memeorandum: Sen. Mark Udall upset with Cory Gardner's new ad, believes it attacks his family (Lynn Bartels/The Spot)

6:15 AM ET, September 25, 2014

Top Items:

Michael Tomasky / The Daily Beast:

Obama's Iraq Is Not Bush's Iraq — The war against ISIS may fail. But morally, it's the opposite of Bush's war, and if it succeeds, it will do so for precisely that reason. — Last week, a Politico reporter phoned me to ascertain my thoughts on the new war.

Discussion: CANNONFIRE, Washington Monthly, The Dish, Yahoo! News and New York Times

Eric Posner / Slate:
Obama Can Bomb Pretty Much Anything He Wants To

Discussion: The New Republic, msnbc.com, Wall Street Journal, Daily Kos, The Dish, Politico, Hot Air and BuzzFeed

Mark Landler / New York Times:
In U.N. Speech, Obama Vows to Fight ISIS ‘Network of Death’

Discussion: BBC, CNN, Hit & Run, Politico, JustOneMinute, Althouse and John Hawkins' Right Wing News

Dave Nagle / ESPN MediaZone:

ESPN Statement on Bill Simmons — “Every employee must be accountable to ESPN and those engaged in our editorial operations must also operate within ESPN's journalistic standards. We have worked hard to ensure that our recent NFL coverage has met that criteria.

Discussion: Deadspin, CBS DC, Mediaite, ThinkProgress, Raw Story, The Big Lead, Inside TV, SBNation.com, The Huffington Post, The Daily Banter, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Balloon Juice and The Daily Caller, more at Mediagazer »

Suzy Khimm / msnbc.com:

How DC's conservative elite view liberals — What do conservatives think of liberals today? — Here's the view from the Heritage Foundation: Liberalism creates self-indulgent, licentious hedonists willing to cede every other kind of freedom to an increasingly authoritarian government.

Discussion: Hit & Run, Balloon Juice and National Review

Scott Bauer / Associated Press:

Federal Court Lifts Injunction In Walker Investigation — MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A federal appeals court on Wednesday overturned a lower court's ruling halting an investigation into Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and more than two dozen conservative groups for alleged illegal campaign activity.

Discussion: BobCesca.com

Rob Davis / Oregonian:

Forest Service says media needs photography permit in wilderness areas, alarming First Amendment advocates — The U.S. Forest Service has tightened restrictions on media coverage in vast swaths of the country's wild lands, requiring reporters to pay for a permit and get permission before shooting …

Discussion: Fox News, The Daily Caller, CBS San Francisco and Hit & Run, more at Mediagazer »

David / Latest from Crooks and Liars:

Family Says Louisiana Deputy Shot 14-year-old ‘Four Or Five Times In The Back’ — Louisiana State Police were investigating on Wednesday after a Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's deputy fatally shot a 14-year-old boy. — Louisiana State Police were investigating on Wednesday …

Discussion: Hinterland Gazette

Franklin Doloquee / allAfrica.com:

Liberia: Dead Ebola Patients Resurrect? — Two Ebola patients, who died of the virus in separate communities in Nimba County have reportedly resurrected in the county. The victims, both females, believed to be in their 60s and 40s respectively, died of the Ebola virus recently …

Discussion: Vox Popoli

Jesse Paul / Denver Post:

HUNDREDS OF JEFFCO STUDENTS WALK OUT IN LARGEST SCHOOL BOARD PROTEST — Jefferson County high school students protested for the third straight day after students from Chatfield High School and Dakota Ridge High School left classes in protest of school board decisions and proposals, September 24, 2014.

