memeorandum: Pelosi Ignites Caucus by Choosing Sides in Ranking Member Battle (Emma Dumain/Roll Call)

2:20 PM ET, March 1, 2014

Top Items:

Kremlin Clears Way for Force in Ukraine; Separatist Split Feared — SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine — As Russian armed forces effectively seized control of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula on Saturday, the Russian Parliament granted President Vladimir V. Putin the authority he sought to use military force …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Associated Press, Althouse, The Hugh Hewitt Show, RedState, The Week, kyivpost.com, Yahoo! News and New York Times

Laura Smith-Spark / CNN:

Russian upper house approves use of force in Ukraine — Troops stand guard in Balaklava, Crimea, on Saturday, March 1. Ukraine suspects Russia of sending new troops into Crimea and provoking separatist tensions in the region. Crimea is an autonomous republic of Ukraine with an ethnic Russian majority.

Discussion: Daily Mail, The Monkey Cage, Taylor Marsh, Hot Air, Mashable, Gawker, Mediaite and National Review

Matthew Kaminski / Wall Street Journal:

Mikheil Saakashvili: Lessons From the Putin Wars — Georgia's former president, who has seen first-hand the sort of trouble the Kremlin is causing in Ukraine, on what to do about Moscow's threat. — Kiev — Between barricades of tires and impromptu memorials to the victims of Ukraine's revolution …

Discussion: Weekly Standard

Washington Post:

Condemnation isn't enough for Russian actions in Crimea — PRESIDENT OBAMA made an unscheduled appearance before the press at the White House Friday to warn Russia against a military intervention in Ukraine, which he said would be a “clear violation” of Russia's commitments …

Discussion: Radio Free Europe/Radio …, Associated Press, Outside the Beltway, The PJ Tatler, Right Wing News and Post Politics

USA Today:

Last Slide — SEVASTOPOL, Ukraine — Russian parliament's upper house unanimously approved the deployment of troops in the Crimea region of Ukraine on Saturday. — Defying a warning by President Obama a day earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin asked parliament for permission …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Heritage Foundation and Associated Press

Reuters:

Russia wresting control of Crimea from Ukraine — (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin wrested control of the Ukrainian Black Sea region of Crimea from Kiev on Saturday citing a threat to Russian citizens and servicemen of the Russian Black Sea fleet based there.

Tony Lee / BREITBART.COM:

PALIN MOCKED IN 2008 FOR WARNING PUTIN MAY INVADE UKRAINE IF OBAMA ELECTED — During the 2008 presidential campaign, Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin warned that if Senator Barack Obama were elected president, his “indecision” and “moral equivalence” may encourage Russia's Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine.

Discussion: Vox Popoli

John Hinderaker / Power Line:
Russia Invades Ukraine, Obama Declares Happy Hour

Discussion: protein wisdom, Fox News, Los Angeles Times and Zero Hedge

BBC:
Russian parliament approves troop deployment in Ukraine

Discussion: Liberaland and National Review

Josh Rogin / The Daily Beast:
Exclusive: Russian ‘Blackwater’ Takes Over Ukraine Airport

Discussion: The New Republic, The PJ Tatler, Gizmodo, New Jersey Online, Guardian, Hot Air, Ed Driscoll, Gawker and The Dish

Guardian:
Russian ‘invasion’ of Crimea fuels fear of Ukraine conflict

Discussion: BBC and kyivpost.com

CNN:
Palin on Ukraine: I told you so

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, The Lonely Conservative, The Other McCain, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Politico, The Daily Caller, Mediaite and Balloon Juice

Edward-Isaac Dovere / Politico:
Close — President Barack Obama on Friday issued a blunt …

Discussion: CANNONFIRE, CNN and Daily Kos

Justin Sink / The Hill:
Heckler: Obama wants ‘nuclear war with Russia’

Discussion: Liberaland

Associated Press:
OBAMA COULD PULL RUSSIA TRIP AMID UKRAINE TUMULT

Discussion: THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, AMERICAN DIGEST and The Gateway Pundit

Jay Newton-Small / TIME:
Senator John McCain: “We Are All Ukrainians”

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Balloon Juice and New York Times

Oren Dorell / USA Today:

Iran advancing its nuclear program despite pact with West — Iran's economy has begun to recover, but experts disagree on whether that will help lead to a comprehensive deal or not. — Iran is moving ahead with a nuclear program that U.S. officials said would be frozen …

Discussion: Algemeiner.com, Independent Journal Review and The Gateway Pundit

Nikita Stewart / New York Times:

De Blasio Picks More Liberal Activists Than Managers for City Posts — In Bill de Blasio's City Hall, it seems more and more, there is only a left wing. — The mayor, who advanced in politics by grass-roots organizing, has built a team filled with former activists …

Discussion: Right Wing News

Emma Dumain / Roll Call:

Pelosi Ignites Caucus by Choosing Sides in Ranking Member Battle — Pallone, right, hopes to succeed Waxman as Energy and Commerce ranking member. (Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo) — House Democrats could soon be at war. — The internal drama over who will take the top Democratic slot …

Discussion: DownWithTyranny!

Alec Torres / National Review:

Krauthammer's Take: Obama Tells the World We Aren't Going to Do Anything About Invasion of Ukraine — As reports are coming in that Russia has placed 2,000 troops in Crimea, within the borders of Ukraine, President Obama said that “the United States will stand with the international community …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, NewsBusters and Independent Journal Review

Gail Collins / New York Times:

Arizona Sort of Helps Out — It's been quite a week in Arizona. First, the Legislature passed a bill that, in effect, gave businesses the right to discriminate against gay couples. The state's actual business community was horrified. Everybody from Mitt Romney to Newt Gingrich was ticked off.

Discussion: Althouse