memeorandum: Trading Women's Rights for Political Power (New York Times)

4:15 PM ET, November 12, 2009

Top Items:

Spencer Ackerman / The Washington Independent:

Inside This Morning's White House Afghanistan Meeting: Anger With Eikenberry, ‘Beef’ With McChrystal — It was a tense meeting this morning at the White House, as Ambassador Karl Eikenberry addressed the National Security Council by teleconference from Kabul just hours after the media got hold …

Discussion: The Daily Dish, Washington Post, cnas.org, Danger Room, Counterterrorism Blog, VetVoice, Newshoggers.com, Matthew Yglesias, ATTACKERMAN, The New Republic, ParaPundit and Prairie Weather

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:

We Have A President — The news that Obama has refused to sign off on any of the four major options presented to him in Afghanistan reminds me of why he was elected president. This critical decision - arguably the most critical of his young presidency - is one that will not be rushed the way such decisions often are.

Discussion: New York Times and Riehl World View

Associated Press:

Official: Obama rejects war options — President seeks clarity on turnover to Afghan government, official says — WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama does not plan to accept any of the Afghanistan war options presented by his national security team, pushing instead for revisions to clarify …

New York Times:
U.S. Afghan Envoy Urges Caution on Troop Increase

Siun / Firedoglake:
McChrystal Reported “Fuming” over Eikenberry's Afghanistan Warnings

Discussion: Eschaton, Laura Rozen's Blog, BBC and ATTACKERMAN

Dave Michaels / Dallas Morning News:

Fort Hood shootings suspect may have wired money to Pakistan — dmichaels@dallasnews.com — WASHINGTON - Authorities have been examining whether Fort Hood massacre suspect Nidal Malik Hasan wired money to Pakistan in recent months, an action that one senior lawmaker said would raise serious questions …

Discussion: Hot Air, YID With LID, National Review Online, NO QUARTER, The Strata-Sphere, Jules Crittenden, Political Byline, Little Green Footballs, Flopping Aces and Weasel Zippers

Washington Times:

EXCLUSIVE: Fort Hood suspect contacted Muslim extremists — Contacts already being watched by FBI — Fort Hood shooting suspect Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan had been in contact with numerous Muslim extremists — some of whom are under federal investigation — before last week's rampage …

Discussion: The Jawa Report and The Strata-Sphere

James C. McKinley Jr / New York Times:

At Fort Hood, Witness Credits Second Officer — KILLEEN, Tex. — Sgt. Kimberly D. Munley has been applauded as a hero across the nation for shooting down Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan during the bloody rampage at Fort Hood last week. The account of heroism, given by the authorities …

Discussion: Guardian, The Huffington Post and The Corner on National …

Washington Post:
Army sought ways to channel Hasan's absorption with Islam

Discussion: Neptunus Lex, Hot Air, Below The Beltway, This ain't Hell … and Jihad Watch

Marc Ambinder / The Atlantic Politics Channel:
Did Hoekstra Compromise A Sensitive Intelligence Program?

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Crooks and Liars, The Huffington Post and Suburban Guerrilla

msnbc.com:
Fort Hood suspect charged with murder

Discussion: Politics Daily and current.com

Mark Weiner / Syracuse Post-Standard:

Recanvassing shows NY-23 race tightens even as Rep. Bill Owens is sworn into House seat … Washington — Conservative Doug Hoffman conceded the race in the 23rd Congressional District last week after receiving two pieces of grim news for his campaign: He was down 5,335 votes with 93 percent …

Caroline Glick:

Missing George W. Bush — A couple of days ago I heard the news that George and Laura Bush paid a private visit to the wounded soldiers at Fort Hood. They specifically requested that the base commander not inform the media of their visit. They came. They comforted the wounded soldiers …

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Eunomia, Macsmind and The Jawa Report

HillBuzz:

Thank you former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush — We know absolutely no one in Bush family circles and have never met former President George W. Bush or his wife Laura. — If you have been reading us for any length of time, you know that we used to make fun of …

Discussion: GayPatriot, Sister Toldjah and CDR Salamander

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:

The sleazy advocacy of a leading “liberal hawk” — Peter Galbraith's vast, undisclosed financial interests in the policies he spent years advocating as an “expert.” — The New York Times today details the unbelievably sleazy story of Peter Galbraith, one of the Democratic Party's leading so-called …

Discussion: Newshoggers.com

Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute: No Blood For Oil. Well, Unless It Is For Democrats.

New York Times:
American Adviser to Kurds Stands to Reap Oil Profits

Discussion: The Agonist

New York Times:

Lou Dobbs Abruptly Quits CNN — Months ago the president of CNN/U.S., Jonathan Klein, offered a choice to Lou Dobbs, the channel's most outspoken anchor. Mr. Dobbs could vent his opinions on radio and anchor an objective newscast on television, or he could leave CNN.

