memeorandum: Americans' Ratings of President Obama's Image at New Lows (Jeffrey M. Jones/Gallup)

11:50 AM ET, June 13, 2014

Top Items:

Fareed Zakaria / Washington Post:

Who lost Iraq? The Iraqis did, with an assist from George W. Bush — It is becoming increasingly likely that Iraq has reached a turning point. The forces hostile to the government have grown stronger, better equipped and more organized. And having now secured arms …

Discussion: The Mahablog, The Week, Informed Comment, National Review and Hullabaloo

Reihan Salam / Slate:

We Never Should Have Left Iraq — A U.S. military presence could have mollified Sunnis and prevented the new civil war. — The United States made a grave mistake by invading Iraq in 2003. Yet it also made a grave mistake by withdrawing its military forces in 2011.

Discussion: Reuters, Hinterland Gazette, RedState, Hullabaloo, Hot Air, Telegraph, Gawker, his vorpal sword and neo-neocon

New York Times:

Prime Minister Maliki Panics as Insurgents Gain — What's happening in Iraq is a disaster and it is astonishing that the Iraqis and the Americans, who have been sharing intelligence, seem to have been caught flat-footed by the speed of the insurgent victories and the army defections.

Discussion: Washington Post, Hit & Run, Daily Kos, Washington Free Beacon, ThinkProgress, American Spectator, Bloomberg, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Obsidian Wings

Shane Harris / Foreign Policy:

Jihadist Gains in Iraq Blindside American Spies — First Crimea, now Iraq. Why does America's $50 billion intelligence community keep getting taken by surprise? — GOOGLE +

Discussion: The Daily Signal, The Week, Politico, Hot Air, Institute for the Study …, American Spectator, Vox Popoli, Business Insider, National Review, The Long War Journal and TalkLeft

Daily Mail:

ABU DUA: IMPRISONED BY THE US, THE MAN WHO HATES THE WEST MORE THAN OSAMA BIN LADEN AND IS THE DRIVING FORCE BY ISIS … Marauding ISIS militia beheading their way to Baghdad: How jihadist group so extreme even al-Qaeda has distanced itself threatens to take Iraq three years after America left

Discussion: New York Times, Hot Air, Washington Post, The Federalist, CANNONFIRE, The Hugh Hewitt Show, Riehl World News, TalkLeft, Reuters, Belmont Club and Wall Street Journal

New York Times:
Iraqi Shiite Cleric Issues Call to Arms

Discussion: Gawker and Outside the Beltway

Leslie H. Gelb / The Daily Beast:
Iraq Is Vietnam 2.0 And U.S. Drones Won't Solve The Problem

Discussion: New York Times, National Review, CNN and Washington Post

New York Times:
U.S. Scrambles to Help Iraq Fight Off Militants as Baghdad Is Threatened

Discussion: The Huffington Post and JustOneMinute

Economist:
Two Arab countries fall apart

Discussion: Firedoglake, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor and Belmont Club

Philip Klein / Washington Examiner:

The absurdity of electing Kevin McCarthy to replace Eric Cantor as House majority leader — HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2014 ELECTIONS ERIC CANTOR KEVIN MCCARTHY DAVE BRAT — If House Republicans respond to the shocking primary defeat of Majority Leader Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va. …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The New Republic, Hot Air, Washington Post, New York Times, RedState and Wall Street Journal

New York Times:

David Brat and Jack Trammell show unease in the spotlight — ASHLAND, Va. — Before the two professors became overnight political rivals in one of the most improbable, high-profile races in memory, they knew each other best as basketball teammates. — David Brat, the economics professor …

Discussion: Washington Post and Taegan Goddard's …

Peter Baker / New York Times: Obama's Odds With Congress: Bad to Worse

Peter Beinart / The Atlantic Online:
Anarchy in the GOP: The End of Authority in the Republican Party

Discussion: New York Times, BillMoyers.com, Liberal Values, Prairie Weather, The American Conservative, Politico and NY Daily News

David Frum / The Atlantic Online:
When Will Republican Leaders Fight Back?

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and Washington Monthly

Conor Friedersdorf / The Atlantic Online:

Hillary Clinton's Gay-Marriage Problem — Until 2013, she held a position that lots of Democratic voters now regard as deeply wrongheaded. Some even insist that it is hateful and bigoted. — Hillary Clinton didn't refrain from supporting same-sex marriage for political reasons-prior to last year …

Discussion: The Dish, Hot Air, Outside the Beltway and CNN

Jonathan Allen / Bloomberg:
Clinton's Popularity Drops to 52% as 2016 Edge Shrinks

Discussion: Hot Air, Fox News and Weekly Standard

Tim / America Rising:
Hillary Clinton Snaps At Radio Host In Defensive, Testy Gay Marriage Interview

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, Hot Air, Business Insider, Power Line and The Gateway Pundit

Politico: Hillary Clinton gets testy over gay marriage

Chris Geidner / BuzzFeed:
10 Times NPR's Terry Gross Tries To Get Hillary Clinton To Explain When She First Supported Marriage Equality

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, NewsBusters, Mediaite, OnPolitics, The Other McCain, The Huffington Post, The Week and Poynter

Tyler Cowen / New York Times:

The Pitfalls of Peace: The Lack of Major Wars May Be Hurting Economic Growth — It's not because war spending itself is so good. It's because the threat of war can inspire countries to do great things. — A Better Way to Rank Soccer Teams in a Fairer World Cup

Discussion: Althouse and Marginal REVOLUTION

Politico:

Chelsea Clinton paid $600K by NBC — Chelsea Clinton earned an annual salary of $600,000 at NBC News before switching to a month-to-month contract earlier this year, sources with knowledge of the agreement told POLITICO. — Clinton, who joined NBC News as a “special correspondent” …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, more at Mediagazer »

Kimberly Dozier / The Daily Beast:

Exclusive: Bergdahl Explains in Prison Letters Why He Vanished — In a pair of letters, the captured U.S. soldier asks his government to reserve judgment about his disappearance—and complains about the officers leading his unit in Afghanistan. — Writing from a Taliban “prison,” …

Discussion: CNN, Mediaite and The Lead with Jake Tapper

Byron York / Washington Examiner:
In Bowe Bergdahl hearing, Chuck Hagel hedges the tough questions

Discussion: Power Line and Conservatives4Palin

William Kristol / Weekly Standard:

Our ‘Dead Broke’ Leaders — In the largest turnout in a congressional primary in the history of Virginia politics, the voters of the Commonwealth's 7th Congressional District last Tuesday decisively chose not to renominate their seven-term representative, now serving as House majority leader …

Discussion: The Hugh Hewitt Show

Fazel Hawramy / Guardian:

Kurdish peshmerga seize a chaotic victory in Kirkuk — Police loyal to Nouri al-Maliki are powerless to stop looting after Iraqi Kurds gain control of the oil-rich north-eastern city of Kirkuk — Looting at K1 Iraqi army base near the city of Kirkuk, which is under the control of Kurdish Peshmerga forces.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Washington Post, Business Insider, RedState and Michael J. Totten's blog

Peter Beaumont / Guardian:
How effective is Isis compared with the Iraqi army and Kurdish peshmerga?

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Dish and Daily Kos

Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:

Americans' Ratings of President Obama's Image at New Lows — More view him unfavorably than favorably — PRINCETON, NJ — Americans' views of President Barack Obama as a person have turned slightly negative, with 47% saying they have a favorable opinion of him and 52% an unfavorable one.

Discussion: Washington Post, The Daily Caller and Business Insider