Top Items:
James Taranto / Wall Street Journal:
The Buck Stops Here — Obama goes Galt. — “First of all, I didn't set a red line,” Barack Obama said today at a press conference in Stockholm. “The world set a red line. The world set a red line when governments representing 98% of the world's population said the use of chemical weapons are …
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Justin Sink / The Hill:
Obama struggles to convince Congress Syria isn't about him — President Obama is struggling to convince lawmakers, foreign leaders and the public that military action in Syria isn't about him. — Opponents of a military intervention in Syria say the president is trying to save face …
Discussion:
Weekly Standard, Taylor Marsh and Jammie Wearing Fools
Rich Lowry / Politico:
War by euphemism — When she left the White House the other day, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi shared with reporters her conversation with her five-year old grandson. — She recounted how he asked her whether she supported “war” in Syria. Before telling the rest of the story …
Discussion:
Hot Air
Darya Korsunskaya / Reuters:
Putin presses US Congress over Syria, says Kerry lied
Putin presses US Congress over Syria, says Kerry lied
Discussion:
Taylor Marsh, NBCNews, The Hinterland Gazette, The Agonist, Jihad Watch, Nice Deb, The Daily Caller, RT, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, CBS Philly, Weasel Zippers, Wonkblog and Politico
Josh Lederman / Associated Press:
SPIN METER: Obama on use of US military might
SPIN METER: Obama on use of US military might
Discussion:
Associated Press and First Read
C. J. Chivers / New York Times:
Brutality of Syrian Rebels Posing Dilemma in West — The Syrian rebels posed casually, standing over their prisoners with firearms pointed down at the shirtless and terrified men. — The prisoners, seven in all, were captured Syrian soldiers. Five were trussed, their backs marked with red welts.
Discussion:
American Prospect, TheBlaze.com, The PJ Tatler, Weasel Zippers, Hot Air, Pirate's Cove and Jihad Watch
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Reuters:
Kerry portrait of Syria rebels at odds with intelligence reports — (Reuters) - Secretary of State John Kerry's public assertions that moderate Syrian opposition groups are growing in influence appear to be at odds with estimates by U.S. and European intelligence sources and nongovernmental experts …
Discussion:
JustOneMinute, The Week, Weasel Zippers, Associated Press, ABC News, National Review and Jihad Watch
TheBlaze.com:
THE TENSE MOMENT WHEN A GOP CONGRESSMAN CHALLENGED JOHN KERRY WITH BENGHAZI QUESTIONS DURING SYRIA HEARING — Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.) during the House Foreign Affairs Committee's hearing on Syria Wednesday got into a tense back and forth with Secretary of State John Kerry after the congressman brought …
Discussion:
Right Wing News and Scared Monkeys
The Fix:
The “no's” keep piling up on Syria resolution in the House — By Aaron Blake and Sean Sullivan, Published: September 5 at 6:30 am — Congress took the first formal step toward approving military action in Syria on Wednesday, with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's 10-7 vote to send its resolution to the full chamber.
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Politico:
Obama's political capital spreads thin — President Barack Obama faced a heavy lift in Congress this fall when his agenda included only budget issues and immigration reform. — Now with Syria in the mix, the president appears ready to spend a lot of the political capital that he would have kept …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Goppers, New York Times, Taegan Goddard's …, msnbc.com, Roll Call and The Reaction
Lisa Desjardins / CNN:
FIRST ON CNN: Boehner turns down request to meet with Russian delegation
FIRST ON CNN: Boehner turns down request to meet with Russian delegation
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, NBC Politics, Politico, UK Blog on The Huffington Post and The Hill
Sy Mukherjee / ThinkProgress:
Major New Study On Obamacare Premiums Should End The ‘Rate Shock’ Hysteria Once And For All — The most comprehensive study on Obamacare to date finds that Americans' insurance premiums under the health law will be “lower than expected.” Many Americans will pay even less than the top-line rates …
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kff.org:
An Early Look at Premiums and Insurer Participation in Health Insurance Marketplaces, 2014 — With open enrollment in new insurance marketplaces set to begin Oct. 1, this analysis provides an early look at insurance premiums in 17 states and DC that have publicly released comprehensive data …
Discussion:
Bloomberg and Prairie Weather
Elise Viebeck / The Hill:
Kaiser study finds ‘lower than expected’ ObamaCare premiums — A leading health policy research organization reported “lower than expected” premiums for ObamaCare's new insurance exchanges in a major study released Thursday. — The nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation compiled premium data …
Boston Herald:
U.S. Sen. Ed Markey votes ‘present’ on key Syria resolution — U.S. Sen. Edward J. Markey punted as the Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed a compromise resolution designed to win support for President Obama's proposed strike on Syria by limiting the scope of any military action …
Discussion:
Power Line
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New York Times:
The Stakes in Congress — The divided 10-to-7 vote …
The Stakes in Congress — The divided 10-to-7 vote …
Discussion:
Via Meadia, Foreign Policy, The Agonist, CNN and NPR
Jonathan Easley / The Hill:
White House: Obama weighing Oval Office address on Syria
White House: Obama weighing Oval Office address on Syria
Discussion:
The Plum Line, Daily Kos, Politico and msnbc.com
Ezra Klein / Bloomberg:
Why Do We Even Care About Syria's Chemical Weapons? — The United Nations estimates that more than 100,000 Syrians have died since the country's civil war began in March 2011. More die every day. But the U.S. is not considering military action to save them.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Wonkblog, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Jammie Wearing Fools, The Dish and The Week
Nicholas D. Kristof / New York Times:
The Right Questions on Syria — Critics of American military action in Syria are right to point out all the risks and uncertainties of missile strikes, and they have American public opinion on their side. — But for those of you who oppose cruise missile strikes, what alternative do you favor?