Discussion: Media Decoder, Think Progress, Media Matters for America, The Huffington Post, The Moderate Voice, Hotline On Call, Silicon Alley Insider, The Daily Voice, Drop Dobbs, Guardian, DailyFinance, Washington Monthly, The Washington Independent, culturekitchen and Little Green Footballs

Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:
John King to take over Dobbs's slot at CNN

Discussion: CNN

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Will Lefty Web Get Any Credit For Lou Dobbs Ouster?

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Washington Post, GQ Magazine: GQ and THE WEEK News & Opinion

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

STUPAK STARTS MAKING THREATS.... Remember when it seemed as if the fight over public-private competition in health care threatened to derail the entire effort? That was so two weeks ago. Now, it's abortion. — Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) was able to get his odious amendment through the House …

Discussion: LifeNews.com Pro-Life …, Swampland and The Huffington Post

E.J. Dionne Jr / Washington Post:
E.J. Dionne Jr. on health reform's abortion stumbling block

Discussion: Firedoglake, TPMDC, Think Progress, The Washington Independent, JustOneMinute, Wonk Room and Weekly Standard

Kareem Fahim / New York Times:

Acorn Sues Over Funding Vote in House — Saying a resolution by the House of Representatives that barred Acorn from receiving federal aid violated the Constitution by singling the antipoverty group out for punishment, lawyers for Acorn filed a lawsuit on Thursday that seeks to restore the financing.

Discussion: The Hill, Sweetness & Light, JammieWearingFool and Prairie Weather

Jake Sherman / The Politico:
ACORN sues over funding cut

Discussion: Big Government, Townhall.com, Center for Constitutional … and Nice Deb

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:

Pelosi: Jail time “very fair” for failing to buy your patriotic ObamaCare coverage — It's very fair to send people who disregard the federal mandate to buy health insurance to prison, Nancy Pelosi says, because otherwise they'll assault citizens ... with a bill for medical services ... or something.

Discussion: Townhall.com

Infidelesto / Infidels Are Cool:
Pelosi: Jailing people who don't buy health insurance is “fair”

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Ace of Spades HQ, Moe_Lane's blog and Gateway Pundit

Washington Post:

Catholic Church gives D.C. ultimatum — Same-sex marriage bill, as written, called a threat to social service contracts — The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington said Wednesday that it will be unable to continue the social service programs it runs for the District if the city doesn't change …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Wall of Separation, The Huffington Post, TPMDC, Shakesville, TalkLeft, City Desk, The Reaction, The BLT, IntoxiNation, The Foundry, AMERICAblog Gay and Towleroad News #gay

Wall Street Journal:

U.S. Aims to Cut Deficit With TARP — WASHINGTON — The Obama administration, under pressure to show it is serious about tackling the budget deficit, is seizing on an unusual target to showcase fiscal responsibility: the $700 billion financial rescue. — The administration wants to keep …

Discussion: Open Left, Matthew Yglesias, Wonk Room, Donklephant and Clusterstock

Danny Shea / The Huffington Post:

Obama To Give Interview To Fox News — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — President Obama will give an interview to Fox News' Major Garrett, Drudge reports. — The interview will take place in China next week and comes just one day after it was reported that Obama Communications Director Anita Dunn …

Discussion: JustOneMinute and The Hill

Jeff Zeleny / The Caucus:
Obama Announces Jobs Summit

Discussion: QandO, JustOneMinute, New York Times, Washington Monthly, MyDD and Riehl World View

Tony Romm / The Hill:

Reid might hike Medicare tax to pay for healthcare reform — Senate Democrats are now mulling a conditional increase in the payroll tax as a way to pay for their forthcoming healthcare reform bill. — That proposed hike — which would be added to the Medicare taxes employers and employees already pay …

Wall Street Journal:
A 69% Capital Gains Tax Hike . . .

Discussion: CNN, TalkLeft and TaxProf Blog

James Gordon Meek / NY Daily News:

My solemn meeting on Veterans Day with President Obama at my friend's resting place in Arlington — ARLINGTON, Va. - He didn't introduce himself. He didn't have to. — President Obama simply stuck out his hand and asked for my name as he stepped toward me amid a bone-chilling drizzle in the Gardens of Stone.

New York Times:

Trading Women's Rights for Political Power — A GRIM reality sits behind the joyful press statements from Washington Democrats. To secure passage of health care legislation in the House, the party chose a course that risks the well-being of millions of women for generations to come.

Discussion: BuzzFlash.org, Taylor Marsh, Prairie Weather, DailyHowler.com and Shakesville

Paul Krugman:

The agony of Fox Business — James Wolcott is made of sterner stuff than I am: he actually has the fortitude to watch Fox Business, where the talking heads manage to find nothing but clouds in the silver lining of a huge stock rally. To make their point they bring on such market experts as ... John Bolton.

Discussion: NewsBusters.org, Modeled Behavior and Clusterstock