memeorandum: Pro-immigration protesters storm Eric Cantor's condo, promise same for Frank Wolf, Bob Goodlatte (Sean Higgins/Washington Examiner)

8:30 PM ET, November 21, 2013

Top Items:

NUCLEAR OPTION TRIGGERED: Dems Make Historic Change To Filibuster Rules — After years of threats and warnings, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and his Democratic majority on Thursday executed the “nuclear option” to eliminate the filibuster for executive branch and judicial nominees, except for the Supreme Court.

Discussion: BuzzFeed, Washington Wire, The Moderate Voice, The Impolitic, Wonkblog, The Other McCain, The Verge, Mediaite, Washington Monthly, Taylor Marsh and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Jeremy W. Peters / New York Times:

In Landmark Vote, Senate Limits Use of the Filibuster — WASHINGTON — The Senate voted on Thursday to eliminate the use of the filibuster against most presidential nominees, a move that will break the Republican blockade of President Obama's picks to cabinet posts and the federal judiciary.

Discussion: Christian Science Monitor, The Plum Line, American Prospect, TalkLeft, LifeNews.com, Outside the Beltway, Althouse, The Monkey Cage, Discourse.net, No More Mister Nice Blog, Talking Points Memo and Crooked Timber

Ezra Klein / Wonkblog:

Nine reasons the filibuster change is a huge deal — 1. The change the Senate made today is small but consequential: The filibuster no longer applies to judicial or executive-branch nominees. It still applies to bills and Supreme Court nominations. — Goodbye, filibuster. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Discussion: Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, Washington Monthly, PostPartisan, The Plum Line, Washington Center … and Marginal Revolution

Paul Kane / Washington Post:

Reid, Democrats trigger ‘nuclear’ option; eliminate most filibusters on nominees — The partisan battles that have paralyzed Washington in recent years took a historic turn Thursday, as Senate Democrats eliminated filibusters for most presidential nominations, severely curtailing …

Discussion: BREITBART.COM, CNN, Daily Kos, Guardian, PostPartisan, The Democratic Daily, The Plum Line, The Fix, Talking Points Memo, United Liberty, Hit & Run, Weasel Zippers, The Volokh Conspiracy, Questions and Observations and The Gateway Pundit

Carl Hulse / New York Times:

A Move Years in the Making, With Lasting Ramifications — WASHINGTON — The curtailment of the filibuster, probably the most well-known aspect of the Senate in popular culture, came in a politically charged vote Thursday that had been years in the making. It will have significant ramifications …

ThinkProgress:

Why Senate Democrats Had To Invoke The ‘Nuclear Option’ — President Obama introduces three nominees to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit — Well, it finally happened. — After five years of filibusters, obstruction, lengthy waits for confirmation …

Discussion: Taking Note and Hullabaloo

Paul Waldman / American Prospect:

Don't Believe the Republican Cries of Vengeance — So now the Democrats have exercised the “nuclear option,” which is not particularly nuclear. They've changed existing Senate rules so that judicial nominations can not be filibustered, but can pass with a majority vote.

Discussion: Mother Jones, BBC, First Read, The Dish and ThinkProgress

Dylan Scott / Talking Points Memo:

McCain: Dems Will Pay ‘Heavy, Heavy Price’ For Changing Filibuster — Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said that Democrats would “pay a heavy, heavy price” for changing the Senate rules for judicial and executive nominees. — “They're governed by the newer members... who have never been in a minority …

Discussion: Washington Monthly and Daily Kos

Molly Ball / The Atlantic Online:
Why Harry Reid Went Nuclear

Discussion: Guardian and Prairie Weather

Tom Kludt / Talking Points Memo:
GOP Senator: Nuclear Option Is ‘Obamacare II’

Discussion: Mediaite

Politico:
Senate goes for ‘nuclear option’

Discussion: Weekly Standard, The World's Greatest …, Washington Free Beacon and Chicago Boyz

TIME:
Reid Blocks First G.O.P. Offer on Filibuster Reform, Leaves Nuclear Option on Table

Discussion: Mediaite, Roll Call, ThinkProgress, his vorpal sword and Patterico's Pontifications

Ryan Grim / The Huffington Post:
Senate Could Go Nuclear As Soon As Today: Sources

Discussion: Hot Air, The Moderate Voice, New York Times, Outside the Beltway, Washington Monthly, The Mahablog, The Dish, Washington Post, Weekly Standard, The Political Carnival and Business Insider

John Boehner / Speaker.gov:

My Attempt to Sign Up For Health Care … Earlier this afternoon, I sat down to try and enroll in the DC exchange under the president's health care law: — Like many Americans, my experience was pretty frustrating. After putting in my personal information, I received an error message.