Discussion:
JustOneMinute, CNN and Daily Kos
Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
John Boehner May Save America After All — Cops Not Into Video of Daredevil Driving Really Fast Around Manhattan — John Boehner has sworn up and down that he is going to stay in his job as Speaker of the House past the 2014 elections. Jonathan Ward thinks John Boehner is lying.
Discussion:
Zandar Versus The Stupid, BizPac Review, Prairie Weather, The Huffington Post and Hot Air
TIME:
Q&A: Nancy Pelosi Talks About Syria With TIME — By Michael Scherer and Alex Altman @michaelschererSept. 05, 2013 — Leading the minority party in Congress can be a marginal, thankless role. But as Barack Obama tries to thread a resolution through Congress to authorize the use …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers
BuzzFeed:
Was Mitt Romney Right About Everything? — From Russia to Mali to Detroit, Romney's biggest fans say they've been vindicated. “Obviously, it would have been nice if any of these incidents would have occurred during the campaign.” — Romney pauses as he addresses supporters during his election night rally.
Discussion:
Gawker
Matthew Schofield / McClatchy Washington Bureau:
Russia says it's compiled 100-page report blaming Syrian rebels for a chemical weapons attack — BERLIN — Russia says it has compiled a 100-page report detailing what it says is evidence that Syrian rebels, not forces loyal to President Bashar Assad, were behind a deadly sarin gas attack in an Aleppo suburb earlier this year.
Discussion:
Real Clear Politics and Hot Air
Matt Wilstein / Mediaite:
Bill Maher Dismisses ‘Insufferable Racist’ Donald Trump on Leno — When Bill Maher wasn't humiliating Jay Leno to his face on last night's Tonight Show he was taking on his other favorite target: Donald Trump. Leno asked Maher about their long standing feud and the Real Time host explained …
Discussion:
The Huffington Post
Lauren Zakalik / KOAT Channel 7:
‘Obama’ commode sparks controversy in NM town — Outhouse sign says “Obama's Presidential Library” — Just a stone's-throw away from historic Route 66 in Tucumcari sits a sign that everyone's talking about. — The sign sits atop an outhouse and says “Obama's Presidential Library.”
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, BizPac Review and Weasel Zippers
David Edwards / The Raw Story:
Florida man cites ‘Bush doctrine’ after pre-emptive killing of neighbors at Labor Day cookout — Lawyers for a Florida man this week cited President George W. Bush's pre-emptive war in Iraq and the “Bush Doctrine” as a defense after their client killed two neighbors and attempted to kill a third on Labor Day.
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Provided / Florida Today:
Titusville slaying suspect claims he stood his ground
Titusville slaying suspect claims he stood his ground
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Mediaite, Gawker and The Hinterland Gazette
Bobby Jindal / Washington Post:
Why Obama should drop U.S. suit opposing school choice — Bobby Jindal, a Republican, is governor of Louisiana. — While President Obama was publicly celebrating the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s “I Have a Dream” speech last week, his administration took action behind the scenes …
Discussion:
Weekly Standard and Diane Ravitch's blog
Barbara Hollingsworth / CNSNews:
Jeb Bush Giving Hillary Clinton a Medal for Advancing ‘Ideals of Freedom’ — (CNSNews.com) - Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will present the National Constitution Center's (NCC) 2013 Liberty Medal to Hillary Clinton during a Sept. 10 ceremony in Philadelphia, one day before the first-year anniversary …
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit and No More Mister Nice Blog
Washington Post:
Former senior EPA adviser Beale expected to plead guilty in $900,000 pay fraud — Over the past 12 years, John C. Beale was often away from his job as a high-level staffer at the Environmental Protection Agency. He cultivated an air of mystery and explained his lengthy absences by telling …
Discussion:
E2-Wire and Taegan Goddard's …