memeorandum: The Iraq That Chalabi Left Behind (Jane Arraf/Politico)

2:20 PM ET, November 6, 2015

Top Items:

Kyle Cheney / Politico:

Ben Carson admits fabricating West Point scholarship — Ben Carson's campaign on Friday admitted, in a response to an inquiry from POLITICO, that a central point in his inspirational personal story was fabricated: his application and acceptance into the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Erick Erickson / Erick on the Radio:

Hit the Brakes on the Ben Carson Story — I've struck through the original piece here. — It is looking more and more like the details of Ben Carson's West Point story are more nuanced. — In 2013, he said he was offered a scholarship to West Point. The Politico story centers on Carson claiming he “applied and was accepted.”

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Mother Jones and Washington Post

Glenn Thrush / Politico:

5 of the stupidest things said this campaign season — The gaffe-phobic script of modern American politics has been shredded, stomped on and set ablaze in 2016 — especially on the Republican side. The GOP base wants passion in its candidates, and the media has grown accustomed to the Trump treatment …

Discussion: Bloomberg.com news, The Hill, CBS Philly, Washington Post, The Huffington Post and Naked Politics

ABC News:

Ben Carson Lashes Out at Media Over Questions About Violent Childhood

Discussion: abc7chicago.com and Towleroad

Tal Kopan / CNN:

Ben Carson on questions about his past: “Bunch of lies' — Carson's autobiography — a centerpiece of his campaign and star power — has long revolved around his allegedly violent past and stories of outbursts — Carson has had a shifting explanation of why the stories cannot be corroborated since CNN published its findings

Discussion: Washington Post, PoliticusUSA, The Daily Beast, Taylor Marsh, Daily Kos, The Week, Slantpoint, Business Insider, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, The Moderate Voice, Liberaland, Talking Points Memo, addictinginfo.org and Fox News Insider

CNN:
Ben Carson: Names of some childhood victims are ‘fictitious’

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Liberaland, Mediaite, Daily Kos and The Daily Caller

Jennifer Shutt / Politico:
Trump whacks Carson as neurosurgeon under fire for past remarks

Discussion: RedState, Washington Post, ThinkProgress, Business Insider, FOX News Radio, Los Angeles Times, Bloomberg.com news, New York Times, Daily Mail and Althouse

Coral Davenport / New York Times:

Obama Rejects Construction of Keystone XL Oil Pipeline — WASHINGTON — President Obama on Friday announced that he has rejected the request from a Canadian company to build the Keystone XL oil pipeline, ending a seven-year review that had become a flash point in the debate over his climate policies.

Discussion: USA Today, Hit & Run, Politico, Outside the Beltway, Gizmodo, Fusion, Washington Free Beacon and The Week

Elana Schor / Politico:

Obama rejects Keystone XL pipeline — President Barack Obama rejected a permit for the Keystone XL oil pipeline on Friday, handing a major victory to green activists in the defining environmental controversy of his tenure, arguing that approving the project would undercut the United States' status …

Discussion: Bloomberg Business, ABC News and Bloomberg.com news

The Hill: Obama rejects Keystone pipeline

Amy Harder / Wall Street Journal:
Obama Administration to Reject Keystone XL Pipeline, Citing Climate Concerns

Discussion: DCist, US News and Washington Free Beacon

Katie Valentine / ThinkProgress:
In Huge Win For Environmentalists, Obama Rejects The Keystone XL Pipeline

Discussion: Booman Tribune

Tina Davis / Bloomberg Business:
TransCanada Falls on Report U.S. Will Reject Keystone XL

Discussion: ABC News and Politico

Hollywood Reporter:

“And a lot of it is going to be driven by Tarantino, who is nothing if not predictable.” — In a veiled threat, the largest police union in the country says it has a “surprise” in store for Quentin Tarantino. — Jim Pasco, executive director of the Fraternal Order of Police …

Discussion: EW.com, Talking Points Memo, Hit & Run, New York Post, Liberaland, alicublog, Associated Press, Guardian, Fusion, Mediaite, Slantpoint, Mashable, The Huffington Post and MSNBC

Greg Stohr / Bloomberg Business:

Religious Objections on Obamacare Get U.S. Supreme Court Review — The U.S. Supreme Court scheduled a new showdown over Obamacare and religious rights, agreeing to hear contentions that faith-based groups shouldn't have to facilitate what they consider to be immoral insurance coverage for contraceptives.

