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

9:55 AM ET, September 1, 2013

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Statement by the President on Syria — THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon, everybody. Ten days ago, the world watched in horror as men, women and children were massacred in Syria in the worst chemical weapons attack of the 21st century. Yesterday the United States presented a powerful case …

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

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: Booman Tribune

New York Times:

Obama Seeks Approval by Congress for Strike in Syria — Obama Seeks Support on Syria: American presidents generally want support from three places: Congress, the American people and allies abroad. In the case of a possible military strike in Syria, support may be in short supply.

Discussion: his vorpal sword, Taylor Marsh, The Other McCain, Wall Street Journal, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Boston Globe, Lawfare, Gawker, Booman Tribune, The Volokh Conspiracy, NPR, JustOneMinute, The Democratic Daily, Althouse, Taegan Goddard's … and The Moderate Voice

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: CANNONFIRE, The Raw Story, PoliticusUSA, Liberal Values and Sense of Events

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: americanthinker.com, WorldViews and Business Insider

Jonathan Strong / National Review:

Will the House Authorize a Syria Strike? — President Obama's surprise decision to seek congressional approval for a Syria strike puts the plan in the hands of the Republican-controlled House, but it's far from clear the House will comply. — GOP sources say it is highly unlikely leadership …

Discussion: Power Line

Bill Plante / CBS News:

Obama's Syria strike decision aims to get Congress on the record — (CBS News) WASHINGTON - President Obama spoke to the American people from the Rose Garden Saturday afternoon, pressing his case for military action against the Syrian regime and calling the chemical attack that claimed …

Discussion: Associated Press

Jeff Poor / The Daily Caller:

‘AMATEUR HOUR’: Krauthammer slams Obama's sudden decision to delay Syria strike [VIDEO] — Immediately following his statement from the Rose Garden on Saturday, which President Barack Obama said he would delay a strike on Syria until seeking authorization from Congress …

Discussion: The PJ Tatler, American Power, Scared Monkeys and blogs.telegraph.co.uk

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

Discussion: Power Line and Washington Wire

Ruby Cramer / BuzzFeed: Hillary Clinton Stays Quiet On Syria

John Bresnahan / Politico:
Obama sends Syria resolution to Hill

Discussion: Business Insider, Balloon Juice, Washington Monthly and The Hill

NBCNews:
Obama will seek congressional approval before any military action against Syria

Discussion: NPR, Associated Press, AL.com and msnbc.com

Alexandra Jaffe / The Hill:
Kerry to appear on all five Sunday shows

Discussion: Gawker and Politico

Politico:
Obama seeks Syria action, congressional approval

Discussion: CNN, The Volokh Conspiracy, Business Insider, Reuters, Washington Monthly, Red Alert Politics and No More Mister Nice Blog

Ernesto Londoño / Washington Post:
Obama says U.S. will take military action against Syria, pending Congress's approval

Discussion: The Fix, Wonkblog, WorldViews, Scared Monkeys, Connecting.the.Dots, Corrente and Daily Kos

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

Discussion: JustOneMinute and Vox Popoli

Elad Benari / Arutz Sheva:
Erdogan: Syrian Strike Should Topple Assad

Discussion: Israel Matzav, Business Insider, Jihad Watch, New York Times and Israpundit

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Breaking: Obama says he will seek Congressional authorization for strikes

Discussion: The Daily Beast, The Moderate Voice, Fox News, The Jawa Report, Scared Monkeys and Patterico's Pontifications

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

Discussion: State of the Union and Global Public Square

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

Discussion: Business Insider, Israel Matzav and American Power

Wall Street Journal:
Obama Seeks A Vote on Syria Strike

Discussion: Washington Wire

The Presidency:

Former President Nelson Mandela discharged from hospital — Former President Nelson Mandela has this morning, 1 September 2013, been discharged from the Pretoria hospital where he has been receiving treatment. We would like to wish him all the best as he continues his recovery at his Johannesburg home.

Discussion: BBC, Guardian, NBCNews and NPR

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, Outside the Beltway and NPR, more at Mediagazer »

Spiegel Online:

NSA Spied On Al Jazeera Communications — Arab news broadcaster Al Jazeera was spied on by the National Security Agency, according to documents seen by SPIEGEL. The US intelligence agency hacked into protected communication, a feat that was considered a particular success.

Discussion: The Verge, ABC News and The Daily Caller, more at Mediagazer »

Kevin Collier / Salon:
The parody shirt the NSA doesn't want you to wear

Discussion: National Review and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Reid J. Epstein / Politico:

After Syria statement, Obama golfs — Right after shipping responsibility for authorizing an attack on Syria, President Barack Obama returned to his comfort zone: The golf course. — Obama's motorcade left the White House at 2:30 p.m., about 30 minutes after completing his statement.

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Israel Matzav