memeorandum: Obama's Breathtaking Expansion of a President's Power To Make War (Jack Goldsmith/TIME)

12:10 PM ET, September 11, 2014

Top Items:

Struggling to Gauge ISIS Threat, Even as U.S. Prepares to Act — WASHINGTON — The violent ambitions of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria have been condemned across the world: in Europe and the Middle East, by Sunni nations and Shiite ones, and by sworn enemies like Israel and Iran.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Hinterland Gazette, Prairie Weather, Hot Air, The Mahablog, Mediaite and Washington Post

Zeke J Miller / TIME:

Full Text of Obama's Address on ISIS — Full text of President Barack Obama's address to the nation on ISIS — President Barack Obama addressed the nation Wednesday on his strategy to confront the threat of the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS). — Below are his remarks as delivered:

Discussion: Informed Comment, CNN, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Politico, White House.gov Blog, Power Line, FishbowlDC, Guardian, Democracy in America and Daily Signal

David Corn / Mother Jones:

The ISIS Speech: Obama and the Dogs of War — Can he control them once they are unleashed? — Here is President Barack Obama's challenge: how to unleash the dogs of war without having them run wild. — This dilemma applies to both the political and policy considerations Obama faces …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Federalist, Vox, Wall Street Journal, BillMoyers.com, Outside the Beltway, American Power, CNN, Daily Kos, CBS DC, Yahoo! News and Washington Post

Rajiv Chandrasekaran / Washington Post:

Countering Islamic State will be hard in Iraq and harder in Syria, officials say — President Obama's strategy to beat back Islamic State militants spread across Iraq and Syria will depend on far more than U.S. bombs and missiles hitting their intended targets.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Weekly Standard, The Intercept and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Hayes Brown / ThinkProgress:

The Most Discouraging Sentence in Obama's Entire ISIS Speech — President Barack Obama pauses while speaking about the situation in Iraq in June — CREDIT: AP Photo / Pablo Martinez Monsivais — President Obama is set to deliver a speech on Wednesday evening laying out his strategy …

Discussion: The United States Department …, Opinio Juris, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Dish, CNN, rubber hose, The Huffington Post and JustOneMinute

Sarah Palin / Facebook:

War is hell. So go big or go home, Mr. President. Big means bold, confident, wise assurance from a trustworthy Commander-in-Chief that it shall all be worth it. Charge in, strike hard, get out. Win. — Obama famously claims to despise the “theater” and “optics” of the presidency.

Discussion: Politico and Hit & Run

Vali R. Nasr / New York Times:
The Grand Strategy Obama Needs

Discussion: VodkaPundit

Mark Landler / New York Times:
Obama, in Speech on ISIS, Promises Sustained Effort to Rout Militants

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Reuters, Taylor Marsh, Daily Kos and Gawker

Mario Trujillo / The Hill: Cheney points finger at Obama's ‘indifference’ for rise of ISIS

Peter Baker / New York Times: New Military Campaign Extends a Legacy of War

Washington Post:
Transcript: President Obama's speech outlining strategy to defeat Islamic State

Discussion: Firedoglake, American Prospect, Hot Air, CANNONFIRE, National Review, The Long War Journal, New York Times, Associated Press, Fox News, Hullabaloo, Weekly Standard and The Dish

Fox News:
ISIS speech: Obama has long history of downplaying threat from Islamic terrorists

Discussion: Ace of Spades HQ, Betsy's Page and Weekly Standard

New York Times:
In President Obama's Speech, a Military Plan to Root Out ISIS

Discussion: al.com, Politico and The Huffington Post

RealClearPolitics Video Log:
Full Obama Address on ISIS: “America, Our Endless Blessings Bestow An Enduring Burden”

Discussion: National Review

David Frum / The Atlantic Online:
Don't Go Back to Iraq, Mr. President

Discussion: National Review, Washington Post, Hot Air, Hit & Run and The Daily Beast

Richard B. Cheney / American Enterprise Institute:
9/11 and the future of US foreign policy

Discussion: Politico

Tim Hanrahan / Wall Street Journal:
Full Prepared Text of Obama's Speech Wednesday on ISIS Plans

Discussion: Associated Press, No More Mister Nice Blog, Washington Free Beacon and Hit & Run

Tristyn Bloom / The Daily Caller:

