memeorandum: President on Sidelines in Critical Battle Over Debt Ceiling (Jackie Calmes/New York Times)

9:45 AM ET, July 28, 2011

Top Items:

Julie Mason / The Politico:

Carney makes an accusation — Jay Carney took on Fox News's Ed Henry. — John Shinkle/POLITICO — The day after White House press secretary Jay Carney and Fox News reporter Ed Henry tangled over Henry's request for specifics on Obama's plan on debt limit and deficit reduction, Carney and Henry were back at it again on Wednesday.

Discussion: Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, nation.foxnews.com, Weasel Zippers and Pajamas Media

Jackie Calmes / New York Times:

President on Sidelines in Critical Battle Over Debt Ceiling — WASHINGTON — For an hour on Wednesday the White House press secretary, Jay Carney, fielded questions about what, if anything, President Obama was doing to help end the impasse in Congress over the imminent need to raise the nation's borrowing limit.

Discussion: Politics, Washington Post, The Caucus and The Hill

David Rogers / The Politico:

Biden, McConnell look for way out — Taking square aim at the White House, Republicans prepared to bring to a House vote Thursday a two-step $2.5 trillion debt ceiling bill that will avert default next week but threatens more conflict — and renewed instability — in six months.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, NY Daily News, The New Republic, Washington Post, Pajamas Media, The Page and JustOneMinute

Michael D. Shear / The Caucus:

Senate Democrats Promise to Reject Boehner Plan — Fifty-three Democratic senators have signed a letter to House Speaker John A. Boehner saying they intend to vote against his plan for an increase in the debt ceiling, virtually assuring its defeat in the Senate even as the speaker lines …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, American Spectator, Taegan Goddard's …, Connecting.the.Dots, americanthinker.com, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, New York Times, The Mahablog and Oliver Willis

Molly K. Hooper / The Hill:

Outcome is referendum on Boehner — Thursday's vote on the House Republican debt-limit bill has quickly become a referendum on Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). — It is, without question, the biggest vote of Boehner's reign. Some are even speculating that Boehner's Speakership is on the line.

Discussion: Associated Press, The Other McCain, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog and Booman Tribune

Major Garrett / NationalJournal.com:

Six Similarities Between the Boehner and Reid Debt Plans — The deficit-reduction plans put forward by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (left) and House Speaker John Boehner have more in common than people think. — Democrats and Republicans have taken tough shots at the opposite party's deficit-reduction plan.

Discussion: Swampland, Washington Post, Patterico's Pontifications, Red Dog Report, The Hill and Hit & Run

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:

It's All Over but the Face-Saving? — It remains unclear whether the House will pass a bill by the speaker, John A. Boehner, to raise the debt ceiling, though prospects appear to be significantly better today than they did yesterday. Still, the math looks to be pretty close.

Discussion: Daily Kos, Washington Post, The Confluence, A plain blog about politics, TPMDC, Hullabaloo, The New Republic and Firedoglake, more at Mediagazer »

Carl Hulse / New York Times:

With G.O.P. Unity at Risk, Boehner Tries Tougher Style — WASHINGTON — Speaker John A. Boehner is a laid-back leader who likes to say that his role is to let the House work its will. But with the nation's economic standing and his own political future at risk, Mr. Boehner jettisoned his usual laissez-faire approach on Wednesday.

Discussion: The Politico, Wall Street Journal, Roll Call, Boston Globe and Politics

Kbh / Keith Hennessey: Why I support the Boehner bill

Paul Kane / Washington Post:
Boehner, other GOP leaders ramp up pressure on Republicans to pass debt plan

Discussion: Daily Kos, Hotline On Call, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Politics

Judson Phillips / Washington Post:
Why the Tea Party is unyielding on the debt ceiling

Discussion: The Politico, ThinkProgress and The Reid Report

Allahpundit / Hot Air:
All 53 Senate Dems sign letter to Boehner: Your bill will never pass

Discussion: The Hill, The Gateway Pundit, Keith Hennessey and The Politico

Marin Cogan / The Politico:
Tea party rally on Capitol Hill draws thin crowd

Discussion: Hot Air, Mediaite, Daily Kos, Outside the Beltway and The Hill

Joshua Green / The Atlantic Online:
The Clearest Sign Yet That Boehner's Bill Will Pass the House

Discussion: Slate Magazine, Taylor Marsh, Prairie Weather and msnbc.com

David Mark / The Politico:
Grover Norquist backs John Boehner's debt bill

Discussion: TPMDC, Hullabaloo, Crooks and Liars and Pajamas Media

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
WSJ: Tea Party “hobbits” need to go back to Middle Earth, or something

Discussion: John Boehner, ProfessorBainbridge.com and The Other McCain

Alex Seitz-Wald / ThinkProgress:
Boehner: ‘A Lot’ Of Republicans Want To Force Default, Create ‘Enough Chaos’ To Pass Balanced Budget Amendment

Discussion: The Politico, Balloon Juice, The Note, Washington Monthly, Sky Dancing, The Moderate Voice, ProfessorBainbridge.com, The Raw Story and Daily Kos

Michael D. Shear / The Caucus:
McCain vs. the Tea Party

Mike Allen / The Politico:

