The Commentariat -- Nov. 17, 2015

Internal links removed.

Afternoon Update:

Annie Karni of Politico: "Bernie Sanders' ballyhooed speech on socialism is now on indefinite hold. Details about how Sanders would pay for his proposed single-payer national health insurance program to provide Medicare for all Americans have yet to be fleshed out -- even though a July 30 post on his campaign website says the Vermont senator would file legislation on single-payer 'perhaps as soon as next week.'" ...

... Ed Kilgore: "... the planted axiom that a single-payer health care system or a more progressive tax system represents 'socialism' is absurd. Harry Truman proposed a single-payer system seventy years ago this Thursday, a few months before his 'Iron Curtain' speech." CW: Actually, I found the whole article absurd. The gist is that Sanders can't handle the big leagues.

Don Melvin & Matthew Chance of CNN: "The Russian passenger jet that crashed over Sinai, Egypt, was brought down by a bomb estimated to contain 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of explosives, the head of the Russian Federal Security Service said Tuesday, and the Russian government is offering a $50 million reward for information about those who brought it down."

Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court's decisions protecting gay rights were not rooted in the Constitution, and their logic could as easily apply to child molesters, Justice Antonin Scalia told a room filled with first-year law students at Georgetown University on Monday. 'What minorities deserve protection?' he asked. 'What? It's up to me to identify deserving minorities?' He said those decisions should generally be made by the democratic process rather than by judges." ...

... CW: Allow me to assist, Nino. If any group of law-abiding citizens is regularly or occasionally subject to discrimination -- via either laws or practices -- based upon some aspect of who they are, then they're easy to "identify" as "deserving." Just to be clear, since you seem to find this concept so difficult, that does not include child molesters, whom you ludicrously describe as a "deserving minority." P.S. Since I know you love to go to the dictionary & often cite it in your hilarious opinions, do look up the meaning of "deserving." Jerk.

Patrick O'Connor of the Wall Street Journal: "Florida Sen. Marco Rubio leveled pointed charges Monday at a pair of Republican presidential rivals who backed efforts to overhaul U.S. bulk collection of phone records. The Florida senator criticized Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rand Paul of Kentucky for advocating efforts earlier this year to overhaul the National Security Agency's controversial program to collect the personal communications of millions of Americans, campaign-trail attacks that carry more weight in the aftermath of Paris." (Story is not firewalled.)

Mike DeBonis & Karoun Demirjian of the Washington Post: "House Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday called for a 'pause' to the admittance of Syrian refugees into the United States, citing the national security risks in the wake of the Paris attacks. 'Our nation has always been welcoming, but we cannot let terrorists take advantage of our compassion,' Ryan (R-Wis.) said after emerging from a closed door meeting for House Republicans. 'This is a moment where it's better to be safe than to be sorry.'"

Never Let a Crisis Go Unexploited. Dave Weigel of the Washington Post: "Louisiana's race for governor is set to end on November 21, one week after the Paris bombings. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), the struggling Republican nominee, is trying to make the race turn on one issue: Whether to let Syrian refugees settle in the United States. His closing argument depends on making Democratic nominee John Bel Edwards, a state representative who responded cautiously to the refugee aspect of the crisis, into a refugee-hugging accomplice of President Obama."

Katie Zezima of the Washington Post: "Sen. Ted Cruz, who has said that the United States should not allow Syrian Muslim refugees into the country but should provide safe haven to fleeing Christians, plans to introduce legislation that would bar Syrian refugees from entering the country."

Andrew Kaczynski of BuzzFeed: "Donald Trump and Mike Huckabee have seized on an odd argument to argue against taking Syrian refugees: The U.S. is too cold for them. Huckabee and Trump both cited Minnesota as being too cold for refugees."

Sportswriter Bill Simmons interviews President Obama for GQ. Sports metaphors & comparisons liberally applied.

The Guardian is liveblogging developments related to the Paris terrorist attacks.

*****

Aurelien Breeden, et al., of the New York Times: "The Belgian man suspected of plotting the Paris terrorist attacks was a target of Western airstrikes on the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa, Syria, as recently as last month, according to a European security official. The man, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, 27, a fighter for the Islamic State, is believed to have escaped to Syria after the authorities in January foiled another terrorist plot, which had targeted the eastern Belgian city of Verviers, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational details." ...

... Missy Ryan, et al., of the Washington Post: "France and Russia launched a punishing wave of attacks against Islamic State targets in Syria on Tuesday, as French leaders invoked an emergency pact to demand European allies join an intensifying military response to last week's terrorist carnage in Paris. The Syrian strikes -- which appeared to include Russian cruise missiles -- took place as French police carried out dozens of additional raids, and investigations in France and Belgium revealed new details of the attackers' movements prior to the coordinated assaults on Friday." ...

... Neil MacFarquhar of the New York Times: "Russia confirmed for the first time on Tuesday that a homemade bomb brought down a Russian charter jet over the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt more than two weeks ago, killing all 224 people aboard. 'We can say definitely that this was a terrorist act,' Alexander V. Bortnikov, the head of the Federal Security Service, or F.S.B., said....

Aurelien Breeden, et al., of the New York Times: "President François Hollande of France called on Monday for constitutional amendments to fight potential terrorists at home and for an aggressive effort to 'eradicate' the Islamic State abroad. His call to arms -- 'France is at war,' he said at the opening of his remarks to a joint session of Parliament -- came as security forces in France and Belgium zeroed in on a suspect they said was the architect of the assault that killed 129 people Friday night in Paris. The suspect, a 27-year-old Belgian, has fought for the Islamic State in Syria and has been linked to other terrorist attacks." ...

