memeorandum: Obama sets off on scorched-earth rampage (Joseph Curl/Washington Times)

11:30 AM ET, November 20, 2014

Top Items:

Reagan and Bush Acted Unilaterally on Immigration, Too—for the Same Reason That Obama Will — On Tuesday, the Associated Press reported that two previous Republican presidents—Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush—had taken unilateral action to protect undocumented immigrants from deportation …

Discussion: The Federalist, Hot Air, The Dish, Washington Post, Politico, The Atlantic Online, ThinkProgress, National Review, Bloomberg, Business Insider and Bloomberg View

New York Times:

At Long Last, Immigration Action — President Obama says he will speak to the nation on Thursday night about making major changes to immigration policy, including shielding several million unauthorized immigrants from deportation. He intends to do this under executive authority, because he has given up waiting for Congress to act.

Discussion: The New Republic, Mediaite, The Week, Washington Post and Daily Signal

Stephen Collinson / CNN:
Immigration action is daring test of Obama's power

Discussion: CNNMoney.com

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Democrats face major challenges in selling executive action

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Townhall.com, Bloomberg Politics, Weekly Standard and Politico

Hadas Gold / Politico:

White House hits TV networks for skipping immigration address — The White House is exasperated with the major broadcast networks - ABC, CBS and NBC — for skipping out on President Barack Obama's Thursday primetime address on his executive actions on immigration.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Weekly Standard, Mediaite, New York Magazine, Betsy's Page, The PJ Tatler and White House.gov Blog

The Hill:
Networks won't air Obama speech

Discussion: Deadline and The Huffington Post

John Hudson / Foreign Policy:
White House Putting Up ‘Fierce’ Fight to Conceal Torture Report

Discussion: BillMoyers.com, Hullabaloo and The World's Greatest …

Charles M. Blow / New York Times:

The Solid South Will Rise Again — Democrats have abandoned Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, who is in a tough runoff election. (Tough is the mild way of putting it. Polls show her down by double digits to her Republican opponent.) — Not only has the Democratic Party pulled …

Discussion: Democratic Strategist, Vox Popoli and National Journal

Politico:
GOP leaders warn ‘impeachment’ is a dirty word

Discussion: Daily Kos

Justin Sink / The Hill:
White House: Obama wears GOP criticism as ‘a badge of honor’

Discussion: Instapundit

ABC News:

Entertainment Icon Mike Nichols Has Died at Age 83 — Mike Nichols, the entertainment icon and husband of ABC News Anchor Diane Sawyer, died suddenly Wednesday at the age of 83. — Nichols' death was announced in a statement by ABC News President James Goldston.

Discussion: American Spectator, Gawker, International Business Times, NPR and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

ABC News:

Mike Nichols passed away suddenly on Wednesday evening. He was 83. — See the note below from James Goldston, president, ABC News to ABC News staff this morning. — Team— I am writing with the very sad news that Diane's husband, the incomparable Mike Nichols, passed away suddenly on Wednesday evening.

Discussion: Mashable and Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Joseph Curl / Washington Times:

Obama sets off on scorched-earth rampage — ANALYSIS/OPINION: … President Obama, fresh off a shellacking in the 2014 midterm elections — in which he made himself a centerpiece, much to the chagrin of embattled Democrats — is about to embark on a scorched-earth rampage that will change the face of America forever.

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog and The PJ Tatler

Sen. Ted Cruz / Politico:
Obama Is Not a Monarch — The president cannot act alone …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Business Insider, Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo, CNN, Guardian, The Gateway Pundit, Mediaite, Washington Post, The World's Greatest …, OnPolitics, The Daily Caller, Fox News Insider, New York Times and The PJ Tatler

Maggie Haberman / Politico:

Jim Webb launches 2016 committee — Former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb became the first well-known Democrat to launch an exploratory committee to run for president on Wednesday night, saying the nation is at a “serious crossroads.” — “I have decided to launch an Exploratory Committee …

Discussion: Bloomberg Politics, Political Insider blog, Shakesville, CANNONFIRE and Outside the Beltway

Peter Wehner / Commentary Magazine:

Obama Is About to Commit an Act of Constitutional Infamy — The president will present his case on behalf of his forthcoming executive order on amnesty tomorrow at 8 p.m. I certainly hope President Obama addresses the arguments against his action that were repeatedly and passionately made by ... President Obama.

