memeorandum: After Charlie Hebdo attack, U.S. Catholic group says cartoonists ‘provoked’ slaughter (Ishaan Tharoor/Washington Post)

2:55 PM ET, January 8, 2015

Top Items:

George Packer / New Yorker:

The Blame for the Charlie Hebdo Murders — The murders today in Paris are not a result of France's failure to assimilate two generations of Muslim immigrants from its former colonies. They're not about French military action against the Islamic State in the Middle East, or the American invasion of Iraq before that.

Discussion: Guardian, Bloomberg View, Wall Street Journal, Politico, The PJ Tatler, Telegraph, Betsy's Page, Raw Story, Hit & Run, Common Dreams, The Great Debate, Joanne Jacobs and BBC, more at Mediagazer »

Jeffrey Goldberg / The Atlantic Online:

Europe Is Under Siege — The European Parliament complex in Brussels, where I happen to be sitting at the moment, is meant to be a monument to post-World War II continental ideals of peaceable integration, tolerance, free speech, and openness. All of these notions seem to be under attack at once …

Discussion: Israel Matzav, Chicago Boyz and Wall Street Journal

Daily Mail:

Attack came less than 24 hours after 12 people were shot dead at the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, also in Paris — French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve - pictured second left, at the site of the shooting in Montrouge - said the shooter was still at large

Discussion: Vox Popoli and Hinterland Gazette

Ishaan Tharoor / Washington Post:

After Charlie Hebdo attack, U.S. Catholic group says cartoonists ‘provoked’ slaughter — In the aftermath of the deadly assault on the offices of Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical newspaper, much of the world has rallied in solidarity with the publication, its irreverent cartoonists and their right to free speech.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Firedoglake, The Hugh Hewitt Show, Catholic League, New York Times, Towleroad News #gay, CNN, National Review, Bloomberg, The Dish and Joe. My. God.

Guardian:

Charlie Hebdo staff vow to publish next week with 1m print run — Writer for satirical magazine says ‘stupidity will not win’ as Google pledges to donate €250,000 to support the publication — Surviving staff members of Charlie Hebdo have vowed to publish the satirical weekly next Wednesday …

Discussion: NPR, New York Magazine, The Verge, Gawker, PoliticusUSA and Business Insider, more at Mediagazer »

Shanifa Nasser / National Post:

In wake of Charlie Hebdo attacks, secularist groups to seek end of Canada's blasphemy law — The heads of two Canadian organizations promoting secularism will ask the Department of Justice to abolish a section of the criminal code that makes blasphemy illegal, following Tuesday's attacks on Charlie Hebdo.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Friendly Atheist and DamianPenny.com

New York Times:
Two Brothers Suspected in Killings Were Known to French Intelligence Services

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Bloomberg, Daily Mail, BBC, Guardian, Bloomberg Politics, Business Insider, NBC News, Telegraph, Jay Bookman, NPR, Liberaland and ABC News

Nicholas Kristof / New York Times:
Is Islam to Blame for the Shooting at Charlie Hebdo in Paris?

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Hit & Run, Guardian, Newseum, Religion News Service, Hot Air, National Review, TalkLeft and The Huffington Post

Rowan Scarborough / Washington Times:
Muslims segregated from French society in growing Islamist mini-states

Discussion: Israel Matzav

Dan Bilefsky / New York Times:
Manhunt for Charlie Hebdo Attack Suspects Continues

Discussion: CNN, The Daily Beast, Slate, Talking Points Memo, NPR, Hit & Run, The Dish, Gawker and The Huffington Post, more at Mediagazer »

Arthur Goldhammer / Fact-Based, In-Depth News:
Let's not sacralize Charlie Hebdo

Discussion: The Daily Beast, The Moderate Voice, CNNMoney.com, BuzzFeed, The Glittering Eye and Vox, more at Mediagazer »

New York Times:
‘Dangerous Moment’ for Europe, as Fear and Resentment Grow

John Parkinson / ABC News:

Boehner Says It Hurts to Be Called ??? Spineless or a Squish??? … House Speaker John Boehner said today that he found it painful to be described as “spineless or a squish,” but said the worst comments about him was that he was “the establishment.” — Boehner's comments came during …

Discussion: Politico, Addicting Info and Bloomberg.com

Scott Wong / The Hill:
Boehner: I'm most ‘anti-establishment’ Speaker in history

Discussion: Political Wire

Scott Wong / The Hill:
Boehner defends retribution

Discussion: Washington Post, Washington Examiner and Shark Tank

Daniel Strauss / Talking Points Memo:
Boehner: I'm The Most 'Anti-Establishment Speaker We've Ever Had'

