memeorandum: Talking Diplomacy in Syria, Obama Goes to Congress (Associated Press)

10:20 AM ET, September 10, 2013

Top Items:

SYRIA SAYS IT ACCEPTED RUSSIAN WEAPONS PROPOSAL — MOSCOW (AP) — Syria said Tuesday it has accepted Russia's proposal to place its chemical weapons under international control for subsequent dismantling. — Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said Tuesday after meeting …

Discussion: americanthinker.com, Mediaite, Hot Air, The Glittering Eye, Outside the Beltway and White House Dossier

Abby D. Phillip / ABC News:

Syria Could Avoid Attack, Obama Says … If Syrian President Bashar al-Assad gives up his chemical weapons, a military strike would “absolutely” be on pause, President Obama said today. — “I consider this a modestly positive development,” Obama told ABC News' Diane Sawyer in an interview …

Michael Birnbaum / Washington Post:

Syria accepts Russian proposal on weapons; France to bring resolution to Security Council — BERLIN — An unexpected Russian proposal for Syria to avert a U.S. military strike by transferring control of its chemical weapons appeared to be gaining traction on Tuesday, as Syria embraced it …

Discussion: Daniel W. Drezner, Pirate's Cove, emptywheel, Voice of America, The Moderate Voice, Business Insider and The Reaction

Fox News:

Obama backs off ‘red line,’ opens door to ‘diplomatic track’ on Syria — President Obama on Monday took a sharp turn away from his “red line” threat to Syria on the eve of taking his case to the American people, saying in an interview with Fox News that he's open to negotiations …

Discussion: Power Line, Mediaite, Business Insider, iOwnTheWorld.com, Wake up America, Weasel Zippers, The Last Refuge and The PJ Tatler

Ashley Killough / CNN:

Obama: ‘Breakthrough’ is possible on Syria — Washington (CNN) — Russia's proposal for Syria to surrender its chemical weapons to international control was a “potentially positive development,” but could be a stall tactic, President Barack Obama told CNN on Monday.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Reuters, USA Today, NBCNews, The Plum Line, NPR, Capitol Report, The Verge, Connecting.the.Dots, The Moderate Voice, Online NewsHour, The Week, Hit & Run, Washington Wire, Rush Limbaugh, Hot Air and Crooks and Liars

New York Times:

A Diplomatic Proposal for Syria — Secretary of State John Kerry may not have expected his casual suggestion that Syria avert American military action by giving up its chemical weapons to be taken seriously. But it may have created a diplomatic way out for President Obama …

Discussion: Washington Post, Daily Kos, msnbc.com, Hullabaloo, Yahoo! News, The Reality-Based Community, Gawker, White House Dossier, National Review, Washington Free Beacon, Washington Monthly, BuzzFeed, The Dish and Mediaite

Alan Cowell / New York Times:

France to Seek U.N. Backing for Russian Plan on Syrian Chemical Arsenal — LONDON — As the diplomatic pace quickened around Russia's plan for Syria to relinquish control of its chemical weapons, France said on Tuesday it would propose a United Nations Security Council resolution enshrining …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Yahoo! News, CBS News, Business Insider, CNN, Guardian, ABC News and Outside the Beltway

Wall Street Journal:

Obama Push to Hit Syria Takes Detour — Senate Delays Vote as Russia Seizes on Kerry's Offhand Suggestion That Assad Give Up Chemical Weapons — WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama's campaign for an attack on Syria took an unexpected turn as his administration inadvertently gave the Assad regime …

Discussion: Washington Wire and Firedoglake

Mark Murray / NBCNews:

Nearly sixty percent of Americans want Congress to vote no on Syria — President Barack Obama faces a “tall order” in convincing Americans on Syria with nearly 60 percent who say they want their member of Congress to oppose the use of military force there, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Hot Air and New York Times

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: The Glittering Eye, his vorpal sword, Wall Street Journal, Sister Toldjah, American Spectator, Zandar Versus The Stupid, Mock Paper Scissors, Ethics & Public Policy Center, Weasel Zippers, ABC News, VodkaPundit, Wake up America, The Democratic Daily and CANNONFIRE

Ben Shapiro / BREITBART.COM:

PEACE IN OUR TIME: OBAMA CAVES TO PUTIN, ASSAD, IRAN — On Monday, the Obama administration, overcome by its own frantic confusion over a situation of its own making in Syria, fainted into the arms of Russian President Vladimir Putin - and, in the process, appeased the Syrian regime …

Discussion: Power Line, National Review and BuzzFeed

Roll Call:

Obama Expects Syria Vote Delays — President Barack Obama said Monday that Congress may have more time to consider a strike in Syria, given that country's apparent newfound willingness to give up its chemical weapons. — “I don't anticipate that you would see a succession of votes this week …

Discussion: First Read

Politico:
The United States of weakness

Discussion: CNN

Steve Clemons / Reuters:
Manchin-Heitkamp: The Senate's Compelling Alternative Syria Resolution

Discussion: The Week, National Review, Post Politics and The Huffington Post

Scott Pelley / CBS News:
Obama: “I understand” American people aren't with me on Syria strike

Discussion: The Week, CBS DC, National Review and Taylor Marsh

New York Times:
Obama Backs Idea for Syria to Cede Control of Arms

Discussion: The Week, Washington Post, The Hugh Hewitt Show, Talking Points Memo and Reuters

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Reid delays Senate vote on Syria (Video)

Discussion: addictinginfo.org, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Washington Post

Susan Crabtree / Washington Examiner:
Obama would ‘absolutely’ delay strike if Syria turns over weapons

Discussion: Weekly Standard, JustOneMinute, New York Times and Post Politics

David Rothkopf / CNN:
Kerry, Clinton and a glimmer of hope on Syria

Discussion: Gawker, msnbc.com and The Volokh Conspiracy

Associated Press:
Talking Diplomacy in Syria, Obama Goes to Congress

Discussion: Associated Press and Politico

CBS News:
Syria says it “welcomes” Russian proposal to place chemical weapons under international control

Discussion: The Hinterland Gazette, Telegraph, BuzzFeed, Capitol Report, Hot Air, CBS DC, Joe. My. God., ABC News, msnbc.com and NPR

Glenn Harlan Reynolds / USA Today:
Obama is a laughing stock: Column

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Hot Air, Right Wing News and Ed Driscoll

clickorlando.com:

No charges filed in George Zimmerman's alleged gun threat against wife — George Zimmerman, Shellie Zimmerman say the other was aggressor — LAKE MARY, Fla. - — No charges have been filed against George Zimmerman on Monday as the investigation continues into if he threatened …

Discussion: Gawker, iOwnTheWorld.com, The Moderate Voice, The Hinterland Gazette, ThinkProgress, The Raw Story, addictinginfo.org, The Impolitic, Dependable Renegade and Joe. My. God.

Vivian Kuo / CNN:
Zimmerman in police custody in Florida

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, Shakesville, The Daily Caller and Most Recent

ABC News:
George Zimmerman in Custody After Gun Incident

Discussion: Gawker, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, New York Times, Southern Beale and Eschaton

USA Today:
Police: Zimmerman wife not pressing charges

Discussion: Twitchy, Joe. My. God., Reuters, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and msnbc.com

Orlando Sentinel:
Wife says George Zimmerman threatened her, but she won't press charges

Discussion: Balloon Juice and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Neil King Jr / Wall Street Journal:

Poll Finds Support Fading for Syria Attack — Only 33% Favor Action as Backing by GOP, Independents Slumps; Almost 75% Say Focus Needs to Be on Home Turf — President Barack Obama's push for Congress to authorize military action in Syria faces headwinds from an American public that increasingly …

Discussion: Pirate's Cove

Paul Steinhauser / CNN:
Obama hits new low on foreign policy in CNN polling

Discussion: VodkaPundit, Weasel Zippers, Business Insider and Hot Air

Skip Navigation / ACLU:

House v. Napolitano — In May 2011, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Massachusetts filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts challenging the suspicionless search and seizure of electronics and personal data belonging to David House …

Discussion: Prairie Weather

Susan Stellin / New York Times: The Border Is a Back Door for U.S. Device Searches

Staradvertiser / Honolulu Star-Advertiser:

Abercrombie calls for special session on same-sex marriage — Gov. Neil Abercrombie announced this afternoon that he will call the Legislature back into special session, set for Oct. 28, to consider a bill on same-sex marriage. — The push for such legislation by way of a special session increased …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Associated Press, Back2Stonewall, Joe. My. God. and Towleroad News #gay

Elise Viebeck / The Hill:

Rite Aid joins ObamaCare outreach effort — Another leading drugstore chain is pitching in to help consumers understand their new coverage options under ObamaCare. — Rite Aid Corporation announced that it will host licensed insurance agents at nearly 2,000 locations across …

Discussion: ThinkProgress

Ariel Ben Solomon / Jerusalem Post:

What is Israel's interest in Syria? — While the Assad regime is linked to Iran and Hezbollah, some experts say most of the groups opposing him are in one way or another close in ideology to either al-Qaida or the Muslim Brotherhood. — What is Israel's interest in Syria and the possibility of a US-led attack?

Discussion: Israel Matzav