Party Divisions Thwarting Syria Resolution
"Obama making little headway with getting Congress to support attack on Syria" reports W. Post: "The president’s challenge is made more difficult by the fact that the two parties are splintered on the issue — and that lawmakers say they are hearing virtually no support for an attack from their constituents at home."
Progressives teaming up with Tea Party to stop Syria resolution. TPM: "[Rep. Alan] Grayson’s office has also been in touch with staffs for Republicans who oppose military action against Syria, such as tea party favorite Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI), about crafting an organized strategy for lobbying no votes."
Two Dem senators draft competing resolution. Politico: "The United States would give Syria 45 days to sign an international chemical weapons ban or face the wrath of American military might, under a draft resolution being circulated by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.)."
WH sees vote as defining moment for his foreign policy. NYT: "...Mr. Obama and his team see the votes as a guidepost for the rest of his presidency well beyond the immediate question of launching missiles at Syrian military targets. If Congress does not support a relatively modest action in response to a chemical attack that killed more than 1,400 people in Syria, Obama advisers said, the president will not be able to count on support for virtually any use of force."
Obama expands lists of military targets. NYT: "Mr. Obama, officials said, is now determined to put more emphasis on the “degrade” part of what the administration has said is the goal of a military strike against Syria — to 'deter and degrade' Mr. Assad’s ability to use chemical weapons. That means expanding beyond the 50 or so major sites that were part of the original target list developed with French forces before Mr. Obama delayed action on Saturday to seek Congressional approval of his plan."
"Syria strike may hinge on Nancy Pelosi" reports LAT: "Those close to Pelosi say she doesn't have a vote count of her caucus, but they say that she will know the precise number as the roll call draws closer."
NYT v. Summers
NYT edit board urges Senate to pressure Obama to withdraw Summers: "Mr. Summers’s reputation is replete with evidence of a temperament unsuited to lead the Fed ... His record on financial regulation is abysmal, and he has not acknowledged the errors ... Given his background, Mr. Summers would be more likely to use the implicit and explicit powers of the Fed to shield and preserve the too-big-to-fail system. Mr. Summers has also shown an indifference to the effects of economic decisions on ordinary people — the opposite of what is needed in a Fed leader at a time of high unemployment."
Will Obama conclude Summers isn't worth it? Roll Call: "Several important issues already are dividing Democrats in ways that could be embarrassing for the president, from the anti-war liberals who likely will defect on a Syria vote to the members still upset with the way the administration has handled spending negotiations with Republicans ... 'What you’re seeing is — whether it’s people who are opposed to his nomination or whether it’s people who don’t want to see another fight that splits the party — people are coming around to the idea that it’s not worth it to nominate Larry Summers,' said one aide to a Senate Democrat who opposes his nomination."
G-20 expected to approve tax rules on multinationals. NYT: "They are expected on Friday to agree to enact new tax laws that would limit the ability of multinational corporations like Apple and Starbucks to legally avoid paying taxes by operating subsidiaries in certain countries ... The effort at tax reform, if enacted widely, would squeeze more money from multinational corporations and shift a portion of the global tax burden from individuals and small businesses to large corporations. The proposal is for countries to better coordinate tax treaties to close loopholes that multinational corporations exploit by registering in tax havens like Delaware or the Cayman Islands. Another tactic of concern is shifting profits to low-tax jurisdictions and costs to high-tax ones."
Breakfast Sides
New study directly links 2012 extreme weather events to climate change. NYT: "In examining a dozen extreme weather events last year, scientists found that evidence that human activity — in particular, emissions of heat-trapping carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels — was a partial culprit in about half of them ... heat waves now occur four times as frequently because of the influence of greenhouse gas emissions."
National Journal's Ron Brownstein on "Why Republicans Can't Win With Whites Alone": "All of these results map the depth of the minority-voter hole confronting Republicans—and the daunting math they will face if they can't recover at least somewhat. If minorities reach 30 percent of the vote next time, and the 2016 Democratic nominee again attracts support from roughly 80 percent of them, he or she would need to capture only 37 percent of whites to win a majority of the popular vote. In that scenario, to win a national majority, the GOP would need almost 63 percent of whites ... Nearly four-fifths of House Republicans represent districts that are more white than the national average ... For those seeking a more inclusive and diverse GOP coalition, the first hurdle is that the future doesn't have a seat at the table today."