Jennifer Haberkorn / Politico:
Supreme Court to take up challenge to Obamacare's contraception mandate

Discussion: NBC News and The Week

Eliza Collins / Politico:

Fiorina quarrels with ‘The View’ hosts — If you had your TV on mute Friday, you would have had no idea that Carly Fiorina and the hosts of “The View” went at it, they were all smiling so big. — When Fiorina first appeared, Whoopi Goldberg cheerfully greeted her by saying, “Hey girl” and went on to say, “Let's clear the air.”

Discussion: ABC News

Michelle Ye Hee Lee / Washington Post:

Here's why Marco Rubio's corporate card saga isn't really a scandal — “People need to understand what they're talking about. It wasn't a credit card. It was an American Express charge card secured under my personal credit in conjunction with the [Republican] Party. Bills would be mailed to me at home.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Power Line, Politico, Mediaite, ABC News, The Daily Caller, miamiherald, Naked Politics, National Review and New York Times

Robby Soave / Hit & Run:

Law Students Wrote This Unconstitutional, Ungrammatical Speech Code: ‘Do Not Comment Despairingly on Others’ — According to a new social media policy, students enrolled in the University of Missouri School of Law must communicate in a “respectful and friendly manner,” be “transparent” …

Elie Mystal / Above The Law:
University Releases Orwellian Social Media Policy, Hopes Students Are Too Dumb To Fight

Discussion: Washington Post and The Daily Caller

Oliver Darcy / TheBlaze.com:

Two-Page Handwritten Manifesto Found on Body of UC Merced Attacker — Here's What It Said, and Who He Praised — The man who went on a stabbing rampage Wednesday at the University of California, Merced, praised Allah in a two-page manifesto recovered from his body, the Merced County Sheriff said Thursday.

Discussion: Vlad Tepes, Israel Matzav, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, NBC News and Jihad Watch

mercedsunstar:
Sheriff: UC Merced attacker planned to kill “a lot of people”

Discussion: BizPac Review, Scared Monkeys, Independent Journal, TheBlaze.com, KRON4.com, Vlad Tepes, No More Mister Nice Blog, Pamela Geller, Creeping Sharia, Daily Mail and The PJ Tatler

Pastebin:

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Discussion: Washington Post, ThinkProgress, The Daily Caller, Common Dreams, freakoutnation.com, Re/code, addictinginfo.org, Mediaite, Raw Story and Liberaland

CRIMEWATCH:

Video of Off. Lisa Mearkle/David Kassick — The Dauphin County District Attorney's Office today released the video footage shown at the trial of Officer Lisa Mearkle. The footage is from the Taser camera that Officer Lisa Mearkle deployed as she fired two shots at David Kassick in South Hanover Township …

Discussion: RedState, ThinkProgress, Raw Story, WHTM-TV, PennLive.com, Washington Post and NBC News

Jane Arraf / Politico:

The Iraq That Chalabi Left Behind — The great WMD deceiver ended up alone, abandoned and betrayed—even by his dream of a unified country. — ERBIL, Iraq — On the rare occasion Ahmed Chalabi consented to an interview in the last couple of years, you first had to listen to a recitation …

Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute:

Exxon Lied, People Died. Or Overheated. Or Something. — Meanwhile, back on Shakedown Street: — Exxon Mobil Investigated for Possible Climate Change Lies by New York Attorney General — And why not? Politically, this can only be a winner in My Blue Heaven, reality notwithstanding.

Discussion: New York Times and Hit & Run

Andrew Shain / The Charlotte Observer:

Lindsey Graham punted from GOP debate next week — U.S. senator from Seneca failed to win enough support in polls — Graham had won the last two “undercard” debates with his humor — Christie, Huckabee fall off main stage to early debate … Next week's GOP presidential undercard debate just lost its best comic.

Discussion: RedState and Hot Air