... Missy Ryan & Daniela Dean of the Washington Post: "France launched new airstrikes on the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa in Syria Tuesday while French police carried out more than 120 anti-terrorism raids throughout France four days after the devastating terrorist attacks in Paris that killed at least 129 people." ...

... Jon Henley of the Guardian: "In a dramatic escalation of France's war against Islamic State, François Hollande has pledged to intensify his country's airstrikes against the terror group, as the mastermind suspected of organising Friday's carnage in Paris was revealed to be a notorious Belgian-born Isis extremist living in Syria. Unveiling a raft of hardline measures to counter domestic extremism on Monday, the French president told an exceptional assembly of both houses of parliament at the Palace of Versailles: 'France is at war ... But we are not engaged in a war of civilisations, because these assassins do not represent any civilisation.'" ...

... Karen DeYoung, et al., of the Washington Post: "President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin met [in Antalya, Turkey,] for the first time since Friday's terrorist attacks in Paris, struggling to get past their strained personal and political relationships and hoping to craft a coordinated response to the crisis in Syria and the rise of the Islamic State. Hopes for the meeting were muted.,,, Obama and Putin met Sunday for about half an hour on the sidelines of the two-day Group of 20 summit at this Turkish Mediterranean resort." ...

... Scott Shane of the New York Times: "In response to the Paris attacks, a top American intelligence official on Monday renewed a debate on government surveillance and privacy, denouncing 'hand-wringing' over intrusive spying and saying that leaks of classified information had made it harder to identify terrorists. John O. Brennan, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, appeared to be speaking in part about the National Security Agency's mass surveillance of phone and Internet communications that were disclosed by Edward J. Snowden in 2013. Those disclosures prompted sharp criticism and new restrictions on electronic spying both in the United States and in Europe. Mr. Brennan also seemed to be pushing back against complaints from privacy advocates in light of a growing threat from the Islamic State against Western countries...." With video. ...

... Sahil Kapur of Bloomberg: "A growing political war of words over whether to take in Syrian refugees in the wake of last week's terror attack in Paris may be morphing into the next government shutdown showdown. Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions sent a letter to colleagues Monday urging them to support adding language to the next government spending bill that would effectively block President Barack Obama's plan to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees in the next fiscal year. Obama on Monday said he intends to go forward with his plan, despite numerous calls from Republican presidential candidates and governors that he scrap it. Sessions is proposing that Congress explicitly prohibit any funding for Syrian refugee resettlement unless Congress approves it and finds money to offset the cost." ...

... Eliza Collins of Politico: "Sen. Dianne Feinstein sharply contradicted President Barack Obama on Monday, disagreeing with his claim that the Islamic State is 'contained.' 'I've never been more concerned,' the California Democrat and Intelligence Committee ranking member told Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC Monday. 'I read the intelligence faithfully. ISIL is not contained. ISIL is expanding. They just put out a video saying it is their intent to attack this country. I think we have to be prepared,' she continued." CW: Sen. Feinstein should have watched the video or read the transcript of what President Obama said before she lit her hair on fire. (See yesterday's Commentariat.) ...

... Josh Gerstein & Nick Gass of Politico: "CIA Director John Brennan said on Monday that officials had 'strategic warning' about the terrorist attacks in Paris that claimed the lives of more than 130 and injured hundreds more, also saying that Islamic State likely has more operations in the pipeline." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... ** Steve Benen: President Obama's critics complain he is 'weak' & 'leading from behind,' etc. "What's puzzling about this is the degree to which the criticisms ignore current events. According to statistics from the Pentagon, since President Obama launched a military offensive against ISIS targets 15 months ago – his 'deep seated aversion to using military force' notwithstanding -- the United States military has carried out 6,353 airstrikes. Every other country on the planet combined has carried out 1,772.... If we narrow the focus to Syria specifically, as of late last week, France had carried out four airstrikes. The United States, acting on orders from President Obama, had carried out 2,658." CW: Useful stats to have at the ready for that Thanksgiving Day discussion about the feckless president. ...

... The Syrians Are Coming! The Syrians Are Coming! ... Robert Costa & Abby Phillip of the Washington Post: "Nearly two dozen Republican governors moved Monday to close off their states to Syrian migrants as leading GOP presidential candidates outlined positions that would discriminate against Muslims seeking refuge in the United States. The efforts come as heightened fears among Republicans, and some Democrats, that the tens of thousands of people flowing from Syria's civil war are sheltering potential terrorists.... Several governors acknowledged that they do not have the ability to stop the federal government from accepting and financing the resettlement of refugees. Non-profit agencies who work with the federal government on resettlement said that while the cooperation of states and localities helps in the process, no governor can impede the movement of refugees once they have legal status." ...

"American Gothic." AP photo. Not photoshopped.

