I know I’ve got this a bit backwards, and should have kicked off the morning with a list of bulleted items, but I was so captivated by the possibilities of storm-naming that I got distracted.
So, here’s a belatedly-delivered assortment of breakfast pastry that I hope won’t ruin your lunch.
* The editorial board New York Times has harsh words for Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., for his intervention on behalf of Salomon Melgen, a creepy, dirty contributor to Democratic pols. (Amazed how shocked, shocked everybody is by this; did they miss the fact that Menedez is a product of the Hudson County machine?)
* At Religion Dispatches, Sarah Posner sees the departure of Joshua DuBois, the Obama administration’s poster child for the fabulous future of evangelical Christianity in the Democratic Party, as an opportunity for the administration to hew a bit more closely to the Constitution in matters concerning religion. Part of DuBois’ portfolio was apparently to create daily devotionals for the president.
*Politico’s Donovan Slack reports the GOP’s attempt to brand the impending across-the-board spending cuts as an Obama creation. Their genius framing? Call it the “Obamaquester.” (You may recall that the sequester was the ransom paid to Republicans by Obama last year to keep the United States from defaulting on its debt.)
* Slate’s David Weigel chronicles Republicans’ shifting excuses for opposing President Obama’s nomination of Chuck Hagel to lead the Pentagon. Opening sentence: “Carl Levin is pushing past the GOP’s request for a proctology-level examination of Chuck Hagel’s foundation ties.”
Back after I’ve had a little more coffee.