Debbie Wasserman Schultz says GOP seeks ‘dictatorship ... spark panic’ — 'This is not leadership. This is almost like dictatorship, said Debbie Wasserman Schultz. AP Photo — Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), chair of the Democratic National Committee, said Wednesday …

Discussion: Don Surber, Hot Air, americanthinker.com, The TrogloPundit, Weasel Zippers, Moe Lane, The Gateway Pundit, CNN, The Lonely Conservative, Daily Kos, Washington Monthly and iOwnTheWorld.com

Sam Stein / The Huffington Post:
Ben Affleck Reacts To House GOP Using Clip From ‘The Town’ In Debt Debate

Discussion: Sky Dancing, TPMDC, Mediaite, The Caucus, Washington Post, ThinkProgress, Big Hollywood, Whiskey Fire, The Hill, CNN, National Review, USA Today, The Note, Weigel, Harry's Place and ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*

The Note:

Last-Ditch 14th Amendment Plan Gains Momentum As Debt Clock Ticks — ABC News' Amy Bingham reports: — As fears intensify that Congress will not pass a debt limit increase in time to avoid default, some Democrats are pulling out their pocket Constitutions to find a back-up plan.

Gschwarzcnn / CNN:

Bachmann warns of ‘dictator’ Obama — (CNN) - Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann said President Obama would be a “dictator” if he raised the debt ceiling by executive order, using the 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution as justification. — “It's Congress that does the spending.

Evan McMorris-Santoro / TPMDC:

Herman Cain Apologizes To Muslims — Herman Cain had his much-ballyhooed meeting with Muslims Wednesday, and he emerged, he said in a campaign statement “humble and contrite for any statements I have made that might have caused offense to Muslim Americans and their friends.”

Discussion: The Democratic Daily, ThinkProgress, Daily Kos, Booman Tribune and The Right Scoop

Juana Summers / The Politico:
Herman Cain hosts meeting with Muslim leaders

Discussion: CNN and The Raw Story

Jim Spencer / Minneapolis Star Tribune:

Franken's SNL moment on the Senate floor — For a moment Wednesday, Al Franken looked like he was back on the set of Saturday Night Live and not on the floor of the U.S. Senate. In a speech explaining that there would be no money to pay for military and security personnel if Congress …

Discussion: theblogprof, Pajamas Media, The Radio Equalizer and AmSpecBlog

Brad Watson / WFAA-TV:

McKinney Planned Parenthood building damaged by arsonist — MCKINNEY — McKinney police are investigating a case of arson at the Planned Parenthood clinic. — Police said they responded after the fire department got a call of a fire at the clinic on West Eldorado Parkway near U.S. 75.

Discussion: Jezebel and ECHIDNE of the snakes

Danny Gallagher / courier-gazette.com:
Planned Parenthood clinic attacked with Molotov cocktail

Discussion: ThinkProgress

Scott Conroy / Real Clear Politics:

Palin to Keynote Tea Party Rally in Iowa — In the latest indication that her sights are still set on a presidential run, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has accepted an invitation to keynote a Tea Party rally in Waukee, Iowa, on Sept. 3, RealClearPolitics has learned.

Discussion: Washington Post, TBogg, Conservatives4Palin, The Note, Weasel Zippers, Michelle Malkin, Hot Air, GOP 12, Ballot Box and Gallup

Scott Conroy / Real Clear Politics: Tea Party Leader Blasts Romney, Praises Perry

Penny Starr / CNSNews:

Jackson Lee at Radical Islam Hearing: Let's ‘Have a Hearing on Right-Wing Extremists, Ideologues’ — (CNSNews.com) - At a hearing of the House Committee on Homeland Security today about the radicalization of young Somali American Muslims by the al-Shabaab terrorist group, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee …

Discussion: YID With LID, The POH Diaries, Mediaite and Weasel Zippers

Julian Pecquet / Healthwatch:

Healthcare spending to reach new heights — Healthcare spending will account for almost a fifth of the nation's economy by 2020 with government making up almost half of it, Medicare's actuaries project in a new report published by the journal Health Affairs.

Discussion: The Politico, content.healthaffairs.org and White House.gov Blog

Nicholas Ballasy / CNSNews:

Dem. Lawmaker: 'We Don't Have a Deficit Problem Right Now' — The way to get out of “unemployment crisis is to spend money,” Rep. Nadler says. — (CNSNews.com) - Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) argued at a news conference with the Congressional Out of Poverty Caucus that the United States does not currently have a budget crisis.

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Weasel Zippers, YID With LID and The Lonely Conservative

Kris Kitto / The Hill:

50 Most Beautiful People for 2011 — It's no accident that Amy Cheng exhibits model-like poise in front of a camera. Growing up, her family would spend time outside their Chinese restaurant taking photos of one another in a park, and later on, Cheng would pose for her younger sister …

Discussion: The BLT, Washington Post, FishbowlDC, Wonkette, FamousDC, iOwnTheWorld.com and The Daily Caller

The Note:

Rep. Barney Frank: ‘Gender Bias’ Contributed to Warren Downfall — ABC News' Michael Ono reports: — Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., blames an unconscious culture of sexism for the failed appointment of Elizabeth Warren to the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and Taylor Marsh