memeorandum: District: No Money In Lunch Account, No ‘Humanitarian Meal’ (Leigh Scheps/myfoxphilly.com)

4:15 PM ET, September 5, 2013

Top Items:

Kerry Blows Up At GOP Rep For Harping On Benghazi At Syria Hearing (VIDEO) — Secretary of State John Kerry erupted at Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) after the congressman charged that the Obama administration cannot be trusted to carry out an attack on Syria due to mistakes made in Benghazi …

Discussion: FIRST DRAFT

Justin Sink / The Hill:

Obama cancels LA trip as ‘no’ votes on Syria pile up (Video) — President Obama has scrapped a planned two-day trip to Los Angeles early next week ahead of a congressional vote on a military strike against Syria. — The cancellation of the trip suggests the urgency with which Obama needs …

Discussion: Jammie Wearing Fools

Justin Sink / The Hill:

Obama, Putin chat — for 15 seconds — President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin shared a brief, 15-second greeting Thursday at the G-20 summit in St. Petersburg. It was the first face-to-face interaction between the leaders after a summer of high-profile spats over Syria, Edward Snowden, and gay rights.

Discussion: Politico

TheBlaze.com:
THE TENSE MOMENT WHEN A GOP CONGRESSMAN CHALLENGED JOHN KERRY WITH BENGHAZI QUESTIONS DURING SYRIA HEARING

Discussion: Right Wing News, Scared Monkeys and The Mahablog

Fareed Zakaria / TIME:
On Syria, Words Have Consequences

Discussion: The Dish

Justin Sink / The Hill:
Obama struggles to convince Congress Syria isn't about him

Discussion: Politico, Taylor Marsh, Jammie Wearing Fools and Weekly Standard

Rich Lowry / Politico:
War by euphemism — When she left the White House the other day …

Discussion: National Review and Hot Air

Reid J. Epstein / Politico:
So far, President Obama's political arm sits out Syria push

Discussion: Weekly Standard

David Jackson / USA Today:
Putin calls Kerry a liar on Syria

Discussion: BBC, neo-neocon, Firedoglake, The Week, The PJ Tatler, Politico and Guardian

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: ThinkProgress, Daily Kos, Gawker, The Jawa Report, Gretawire, Weasel Zippers, Pressing Issues, Questions and Observations, The PJ Tatler, American Prospect, TheBlaze.com, Firedoglake, The Gateway Pundit and Jihad Watch

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: Crooks and Liars, The Right Scoop, Jihad Watch, Atlas Shrugs, Real Clear Politics, Hot Air and emptywheel

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, ABC News, Booman Tribune, Hot Air, Associated Press, Jihad Watch, National Review and Atlas Shrugs

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 …

Discussion: Balloon Juice

Dylan Scott / Talking Points Memo:
No Rate Shock? Obamacare Premiums Lower Than Expected

Discussion: The Huffington Post, National Review and Forbes

Alex Wayne / Bloomberg:
Obamacare Insurance Costs Affordable, Kaiser Survey Finds

Discussion: The Plum Line and Daily Kos

kff.org:
An Early Look at Premiums and Insurer Participation in Health Insurance Marketplaces, 2014

Discussion: Washington Wire, New York Times, Liberal Values and Forbes

Elise Viebeck / The Hill:
Kaiser study finds ‘lower than expected’ ObamaCare premiums

Discussion: Prairie Weather

First Read / NBCNews:

First Thoughts: Wooing the left — Obama administration woos the left... Where thing stand on Capitol Hill after two full days of lobbying since Labor Day... The GOP 2016ers in the Senate (Rubio, Cruz, Paul) are all against... On Ed Markey's “present” vote... Reid begins process …

Discussion: NPR, The Daily Caller, The Fix and Hullabaloo

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.

Josh Rogin / The Daily Beast:
Senate Breaks Own Rules in Rush to Vote on Syria War

Discussion: Atlas Shrugs, The Spectacle Blog, The Heritage Foundation, Jammie Wearing Fools, Washington Times, Business Insider, Hot Air, Politico and Outside the Beltway

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: Washington Monthly, Daily Kos, Gawker and Taegan Goddard's …

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: The Moderate Voice, Washington Monthly, Wonkblog, Zandar Versus The Stupid, BizPac Review, Prairie Weather, The Huffington Post, Hot Air and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Politico: Epic fall(s) — Grab a chair: Congress is about to get as fascinating …

Hayes Brown / ThinkProgress:

Top House Republican Rewrites History, Claims Reagan Stood Up To Chemical Weapons Use — A top Republican lawmaker on Thursday invoked Ronald Reagan to say that Obama was weak for not acting more directly in response to Syria's alleged use of chemical weapons, ignoring the fact …

Discussion: The Raw Story and ThinkProgress

RealClearPolitics Video Log:
Carville: People Are Freaking Out About Syria Because Of Bush And Iraq

Discussion: Hot Air and Weasel Zippers

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, Duck of Minerva, emptywheel, Daily Kos and CNN

Tal Kopan / Politico:

Reports: G-20 seating chart altered — Those eager for a potentially awkward photo op of President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin sitting next to each other at the G-20 summit might be disappointed: The seating chart is putting more distance between the two leaders than previously expected.

Discussion: Voice of America, NPR, The Moderate Voice and BBC

Darya Korsunskaya / Reuters:
Putin presses US Congress over Syria, says Kerry lied

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, The Hinterland Gazette, NBCNews, Jihad Watch, The Agonist, Nice Deb, The Daily Caller, CBS Philly, Weasel Zippers, Wonkblog, RT and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Karen McVeigh / Guardian:

Walmart workers protest over minimum wage in 15 US cities — Organisers say Thursday will mark largest action since last November when they claim 400 workers walked off their shifts — Walmart workers and their supporters are planning to launch protests in stores in 15 cities across the US on Thursday …

Discussion: Vox Popoli, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Colorlines

Galina EspinozaContributor / PARADE Magazine:

Marco Rubio's Modern Family — More by Galina — The Rubios with (from left) Anthony, Daniella (sitting), Amanda, and Dominick, outside their Florida home. (Rob Howard) — Leading up to Hispanic Heritage Month, Parade visits Senator Marco Rubio and his wife, Jeannette …

Discussion: TheBlaze.com and The Huffington Post

Andrew Sullivan / The Dish:

Saving Obama From Himself — The next couple of weeks will be full of surprises, twists and turns, as this country debates in its Congress and media and living rooms whether to launch another war in the Middle East. But I think it's fair to offer a preliminary assessment of where the wind is blowing.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Mike Lillis / The Hill:

Head of Black Caucus asks members to stay quiet on Syria (video) — The head of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) has asked members of the group to stay largely silent on Syria until lawmakers receive more information about President Obama's plan for missile strikes against the war-torn nation.

Discussion: The Hinterland Gazette and Jammie Wearing Fools

Rush Limbaugh:

It's My New Book! Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims: Time-Travel Adventures with Exceptional Americans — RUSH: My friends, I am so excited. I have been waiting for this day to be able to tell you something. I have been waiting with bated breath. I have been chomping at the bit.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Mediaite and National Review