memeorandum: Immigration Reform Falls to the Back of the Line (New York Times)

5:50 PM ET, September 9, 2013

Top Items:

Patrick Wintour / Guardian:

John Kerry gives Syria week to hand over chemical weapons or face attack — US secretary of state tells London press conference with William Hague that US intelligence blames Assad regime for gas attack — The US secretary of state has said that President Bashar al-Assad has one week …

CNN:

CNN poll: Don't attack Syria — Washington (CNN) — As President Barack Obama presses his case for a strike on Syria, a new national survey shows him swimming against a strong tide of public opinion that doesn't want the United States to get involved. — The CNN/ORC International poll released …

Pew Research Center for the People and the Press:

Opposition to Syrian Airstrikes Surges — Obama Job Approval Slips into Negative Territory — Over just the past week, the share of Americans who oppose U.S. airstrikes in Syria has surged 15 points, from 48% to 63%, as many who were undecided about the issue have turned against military action.

Discussion: Yahoo! News, The Fix, Hot Air, Weasel Zippers, The Plum Line, Online NewsHour, Business Insider, The Daily Caller, naked capitalism, National Review, Taegan Goddard's … and Washington Free Beacon

Michael R. Gordon / New York Times:

Kerry Says Syria Should Hand Over All Chemical Arms — LONDON — Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday that if President Bashar al-Assad wants to avert an attack on Syria, he should hand over all of his chemical weapons within one week. — Asked if there were steps the Syrian president …

CBS News:

Bashar Assad tells Charlie Rose U.S. should “expect every action” in response to Syria strikes — PLAY CBS NEWS VIDEO — President Bashar Assad warned Sunday that if President Obama decides to launch military strikes on Syria, the U.S. and its allies should “expect every action” in retaliation.

Tal Kopan / Politico:

John Kerry under fire for ‘unbelievably small’ comment — As President Barack Obama kicks off an all-out push for a strike on Syria, Secretary of State John Kerry came under fire on Monday for saying any attack would be “unbelievably small” and suggesting the Syrian ruler still had a week …

Discussion: Taylor Marsh and Weasel Zippers

Tal Kopan / Politico:

John McCain: John Kerry ‘unbelievably unhelpful’ — Sen. John McCain was not a fan of Secretary of State John Kerry's remarks Monday in London that intervention in Syria would be “unbelievably small,” calling it unhelpful. — “Kerry says #Syria strike would be “unbelievably small” …

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon, Mediaite, The Fix and Business Insider

Tom Vanden Brook / USA Today:

Strike to degrade Syrian forces would still be limited — The attack would involve launches of missiles solely from ships, according to the two senior officers familiar with the planning. — CONNECT — WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's choice of the term “degrade” …

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, The Daily Caller, Ed Driscoll, Washington Free Beacon, Guardian, Weasel Zippers, Hot Air, VodkaPundit, Outside the Beltway, Politico, Mediaite, Weekly Standard and National Review

Joshua Keating / Slate:

Kerry: Turn Over Your Chemical Weapons Now or Face ... “Unbelievably Small” Consequences — Secretary of State John Kerry's case for a U.S. strike in Syria seems to rest on two assumptions. One, that it is a crucial test for U.S. national security and the values of the civilized world comparable to the rise of Nazi Germany.

Discussion: Mock Paper Scissors, Firedoglake, Weasel Zippers and Post Politics

Vladimir Isachenkov / Associated Press:
RUSSIA TO PUSH SYRIA TO SURRENDER CHEMICAL WEAPONS

Discussion: ABC News, The Back Channel, The Hill, Hot Air, Booman Tribune, Little Green Footballs and Laughing Conservative

ABC News:
Syria Suggests It's Willing to Destroy Chemical Arsenal

Discussion: CNN, ThinkProgress, Guardian, Agence France Presse, Business Insider, “The Lid” and The PJ Tatler

Michael Kelley / Business Insider:
Vladimir Putin Puts John Kerry In Check On Syria

Discussion: RT, Let's Try Democracy, LewRockwell, NPR and CBS DC

George C. Edwards III / Politico:
Why President Obama's Syria speech won't matter

Discussion: CNN, Washington Post, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Betsy's Page and JustOneMinute

Jessica Yellin / CNN:
Hillary Clinton to weigh in on Syria at White House

Discussion: National Review and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

CNN:
Diplomatic deal? Syria ‘welcomes’ proposal to hand over control of chemical weapons

Discussion: Politico, Los Angeles Times, No More Mister Nice Blog and The Dish

Will Englund / Washington Post:
Russia says it will push Syria to relinquish control of chemical weapons

