voice 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: Gawker, The Hinterland Gazette, JustOneMinute and Booman Tribune

CBS News:

Face the Nation transcripts September 1, 2013: Kerry, McCain, Kaine, and Chambliss — (CBS News) Below is a transcript of “Face the Nation” on September 1, 2013, hosted by CBS News' Major Garrett. Guests include: Secretary of State John Kerry, Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., Tim Kaine, D-Va. …

Discussion: BREITBART.COM, Jihad Watch and Weasel Zippers

Wall Street Journal:
At the Last Minute, Obama Alone Made Call to Seek Congressional Approval

Discussion: Power Line, Washington Wire and Booman Tribune

Timothy Heritage / Reuters:
Analysis: Putin sees chance to turn tables on Obama at G20

Discussion: Crooks and Liars and Washington Post

CNN:
Text of draft legislation submitted by Obama to Congress

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

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

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

Discussion: PoliticusUSA, ThinkProgress and Business Insider

Washington Post:
Sarin gas used in Syria attack, Kerry says

Discussion: Greenville News, Post Politics, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Wonkblog and WorldViews

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

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

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

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, emptywheel, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Opinio Juris

Politico:

Hill briefing: Uphill battle for Obama on Syria — President Barack Obama faces a clear uphill battle in swaying skeptical lawmakers of the merits of military action in Syria, as top officials were dispatched to Capitol Hill Sunday to make the administration's case.

Discussion: PoliticusUSA, Weasel Zippers, No More Mister Nice Blog, The World's Greatest … and The Hill

Ed O'Keefe / Post Politics:

After classified briefing, lawmakers skeptical on Syria attack — Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), the dean of the Senate, told reporters after a classified briefing Sunday on the situation in Syria, that the administration's request for U.S. military intervention would not pass the Congress as written because it is too broad.

Discussion: Booman Tribune and The World's Greatest …

Ben Geman / The Hill:

Senate to rework Obama's Syria order — Members of the Senate plan to narrow President Obama's authorization request for military action in Syria, Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said Sunday. — Leahy told reporters about the planned rewrite of the resolution after attending …

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, Mashable, Spectator, TVNewser, Outside the Beltway, 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: Advocate, Crooks and Liars, 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, Interviewer Who Got Nixon to Apologize for Watergate, Dies at 74

Discussion: Towleroad News #gay and Ed Driscoll

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

Discussion: American Spectator, 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: dailyrecord, The PJ Tatler, The Gateway Pundit, 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, Weasel Zippers, Red Alert Politics and Twitchy

Reuters:

Egypt's Morsi to stand trial on charges of ‘inciting killing and thuggery’ — 14 other Brotherhood members to also face charges of incitement to murder. — Deposed Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi is to stand trial on charges of committing and inciting violence, a state prosecutor decided on Sunday …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and Guardian

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: The Raw Story, Guardian, BBC, NBCNews and NPR

Wall Street Journal:

Vodafone, Verizon Agree on $130 Billion Deal — An Announcement Over Deal—if Approved by Both Boards—Could Come Monday — Negotiators for Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Group PLC have agreed to a deal for the U.K. company's stake in their U.S. joint venture, people familiar with the matter said.

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