... Kyle Blaine of BuzzFeed: "Several state governors announced on Monday that they will not accept Syrian refugees following the attacks in Paris, citing concerns for security. The governors of Louisiana, Indiana, Massachusetts, Texas, and Arkansas announced measures on Monday to stop or oppose Syrian refugees from resettling in their states. Alabama and Michigan made similar announcements on Sunday." CW: Not even Christian Syrians, Bobby Jindal? I know that the requirement to grandstand for your bigot base makes you stupid, but I'd be pretty surprised if there were "legal means" for a state to kick out a person because of his refuge status. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

     ... Update. Ian Millhiser of Think Progress: "... there is no lawful means that permits a state government to dictate immigration policy to the president in this way. As the Supreme Court explained in Hines v. Davidowitz, 'the supremacy of the national power in the general field of foreign affairs, including power over immigration, naturalization and deportation, is made clear by the Constitution.' States do not get to overrule the federal government on matters such as this one.... President Obama has explicit statutory authorization to accept foreign refugees into the United States ... under the Refugee Act of 1980.... This power to admit refugees fits within the scheme of 'broad discretion exercised by immigration officials' that the Supreme Court recognized in its most recent major immigration case, Arizona v. United States." ...

     ... Let's Watch the Clown Car Drive up the Hill. At the end of this post, Steve M. takes a look at a provision of the Refugee Act that ensures Congress will have "an ideal opportunity to prey on voters' fears, they'll do it, relentlessly. So this is going to be a losing battle for the White House." ...

     ... Laura Clawson of Daily Kos: "That's not saying these profile-in-courage governors -- which sadly include at least one Democrat, New Hampshire's Maggie Hassan -- can't find ways to make it more difficult for the federal government to settle refugees in their states, or make life more difficult for the refugees (think of Gov. Bobby Jindal's promise to send law enforcement after any Syrians who happen to end up in Louisiana). But they can't flat-out refuse." CW: You can bet I sent Miss Maggie a "shame on you" letter. ...

... Ed Kilgore: "... the dumbest reaction we've heard, by far, and it seems to be the most common from Republican governors and presidential candidates, is to treat Syrian refugees as putative terrorists, or worse yet, to distinguish them by religious tests. This last proposal is the signature 'idea' of the Great Big Grown-Up and Establishment icon Jeb Bush. Ted Cruz, more predictably, thinks that's an excellent suggestion as well." (Also linked yesterday.) ...

... Peter Beinart of the Atlantic: "According to the French government, the Islamic State perpetrated Friday's attacks. [Marco] Rubio, however, said what occurred in Paris is a 'clash of civilizations.' But ISIS isn't a civilization. In parts of Iraq and Syria, it's a self-declared, though unrecognized, state.... Rubio ... is ... doing exactly what the Islamic State wants: He's equating ISIS with Islam itself." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... Conservative Michael Gerson of the Washington Post: "Islamic State terrorists have goals ... to discredit the Syrian refugees (whom they hate) and to encourage the perception of a civilizational struggle between Islam and the West. They are succeeding at both.... All our efforts are undermined by declaring Islam itself to be the enemy, and by treating Muslims in the United States, or Muslims in Europe, or Muslims fleeing Islamic State oppression, as a class of suspicious potential jihadists.... If U.S. politicians define Islam as the problem and cast aspersions on Muslim populations in the West, they are feeding the Islamic State narrative. They are materially undermining the war against terrorism and complicating the United States' (already complicated) task in the Middle East. Rejecting a blanket condemnation of Islam is not a matter of political correctness." ...

... Marcus Walker & Noemie Bisserbe of the Wall Street Journal: "Mystery deepened over a Paris attacker who traveled to Europe via Greece and the Balkans, after French officials said Monday that the Syrian passport he had used was indeed a fake.... Whoever the man was, he posed as one of the many refugees fleeing Syria's war -- including the violence of Islamic State -- to enter Europe through its lightly controlled frontier in the Aegean Sea." ...

... Justin Salhani of Think Progress: "All of the attackers from Friday's massacre in Paris so far have been identified as European Union nationals, according to a top EU official. The announcement further casts doubt on the validity of a Syrian passport found near the bodies of a slain attacker. Let me underline, the profile of the terrorists so far identified tells us this is an internal threat,' Federica Mogherini, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs ... of the European Commission, said after a meeting with EU foreign ministers. 'It is all EU citizens so far. This can change with the hours, but so far it is quite clear it is an issue of internal domestic security.'" ...

... CW: While we're busy "taking out the bastards" in this "clash of civilizations," maybe civilization of the Western persuasion should also take account of how it is treating Muslims who live within its borders. Just a thought. If the young perps of the Paris attack were happy campers, we would not be having this conversation, & -- more importantly -- innocent lives would still be lived.

... Hans von der Burchard & Laurens Cerulus in Politico Magazine: "Officials said the Paris plot increasingly looked like it was hatched in the Belgian capital. 'It's likely we're dealing with a network,' said Françoise Schepmans, the mayor of the Molenbeek-Saint-Jean commune [in Brussels]....' The possible presence of a terrorist den, barely a couple kilometers from the city's European quarter, has added sharp urgency to oft-voiced concerns about radicalization within Belgium's Muslim community and the government's track record on counterterrorism." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

A Hero in Lebanon. Colby Itkowitz of the Washington Post: "Adel Termos, a young father, fell on a suicide bomber in Beirut, Lebanon, saving the lives of dozens of intended victims. "The bomb went off, killing Termos, but saving countless others, including his daughter's."

Fred Kaplan of Slate suggests a multi-part prescription for defeating ISIS. "There is more common ground for an active anti-ISIS coalition, among otherwise incompatible actors, than anyone might have thought possible until this overreach. But nothing is inevitable; ISIS is weakening, but it won't be defeated unless the powers all around it act together in ways that would be unnatural, even inimical to national or sectarian interests, in ordinary times. These are not ordinary times, and it's the obligation of the major regional and global powers to act accordingly."

War on Science. Lisa Rein of the Washington Post: "Scientists and top officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have agreed to start interviews akin to depositions this week with House investigators, who are demanding to know their internal deliberations on a groundbreaking climate change study.But the interviews may not be enough to placate the chairman of the House science committee, a global warming skeptic who last week stepped up the pressure on the Commerce Department to comply with his subpoena for e-mails that NOAA has refused to turn over."

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd.

Your American Press Corps at Work:

I guess the question is, and if you'll forgive the language, but why can't we take out these bastards? -- Jim Acosta of CNN to President Obama at his press conference yesterday

Well, Jim, I just spent the last three questions answering that very question, so I don't know what more you want me to add.... And so we are going to continue to pursue the strategy that has the best chance of working, even though it does not offer the satisfaction, I guess, of a neat headline or an immediate resolution. And part of the reason, as I said, Jim, is because there are costs to the other side.... When we send troops in, those troops get injured, they get killed; they're away from their families; our country spends hundreds of billions of dollars. And so given the fact that there are enormous sacrifices involved in any military action, it's best that we don't shoot first and aim later. -- President Obama

... if I could ask you to address your critics who say that your reluctance to enter another Middle East war, and your preference of diplomacy over using the military makes the United States weaker and emboldens our enemies. -- Jim Avila of ABC News

If folks want to pop off and have opinions about what they think they would do, present a specific plan. If they think that somehow their advisors are better than the Chairman of my Joint Chiefs of Staff and the folks who are actually on the ground, I want to meet them.... But what I'm not interested in doing is posing or pursuing some notion of American leadership or America winning, or whatever other slogans they come up with that has no relationship to what is actually going to work to protect the American people, and to protect people in the region who are getting killed, and to protect our allies and people like France. I'm too busy for that. -- President Obama

... Steve M.: "... the mainstream media ... doesn't want to fact-check [the right's] characterization of what Obama is doing because the liberal-conservative conflict narrative is such a great news peg." Also, Steve provides the short answer to Jim Acosta's "take out the bastards" question: "The obvious answer is: Because real life is not a freaking Michael Bay movie, you idiot. Armed conflicts don't get wrapped up in a two-hour running time." ...

... John Mirkinson in Slate: "'Take out these bastards.' This is the hyper-macho language of some two-bit action movie, not a foreign policy strategy. It's also evidence of the way that a supposedly 'objective' press can reinforce one very narrow view of the world through its own ideological insularity.... [Jim] Acosta ...was speaking for a press corps whose thirst for an apocalyptic confrontation with ISIS has been let loose by last Friday's attacks in Paris. Ever since [Friday]..., much of the establishment media has eagerly reverted to its default position when it comes to foreign policy: the more hawkish, the better."

Charles Pierce reviews the Sunday showz. Even with Peggy Noonan & the WashPo's Jennifer Rubin in the mix, Pierce gives the House Cup to Marco Rubio, who "put on his largely imaginary soldier's suit and called for other people's children to put on real soldiers suits so we can turn the Turks back at Tours. Or something."

Justin Peters of Slate: "... 'home team' bias has been particularly evident in the Western media's disparate treatment of the Beirut and Paris attacks."

Jason Samenow of the Washington Post: "The El Niño event of 2015-2016 is making history, wreaking weather havoc around the world and forecast to unleash many weather surprises through the coming winter. As of [Monday], the warm ocean temperatures that define El Niño have surged to a stunning three degrees Celsius (5.4 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than normal in the central tropical Pacific, the highest level ever measured."

AP: "Baseball legends Willie Mays and the late Yogi Berra will be honored with the country's highest civilian award, the presidential medal of freedom. They are among 17 people who will be recognized by Barack Obama at a 24 November ceremony. They are among 17 people who will be recognized by Barack Obama at a 24 November ceremony."

Presidential Race

Catherine Rampell of the Washington Post: "'I come from the '60s, a long time ago,' Hillary Clinton said at Saturday's Democratic presidential debate, in response to a question about student activism. Supposedly this comment -- an appalling admission that she had the gall to be alive 50 years ago -- was among the biggest missteps of her campaign. Republican strategists went wild.... I confess I don't understand what's all that damning about a politician accurately naming the decade in which she went to college.... Just consider how much conservative rhetoric relies on nostalgia for bygone eras, when men were men and America Was Still Great.... To middle-aged and older voters -- you know, people who 'come from the '60s' -- denunciations of Clinton's supposed gaffe may merely smack of ageism."

Ryan Cooper of the Week takes a fond look back at Republicans' effort to reform the party to be more welcoming to Latino immigrants, more responsive to middle class concerns & more sensible about monetary policy. "On immigration, Republicans have moved from pretending as though immigration reform never passed the Senate, to frontrunner Donald Trump loudly defending his plan to deport 11 million people by favorably comparing it to President Eisenhower's 'Operation Wetback' from 1954.... On middle-class policy, all the candidates have proposed truly awesome tax cuts for the rich.... Ted Cruz went full goldbug during the last debate, and nobody challenged him on it."

Dana Milbank: "The attacks in Paris have inspired a xenophobic bidding war among Republican presidential candidates.... This growing cry to turn away people fleeing for their lives brings to mind the SS St. Louis, the ship of Jewish refugees turned away from Florida in 1939. It's perhaps the ugliest moment in a primary fight that has been sullied by bigotry from the start. It's no exaggeration to call this un-American. Or un-Christian. Among those distressed by the latest turn in the GOP primary is the National Association of Evangelicals.... For all the criticism of [President Obama's] approach to the Islamic State, several supposed alternatives are things that have already been tried: airstrikes, arming the opposition, special forces, social-media propaganda."

... Steve M.: "On foreign policy and terrorism, nearly every Republican -- Establishment or outsider -- talks in Fox-ready (and in many cases Fox-crafted) simplistic soundbites. America must lead!... The president and the rest of the 'Democrat' Party won't say 'radical Islam'...! It's how they talk about everything.... Obama wants to take all your guns! Obama hates capitalism! Obama is deliberately trying to create a dependency culture in which everyone is hooked on 'free stuff'! Black Lives Matter wants to kill cops!... And that's the real reason Trump and Carson are leading the Republican race. If, for years, the vast majority of your party's utterances have been finger-pointing bumper-sticker slogans, then of course your voters are going to be ready to embrace a wealthy rabble-rouser or a beloved holy fool who's incapable of anything beyond simple-minded that sort of demagoguery." ...

... Paul Rosenberg in Salon: "Unable to come up with anything remotely positive for the American people to rally around, [Republican presidential candidates] are eager to take the utmost advantage of fear, forming a blatant de facto partnership with the terrorists by amplifying the terror their acts inspire.... Those who use the phrase ['clash of civilizations'] today escape from this incoherence by adopting another: Western Civilization is both universal and uniquely American, depending entirely on context, mood, and which day of the week (or hour of the day) it is. Hence the GOP candidates near-unanimity in conflating anti-immigrant rhetoric with anti-terrorist rhetoric.... One thing's for certain: if anyone's eager to embrace the 'clash of civilizations' rhetoric, it's ISIS.... As David Shariatmadari pointed out for the Guardian, 'Isis hates Middle Eastern civilisation too.'..."

Alan Rappeport of the New York Times: "Donald J. Trump issued another call for more scrutiny of mosques in the United States as fresh fears of terrorism, spurred by the attacks in Paris, dominated the presidential campaign conversation on Monday. Mr. Trump, who said last month that he would be open to shutting down mosques as part of the fight against Islamic State militants, reiterated on Monday that the idea should be 'studied.'" ...

... Kevin Drum: "... Donald Trump is crowing that (a) Obama just told Putin how important the Russian airstrikes against ISIS have been and (b) now we're attacking the oil, just like he said a long time ago. "I TOLD YOU SO!" he tweeted. Except that (a) Obama actually told Putin he would like Russia to start striking ISIS, and (b) we've been attacking ISIS oil convoys all along. According to the Pentagon, we've carried out three or four airstrikes per week against ISIS oil infrastructure. And anyway, didn't Trump actually recommend that we encircle the ISIS oil fields?.... We're now entering a period in which conservatives are going to start playing 'Can You Top This?' on ISIS. A week ago they talked big but were afraid to actually commit themselves to any serious action. Now, we're in a war of civilizations and soon they'll be outbidding each other on how many divisions they're willing to ship overseas and how best to describe the complete and total inaction that the appeaser Obama has been engaged in."

What a Jokester! of ABC News: Ben Carson said he was only kidding when he claimed last week that his intel was better than that of the national security apparatus. That's funny, because "Carson's evidence, which the campaign recently released to ABC News, includes Google satellite images of alleged Chinese-made radar systems and photos of a Syrian fighter standing in front of Chinese made SUVs. Along with the images, his campaign released a brief summary of its evidence." ...

... Here's another good rebuttal of Carson's (revised) claims, by Zack Beauchamps of Vox. CW: Not that Google satellite images aren't dispositive. They're maybe half as good as those grainy photos Colin Powell showed the U.N. to "prove" Iraq was hiding weapons of mass destruction.

Daniel Strauss of Politico: "Sen. Rand Paul announced Monday that he was introducing legislation calling for an 'immediate moratorium' on the United States issuing visas to refugees from about 30 countries with a 'significant jihadist movement.'"

Profiles in Scaremongering Cowardice, Ctd. Let the Scary Babies Die. Sophia Tesfaye of Salon: "In an apparent reversal of his position from two months ago, [Chris] Christie now says that the United States is not capable of accepting any Syrian refugees for fear of importing terrorism, not even 'three year old orphans.'... 'We saw the image of that 4-year-old little boy drowned in Syria,' Christie said back in September, referring to the harrowing image of a young child laying [sic.] motionless on a beach shore. 'We can't have those kinds of things.'"

Crackpot Rep. Steve King (RTP-Iowa) endorses crackpot Sen. Ted Cruz for president. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Beyond the Beltway

Amy Forliti & Kyle Potter of the AP: "More than 50 people were arrested during the second day of protests in Minneapolis over the shooting of a black man by a police officer during an apparent struggle." ...

... Ciara McCarthy of the Guardian: "The mayor of Minneapolis has asked the Department of Justice to open a civil rights investigation into the police shooting of Jamar Clark, a young black man whose potentially fatal injuries have led to protests. Mayor Betsy Hodges made the request following a day of demonstrations by activists who say that Clark, 24, was unarmed and in handcuffs when a police officer shot him in the head. Protesters made a series of demands including an independent federal inquiry."

AP: "A Utah judge who had ordered a baby girl taken away from her lesbian foster parents and placed with a heterosexual couple has removed himself from the case as criticism mounted into calls for his impeachment. Judge Scott Johansen reversed his order last week to remove the nine-month-old baby from the home of April Hoagland and Beckie Peirce and allowed the girl to stay with the married couple. But there were concerns he could still have the baby removed from their home ... during a custody hearing set for 4 December."

AP: "Authorities say six people have been killed at a Texas campsite, with one woman surviving the murders and calling 911.Anderson County Sheriff Greg Taylor says a suspect has been arrested in the weekend homicides. The bodies were found in rural Anderson County, southeast of Dallas. Thirty-three-year old William Hudson is charged with one murder count 'for the moment,' the sheriff's office said...."

The Commentariat -- Nov. 16, 2015

Internal links & defunct videos removed.

Afternoon Update:

Josh Gerstein & Nick Gass of Politico: "CIA Director John Brennan said on Monday that officials had 'strategic warning' about the terrorist attacks in Paris that claimed the lives of more than 130 and injured hundreds more, also saying that Islamic State likely has more operations in the pipeline." ...

... The Syrians Are Coming! The Syrians Are Coming! Kyle Blaine of BuzzFeed: "Several state governors announced on Monday that they will not accept Syrian refugees following the attacks in Paris, citing concerns for security. The governors of Louisiana, Indiana, Massachusetts, Texas, and Arkansas announced measures on Monday to stop or oppose Syrian refugees from resettling in their states. Alabama and Michigan made similar announcements on Sunday." CW: Not even Christian Syrians, Bobby Jindal? I know that the requirement to grandstand makes you stupid, but I'd be surprised if there were "legal means" for a state to kick out a person because of his refuge status. ...

... Ed Kilgore: "... the dumbest reaction we’ve heard, by far, and it seems to be the most common from Republican governors and presidential candidates, is to treat Syrian refugees as putative terrorists, or worse yet, to distinguish them by religious tests. This last proposal is the signature 'idea' of the Great Big Grown-Up and Establishment icon Jeb Bush. Ted Cruz, more predictably, thinks that’s an excellent suggestion as well." See President Obama's reaction to this dumb idea, below, as well as other commentary on it. ...

... Peter Beinart of the Atlantic: "According to the French government, the Islamic State perpetrated Friday’s attacks. [Marco] Rubio, however, said what occurred in Paris is a 'clash of civilizations.' But ISIS isn’t a civilization. In parts of Iraq and Syria, it’s a self-declared, though unrecognized, state.... Rubio ... is ... doing exactly what the Islamic State wants: He’s equating ISIS with Islam itself." ...

... Hans von der Burchard & Laurens Cerulus in Politico Magazine: "Officials said the Paris plot increasingly looked like it was hatched in the Belgian capital. 'It’s likely we’re dealing with a network,' said Françoise Schepmans, the mayor of the Molenbeek-Saint-Jean commune [in Brussels], or district.  The possible presence of a terrorist den, barely a couple kilometers from the city’s European quarter, has added sharp urgency to oft-voiced concerns about radicalization within Belgium’s Muslim community and the government’s track record on counterterrorism."

Crackpot Rep. Steve King (RTP-Iowa) endorses crackpot Sen. Ted Cruz for president.

*****

Michael Shear of the New York Times: "President Obama on Monday lashed out at Republican presidential candidates who suggested that religious tests be given to refugees seeking to enter the United States out of a fear of letting terrorists into the country. Mr. Obama said it was shameful for Jeb Bush ... to have suggested that the United States only let in Christian refugees, not Muslim ones. 'That’s not American. That’s not who we are,' Mr. Obama said during a news conference at the Group of 20 summit meeting in Turkey. 'We don’t have religious tests to our compassion.'” See more linked under Presidential Race below. ...

... Fear Itself. Paul Krugman: "... the biggest danger terrorism poses to our society comes not from the direct harm inflicted, but from the wrong-headed responses it can inspire.... Again, the goal of terrorists is to inspire terror, because that’s all they’re capable of. And the most important thing our societies can do in response is to refuse to give in to fear." And why leading GOP fearmongers should never be president. ...

... Jeremy Stahl of Slate: "French officials received multiple warnings about Paris attacker Omar Ismail Mostefai before Friday’s terror attack but Turkey didn’t get a response from French authorities until after the attack, a Turkish official said on Monday. 'On Oct. 10, 2014, Turkey received an information request regarding four terror suspects from the French authorities,' a Turkish official told the New York Times. 'During the official investigation, the Turkish authorities identified a fifth individual, Omar Ismail Mostefai, and notified their French counterparts twice — in December 2014 and June 2015. Mashable also quoted a senior Turkish official as saying that Mostefai, the first gunman identified in the attack, was known to security officials and that France never followed up on shared information until after the attack took place.” ...

... Michael Gordon of the New York Times: "Intensifying pressure on the Islamic State, United States warplanes for the first time attacked hundreds of trucks on Monday that the extremist group has been using to smuggle the crude oil it has been producing in Syria, American officials said. According to an initial assessment, 116 trucks were destroyed in the attack, which took place near Deir al-Zour, an area in eastern Syria that is controlled by the Islamic State." ...

... Anthony Faiola, et al., of the Washington Post: "Police in France and Belgium staged more than 160 anti-terrorism raids on Monday as authorities expanded crackdowns and cast their nets wider for suspects in the Paris attacks, including the alleged mastermind who also could have links to last summer’s foiled plot aboard a high-speed train. The intense manhunt for the possible lead plotter — identified by France as Belgian national Abdelhamid Abaaoud — came as clearer portraits emerged of the network behind Friday’s carnage that left at 132 people dead and scores wounded." ...