Discussion: Yahoo! News, RT, Guardian, Balloon Juice, Post Politics, Politically Speaking, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Hot Air

Jennifer Epstein / Politico:
Susan Rice: U.S. inaction in Syria would threaten security

Discussion: ABC News and Hit & Run

David E. Sanger / New York Times:
Kerry's Comments on Syria Mark a Shift Over Strike

Discussion: The Monkey Cage and msnbc.com

Patrick J. McDonnell / Los Angeles Times:
Syria backs Russian proposal for regime to hand over chemical weapons

Discussion: Sense of Events and American Spectator

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Always Look Out for the Opportunity

Discussion: USA Today, Daily Kos and The Dish

John Fund / National Review:

How Not to Win Over Congress — If anyone in the Obama administration thought having former Democratic representative Jane Harman appear on NBC's Meet the Press to support the Syrian war resolution was a good idea, he must be cringing now. — Harman, a former congresswoman from California …

Discussion: The PJ Tatler, Sister Toldjah and BizzyBlog

Andrew Kaczynski / BuzzFeed:
White House Makes Clear: We Can Attack Syria Without Congress

Discussion: The Plum Line and Weasel Zippers

Justin Sink / The Hill:
Obama bets big on attacking Syria

Discussion: A plain blog about politics, Politico and The Plum Line

Deirdre Walsh / CNN:
Senior House GOP aides: WH not reaching out to House Republicans

Discussion: NationalJournal.com, National Review, Politico and VodkaPundit

Jared A. Favole / Washington Wire:
Hillary Clinton Says ‘Strong Response’ Needed on Syria

Discussion: Wall Street Journal and Capitol Report

Jeremy Herb / The Hill:
King: White House asks GOP members for ways ‘to move the needle’ on Syria

Discussion: Reuters

Maggie Haberman / Reuters:
Hillary Clinton to speak on Syria

Discussion: CNN, Washington Post, Hot Air, Yahoo! News, BizPac Review, Politico, Taylor Marsh, ABC News, Taegan Goddard's … and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Charlie Savage / New York Times:
Obama Tests Limits of Power in Syrian Conflict

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Hot Air, ABC News, Lawfare and National Review

clickorlando.com:

Zimmerman's wife: He threatened me with gun — Shellie Zimmerman recently filed for divorce — LAKE MARY, Fla. - — George Zimmerman has been taken into custody in Central Florida after his estranged wife called police saying he threatened her and her father with a gun.

Discussion: Gawker, ThinkProgress, The Raw Story, The Daily Caller, Southern Beale, Dependable Renegade and Joe. My. God.

Vivian Kuo / CNN:

Zimmerman in police custody in Florida — (CNN) — George Zimmerman was taken into custody Monday after an apparent domestic altercation with his wife and her father at a home in Lake Mary, Florida, police said. — “As of right now, (George Zimmerman) has been placed in investigative detention …

Discussion: Shakesville and Most Recent

Politico:

The party of hawks turns dovish on Syria — Of all the unexpected turns in the Syria debate, one stands out most: The GOP, the party of a muscular national defense, has gone the way of the dove. — A decade after leading the country into Iraq and Afghanistan, Republicans have little appetite …

Discussion: msnbc.com, The Moderate Voice, NewsBusters, Daniel W. Drezner, The Gateway Pundit, Pirate's Cove and First Read

Kevin Drum / Mother Jones:
Let's Please Stop Pretending That Obama is Reluctant to Take Military Action

Discussion: American Prospect, Washington Post, The Reaction, The Dish and Taegan Goddard's …

Bill Keller / New York Times:
Our New Isolationism — THE United States has just spent thousands …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, The Glittering Eye and Hit & Run

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

The Wonk Gap — On Saturday, Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming delivered the weekly Republican address. He ignored Syria, presumably because his party is deeply conflicted on the issue. (For the record, so am I.) Instead, he demanded repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

Discussion: Pharyngula

Stephanie Simon / Politico:

Historian remains key ally of right — Sens. Ted Cruz and Rand Paul were headline attractions at a conference in Iowa this summer that brought hundreds of conservative Christian pastors together to talk faith and politics. — But they weren't the only draw.

Discussion: The Reality-Based Community and Right Wing Watch

Paul Steinhauser / CNN:

Obama hits new low on foreign policy in CNN polling — Washington (CNN) - One day before President Barack Obama gives a prime time speech to make his case against Syria, a new national poll indicates the president's approval rating on foreign policy has hit an all-time low.

Discussion: Business Insider