memeorandum: The Inside Story Of The Charlatan Who Duped The Nation's Top Conservatives (ThinkProgress)

1:35 PM ET, January 31, 2014

Top Items:

Fixing Immigration, in Principle — What you need to know now that House Republican leaders have unveiled a list of “principles” that have raised hopes for a breakthrough on immigration reform this year: — Principles are no substitute for actual legislation, and we're still a great distance from a deal.

Discussion: Immigration Reform, The Star-Ledger Editorial Page, The Week and aflcio.org

Byron York / Washington Examiner:

On immigration, what do GOP House leaders mean by ‘enforcement triggers’? — IMMIGRATION PAUL RYAN JOHN BOEHNER BORDER SECURITY — Cambridge, MD. — The House Republican leadership, meeting here at the party's winter retreat, kept its new immigration reform “principles” as secret as nuclear codes.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, ABC News, The Daily Caller, National Review, The PJ Tatler and The Heritage Foundation

Russell Berman / The Hill:

House GOP split over forging ahead on immigration this year — CAMBRIDGE, Md. - House Republicans meeting privately at their retreat on Thursday were split on whether the leadership should forge ahead with immigration legislation this year, according to people in the room.

Discussion: Politico and ImmigrationProf Blog

Julie Pace / ABC News:
On Immigration, Obama Doesn't Rule out Legal Path

Discussion: CNN

Daniel Newhauser / Roll Call:
Boehner Releases Immigration Principles (Updated)

Discussion: American Prospect, USA Today, NationalJournal.com, Talking Points Memo, Political Insider blog, Power Line, NBCNews, Booman Tribune and Washington Monthly

Timothy Egan / New York Times:

When Biography Trumps Substance — SPOKANE, Wa. — Only the snarkiest would not be open to the likable life story of Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the Eastern Washington politician who gave the “official” Republican response to the president's State of the Union speech.

Discussion: The Mahablog and Taking Note

Spokesman.com:

‘Bette in Spokane,’ cited in McMorris Rodgers' speech, declined health insurance options — The woman described only as “Bette in Spokane” during a nationally televised address by U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers said Wednesday she had no idea her frustrations over increasing insurance premiums …

Discussion: Post Politics, The Plum Line, Balloon Juice and Paul Krugman

Tammy Bruce / Washington Times:

Is the GOP deliberately trying to sabotage the 2014 midterms? — Republican State of Union response was weak, unfocused — After this week's GOP State of the Union response, it has become undeniable that someone (everyone?) in the Republican machine has no idea what they're doing, and that is the generous assessment.

Discussion: alicublog

Jason Edward Harrington / Politico:

Confessions of an ex-TSA agent — And yes, we were laughing. Confessions of an ex-TSA agent. — On Jan. 4, 2010, when my boss saw my letter to the editor in the New York Times, we had a little chat. — It was rare for the federal security director at Chicago O'Hare to sit …

Discussion: Hot Air, The Verge, The Daily Caller and Hit & Run

Tom Kludt / Talking Points Memo:

Ann Romney: ‘The Country Lost’ By Re-Electing Obama (VIDEO) — Ann Romney has a message for the country that rejected her husband: Your loss, America! — The Romney family postmortem/movie promotion continued Friday with Ann reflecting on Mitt's defeat in the 2012 presidential election.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Mediaite and The Raw Story

Noah Rothman / Mediaite:

Stewart Laughs in Pelosi's Face After She Admits She Doesn't Know Why Obamacare Site Failed — House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) sat down with The Daily Show host Jon Stewart on Thursday for a contentious interview. The interview became tense when Stewart attempted to get Pelosi …

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, Hot Air, Business Insider, Washington Free Beacon and BizPac Review

Susan Page / USA Today:

Poll: Grim assessment of wars in Iraq, Afghanistan — WASHINGTON — As two of the nation's longest wars finally end, most Americans have concluded that neither achieved its goals. — Those grim assessments in a USA TODAY/Pew Research Center poll underscore the erosion in support …

Discussion: Liberaland

Tom Kludt / Talking Points Memo: Even Republicans Now View The Iraq War As A Failure

Pew Research Center:
More Now See Failure than Success in Iraq, Afghanistan

Discussion: Washington Post, emptywheel and Hot Air

CNN:

Jake Tapper's exclusive interview with President Obama airs only on CNN — Please credit all usage to - CNN's The Lead with Jake Tapper. — FULL TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW … Conducted January 30, 2014 — Waukesha, Wisconsin — JAKE TAPPER, HOST: Thanks for doing this, Mr. President.

Discussion: Firedoglake, Guardian, New York Times, Mediaite and TheBlaze.com

CNN:
CNN Exclusive: President Obama says he's not recalibrating ambitions

Discussion: Washington Wire, The Lead with Jake Tapper, Hot Air and Talking Points Memo

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: Talking Points Memo, Business Insider, TheBlaze.com, Mediaite and Real Clear Politics

Luke Harding / Guardian:

Footage released of Guardian editors destroying Snowden hard drives — GCHQ technicians watched as journalists took angle grinders and drills to computers after weeks of tense negotiations — • Watch the footage of the hard drives being destroyed — New video footage has been released …

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Verge, Lawfare, Mashable and Poynter, more at Mediagazer »

Joan Walsh / Salon:

Chris Christie is falling apart: His hilarious 2016 hubris finally takes its toll — As a new report finds him looking at '16 general election, he loses a top promoter and polls show him fading fast — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is sinking fast. Yet another national poll finds …

Discussion: Liberaland, PoliticusUSA, Vox Popoli, Riehl World News, Daily Kos and New York Times

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

CNN:

Amanda Knox found guilty of murder again by Italian court — Florence, Italy (CNN) — An Italian appeals court convicted former exchange student Amanda Knox and her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito on murder charges Thursday night. — Prosecutors said the couple had killed Meredith Kercher in November 2007.

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, Outside the Beltway, NBCNews, Daily Mail, Gawker and TalkLeft

Simon Hattenstone / Guardian:
Amanda Knox: 'They'll have to pull me back kicking and screaming to prison'

Discussion: BBC and Gawker

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 and The Plum Line

Ryan Lizza / News Desk: Obama Breaks Up with Congress

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 …

Bloomberg:

Amazon's Bad Omen for the U.S. Economy — Amazon.com Inc.'s shares fell almost 10 percent a few minutes past 4 p.m., after the company dropped some disappointing earnings news. The title of the company's news release is cheerily optimistic: “Amazon.com Announces Fourth Quarter Sales up 20% to $25.59 Billion.”

Discussion: Vox Popoli