IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Morning EDition: July 14, 2011

Sorry no Outlook or Underbuzzed yesterday, I was off the grid.
By Jonathan Larsen, Jonathan Larsen

Sorry no Outlook or Underbuzzed yesterday, I was off the grid. Here's today's Morning EDition:

TODAY

  • The president gives a handful of TV interviews about the debt-ceiling talks.
  • The president meets with congressional leaders for new debt-ceiling talks at 4:15pm.

BUDGET

  • The budget deficit is shrinking. Shrinking.
  • GOP senators vote against spending on the military and veterans. (See the foreclosure story under Wall St. / Banks.)
  • The Army Corps of Engineers has run out of money to protect you from flooding. Build your own damn dam.
  • A clear set of choices emerges as Republicans and Democrats head back into talks, including a possible Camp David summit.
  • House GOP Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) gets called out by the president.
  • A lengthy account of the exchange.
  • Even the way Cantor talks about the talks flouts historic precedents of comity.
  • Fifty-two Republicans ask Obama to identify his spending priorities in event of default, thus confirming they know it will have consequences.
  • Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) wants to protect military spending from a default (after accusing Obama of scare tactics for saying other spending might be frozen).
  • Cantor signals possible openness to the cave of Sen. GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
  • Cantor is apparently misleading his own caucus about what's happening in closed-door talks.
  • Seniors push back hard against proposed entitlement cuts.
  • Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC) admits the GOP is getting hoist on their own petard. (Really wanted to say paultard, but what would be wrong.)
  • How Republicans can raise taxes: Don't CALL them taxes.
  • The choices Obama will have to make if Congress doesn't raise the debt ceiling.
  • Moody's, Standard & Poor's issue warning signals on America's credit ratings.
  • Wall St. is starting to think the GOP might just be stupid enough to do it. (Making people think you are can be good strategy.)
  • Moody's pushes for austerity measures here, because they're working so well in Europe.
  • The rich fear default, but they also fear progressive tax reform.
  • Congressional Democrats sound open to McConnell's cave.
  • Analysis: Cantor's going to own the outcome.
  • Poll: Twice as many Americans blame Bush for the economy than blame Obama.
  • Poll: More voters will blame the GOP than Obama if the US defaults.
  • Poll: GOP is out of step with Americans on taxes; they stand with Obama.
  • Nate Silver: Poll numbers show Dems should not back down.
  • Poll PS: Public remains almost twice as concerned about jobs as deficit.
  • Cantor admits obstructionism matters more to his party than anything does. No, really. Literally. Explicitly. Openly.
  • VIDEO: McConnell admits his politics matter more to him than democracy does. No, really. Literally. Explicitly. Openly.
  • VIDEO: Rep. Steve King (R-IA) admits his politics matter more to him than facts do. No, really. Literally. Explicitly. Openly.
  • VIDEO: Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL) admits his politics matter more to him than history does. No, really. Literally. Explicitly. Openly.
  • VIDEO: Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) takes aim at his own party in new ad.
  • VIDEO: Wonder how McConnell feels about Palin responding to his cave with "Don't retreat, reload."

CLASS WARFARE

  • Charts: Poor and middle-class now pay nearly the same rates the rich do.
  • The LA Times weighs in on ALEC.

JOBS

  • Orszag: Brace yourselves for possible decades above past unemployment rates.

WALL ST. / BANKS

  • Obama vows to veto spending bills that lack sufficient funding to enforce Dodd-Frank Wall St. regulation.
  • Dems charge Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) with canceling financial-services hearing to defend Wall St. from adverse testimony.
  • A rising number of active-duty military face foreclosure by the banks they're fighting for.
  • VIDEO: Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) is afraid the government will "bully" the banks.

EDUCATION

  • House GOP votes to let states steer fed money away from lower-income students.
  • While rules fail to protect students from predatory lending, higher-ed CEOs cash in big-time.

WISCONSIN

  • Poll: Fewer than half of voters oppose recalling six GOP state senators.

RIGHT-WING MEDIA

  • Where's noun-verb-9/11 Giuliani on the Murdoch attempt to phonejack 9/11 victims?
  • Staunch conservative Rep. Peter King (R-NY) joins the call for a Murdoch investigation.
  • The Murdochs refuse to testify in the UK.
  • ThinkProgress echoes the point I made earlier this week: Murdoch tried to weaken the laws he's accused of violating.
  • Murdoch makes two magazine covers.

HOMOPHOBIA

JUSTICE

  • Prisoners near death protesting horrific conditions.

VOTING RIGHTS

  • House Dems target racist voter-suppression measures.

MINNESOTA

  • Well, if this won't make the public hate a shutdown, nothing will.

2012

  • Report: Romney won't fight for a win in Iowa.
  • When comparing fundraising prowess, don't forget the secret GOP cash.
  • Democrats are likely to revive Romney's anti-jobs business record.
  • VIDEO: Another Romney ad with a businessperson blaming Obama for the economy. Romney highlights the ad's star today.

(What I'm reading: Greg Sargent's Plum Line, Think Progress, Matt Yglesias, Talking Points Memo, TPMDC, Taegan Goddard's Political Wire, the Washington Monthly, CNN's PoliticalTicker, the National Journal, Ezra Klein, Politico's Playbook and Huddle, Dave Weigel, Wonkette, Firedoglake, the NYT Caucus, Daily Kos, Crooks and Liars. What my iPod has me listening to: Levitate by U2.)

Follow Senior Producer Jonathan Larsen (@jtlarsen) on Twitter