memeorandum: The Solid South Will Rise Again (Charles M. Blow/New York Times)

10:55 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, Washington Post, ThinkProgress, The Atlantic Online, Politico, National Review, Bloomberg, Bloomberg View and Business Insider

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 — Watch President Obama's immigration speech on CNN tonight at 8 pm ET — Washington (CNN) — President Barack Obama's plan to take the immigration system in his own hands is a daring test of the limits of presidential 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, New York Magazine, Betsy's Page, The PJ Tatler and White House.gov Blog

The Hill:

Networks won't air Obama speech — Three major networks will not air President Obama's prime-time address Thursday outlining his executive actions on immigration. — Officials with ABC, CBS and Fox confirmed to The Hill that Obama's 8 p.m. speech from the White House will not be carried on their networks.

Discussion: Deadline and The Huffington Post

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: The PJ Tatler

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

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

Jake Sherman / Politico:
Rick Perry: Texas might sue Barack Obama

Discussion: Hot Air, The Gateway Pundit and The Daily Caller

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, National Journal and neo-neocon

poppolling.com:
LA Poll: Cassidy Up Big Over Landrieu

Discussion: Hot Air, Firedoglake and Booman Tribune

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 and NPR

ABC News:
Mike Nichols passed away suddenly on Wednesday evening. He was 83.

Discussion: Mashable and Jewish Telegraphic Agency

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

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, BillMoyers.com, Shakesville, CANNONFIRE, Outside the Beltway and Political Wire

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, Political Wire and National Review

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

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.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, New York Times, Talking Points Memo, Hot Air, Mediaite, FOX News Radio, CBS Philly and Political Wire

Daisuke Wakabayashi / Wall Street Journal:

Inside Apple's Broken Sapphire Factory — How $1 Billion Bet on iPhone Screens Failed; the ‘Boule Graveyard’ — These are defective sapphire boules produced by GT Advanced Technologies at an Arizona factory built with Apple. The photos were sent by Apple to GT's creditors. — By

Discussion: Business Insider and The Verge

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.

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, Politico and Mediaite

Shushannah Walshe / ABC News:

GOP Governors Mostly Hostile on Obama Immigration Executive Action … Potential Republican presidential candidates at the Republican Governors Association annual conference gave very different responses to the president's decision to announce major executive action on immigration reform Thursday.

Discussion: ABC News and Politico

Dan Balz / Washington Post:
Perry: ‘I was a bit arrogant’

Discussion: CNN, Bloomberg Politics, US News, The PJ Tatler and Talking Points Memo

Kathy Gilsinan / The Atlantic Online:

The Cosby Show — Declining to seriously reckon with the rape allegations against him is reckless. And I was once reckless. — On Monday, 66-year old Joan Tarshis accused Bill Cosby of raping her. Tarshis says the attack took place in 1969, when she was 19 and working as comedy writer: