memeorandum: Half of Congress Members Are Millionaires, Report Says (Eric Lipton/New York Times)

8:30 AM ET, January 10, 2014

Top Items:

CNN:

Christie's choice: Be seen as a crook or a schnook? — Scandal is unfolding around New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie over lane closures on the George Washington Bridge as part of a political vendetta to punish a local mayor who wouldn't support him at the polls.

Discussion: The Star-Ledger Editorial Page, Daily Kos, The Week, The Daily Caller, Democratic Strategist and The Daily Beast

Nate Schweber / New York Times:

Woman Says Lane Closings Were Not to Blame for Her Mother's Death — The daughter of a 91-year-old woman from Fort Lee, N.J., who died on the day of a major traffic jam precipitated by top aides to Gov. Chris Christie said on Thursday that she did not believe the inability of an ambulance …

Maggie Haberman / Politico:

Chris Christie's damage control — Chris Christie did about as well as he could, given the circumstances. All he can do now is wait, and hope it passes without many more revelations. — That was the sentiment coming from people who wanted to offer support to the Republican governor of New Jersey …

Discussion: Guardian

Dan Merica / CNN:

U.S. attorney probing Christie has opened wallet to Democrats — Washington (CNN) - Paul J. Fishman, the U.S. attorney tasked with looking into New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's bridge controversy, has donated to several Democratic politicians and organizations, according to Federal Election Commission records.

Discussion: Politico, NewsBusters blogs, Da Tech Guy On DaRadio Blog, The Daily Caller, Washington Free Beacon, No More Mister Nice Blog and The Moderate Voice

Tal Kopan / Politico:

Kean: Christie questions remain — Former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean, a longtime mentor to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, said Thursday that Christie handled a nearly two-hour press conference “extraordinarily well,” but that questions remain about the bridge controversy that has been linked to his office.

Discussion: The Fix and CNN

Michael Falcone / ABC News:

So, Christie Says He Couldn't Pick Fort Lee Mayor ‘Out of a Lineup’... Really? — A photo posted on the New Jersey governor's own website, taken at a news conference on Dec. 8, 2011, tells a different story. The photo shows Christie speaking on the issue of sick pay reform with several mayors …

Discussion: Washington Post, New Jersey Online, TheBlaze.com, ABC News and Politico

Rush Limbaugh:

RINOs Stampede Away from Christie — RUSH: Governor Christie just yesterday, I believe, and frequently many times prior has talked about how he's different because he's shown he can work the other side. He said (paraphrasing), “It's not that we don't have arguments, we have arguments …

Discussion: Taylor Marsh and Politico

The Hill:
Christie tries to stop the bleeding

Discussion: Politico

Josh Barro / Business Insider:
Four Uncomfortable Questions From Chris Christie's Bridgegate Press Conference

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Hullabaloo, The Dish and Talking Points Memo

msnbc.com:
An alternate theory of the Christie scandal

Discussion: Real Clear Politics

John Dickerson / Slate:
His press conference was bold, but if anything he said turns out to be false, he could be finished.

Discussion: NationalJournal.com, American Spectator and The Daily Caller

Elizabeth Titus / Politico:
Chris Christie ally David Wildstein pleads Fifth to panel

Discussion: Hot Air, Washington Free Beacon and CNN

New York Times:
Christie Fires Aide in Bridge Scandal as U.S. Opens Inquiry

David Voreacos / Bloomberg:
Christie Ally Seeks to Block Testimony on Bridge Scandal

Discussion: The Reaction

Andrew C. McCarthy / National Review:
Over Two Weeks Ago, Christie Claimed His Staff Gave Him a ‘Full Briefing’ on Bridgegate

Discussion: Salon, The Dish, The Reality-Based Community, Hot Air, Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo and The Federalist

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Chris Christie did everything right today. But Bridge-gate is still a very real problem for him.

Discussion: New York Times, Forbes, Borowitz Report, Fox News, Hot Air, The Hugh Hewitt Show, Hit & Run and The Star-Ledger Editorial Page

Todd Starnes / Fox News:
Is Chris Christie political road kill?

Discussion: Fox News Insider, No More Mister Nice Blog and Hullabaloo

New York Times:

Obama Seeks Balance in Plan for Spy Programs — WASHINGTON — As he assembles a plan to overhaul the nation's surveillance programs, President Obama is trying to navigate what advisers call a middle course that will satisfy protesting national security agencies while tamping down criticism by civil liberties advocates.

Discussion: Prairie Weather

Jeremy Herb / The Hill:
Intel panel: DOD report finds Snowden leaks helped terrorists

Discussion: Washington Post, Firedoglake, Freedom of the Press …, Politico, Hit & Run and The Moderate Voice

Josh Gerstein / Politico:
FBI chief warns on intel reforms, Snowden

Discussion: ABC News

Communications / OpenSecrets.org:

Millionaires' Club: For First Time, Most Lawmakers are Worth $1 Million-Plus — For the first time in history, most members of Congress are millionaires, according to a new analysis of personal financial disclosure data by the Center for Responsive Politics.

Discussion: The Verge, TIME, DCist, Politico, CNN, Political Capital and First Read

Eric Lipton / New York Times:

Half of Congress Members Are Millionaires, Report Says — WASHINGTON — It is hardly the kind of news that lawmakers in Congress would want to highlight during a week when unemployment benefits expired for more than a million Americans. But Congress has achieved something of a milestone.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:

Reid's Uncompromising Power Play in Senate Rankles Republicans — WASHINGTON — With his strong-armed change to the filibuster rule and an iron-fisted control of the Senate floor, Senator Harry Reid has engaged in the greatest consolidation of congressional power since Newt Gingrich ruled the House …

Discussion: Liberaland

Laura Barron-Lopez / The Hill:

EPA publishes emissions rule to GOP's dismay — The Environmental Protection Agency published its rule limiting carbon emissions from new power plants on Wednesday to the dismay of coal advocates and the GOP. — The proposed rule, published nearly four months after EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy announced …

Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:

Liberal Self-Identification Edges Up to New High in 2013 — Fifteen-percentage-point conservative advantage ties as smallest to date — PRINCETON, NJ — Americans continue to be more likely to identify as conservatives (38%) than as liberals (23%). But the conservative advantage …

Discussion: Politico, Real Clear Politics and The Dish

John P / Pew Research Center:

Who is this man? Many Americans don't recognize top news anchor — Nightly News is now the nightly White House propaganda , it's talking points , personal attacks and lies. They don't even give reeivent news. I stopped watching the communist run media when I got my first computer.

Discussion: NewsBusters blogs, Poynter, Mediaite, TVNewser and Business Insider, more at Mediagazer »

Jonathan Martin / New York Times:

Gillespie, Former Republican Chairman, Readies to Run for Senate in Virginia — WASHINGTON — Ed Gillespie, a former Republican National Committee chairman, has told senior members of his party that he will challenge Senator Mark R. Warner of Virginia and announce his candidacy as early as next week …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo