memeorandum: EXCLUSIVE - TED CRUZ: HOUSE GOP'S AMNESTY PUSH WILL RUIN HOPES OF RETAKING SENATE (Matthew Boyle/BREITBART.COM)

9:10 AM ET, January 31, 2014

Top Items:

Matthew Boyle / BREITBART.COM:

EXCLUSIVE - TED CRUZ: HOUSE GOP'S AMNESTY PUSH WILL RUIN HOPES OF RETAKING SENATE — Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) thinks that the House GOP leadership's renewed push this week to grant amnesty to illegal aliens would destroy the Republican Party's chances at retaking the Senate in 2014.

Discussion: Yahoo! News, Connecting.the.Dots, BizPac Review, The Daily Caller, Talking Points Memo, The PJ Tatler and Weekly Standard

Daniel Newhauser / Roll Call:

Boehner Releases Immigration Principles (Updated) — Updated 6:13 p.m. | CAMBRIDGE, Md. - Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio released his long-awaited immigration overhaul principles Thursday afternoon, for the first time laying out a broad GOP-backed pathway to legalized status for undocumented immigrants.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, BREITBART.COM, Power Line, NationalJournal.com and Booman Tribune

John Stanton / BuzzFeed:

Some Republicans See Racism As a Factor in Immigration Stalemate — “I hate to say this, because these are my people — but I hate to say it, but it's racial,” says a Republican congressman. — Jason Reed / Reuters — WASHINGTON — For more than a year House Republican leaders have insisted …

Discussion: Daily Kos, National Review, Right Wing Watch and Liberaland

Politico:

House leaders sell immigration blueprint — CAMBRIDGE, Md. — The House Republican leadership is trying to sell their colleagues on a series of broad immigration principles, including a path to legal status for those here illegally. — Speaker John Boehner's leadership team introduced …

Discussion: New York Times, USA Today, Talking Points Memo, Taylor Marsh, ImmigrationProf Blog and The Hill

Ashley Parker / New York Times:
Republicans' Immigration Blueprint Leaves Party at Odds and Democrats Hopeful

Discussion: The Star-Ledger Editorial Page, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Hugh Hewitt Show, The Hill, Hot Air, Talking Points Memo, aflcio.org and National Review

David Leopold / @DavidLeopold:
BREAKING: Here are the Republican Principles for #Immigration Reform-to be formally announced …

Discussion: BuzzFeed, Post Politics, Business Insider and Washington Post

Brian Beutler / Salon:
GOP's devious immigration trick: Why Democrats have a looming dilemma

Discussion: The Week, Talking Points Memo, Roll Call, Ann Coulter, Washington Monthly and Eschaton

Rebecca Leber / ThinkProgress:
Republicans Admit Racism Is Big Obstacle To Passing Immigration Reform

Discussion: The Raw Story

Marisa Guthrie / Hollywood Reporter:

MSNBC Fires Employee Responsible for Cheerios Tweet — “The tweet was outrageous and unacceptable,” says MSNBC president Phil Griffin. — MSNBC has fired the employee who sent out a controversial Tweet involving a Cheerios commercial that features a biracial family.

Discussion: americanthinker.com, The Daily Banter, Power Line and Taylor Marsh

Lloyd Grove / The Daily Beast:
Banter With The Beast: MSNBC's Head Honcho Phil Griffin on Admiring Roger Ailes and More

Discussion: Mediaite and Riehl World News

CNN:

CNN Exclusive: President Obama says he's not recalibrating ambitions — Waukesha, Wisconsin (CNN) — Once, Barack Obama spoke of what he wanted for his presidency in terms of healing a nation divided. “This was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow, and our planet began to heal,” he said.

Discussion: Washington Wire and Talking Points Memo

Sherisse Pham / CNN:

CNN exclusive: Obama says Walmart, Apple, others to help jobless — Program note: Watch the entire exclusive interview with President Barack Obama on CNN's “New Day” Friday at 6 a.m. ET and “The Lead With Jake Tapper” at 4 p.m. ET — (CNN) — The White House has secured commitments …

Discussion: Washington Wire, The Raw Story and The Lead with Jake Tapper

Kyle Cheney / Politico:

Sandra Fluke may seek Henry Waxman House seat — Sandra Fluke, who became an instant celebrity when she was denied the opportunity to testify at an all-male hearing on Obamacare's contraception requirements, is “strongly considering” a bid for Rep. Henry Waxman's congressional seat …

Discussion: Capitol Alert and CNN

scpr.org:
Rep. Henry Waxman announces retirement from Congress

Discussion: Washington Post, OnPolitics, Politico, The Raw Story, Talking Points Memo, CNN and Post Politics

Josh Kraushaar / NationalJournal.com:
Will Nancy Pelosi Be the Next to Retire?

