memeorandum: Tension and Flaws Before Health Website Crash (New York Times)

9:30 PM ET, November 23, 2013

Top Items:

Michael A. Memoli / Los Angeles Times:

New breed of Senate Democrats drove filibuster change — A wing of relative newcomers, mostly elected after 2006, favor bucking tradition and the party's old guard to help President Obama's agenda along. — Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), left, helped lead the victorious effort to end Senate filibusters …

Discussion: The Political Carnival and Washington Monthly

Jonathan Strong / National Review:

Eyeing Nuclear Response, Senate GOP Fears Playing into Reid's Hands — Harry Reid may have detonated a nuclear bomb, but Senate Republicans don't want a war if it would distract from the disastrous Obamacare rollout, senior GOP aides say. — The importance of keeping Obamacare front …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Daily Caller, Mediaite and Hot Air

Bloomberg:

Businesses Wary as Obama Picks Get Edge in Senate Rules — President Barack Obama will have a stronger hand to push through environmental, financial and other regulations after the Senate voted to let a simple majority confirm most presidential nominees. — Yesterday's rule change means Obama …

James Taranto / Wall Street Journal:
The Senate Gets MAD

Discussion: Washington Post, Chicago Boyz, Hot Air and National Review

Noah Rothman / Mediaite: In Their Panic, Democrats Become Reckless Gamblers

Andrew Cohen / The Atlantic Online:
The Filibuster's Demise Is Great News for Judicial Confirmation Hearings

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Daily Kos and The Reaction

Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute:

If I Were An Enterprising RNC Attack Dog... Obama is delaying the enrollment for next year's individual health insurance debacle until after the election. The motivation fools no one - here is CNN: — White House: Politics aren't pushing back start date of 2015 Obamacare enrollment

Discussion: CNN, The Heritage Foundation and American Spectator

New York Times:

Tension and Flaws Before Health Website Crash — WASHINGTON — On a sultry day in late August, a dozen staff members of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services gathered at the agency's Baltimore headquarters with managers from the major contractors building HealthCare …

Discussion: Hot Air, Weasel Zippers and Eschaton

Washington Post:

HealthCare.gov contractor had high confidence but low success — At 9 a.m. on Aug. 22, a team of federal health officials sat down in a Baltimore conference room with at least a dozen employees of CGI Federal, the company with the main contract to build the online federal health insurance marketplace.

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Prairie Weather

Kate Brannen / Politico:

Two out in Army ‘pretty’ photo flap — The Army colonel who wrote an internal email suggesting public affairs officers use photos of “average-looking women” when they need to illustrate stories about female soldiers has stepped down as the leader of an Army study on gender integration.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Althouse

ThinkProgress:

Cop Admits He Ordered Mentally Ill Black Man To Sing, Make Animal Noises — A suburban Detroit police officer admitted he asked a mentally ill black man to sing and dance and video recorded the incident. — Videos and and photos with degrading portrayals of black men were submitted earlier …

Discussion: Motor City Muckraker

Most Recent:

RFK assassin moved to San Diego prison — SAN DIEGO — The man who assassinated Sen. Robert F. Kennedy has a new home at a San Diego prison as of Friday — coincidentally on the 50th anniversary of brother President John F. Kennedy's assassination. — Sirhan Sirhan, 69 …

Hunter Schwarz / BuzzFeed:

What Happens When A New Age Spiritual Guru Becomes A Congressional Candidate — Twenty years ago, Marianne Williamson wrote the first book to be endorsed by Oprah; today, she's running for Congress. Here's a look at how a New Age guru opposed to money's influence in politics plans to raise $2 million for a campaign.

Discussion: Liberaland

Claudia Grisales / MyStatesman.com:

State Rep. Drew Darby charged with taking weapon to Austin airport — Texas State Rep. Drew Darby is facing a felony charge after he attempted to take a weapon through a security screening at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport this month, according to court documents.

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …, Outside the Beltway, Talking Points Memo, Liberaland and The Raw Story

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:

White House, allies weigh nomination strategy under new Senate rules — The White House and its allies are formulating ways to take maximum advantage of this week's change in the Senate's filibuster rules to rapidly confirm more than 240 judicial and executive nominees awaiting approval.

Discussion: Althouse and Wonkblog