memeorandum: Congress Off for the Exits, but Few Cheer (New York Times)

10:45 AM ET, August 2, 2014

Top Items:

Congress, Unhinged on Immigration — It was a remarkable two days of legislative dysfunction, even for congressional Republicans, who have been pushing the limits of unhinged governance. — The House speaker, John Boehner, tried on Thursday to pass a bill dealing with the crisis …

Discussion: The Mahablog

New York Times:

Congress Off for the Exits, but Few Cheer — WASHINGTON — House and Senate lawmakers scrambled to leave town on Friday night for a five-week recess, with a failure to address the refugee crisis at the southern border only the latest indignity in a year that may redefine congressional dysfunction.

Discussion: Liberaland, ThinkProgress and Daily Kos

Reuters:

U.S. House passes border-security funding bill to speed deportations — (Reuters) - Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives voted on Friday to crack down on Central American migrants, including unaccompanied children, who are flooding to the U.S. border with Mexico, as lawmakers passed a $694 million border security bill.

Discussion: Right Wing News and TalkLeft

The Hill:

House approves border funding — House Republicans earned a victory Friday night by approving a $694 million border bill, one day after they were on the verge of leaving Washington empty-handed. — President Obama opposes the House measure and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) declared it dead on arrival.

Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
An upending of reason in the House

Discussion: Capitol Report, Politico and The PJ Tatler

Sahil Kapur / Talking Points Memo:
House GOP Votes To Spurn Obama, Deport Dreamers Before Leaving Town

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and Washington Post

Roll Call:
GOP Leaders Pitch Revised Border Package, Hope to Vote Today (Updated)

Discussion: Daily Kos, New York Times, Right Wing Watch and Hullabaloo

Sahil Kapur / Talking Points Memo: House GOP's New Plan: Rebuke Obama With Border Bill Then Leave Town

Pete Kasperowicz / TheBlaze.com:
Dem says GOP wants to send immigrant children ‘to their death’

Discussion: The Hill, Hot Air and Mediaite

Esther Yu-Hsi Lee / ThinkProgress:
Dozens Of Democrats Line Up On House Floor To Stand Up For Children At The Border

Discussion: Hullabaloo

Igor Bobic / The Huffington Post:
GOP Admits It's Hypocritical To Sue Obama Yet Urge Him To Act Alone On Border Crisis

Discussion: CNN, Liberaland and Daily Kos

The White House:

Press Conference by the President — James S. Brady Press Briefing Room — THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon, everybody. Happy Friday. I thought I'd take some questions, but first, let me say a few words about the economy. — This morning, we learned that our economy created over 200,000 new jobs in July.

Discussion: Power Line, Mondoweiss and New York Times

Tom Kludt / Talking Points Memo:

Obama: ‘We Tortured Some Folks’ — President Obama eschewed the opaque language of his predecessor on Friday and acknowledged that the United States engaged in “torture” after 9/11. — Obama made the comment while discussing CIA Director John Brennan, who was forced to apologize to members …

Discussion: Mashable and Booman Tribune

Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Obama: ‘We tortured some folks’

Discussion: The Hill

Julian Hattem / The Hill:
Key Republican defends CIA head

Discussion: Politico, Techdirt and Washington Examiner

John Parkinson / ABC News:

Pelosi Chases Republican Tom Marino Across House Chamber — In an unusual breach of decorum, even for the divided Congress, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi chased Rep. Tom Marino across the House floor, taking offense at comments by the Pennsylvania Republican during debate on the border funding bill Friday night.

Discussion: Power Line, BizPac Review and Liberaland

Eleanor Clift / The Daily Beast:
Pelosi to Boehner: I Quashed Impeachment, and So Can You

Discussion: The Dish

Matthew Lee / Associated Press:

NETANYAHU TO US: DON'T SECOND GUESS ME ON HAMAS — WASHINGTON (AP) — Following the quick collapse of the cease-fire in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the White House not to force a truce with Palestinian militants on Israel. — Sources familiar with conversations between Netanyahu …

Discussion: Mashable and Independent Journal Review

Jeff Greenfield / The Daily Beast:

The Coming Democratic Midterm Collapse — History tells us the “six-year itch” is a very real thing, and there's little Obama's Democrats can do to stave off a big loss this November. — Time has been cruel to many once-revered political assertions. No, all politics is not local.

Plain Dealer:

Call about suspicious car led Westlake police to Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald and an unidentified woman in 2012, records show — The Mayo Society of Greater Cleveland identifies the woman in this photo as Joanne Grehan, who was found by Westlake Police in a parked car …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, Prairie Weather, Business Insider and Taegan Goddard's …

Dr Margaret Chan / who.int:

WHO Director-General assesses the Ebola outbreak with three West African presidents — Director-General of the World Health Organization — Excellencies, honourable ministers, members of the press, ladies and gentlemen, — West Africa is facing its first outbreak of Ebola virus disease.

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Verge, Boing Boing, New York Times and USA Today