... Adam Taylor of the Washington Post: "A video released by an Islamic State sub-group appears to show militants in Iraq praising the Paris shootings and warning that a similar attack could take place in Washington." ...

... Nathan Pemberton of New York: New York City "Police Commissioner William Bratton responded to the Paris attacks by reassuring New Yorkers that the NYPD is preparing for a similar type of attack here. 'We still remain the number one terrorist target in the world, we believe,' he told ABC 7 yesterday." ...

... Alissa Rubin & Anne Barnard of the New York Times: "France bombed the Syrian city of Raqqa on Sunday night, its most aggressive strike against the Islamic State group it blames for killing 129 people in a string of terrorist attacks across Paris only two days before. President François Hollande, who vowed to be 'unforgiving with the barbarians' of the Islamic State after the carnage in Paris, decided on the airstrikes in a meeting with his national security team on Saturday, officials said." ...

... The Washington Post story, by David Nakamura & Karen DeYoung, is here. ...

... Anthony Faiola & Souad Mekhennet of the Washington Post: "European authorities staged an international manhunt Sunday for a 26-year-old 'dangerous individual,' one of three brothers involved in the deadly attacks on Paris, even as an image took shape of a larger network of terrorists that could involve as many as 20 plotters. At least eight assailants in three death squads are thought to have directly carried out Friday’s assault.... Six detonated their suicide belts. Police shot and killed one. French police on Sunday issued an urgent alert and released a photo of an eighth suspect: the 5-foot-7-inch Salah Abdeslam, a Belgian-born French national." ...

... Qassim Abdul-Zahra of the AP : "Senior Iraqi intelligence officials warned members of the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group of imminent assaults by the militant organization just one day before last week's deadly attacks in Paris killed 129 people, The Associated Press has learned. Iraqi intelligence sent a dispatch saying the group's leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, had ordered an attack on coalition countries fighting against them in Iraq and Syria, as well as on Iran and Russia, through bombings or other attacks in the days ahead. The dispatch said the Iraqis had no specific details on when or where the attack would take place, and a senior French security official told the AP that French intelligence gets this kind of communication 'all the time' and 'every day.'" ...

... AP: "Lebanon has detained seven Syrians and two Lebanese suspected of involvement in planning terrorist attacks, including a twin bombing last week, and smuggling extremists into the country. Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk announced the arrests Sunday, three days after a twin suicide attack in a southern Beirut suburb killed 43 people and wounded more than 200." ...

... Michael Shear & Peter Baker of the New York Times: "For President Obama, the short-term response to the terrorist attacks in Paris was straightforward and relatively easy: The American military and intelligence agencies provided information to help French warplanes bomb Islamic State targets on Sunday in the group’s stronghold in northern Syria." ...

... Theodoric Meyer of Politico: "The White House vowed no major shift in U.S. strategy in the fight against the Islamic State on Sunday in the wake of the terrorist attacks on Paris, despite clamors for change from key Republicans. Making the rounds on the major Sunday morning news shows, President Barack Obama’s deputy national security adviser, Ben Rhodes, said there would be an 'intensification' of U.S. war efforts against the Islamic State, but no major shift in U.S. strategy, such as sending large numbers of combat troops to Iraq and Syria to fight ISIL." ...

... Julie Pace & Vladimir Isachenkov of the AP: "World leaders vowed a vigorous response to the Islamic State group's terror spree in Paris as they opened a two-day meeting in Turkey on Sunday, with President Barack Obama calling the violence an 'attack on the civilized world' and Russian President Vladimir Putin urging 'global efforts' to confront the threat. But beyond the tough talk and calls for action, there was little indication of how leaders intended to escalate the assault on the extremist group." ...

... Julian Hattem of the Hill: Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), "the head of the House Homeland Security Committee, warned on Sunday that 'gaping holes' within U.S. defenses make the nation vulnerable to attacks similar to Friday’s violence in Paris.... 'We have hundreds of Americans that have traveled' to Iraq and Syria, he added. 'Many of them have come back as well. I think that’s a direct threat.'” ...

... Bradford Richardson of the Hill: "President Obama still plans to allow 10,000 Syrian refugees into the country over the next year, despite terrorist attacks in Paris, at top aide said Sunday. 'We’re still planning on taking in Syrian refugees,” White House Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said on 'Fox News Sunday.' 'We had very robust vetting procedures for those refugees.'” ...

... Lauren Carroll of Politifact: "Last week, President Barack Obama said the Islamic State is 'contained' -- a comment that has been scrutinized in the wake of the deadly attacks in Paris that have been attributed to the terrorist group.... [Presidential advisor Ben] Rhodes said that when Obama said ISIS was contained, he 'was responding very specifically to the geographic expansion of ISIL in Iraq and Syria.' Looking back at Obama’s interview where he made this comment, it is quite clear that it’s within a narrowly defined scope: ISIS’s territorial expansion in Iraq and Syria. He did not rule out the potential for a terrorist attack, and he also made it clear that the United States’ anti-ISIS efforts are a work in progress. References or suggestions that Obama claimed ISIS no longer presents an active threat are incorrect. Further, experts told us that Obama is right that ISIS hasn’t expanded in the region in recent months, though this doesn’t give a full picture of ISIS’s global reach." CW: This is precisely what I wrote a coupe of days ago. Yet I have seen many straight reports -- not to mention screaming accusations from the usual suspects -- that present as a factual commonplace that Paris proved Obama was wrong.

