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

6:30 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, Hot Air, The Fix, The Dish, Weasel Zippers, The Plum Line, Online NewsHour, The Daily Caller, Business Insider, naked capitalism, National Review, Taegan Goddard's … and Washington Free Beacon

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.

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 …

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

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, Weasel Zippers, Firedoglake, Post Politics and Blazing Cat Fur

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, Washington Free Beacon, Ed Driscoll, Guardian, Weasel Zippers, VodkaPundit, Outside the Beltway, Hot Air, Mediaite, Politico, Weekly Standard and National Review

Politico:
The party of hawks turns dovish on Syria

Discussion: Daniel W. Drezner, msnbc.com, The Moderate Voice, NewsBusters, 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 …

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

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

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

Discussion: ABC News, Business Insider, 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, Business Insider, Agence France Presse, “The Lid” and The PJ Tatler

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

Discussion: National Review, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Hit & Run and The Hill

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Discussion: USA Today, Daily Kos and The Dish

Rick Santorum / ABC News:
Opinion: No to Strikes in Syria

Discussion: Politico

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

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

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

Jonathan Allen / Reuters:
President Obama's over-the-top lobbying push

Discussion: Hit & Run and Politico

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

Discussion: New York Times, The Plum Line, Weasel Zippers, ABC News, Hot Air and Lawfare

Maggie Haberman / Reuters:
Hillary Clinton to speak on Syria

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

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

Discussion: NationalJournal.com, National Review and VodkaPundit

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

Discussion: Wall Street Journal and Capitol Report

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, Colorlines and Most Recent

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.

Ian Millhiser / ThinkProgress:

Meet The Maryland Republicans Who Want To Secede — A group of voters from a sparsely populated region in Maryland want to form their own state, and they are threatening to secede from Maryland in order to do so. The group, which calls itself the Western Maryland Initiative (WMI) …

Discussion: Washington Post

Michael S. Rosenwald / Washington Post:
Western Maryland secessionists seek to sever ties with the liberal Free State

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Week and GovBeat

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

New York Post:

Diary bombshell: RFK's secret slams against Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and Gov. Cuomo — The Post exclusively reported Sunday how Robert F. Kennedy Jr. grappled with what he called his “lust demons” and kept a scorecard of more than two dozen conquests in a secret diary.

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Above the Law, Jammie Wearing Fools, iOwnTheWorld.com and Taegan Goddard's …

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

Nina Siegal / New York Times:

A van Gogh's Trip From Attic to Museum — AMSTERDAM — For roughly a century, the painting “Sunset at Montmajour” was considered a fake. It was stored in an attic and then held in a private collection, unknown to the public and dismissed by art historians.

Discussion: Towleroad News #gay, Outside the Beltway, The Week and Althouse