Discussion: Liberaland

Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:
Henry Waxman, Key Democrat and Force for Health Care Law, Is to Retire

Discussion: americanthinker.com, Taylor Marsh, ThinkProgress, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller, The Fix, Politico, National Review and Hot Air

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:

Fox News once again most and least trusted name in news — PPP's 5th annual poll about trust in TV news continues to find what it does every year: Fox News is both the most trusted and least trusted name in news. — 35% of Americans say they trust Fox News more than any other TV news outlet …

Discussion: Riehl World News, BREITBART.COM, National Review, The Greenroom and JIMROMENESKO.COM, more at Mediagazer »

Dana Milbank / Washington Post:

America doesn't need a lame-duck president — As I sat in the House gallery Tuesday night, watching President Obama give his State of the Union address, I found myself wishing we could repeal the 22nd Amendment limiting presidents to two terms. — Before Rush Limbaugh chokes on his doughnut …

Bill Carter / New York Times:

Maher Wants His Show to Decide a House Race — Bill Maher makes little effort to hide his own contempt for many politicians, most of them Republicans. Now, he wants to take it to the next level: finding one he might be able to help oust from office. — On his weekly HBO talk show …

Discussion: Real Clear Politics

Ronald Brownstein / NationalJournal.com:

Here's How Obama Can Go It Alone — The biggest problems can't be solved with simple, unilateral solutions. But that doesn't mean he's powerless. — Precedent: In its final days, the Clinton administration protected Mendocino National Forest. (iStock)

Discussion: Washington Wire

Businessweek:

Facebook Turns 10: The Mark Zuckerberg Interview — Mark Zuckerberg doesn't usually observe sentimental anniversaries. This year he's confronted by three of them. On Feb. 4, Facebook (FB), the company he co-founded in a Harvard University dorm, turns 10 years old. The prodigy himself turns 30 in May.

Discussion: Business Insider, The Verge, TechCrunch, Capital New York and Gawker, more at Mediagazer »

Hunter Walker / Talking Points Memo:

Giuliani Says ‘Fifty-Fifty’ Chance Christie Knew About Bridge Lane Closures — Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Thursday there is a “fifty-fifty” chance New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) knew about an order to close lanes on the George Washington Bridge in September.

Discussion: Balloon Juice

Reid Pillifant / Capital New York: Giuliani: ‘Fifty-fifty’ whether Christie knew of bridge orders

Ron Fournier / NationalJournal.com:
Why I Was Wrong About Chris Christie

Discussion: Vox Popoli, Liberal Values, ABC News, Firedoglake, Daily Kos, Washington Post and Hullabaloo

Mitchell Byars / Daily Camera:

Jed Udall, son of Sen. Mark Udall, arrested on heroin, vehicular-trespassing charges — Sheriff: Udall, 26, broke into cars in Eldorado Springs — Jed Udall, the 26-year-old son of Colorado Sen. Mark Udall, was arrested Wednesday after Boulder County sheriff's deputies say he broke …

Discussion: The Daily Caller, New York Times, OnPolitics, Politico, The World's Greatest …, Riehl World News, Talking Points Memo and Washington Free Beacon

Matt Apuzzo / New York Times:

U.S. Is Seeking Death Penalty in Boston Case — WASHINGTON — The Justice Department said Thursday that it would seek the death penalty against Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, the man accused of killing and maiming people with homemade bombs at the Boston Marathon finish line last year.

Discussion: Tom Moran, Crime and Consequences Blog, emptywheel, Mashable and ImmigrationProf Blog

ThinkProgress:

The Inside Story Of The Charlatan Who Duped The Nation's Top Conservatives — On New Year's Eve, I learned FEMA's “Dirty Little Secret.” — It was the title of a fascinating email, one that had somehow dodged my spam filter. The message was suffused with breathless concern …

Discussion: Liberaland

Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:

More Uninsured Planning to Get Insurance From Exchanges — Fifty-six percent plan to use an exchange, first time above majority — PRINCETON, NJ — Fifty-six percent of uninsured Americans who plan to get health insurance say they will do so through a government health insurance exchange.

Discussion: Daily Kos, CBS DC, The Heritage Foundation and kff.org