Discussion: Politico, Talking Points Memo, Hot Air, Post Politics, Political Capital, Business Insider and Washington Free Beacon

New York Times:

G.O.P. Maps Out Waves of Attacks Over Health Law — WASHINGTON — The memo distributed to House Republicans this week was concise and blunt, listing talking points and marching orders: “Because of Obamacare, I Lost My Insurance.” “Obamacare Increases Health Care Costs.”

Discussion: Paul Krugman, The Week, Talking Points Memo, Taking Note, Shakesville, Washington Monthly, Crooks and Liars, No More Mister Nice Blog, Prairie Weather, The Plum Line, Washington Wire, Yahoo! News, Liberaland, First Read and Daily Kos

Robert Laszewski / Health Care Policy …:

“If You Like Your Doctor You Will Be Able to Keep Your Doctor. Period” — I think you can guess who said that. — Actually, here is what the President said at the American Medical Association Meeting in July, 2009—and likely lots more times: … We have all heard this repeated many times before in recent weeks.

Discussion: VodkaPundit

James Oliphant / NationalJournal.com:
Love It or Hate It, Obamacare Redistributes Americans' Wealth

Discussion: Ed Driscoll and Hot Air

Richard Kim / The Nation: The problems with the Affordable Care Act stem from government being too small and weak, not too big and powerful.

Nicole L. Hopkins / Wall Street Journal:
Nicole Hopkins: ObamaCare Forced Mom Into Medicaid

Discussion: Wonkblog, alicublog, AEIdeas, Althouse and White House.gov Blog

New York Times:
Republican Talking Points on Obamacare

Discussion: PoliticusUSA, The New Republic, The Democratic Daily, Talking Points Memo and Althouse

Matthew Yglesias / Slate:
Doctors Fire up the Obamacare Waaambulance

Discussion: protein wisdom, Ross Douthat, Weekly Standard and Twitchy

Sam Baker / NationalJournal.com: Obamacare Delays May Create Election Bomb for Democrats

Washington Post:
Insurers restricting choice of doctors and hospitals to keep costs down

Discussion: Real Clear Politics, Via Meadia, USA Today, LifeNews.com, Betsy's Page, Hot Air and Cafe Hayek

Paul Steinhauser / CNN:

Obama approval rating sinks to new low in CNN poll — Washington (CNN) - As President Barack Obama's approval rating hits another all-time low, a new national survey also indicates that Americans say the President has less power than congressional Republicans when it comes to shaping events over the next year.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Power Line, Hot Air, Weasel Zippers and National Review

Paul Steinhauser / CNN:
CNN Poll: More than half back Iranian nuclear deal

Discussion: Liberaland

Ron Fournier / NationalJournal.com:

Obama's Image Machine: Monopolistic Propaganda Funded by You — News organizations protest White House restrictions on independent photo coverage. — New York Times photographer Doug Mills strode into Jay Carney's office Oct. 29 with a pile of pictures taken exclusively …

Discussion: Firedoglake, THE DEFINITIVE SOURCE, Agence France Presse, Weasel Zippers, NewsBusters blogs, Yahoo! News, TheBlaze.com, Poynter and VodkaPundit, more at Mediagazer »

Jason Zengerle / Politico:

The race that broke the Cheney family — What happened when a gay sister came between Liz Cheney and a Senate seat. — Liz Cheney just wanted to enjoy her milkshake. It was a Friday afternoon in early November, and the shadows were growing longer over the flat expanse of eastern Wyoming as a hard week dragged on.

Discussion: Advocate, ABC News, Truth Wins Out and Talking Points Memo

Ari Shavit / New York Times:

How Bush Let Iran Go Nuclear — AMERICAN and Iranian negotiators yesterday began a second round of talks in Geneva, seeking a deal on Iran's nuclear program. — If such an agreement were signed, it would represent an Iranian victory — and an American defeat.

Discussion: TruthRevolt.org, Israel Matzav and Liberaland

Colum Lynch / Foreign Policy:

Exclusive: Inside America's Plan to Kill Online Privacy Rights Everywhere — The United States and its key intelligence allies are quietly working behind the scenes to kneecap a mounting movement in the United Nations to promote a universal human right to online privacy …

Discussion: Techdirt, Guardian, emptywheel and RT

Nancy Gibbs / TIME:

Obama's Race for the Cure — The President's second term may hinge on how fast his health care reform can recover — A good President needs a big comfort zone. He should be able to treat enemies as opportunities, appear authentic in joy and grief, stay cool under the hot lights.

Discussion: NewsBusters blogs, Capital New York and Business Insider

Scott Keyes / ThinkProgress:

Fox News Chastises People For Giving To The Homeless: 'You're An Enabler' — According to Fox News, this woman is likely a scammer, alcoholic, or addict who doesn't deserve your help. — CREDIT: AP — I don't throw around the term “hero” lightly, but it takes a special kind of person …

Discussion: Mediaite