Discussion: Mediaite

USA Today:

People know the consequences: Opposing view — Why did France allow the tabloid to provoke Muslims? — Contrary to popular misconception, Islam does not mean peace but rather means submission to the commands of Allah alone. Therefore, Muslims do not believe in the concept of freedom of expression …

Kevin Freking / Associated Press:

California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer to Retire — Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer of California, one of the chamber's most tenacious liberals, announced Thursday she will not seek re-election in 2016 to a fifth term. — A staunch supporter of abortion rights, gun control and environmental protections …

Discussion: Politico, Daily Kos, Outside the Beltway and The Glittering Eye

Jeremy Diamond / CNN:
Barbara Boxer retiring, not running for reelection in 2016

Discussion: Raw Story and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Daniel Strauss / Talking Points Memo:

Dems' Big Conundrum In GOP Senate: How To Deploy The Filibuster? — When Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) took to his chamber's floor on Wednesday he warned that the now minority Senate Democrats “had no intention of just rolling over” but added that the “gratuitous obstruction …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Politico and The Hill

Laura Barron-Lopez / The Hill:
Durbin: ‘Now is the time’ to raise gas tax

Discussion: John Hawkins' Right Wing News and The Glittering Eye

Anna Palmer / Politico: K Street won't get blank check on Hill

Cory Shaffer / Plain Dealer:

Extended Tamir Rice shooting video shows officers restrained sister — CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cleveland police officers forced Tamir Rice's 14-year-old sister to the ground, handcuffed her and placed in the back of a Cleveland police car steps away from her wounded 12-year-old brother.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Talking Points Memo, Gawker, Hit & Run, Raw Story and ABC News

Linda Greenhouse / New York Times:

It's All Right with Sam — Samuel A. Alito Jr. may be the least recognizable of Supreme Court justices. I doubt if one American in a thousand could pick him out of a lineup. Those who do know the name, if not the face, of the 64-year-old justice most likely lump him with the other conservatives …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Election Law Blog, Lawyers, Guns & Money and SCOTUSblog

Jonah Goldberg / National Review:

The Dumbest 57 Seconds Ever On TV? — Adam Baldwin linked to this MSNBC clip with a succinct tweet “Spot the morons/cowards.” — All due respect to Adam, but his understatement is almost a scandal. We've posted a lot of incredibly stupid sound bites from MSNBC and other places around here …

Discussion: NewsBusters and RedState

Alana Semuels / The Atlantic Online:

Suburbs and the New American Poverty — NORCROSS, Ga.—Every weekday around 3:15 p.m., a big, yellow school bus stops on Pelican Drive outside Norcross Extended Stay, near the intersection with Best Friend Drive. — Dozens of children file out, carrying their heavy backpacks away …

Discussion: The Dish

Justin Sink / The Hill:

Manchin: Keystone veto threat ‘not the way a democracy works’ — Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said Thursday he was disappointed that the White House threatened to veto his legislation approving the Keystone XL pipeline, arguing the president's move was “not the way a democracy works.”

Discussion: Political Wire

Gallup:

Story Highlights — PRINCETON, N.J. — An average 43% of Americans identified politically as independents in 2014, establishing a new high in Gallup telephone poll trends back to 1988. In terms of national identification with the two major parties, Democrats continued to hold a modest edge over Republicans, 30% to 26%.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Politics and Washington Post

Matthew Larotonda / ABC News:

Why Obama Says Buying Your First Home Just Got More Affordable … PHOENIX - A new White House initiative could put hundreds of dollars back into the pockets of homeowners with mortgages through the Federal Housing Authority, President Obama says. — Obama has directed the FHA to reduce …

Discussion: Politico

Reuters:

Howard Dean: Paris attackers not ‘Muslim terrorists’ — File photo of Howard Dean, former head of the Democratic National Committee. — Former Democratic Party head Howard Dean objected to calling the shooters in the Paris attack “Muslim terrorists,” though the attackers were witnessed shouting “Allahu akbar” as they fired.

Discussion: Power Line, RealClearPolitics Videos, American Spectator, Shark Tank and National Review

Burlington Free Press:

Shumlin defeats Milne in Legislature governor vote — Peter Shumlin has been re-elected Vermont governor by state Legislature, 110-69, over Republican challenger Scott Milne. — That's 61.5 percent for Shumlin, 38.5 for Milne. — Libertarian Dan Feliciano, the third-place finisher …

Discussion: Political Wire and Real Clear Politics