Discussion: Power Line and The Hugh Hewitt Show

Steve Cannon / ABC News:

3 Wounded, Suspected Gunman Dead After Shooting on Florida State University Campus — Three people were wounded in a shooting on Florida State University's campus in Tallahassee, police said, with the suspected gunman shot and killed by officers. — The shooting happened early this morning at the university's Stozier Library.

Discussion: Mashable and International Business Times

CNN:
3 shot at Florida State University before gunman killed by police

Discussion: Liberaland, Associated Press and New York Magazine

James Hohmann / Politico:

Scott Walker plots 2016 rollout — The Wisconsin governor is putting together the pieces of a campaign. — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, pivoting from his bigger-than-expected reelection win this month, is taking active steps toward a presidential campaign that would launch next summer …

Discussion: JSOnline, National Review and Political Wire

Robert Booth / Guardian:

Prince Charles will not be silenced when he is made king, say allies — Exclusive: Sources close to heir say he will break with Queen's habit of discretion by continuing to speak out on issues that matter to him — Prince Charles is ready to reshape the monarch's role when he becomes king and make …

Discussion: Althouse and Eschaton

Charlie Savage / New York Times:

N.S.A. Phone Data Collection Could Go On, Even if a Law Expires — WASHINGTON — A little-known provision of the Patriot Act, overlooked by lawmakers and administration officials alike, appears to give President Obama a possible way to keep the National Security Agency's bulk phone records program …

Discussion: The Hill, US News and Prairie Weather

David Nather / Politico:
Rand doesn't stand — The Kentucky senator helped block NSA reform.

Discussion: Liberaland, Balloon Juice, Associated Press, Daily Kos and Liberal Values

George F. Will / Washington Post:

The Justice Department becomes a schoolyard bully in Wisconsin — It is as remarkable as it is repulsive, the ingenuity with which the Obama administration uses the regulatory state's intricacies to advance progressivism's project of breaking nongovernmental institutions to government's saddle.

Mark Leibovich / New York Times:

Chris Christie Is Back — Credit: Tobias Hutzler for The New York Times — “If I fix this, you have to start the story with it,” Chris Christie told me, yanking the string of the venetian blind in the diner window. We were eating a late lunch at a place called Howley's …

Discussion: Washington Post and Political Wire

Phillip M. Bailey / Salon:

EXCLUSIVE: Rand Paul sounds off to Salon on race, 2016, Hillary and Republicans — GOP senator tells Salon about his potential White House bid, the GOP establishment and race in America — With an eye on a potential 2016 bid for the White House, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul continues to test whether …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Conor Friedersdorf / The Atlantic Online:

Drone Strikes Never Kill ‘Humans’ — The Obama administration's lethal drone strikes are at their most morally objectionable when the CIA doesn't even know the identities of the people it is killing—a fact it obscures by dubbing all military-age males who are killed “militants.”

Discussion: Prairie Weather

Robert Costa / Washington Post:

Bachmann: Obama turning ‘illiterate’ immigrants into Democratic voters — In a sign of the difficulties GOP leaders face in keeping their unruly caucus on-message, retiring tea party firebrand Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) said Wednesday that the immigrants given new protections by the president …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, susiemadrak.com, Politico, Mediaite and Political Wire

Susan Page / USA Today:

GOP senator warns of violence after immigration order — WASHINGTON — Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn warns there could be not only a political firestorm but acts of civil disobedience and even violence in reaction to President Obama's executive order on immigration Thursday.