Top Items:
Politico:
President Obama could lose big on Syria in House — If the House voted today on a resolution to attack Syria, President Barack Obama would lose — and lose big. — That's the private assessment of House Republican and Democratic lawmakers and aides who are closely involved in the process.
Discussion:
Sense of Events and CNN
RELATED:
Justin Sink / The Hill:
Obama cancels LA trip as ‘no’ votes on Syria resolution 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 …
Discussion:
Hit & Run, Politico and Jammie Wearing Fools
Manu Raju / Politico:
AIPAC to go all-out on Syria — The powerful pro-Israel lobby AIPAC is planning to launch a major lobbying campaign to push wayward lawmakers to back the resolution authorizing U.S. strikes against Syria, sources said Thursday. — Officials say that some 250 Jewish leaders and AIPAC activists …
Discussion:
MJ Rosenberg
Ian Swanson / The Hill:
Obama needs game-changer to win House vote on Syria
Obama needs game-changer to win House vote on Syria
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, naked capitalism, Wonkblog, The Plum Line and The Gateway Pundit
Molly Ball / The Atlantic Online:
The Democratic Congressman Who Thinks He Can Stop the Syria War
The Democratic Congressman Who Thinks He Can Stop the Syria War
Discussion:
msnbc.com, Nice Deb, protein wisdom, The Fix, American Prospect, National Review, In These Times, The Week and blogs.telegraph.co.uk
First Read / NBCNews:
First Thoughts: Wooing the left
First Thoughts: Wooing the left
Discussion:
National Review, The Other McCain, The Daily Caller, NPR, The Fix and Hullabaloo
The Fix:
The “no's” keep piling up on Syria resolution in the House
The “no's” keep piling up on Syria resolution in the House
Discussion:
New York Times, ABC News, The Plum Line, No More Mister Nice Blog, Daily Kos, The PJ Tatler, Post Politics, Wall Street Journal, Hot Air, FP Passport, Capitol Report, CNN, First Read, The World's Greatest …, Taylor Marsh, Outside the Beltway, The Hill, Taegan Goddard's … and Washington Post
Reid J. Epstein / Politico:
So far, President Obama's political arm sits out Syria push
So far, President Obama's political arm sits out Syria push
Discussion:
Michelle Malkin, CNN, RT and Weekly Standard
New York Times:
N.S.A. Foils Much Internet Encryption — The National Security Agency is winning its long-running secret war on encryption, using supercomputers, technical trickery, court orders and behind-the-scenes persuasion to undermine the major tools protecting the privacy of everyday communications …
Discussion:
Guardian, BBC, ProPublica, Obsidian Wings, Prairie Weather, Boing Boing, Business Insider, Yahoo! News, Hot Air, TechCrunch, Gawker, National Review and NPR, more at Mediagazer »
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Guardian:
US and UK spy agencies defeat privacy and security on the internet — • NSA and GCHQ unlock encryption used to protect emails, banking and medical records — • $250m-a-year US program works covertly with tech companies to insert weaknesses into products
ProPublica:
Revealed: The NSA's Secret Campaign to Crack, Undermine Internet Security — by Jeff Larson, ProPublica, Nicole Perlroth, The New York Times, and Scott Shane, The New York Times … The National Security Agency is winning its long-running secret war on encryption, using supercomputers …
Discussion:
The Agonist and The Huffington Post
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:
msnbc.com, The Hill, Patterico's Pontifications, American Power, ThinkProgress, Gretawire, The Dish, Daily Kos, Mediaite, Guardian, Gawker, Washington Free Beacon, National Review, Weasel Zippers, Washington Post, Pressing Issues, TheBlaze.com, Questions and Observations, Clayton Cramer's Blog, The Huffington Post, American Prospect, Hot Air, The PJ Tatler, The Jawa Report, Firedoglake, Taylor Marsh, The Gateway Pundit and Jihad Watch
RELATED:
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, Atlas Shrugs, Jihad Watch, Hot Air, Real Clear Politics and emptywheel
Marisa Guthrie / Hollywood Reporter:
It's Official: Alec Baldwin to Host Talk Show on MSNBC — The actor and will anchor a 10 p.m. program on Fridays beginning in October. — Alec Baldwin — Alec Baldwin has finalized a deal to host a weekly night-time talk show on MSNBC. The program - Up Late with Alec Baldwin will bow …
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John Hudson / Foreign Policy:
Congressional Black Caucus Instructed to Hold Tongue on Syria — As an increasing number of African-American lawmakers voice dissent over the Obama administration's war plans in Syria, the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) has asked members to “limit public comment” …
Discussion:
The Last Refuge, Weasel Zippers, The Right Scoop and Jammie Wearing Fools
RELATED:
Mike Lillis / The Hill:
Head of Black Caucus asks members to stay quiet on Syria
Head of Black Caucus asks members to stay quiet on Syria
Discussion:
gopthedailydose.com and The Hinterland Gazette
Wall Street Journal:
Iran Plots Revenge, U.S. Says — Officials Say Intercepted Message to Militants Orders Reprisals in Iraq if Syria Hit — WASHINGTON—The U.S. has intercepted an order from Iran to militants in Iraq to attack the U.S. Embassy and other American interests in Baghdad in the event of a strike on Syria …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, Gretawire and The Raw Story
Fareed Zakaria / TIME:
On Syria, Words Have Consequences — Striking at Assad won't end the conflict. But it may drag the U.S. into a complex civil war. — From the start of the Syrian conflict, President Obama has wanted to take two very different approaches to it. On the one hand, he has been disciplined …
Discussion:
The Dish
RELATED:
Devin Dwyer / ABC News:
President Obama Considers Address to Nation on Syria
President Obama Considers Address to Nation on Syria
Discussion:
ABC News, msnbc.com, Hot Air, blogs.telegraph.co.uk and CNN
Justin Joseph / KDVR.com:
GOP lawmaker brings fried chicken to poverty hearing in ‘silent protest’ — DENVER — Two weeks ago, the last meeting of a Colorado task force on economic opportunity and poverty exploded into allegations of racism when Sen. Vicki Marble, a Republican, attempted to explain high poverty rates …
Discussion:
videocafe.crooksandliars.com, The Hinterland Gazette, The Daily Caller and The Raw Story
Talking Points Memo:
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:
The Democratic Daily and FIRST DRAFT
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David Jackson / USA Today:
Putin calls Kerry a liar on Syria
Putin calls Kerry a liar on Syria
Discussion:
Power Line, Reuters, BBC, Weasel Zippers, CNN, neo-neocon, The PJ Tatler, The Week, Firedoglake, Politico, Guardian and First Read
Josiah Ryan / Campus Reform the #1 Source …:
SUSPENDED: Michigan State removes prof who went on anti-Republican tirade — Michigan State administrators have suspended Prof. William Penn for the remainder of the semester, after he was caught on video going on an anti-Republican tirade on the very first day of his literature class.
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, The Right Scoop and The Gateway Pundit
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:
Paul Krugman, Balloon Juice, The Impolitic and The New Republic
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Dylan Scott / Talking Points Memo:
No Rate Shock? Obamacare Premiums Lower Than Expected
No Rate Shock? Obamacare Premiums Lower Than Expected
Discussion:
New York Times, The Huffington Post, National Review and Forbes
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 Moderate Voice, The Raw Story and ThinkProgress
Yahoo! News:
Russian warships cross Bosphorus, en route to Syria — Three Russian warships crossed Turkey's Bosphorus Strait Thursday en route to the eastern Mediterranean, near the Syrian coast, amid concern in the region over potential US-led strikes in response to the Damascus regime's alleged use of chemical weapons.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, Jihad Watch and Atlas Shrugs
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:
CNN, JustOneMinute, emptywheel, Daily Kos and Duck of Minerva
RELATED:
Tim Arango / New York Times:
Across a Border, Iraqis See Replays of Past and Fears for Future
Across a Border, Iraqis See Replays of Past and Fears for Future
Discussion:
Pressing Issues
Julia Ioffe / The New Republic:
Rand Paul's Syria Bible Thumping — Why does he only seem to care about the country's Christians? — “I have nothing good to say about Assad,” Kentucky Senator Rand Paul made sure to stipulate on a hurried conference call after the marathon Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing on Syria yesterday.
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Washington Monthly and The Dish
Charles M. Blow / New York Times:
The Era of Disbelief — This is a particularly bad time to sell the American people a war, and make no mistake: we are being sold, and this “military action,” in another time and place — and in some quarters, here and now — would be called an act of war. — Americans are not only weary of war …
Discussion:
The Huffington Post and Washington Monthly
Lee Enterprises / Arizona Daily Sun:
Lowell Observatory's Putnam wants to name asteroid for Trayvon Martin — Albert Einstein. George Takei. Jerry Garcia. — All of those men and many others have had an asteroid named after them. And if William Lowell Putnam III, trustee of Lowell Observatory, has his way, another name will be added to that list: Trayvon Martin.
Discussion:
The Last Refuge, Weasel Zippers and National Review