memeorandum: In first speech back, Reid blasts Koch brothers (Ramsey Cox/The Hill)

7:50 AM ET, September 9, 2014

Top Items:

Matt Wilstein / Mediaite:

Ben Carson Defends Ray Rice: Don't Start ‘Demonizing This Guy’ — Ray Rice hasn't found many media defenders on Monday after the Baltimore Ravens terminated his contract and and the NFL suspended him indefinitely following the release of surveillance video showing him punching out his then-fiancée Janay Palmer.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Truth Revolt and ThinkProgress

Jonathan Capehart / Washington Post:

Condi Rice: The one person who could save the NFL — Condoleezza Rice made a startling admission to the New York Times in 2002. The then-national security adviser to President George W. Bush said it was “absolutely right” that she wanted to be commissioner of the National Football League.

Discussion: 7online.com

Brendan James / Talking Points Memo:

Fox Host On Alleged Ray Rice Video: Why Won't Obama Lead? — Fox News host Andrea Tantaros wasted no time during Monday's episode of “Outnumbered” directing anger at President Obama and the Democrats over a video reportedly showing NFL star Ray Rice punching his then-fiancee in an elevator.

Discussion: The Hill, The Raw Story, Daily Kos and Mediaite

Ken Belson / New York Times:

Ray Rice Cut by Ravens and Suspended by N.F.L. — The National Football League's handling of a domestic violence case is under renewed scrutiny after a graphic video emerged Monday, leading to the termination of the Baltimore Ravens star running back Ray Rice's contract and his suspension from the league.

Discussion: SportsGrid, Outside the Beltway and Unfogged

CNN:
After video, Ray Rice cut from Ravens

Discussion: Deadspin, Hit & Run, TMZ.com and Althouse

Ramsey Cox / The Hill:

In first speech back, Reid blasts Koch brothers — It took Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) less than 10 minutes on Monday to mention conservative billionaires David and Charles Koch in his first floor speech after Congress's five-week August recess.

Ramsey Cox / The Hill:

Senate moves forward with amendment to the Constitution on elections — The Senate on Monday advanced a constitutional amendment meant to reverse two recent Supreme Court decisions on campaign spending. — Republicans are likely to vote against the amendment when it comes up for a final vote …

Discussion: John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Power Line, Hit & Run, National Review, The Federalist, RedState, Washington Monthly and Politico

Abby Livingston / Roll Call:
How Major League Baseball Could Determine Control of Congress

Discussion: Booman Tribune

Sen. Tom Udall / The Hill: Bipartisan case for a Constitutional amendment on campaign finance

Washington Post:

Poll: Public supports strikes in Iraq, Syria; Obama's ratings hover near his all-time lows — Americans overwhelmingly view Islamic State terrorists as a serious threat to vital U.S. interests and, in a significant shift, widely support airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Discussion: Real Clear Politics, Prairie Weather, Taegan Goddard's … and The Intercept

Mark Preston / CNN:

CNN poll finds majority of Americans alarmed by ISIS — Washington (CNN) — Americans are increasingly concerned that ISIS represents a direct terror threat, fearful that ISIS agents are living in the United States, according to a new CNN/ORC International poll. Most now support military action against the terrorist group.

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, Politico, The Moderate Voice, Newsweek, The Intercept, RedState, Hullabaloo, Hit & Run and Washington Free Beacon

Frank Newport / Gallup: Congress Approval Sits at 14% Two Months Before Elections

Rick Perlstein / Salon:

Watergate's most lasting sin: Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon, and the pardon that made us all cynics — Ford let Nixon off 40 years ago today. That launched Iran-Contra, “too big to fail” — and proved power trumps law — When you've published a book about Watergate, your phone rings off …

Discussion: Hullabaloo, Booman Tribune, his vorpal sword, Taylor Marsh and Bloomberg View

Elianayjohnson / National Review:

Udall: Beheaded American Journalists Would Have Wanted Cautious Approach to ISIS — The president has in recent days taken fire from members of his own party for taking a low-key approach to tackling the problem presented by the Islamic State, particularly as the images of two American journalists kidnapped …

Discussion: Associated Press, Talking Points Memo, Hot Air, CNN, RedState, Cory Gardner for Senate, Power Line, Washington Post, Mediaite and The Daily Caller

Stuart Rothenberg / Rothenblog:

Rothenberg: Senate GOP Gains At Least 7 Seats — While the current Rothenberg Political Report ratings don't show it, I am now expecting a substantial Republican Senate wave in November, with a net gain of at least seven seats. — But I wouldn't be shocked by a larger gain.

Discussion: Roll Call and Wall Street Journal

Conor Friedersdorf / The Atlantic Online:

The Perils of Standing While Hispanic in the Bronx — Meet Santiago Hernandez, 23. He lives in the Bronx. On a Monday evening last month, he was standing in front of an apartment building at around 6 p.m. when two NYPD police officers appeared and demanded permission to frisk him. He complied.

Discussion: Guardian, Gothamist and Prairie Weather

Kate Nocera / BuzzFeed:

North Carolina's GOP Senate Candidate Won't Commit To Supporting McConnell — Thom Tillis says he wants to be an “independent” senator and won't commit to supporting Mitch McConnell for Republican leader. — AP Photo/Gerry Broome, Pool — WILSON, N.C. — Thom Tillis …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Politico: Harry Reid set to lead Democrats, in majority or not

Byron York / Washington Examiner:
Facing Dem attacks, could new GOP strategy end birth control wars?

Discussion: Washington Monthly and National Review

Peter Beinart / The Atlantic Online:

2014 Is Not 1931 — Robert Kagan accuses Obama of appeasement. Where's his evidence? — Everyone has—or should have—a list of the commentators they disagree with fundamentally but nonetheless admire. When it comes to foreign policy, Robert Kagan tops mine.

Ksn Tv / KSNG-TV:

New KSN poll shows Roberts and Orman tied for U.S. Senate — WICHITA, Kansas — The Democratic candidate in the race for U.S. Senate, Chad Taylor, withdrawing last week from the race has created an interesting dynamic going forward, in the race to represent the state of Kansas on the Senate floor on Capitol Hill.

Discussion: The Daily Caller and Talking Points Memo

Summerheatbraytonpoint / LobsterBoatBlockade.org:

All Criminal Charges Dropped! — Contact: Emily Kirkland, Communications Coordinator for Better Future Project, 646 623 5271, emily@betterfutureproject.org — FALL RIVER, MA — In a major — and unexpected — victory for the climate movement, the criminal charges against two men who used …

Discussion: The Nation, Grist and Watts Up With That?

Matt Wright / fox8.com:

Police identify students involved in attack on teen with autism — BAY VILLAGE, Ohio - Bay Village police say they have identified the people involved after disturbing video of an attack on a teen with autism surfaced. — The 15-year-old, who attends Bay High School …

Discussion: FOX6Now.com and WTVR-TV

Salon:

Scalia's utter moral failure: How he destroys any claim to a superior system of justice — He doesn't think executing an innocent man matters. How on earth can such a depraved human be on our Supreme Court? … One might wonder how he can stay on the court after the revelation last week …

Discussion: National Review, Hullabaloo and Gawker

Petula Dvorak / Washington Post:

In D.C., a 13-year-old piano prodigy is treated as a truant instead of a star student — Avery Gagliano is a commanding young pianist who attacks Chopin with the focused diligence of a master craftsman and the grace of a ballet dancer. — The prodigy, who just turned 13 …

Discussion: Hit & Run and The Reality-Based Community