Ted Cruz Booed Off Stage At Middle East Christian Conference [VIDEO] — Sen. Ted Cruz was booed offstage at a conference for Middle Eastern Christians Wednesday night after saying that “Christians have no greater ally than Israel.” — Cruz, the keynote speaker at the sold-out D.C. dinner gala …

Discussion: Politico, Americans Against the …, Mediaite, Washington Free Beacon, Israel Matzav, Washington Post and RedState

Matthew Boyle / BREITBART.COM:

TED CRUZ: HATRED, BIGOTRY, OPPOSITION TO ISRAEL LED TO ME LEAVING EVENT — Reports surfaced Wednesday night that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) was “booed off the stage” at an event hosted by a purportedly Christian organization. — Cruz, the keynote speaker at the new “In Defense Of Christians” …

Discussion: Vox Popoli and National Review

New York Times:

Oscar Pistorius Not Guilty of Murder; Still Faces Lesser Homicide Charge — PRETORIA, South Africa — The judge presiding over the trial of Oscar Pistorius, the Paralympic athlete, cleared him of the two most serious murder charges against him on Thursday, almost certainly sparing him a long prison sentence.

Discussion: Liberaland, ABC News, Jezebel, SBNation.com, Robert Littal Presents … and Gawker

Claire Phipps / Guardian:

Oscar Pistorius verdict live: judge says athlete not guilty of murder — Judge Thokozile Masipa says Pistorius ‘clearly negligent’ over death of Reeva Steenkamp and will deliver ruling on culpable homicide on Friday — Sort by: — 3.54pm BST — My colleague David Smith has filed …

Discussion: Deadspin

Liezl Thom / ABC News:
Oscar Pistorius Charges and Possible Sentences

Discussion: abc7.com and 7online.com

Gerald Imray / TIME:
Oscar Pistorius: How the Verdict Will be Delivered

Discussion: Mediaite and TalkLeft

Jack Goldsmith / TIME:

Obama's Breathtaking Expansion of a President's Power To Make War — President Obama hoped to repeal the Bush-era authorization declaring war on al Qaeda—instead he's expanded it without bound — Future historians will ask why George W. Bush sought and received express congressional authorization …

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Washington Examiner, Guardian, Opinio Juris and Lawfare

Eli Lake / The Daily Beast:

Obama's New War on ISIS May Be Illegal — In a stunning turnaround, the Obama administration is arguing that a law authorizing a war on al Qaeda be used to justify strikes on al Qaeda's foes. — President Obama's new war against ISIS is off to a shaky legal start.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Lawfare, Hit & Run, Business Insider, The Dish, Washington Post and National Review

Brent Budowsky / The Hill:

War on women is winning — A warning to the women of America: If Republicans win control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections this fall, it will be a powerful victory for the war on women, with consequences that will be severe and long-term. A large majority of women know this.

Alexandra Jaffe / The Hill:
Dems split on Obama's plans for ISIS

Discussion: Washington Post and Daily Kos

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Senate Republicans can taste majority

Discussion: RedState and American Spectator

Rob Maaddi / Associated Press:

AP NEWSBREAK: SOURCE SAYS RICE VIDEO SENT TO NFL — ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — A law enforcement official says he sent a video of Ray Rice punching his then-fiancee to an NFL executive three months ago, while league officers have insisted they didn't see the violent images until this week.

ESPN:
Sources: Ray Rice spat at fiancee

Discussion: abc7.com, SportsGrid, Guardian, Robert Littal Presents …, 7online.com, CNN, Truth Revolt, The BRAD BLOG and Balloon Juice

Graeme Wood / The New Republic:

The Three Types of People Who Fight for ISIS — A breakdown of the most evil group on the planet — In February 2012, a young, beefy Egyptian named Islam Yaken took a shirtless selfie and posted it on a Facebook competitor called Vik.com. The picture wouldn't have attracted …

Hollywood Reporter:

Michael Moore Slams Obama: History Will Only Remember You Were a Black President — He also adds, on the 20th anniversary of ‘Roger & Me,’ Detroit would be better off as a Syrian or Iraqi city. — Michael Moore sees President Obama's legacy as set. The progressive documentary filmmaker …

Discussion: Truth Revolt, Hinterland Gazette, National Review and Washington Free Beacon