memeorandum: Obamacare Bad-News Report Not So Bad (Froma Harrop/Real Clear Politics)

3:25 PM ET, February 6, 2014

Top Items:

Russian Officials Fire Back at Olympic Critics — One Sochi Defender Claims Only 103 Registered Complaints; ‘Surveillance Video’ in Hotel Rooms — SOCHI, Russia—Rooms without doorknobs, locks or heat, dysfunctional toilets, surprise early-morning fire alarms and a Welcome Wagon of stray dogs …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, The Daily Caller, CBS DC, AMERICAblog News, The Daily Banter, Mediaite, The Verge, Gawker and The Week, more at Mediagazer »

Guardian:
Ban Ki-moon condemns persecution of gay people in Russia

Discussion: Advocate, ThinkProgress and Towleroad News #gay

David M. Herszenhorn / New York Times:
Racing to Save the Stray Dogs of Sochi

Discussion: Voices

Dylan Scott / Talking Points Memo:

New Bogus GOP Obamacare Attack Debuts In 2014 Political Ad (VIDEO) — Despite the consistent refutation of their claim that the Congressional Budget Office said Obamacare would cost the country 2 million jobs — even from within their own party — Republicans are now putting the attack in congressional ads.

Discussion: The Plum Line, americanthinker.com and The Fix

Chicago Tribune:
Obamacare and the incentive to work

Discussion: Hot Air and Weekly Standard

Brian Beutler / Salon:
Anatomy of a media disaster: Why the press is botching the latest Obamacare story

Discussion: Althouse, BillMoyers.com, Liberaland, Bloomberg, ThinkProgress, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Hot Air and The Plum Line

Froma Harrop / Real Clear Politics:
Obamacare Bad-News Report Not So Bad

Discussion: Mediaite and VodkaPundit

Molly K. Hooper / The Hill:

Cantor takes mission impossible — House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) is taking the lead on crafting the GOP's Obama-Care replacement proposal. — The extraordinarily tough task faces many obstacles and is complicated by election-year politics and an unruly GOP conference.

Discussion: CNN, Daily Kos, Washington Monthly and Politico

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Senate GOP buoyant about midterms — Politics was at the forefront of Republicans senators' minds at their annual retreat on Wednesday. — After hearing from a congressional handicapper and conservative observers at the Library of Congress, there's growing optimism among GOP lawmakers …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Washington Monthly, Politico, The Hugh Hewitt Show and Booman Tribune

Robert Costa / Washington Post:
Boehner proposes linking debt-limit hike to a restoration of recent cuts to military benefits

Discussion: Politico, Talking Points Memo, Business Insider, The Fix, PostPartisan, Post Politics and The Plum Line

USA Today:

Texas candidate keeping distance from Christie — ASBURY, N.J. — Not even a trip to the Lone Star State is allowing New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to get away from the George Washington Bridge scandal. — Christie, as chairman of the Republican Governors Association …

Discussion: Hullabaloo

New York Times:
Democrats Grab for a Chance to Halt Christie's Rise

Discussion: Hot Air, Daily Kos, ABC News, Democratic Strategist, Talking Points Memo, Trail Blazers Blog and Washington Wire

Mario Trujillo / The Hill:
Romney floats Martinez, others for 2016

Discussion: Politico

Mother Jones:

The Koch Brothers Left a Confidential Document at Their Last Donor Conference—Read It Here — A list of one-on-one meetings between VIP donors and the Kochs and their operatives offers a revealing look into their mighty political machine. — Charles Koch: Bo Rader/ZUMA; David Koch: Sonia Moskowitz/ZUMA

Discussion: Washington Monthly, BillMoyers.com, The Raw Story, Firedoglake, Washington Post, Liberaland and susiemadrak.com

Kevin Drum / Mother Jones:

Paul Ryan Is the Odds-On Favorite to Win the Republican Nomination in 2016 — There's been a lot of blathering about who the front-runner for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination is, and so far I've resisted taking part. But I guess I'm kind of curious: Is there much of a case to be made for anyone other than Paul Ryan?

Discussion: Liberaland

Wall Street Journal:

New evidence undercuts White House claims about IRS motivation. — House committees are still digging into the IRS political targeting scandal, and based on a hearing Wednesday there's more to learn. The day produced more evidence blowing apart President Obama's claims that there was …

Discussion: National Review, Hot Air, americanthinker.com and The Daily Caller

Laura Vozzella / Washington Post:

At Executive Mansion, McAuliffe puts out the welcome mat — RICHMOND — Gov. Terry McAuliffe has added a potent weapon to his bipartisan charm offensive: better booze. — Desperately in need of Republican friends to get his agenda through a divided General Assembly, McAuliffe (D) …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, National Review and Mediaite

Ted Barrett / CNN:

Senate fails to advance unemployment bill — Washington (CNN) - A Democratic proposal to continue long term unemployment benefits failed Thursday to get the 60 votes needed to clear a procedural hurdle in the Senate despite support from some Republicans. — It was defeated 58 to 40.

Discussion: Liberaland

Bloomberg:

Jails Enroll Inmates in Obamacare to Pass Hospital Costs to U.S. — Being arrested in Chicago for, say, drug possession or assault gets you sent to the Cook County Jail to be fingerprinted, photographed and X-rayed. You'll also get help applying for health insurance.

Discussion: Weekly Standard

Ashley Parker / New York Times:

Democrats Aim to Make 2014 More Like 2012 and 2008 — WASHINGTON — The Democrats' plan to hold onto their narrow Senate majority goes by the name “Bannock Street project.” It runs through 10 states, includes a $60 million investment, and requires more than 4,000 paid staffers.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Daily Kos and Mediaite

James Taranto / Wall Street Journal:

Work was supposed to be liberating. Now nonwork is. — Annie Lowrey, an economics reporter for the New York Times, has an essay in this coming weekend's Times magazine rebutting what she calls “the policy solution du jour” to the problem of “how to alleviate poverty”—namely, “marriage promotion.”

Discussion: Vox Popoli, Betsy's Page, The Daily Caller, National Review, CNSNews and protein wisdom

Politico:

How John Podesta is changing Obama's White House — John Podesta doesn't have a standing appointment with President Barack Obama. He doesn't join chief of staff Denis McDonough for the nightly “wrap” meeting with the president. He doesn't have a defined portfolio of assignments.

Discussion: Business Insider and The New Republic

Politico:

GOP Conference chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers faces possible ethics inquiry — GOP Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Wash.) faces a possible House Ethics Committee investigation over allegations by a former staffer that she improperly mixed campaign and official funds to help win a 2012 House leadership race.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Mediaite

Scott Kaufman / The Raw Story:

Legal experts gobsmacked after British judge orders Mormon leader to prove faith's origins — A disgruntled former Mormon has convinced an English court to file two summonses to appear against Thomas S. Monson, the current president of the Mormon Church. — Tom Phillips based his complaint …

Discussion: The Week, Booman Tribune, Balloon Juice, USA Today, Liberaland and disinformation

John Bingham / Telegraph:
Head of Mormon church Thomas Monson summoned by British magistrates' court over Adam and Eve teaching

Discussion: Washington Post, The Reaction and National Review

CNN:

Jake Tapper's Exclusive Interview with Secretary of State John Kerry — Please credit all usage to - CNN's The Lead with Jake Tapper. — FULL TRANSCRIPT … Conducted February 5, 2014 — JAKE TAPPER, HOST: Thank you so much for agreeing to do this. — JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: Good to be with you.

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Right Turn and Just Security