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Chalkbeat Colorado and Firedoglake

Jack Healy / New York Times:
In Colorado, a Student Counterprotest to an Anti-Protest Curriculum

Discussion: Chalkbeat Colorado, BobCesca.com, ThinkProgress, Daily Kos and The Spot

Ezra Klein / Vox:

In conservative media, Obamacare is a disaster. In the real world, it's working. — Before Obamacare launched, conservative outlets warned that the law would collapse as insurers shunned the overpriced, overregulated insurance exchanges. “More Insurers Drop Out Of Exchanges,” warned Fox Business.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Washington Post, Bloomberg View, Eclectablog, naked capitalism, Liberal Values, New York Times, The Dish, The New Republic, The Daily Caller and New York Magazine

Rick Hasen / Election Law Blog:

Breaking: 6th Circuit Upholds Federal Court Order Extending Ohio Early Voting: Analysis — You can read the unanimous 46 page opinion at this link. This result is as expected after the same 6th Circuit panel refused an earlier stay request from Ohio. Here are my thoughts on this opinion.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and National Review

Adam Kredo / Washington Free Beacon:

Obama Praises Muslim Cleric Who Backed Fatwa on Killing of U.S. Soldiers — President Barack Obama favorably quoted and praised on Wednesday in his speech before the United Nations a controversial Muslim cleric whose organization has reportedly endorsed the terror group Hamas and supported …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Hot Air, Pamela Geller, Atlas Shrugs and American Spectator

John Monk / The State:

VIDEO RELEASED: SC trooper charged with felony in shooting at traffic stop over seat belt violation — COLUMBIA, SC — An S.C. trooper who stopped a man for a seat belt violation outside Columbia and then shot him - apparently without provocation - was arrested Wednesday and charged with assault …

Discussion: addictinginfo.org and Talking Points Memo

Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:

Americans Continue to Say a Third Political Party Is Needed — Views little changed from last year — PRINCETON, NJ — A majority of U.S. adults, 58%, say a third U.S. political party is needed because the Republican and Democratic parties “do such a poor job” representing the American people.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Daily Caller, CBS DC and Fox News

U.S. Department of the Treasury:

Treasury Designates Twelve Foreign Terrorist Fighter Facilitators — Action Undermines Efforts by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Al Nusrah Front, Al-Qaida and its Affiliates, and Jemaah Islamiya to Move Money and Fighters to Syria and Elsewhere — WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department …

Discussion: New York Times and Politico

Brian Beutler / The New Republic:

Presidents Shouldn't Feel Obligated to Salute the Military — The dumb thing in the news today is that President Obama saluted a marine on Tuesday while holding a cup of coffee. It was probably filled with tea, because Obama doesn't drink much coffee, but conservatives are calling it a latte …

Discussion: Mediaite, Daily Kos and Hot Air

Judy Kurtz / The Hill:

‘Key & Peele’ stars too busy for Obama — The stars of “Key & Peele” say President Obama originally wanted to push ObamaCare in a sketch with the comedy duo, but they couldn't fit a presidential skit into their schedules. — “We had to turn him down,” Jordan Peele, one half …

Discussion: PopWatch and Mediaite

Laurence H. Tribe / Associated Press:

Laurence Tribe: Students before teachers — Why progressives should defend ‘Vergara v. California’ ruling. — When I decided to join Students Matter, the group that spearheaded a lawsuit that invalidated California's teacher tenure, dismissal and “last in, first out” layoff laws …

Discussion: Instapundit

Lynn Bartels / The Spot:

Sen. Mark Udall upset with Cory Gardner's new ad, believes it attacks his family — TOPICS — Chris Hansen, Cory Gardner, Mark Udall, Mike Lee, Mo Udall, Tom Udall — Congressman Cory Gardner's new ad. — A new campaign ad from Republican Cory Gardner talking about Sen. Mark Udall's late father …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and OnPolitics

Vindicator:

UPDATE | Traficant ‘critical;’ doctors to make determination within 72 hours — GREENFORD — Ex-U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. is in “very critical condition” after an accident on his family farm, his wife, Tish Traficant, said today. — The former congressman, 73, is …

WFMJ-TV:
Former Congressman Jim Traficant critically injured in farm accident

Discussion: The Daily Caller, OnPolitics and Talking Points Memo

Wall Street Journal:

Chinese Leaders Discuss Replacing PBOC Chief — Potential Move Reflects Disagreements Over Fiscal Steps, Xi's Plan to Place More Allies in Top Offices — BEIJING—Chinese leaders are discussing replacing the central bank chief amid disagreements over the direction of financial policy …

Discussion: Washington Post, Bloomberg View and FT Alphaville