memeorandum: Rand Paul's Iowa Albatross (Shane Goldmacher/National Journal)

10:20 AM ET, February 5, 2015

Top Items:

Travis J. Tritten / Stars & Stripes:

NBC's Brian Williams recants Iraq story after soldiers protest — 'I spent much of the weekend thinking I'd gone crazy. I feel terrible about making this mistake' — Stars and Stripes — WASHINGTON — NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams admitted Wednesday he was not aboard …

John Hinderaker / Power Line:

Do Brian Williams's Lies Matter? [Updated] — If you haven't already heard about it-which seems unlikely-tonight's big news story is the downfall of NBC's Brian Williams. I am not sure I have ever seen Twitter more riled up over anything. The story, briefly, is this: for twelve years …

Discussion: Althouse

David Zurawik / Baltimore Sun:

Can NBC News now have any credibility with Brian Williams as its face? — If credibility means anything to NBC News, Brian Williams will no longer be managing editor and anchor of the evening newscast by the end of the day Friday. — The admission from Williams Wednesday that he lied …

Discussion: Hit & Run, FishbowlDC, Talking Points Memo and The Daily Caller, more at Mediagazer »

CNNMoney:

How Brian Williams' Iraq story changed — As the years have gone by, Brian Williams' account of a 2003 U.S. Army mission imperiled by an RPG attack has changed markedly. He apologized on Wednesday for saying that he was aboard the helicopter that came under direct fire.

Discussion: Mr. Media Training, The Daily Caller, TPNN, Deadline, NBC News, Breaking News Updates and Poynter

Lloyd Grove / The Daily Beast: Brian Williams Lies to Cast Himself As an Iraq War Badass

Politico:
Brian Williams apologizes for false Iraq story

Discussion: TVNewser, Townhall.com, Twitchy, Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, The Daily Caller and Business Insider

By Thr / Hollywood Reporter:
Brian Williams Admits He Never Came Under Fire in Iraq: “I Apologize” (Video)

Discussion: MichelleMalkin.com and The Powers That Be

Daniel Halper / Weekly Standard:
Brian Williams Admits: I Lied About Being Aboard Helicopter Shot Down By RPG in Iraq

Discussion: TheBlaze.com, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, The Daily Caller, Mediaite and Mashable

Linda Greenhouse / New York Times:

Overturning Obamacare Would Change the Nature of the Supreme Court — In the first Affordable Care Act case three years ago, the Supreme Court had to decide whether Congress had the power, under the Commerce Clause or some other source of authority, to require individuals to buy health insurance.

A.B. Stoddard / The Hill:

Hard to kill the ACA — For Republicans, it sure was fun while their hopes lasted, but many have concluded the Supreme Court might not be able to kill off the Affordable Care Act after all. — When the high court rules this spring in King v. Burwell, even a decision that would invalidate subsidies …

Discussion: Hot Air and Prairie Weather

USA Today:

More C.A.R.E., less Obama: Column — GOP proposal scraps taxes, opens choice, retains continuous coverage. — It has been five years since the Affordable Care Act became law, crystallizing partisan division in our national health care debate. The law made fundamental changes to how health care …

Discussion: New York Times

Jason Millman / Washington Post:
Here's how the GOP would repeal and replace Obamacare

Discussion: Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality

Stephanie Armour / Wall Street Journal:
Affordable Care Act Enrollment Near 10 Million

Discussion: Daily Kos

Oregonian:

John Kitzhaber must resign: Editorial — The Oregonian Editorial Board By The Oregonian Editorial Board — “I'm not going to consider resigning,” said Gov. John Kitzhaber at a disastrous press conference held Friday following revelations about the apparently borderless world of public policy …

Discussion: Power Line, National Review and Weekly Standard

Brent Budowsky / The Hill:

An Obama resurgence? — There are signs that President Obama may be achieving a post-midterm resurgence as the Democratic doldrums of 2014 recede, the new Republican Congress does not inspire confidence in the GOP as a credible governing party, the American economy continues a steady recovery …

Paul Waldman / Washington Post:
Is it too early to call the new GOP Congress a failure?

Discussion: The Mahablog and Washington Monthly

Nitasha Tiku / The Verge:

Twitter CEO: ‘We suck at dealing with abuse’ — Dick Costolo says trolls are costing Twitter users — Twitter CEO Dick Costolo is taking personal responsibility for his platform's chronic problems with harassment and abuse, telling employees that he is embarrassed for the company's failures …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, VentureBeat, Mediaite, Little Green Footballs, Mashable, Shakesville and Daily Mail, more at Mediagazer »

PR Watch:

Walker Strikes Truth and Wisconsin Idea from UW Mission in Budget — UPDATE: 5:30 p.m. Wisconsin State Journal is reporting that Walker spokesperson Laurel Patrick says the changes to the UW mission were a “drafting error.” — In addition to unprecedented budget cuts to the University of Wisconsin …

Discussion: Unfogged, Washington Post and Associated Press

Karen Herzog / JSOnline:
Walker proposes changing Wisconsin Idea — then backs away

Discussion: The Nation, The Daily Caller, rubber hose and ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES

Alice Ollstein / ThinkProgress:
Wisconsin Officials Call Scott Walker's Budget ‘Nonsensical’

Discussion: Daily Kos, JSOnline and Office of the Governor

Josh Israel / ThinkProgress:

In Facebook Posts, Congressman Aaron Schock's Press Secretary Compared African Americans To Zoo Animals — In a series of Facebook posts obtained by ThinkProgress, the senior adviser for policy and communications to Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL) posted racial comments and endorsed gentrification of his neighborhood.

Alexandra Jaffe / CNN:

Past Bush immigration remarks shock conservatives — Washington (CNN)During a “Family Reunion” conference hosted by the Hispanic Leadership Network in April 2013, Jeb Bush spoke freely on the promise immigrants hold for America and his views on reform. — He said, during a discussion with Univision …

Discussion: Washington Times, Shark Tank, The Fiscal Times, Hot Air, BREITBART.COM, Hit & Run, Daily Kos, The Daily Caller, National Review and Washington Monthly

James Hohmann / Politico: Jeb Bush: I thought, a little, about NFL commissioner job

Indianapolis Star:

9-year-old Girl Scout was shot on her way to get cookies — A 9-year-old girl was shot Tuesday evening on the city's Northwestside, police said. — Sinai Miller and her two younger sisters were preparing to sell Girl Scout cookies in their neighborhood when shots were fired from a passing car.

Discussion: Raw Story and FreakOutNation

Michael Grunwald / Politico:

The College Loan Bombshell Hidden in the Budget — Obama's new repayment program comes with a record $22 billion shortfall. — In obscure data tables buried deep in its 2016 budget proposal, the Obama administration revealed this week that its student loan program had a $21.8 billion shortfall last year …

Discussion: Hot Air

Ivan Plis / The Daily Caller:

Jordan's King May Participate Personally In ISIS Raids — Jordan's King Abdullah ibn al-Hussein, who has trained as a pilot, may fly a bomber himself on Thursday in the country's retaliation against the ISIS. — Several Arabic-language newspapers reported late Wednesday that the monarch …

Discussion: Hot Air, RealClearPolitics Videos, American Power and Washington Examiner

Wall Street Journal:

Top White House Official to Leave for Emerging Hillary Clinton Campaign — Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri to Leave in March At The Earliest — Another top aide to President Barack Obama will be leaving the White House to join Hillary Clinton 's would-be presidential campaign …

Discussion: New York Times and Political Wire