Martin Pengelly of the Guardian: "President Obama has praised the protesters whose stand against racism at the University of Missouri resulted this week in the resignation of the institution’s president and the announcement that its chancellor would step down at the end of the year. 'I think it is entirely appropriate for students in a thoughtful, peaceful way to protest what they see as injustices or inattention to serious problems in their midst,' the president told ABC’s host George Stephanopoulos in an interview recorded on Thursday and broadcast, in part, on Sunday morning."

Alexander Bolton of the Hill: "Senate GOP leaders had hoped to move a House-passed package repealing parts of the controversial healthcare reform law before Thanksgiving. But that plan has been shelved amid party turmoil. Senate Republican sources say the measure, which has encountered opposition from conservatives and moderates, albeit for different reasons, will have to wait until after Thanksgiving. Some say it could slide into next year." CW: Gee, obstructing is getting to be just as hard as legislating.

Jacob Brownowski, in the conclusion of an episode of the 13-part BBC series "The Ascent of Man" (1973). Thanks to D. C. Clark for the link:

Presidential Race

John Wagner of the Washington Post: "... Bernie Sanders highlighted his support Sunday for a plan to provide three months of paid leave after a family has a child and challenged ... Hillary Rodham Clinton to embrace the same legislation. Clinton has spoken out strongly in favor of providing workers with paid family leave but also stressed her commitment in recent days to not raising taxes on the middle class to pay for new initiatives."

Trip Gabriel of the New York Times: "The day after a debate in which Democratic presidential candidates tangled over the causes of Islamic State terrorism but not how to confront it, Hillary Rodham Clinton offered a more forward-looking view of American leadership in response to the threat. 'We have to be rallying our partners and allies, pulling countries off the sidelines,' Mrs. Clinton said on Sunday.... Mrs. Clinton offered no specifics. But she suggested a more proactive approach than she had in the debate, when she dodged a question about whether the Obama administration had underestimated the Islamic State...." ...

... A Noun, a Verb & 9/11. New York Times Editors: During the debate, Hillary Clinton's "effort to tug on Americans’ heartstrings [by reminding viewers she represented New York on 9/11] instead of explaining her Wall Street ties — on a day that the scars of 9/11 were exposed anew — was at best botched rhetoric. At worst it was the type of cynical move that Mrs. Clinton would have condemned in Republicans. She should make a fast, thorough effort to explain herself by providing a detailed plan for how she would promote measures protecting middle-class Americans from another financial crisis." ...

... Jennifer Epstein of Bloomberg: "Former President Bill Clinton insisted [at a Democratic barbecue in Ames, Iowa,] Sunday that his wife doesn’t deserve to be attacked by her fellow Democratic candidates for her relationship with Wall Street as opponents on both sides of the aisle jump to attack her defense those ties.... Speaking at the same barbecue, [Martin] O’Malley, who on Saturday night called the comments a 'gaffe,' said [Hillary] Clinton 'sadly invoked 9/11 to try to mask' the influence that Wall Street has had on her. 'But she doesn’t have to mask it. It is what it is,' he said. 'That is the sort of economy, that is the sort of economic advice that she would follow.'” ...

... Mme. La Gaffe. Abby Phillip & Dave Weigel of the Washington Post: "Toward the end of the latest Democratic presidential debate over the weekend, [Hillary Clinton] was asked about the rash of campus protests and whether she would encourage more of them.... 'I come from the ’60s, a long time ago,' she told moderator John Dickerson. 'There was a lot of activism on campus.'... Sunday morning, conservative Web sites had assembled multiple competing videos of the 1960s remark, their only disagreement coming over whether to add a clip from 'Back to the Future' or a lava lamp.... Republicans believe they have a new round of ammunition. Party Chairman Reince Priebus called Clinton’s remarks on 9/11 a 'new low' and a 'bizarre attempt to deflect attention from her ties to her wealthy donors.'”

Gabriel Debenedetti of Politico: "It took less than an hour after Nielsen ratings revealed a disappointing 8.5 million person audience for last night’s CBS Democratic debate before campaigns resumed their griping about the Democratic National Committee’s debate schedule — a point of contention that’s threatening to flare up yet again.... The complaints are just the latest in a series of tense exchanges between the national party committee and the campaigns not belonging to Hillary Clinton. Many Democrats and Republicans have accused the party of shielding the front-runner by scheduling the debates at times — such as Saturday evenings — that are likely to draw fewer viewers than the GOP events, which the DNC routinely denies."

Al Hunt of Bloomberg, in the New York Times: "The tragedy in Paris is roiling American politics, bolstering the Republican right’s anti-immigration demands in the short run and perhaps ultimately enhancing Hillary Rodham Clinton and her credentials as the candidate with experience.... [Donald] Trump has largely set the agenda and dominated the dialogue on immigration; other candidates have followed." ...

... Après Paris. Jonathan Martin of the New York Times: "The assault on Paris has thrust national security to the heart of the presidential race, forcing candidates to scramble and possibly prompting voters to reconsider their flirtations with unconventional candidates and to take a more sober measure of who is prepared to serve as commander in chief.... Republicans, whose primary is far more volatile, may now ask whether candidates like [Ben] Carson, who claimed at one point that China was becoming involved in Syria, and Donald J. Trump, who suggested the battle against the Islamic State could be left to Russia, are wise choices in a world where Western capitals can be made into killing fields.... While Mr. Carson ... has struggled with policy before, his inability to answer a straightforward question three times on 'Fox News Sunday' about whom he would first call to put together a military alliance to confront the Islamic State appeared more consequential than it might have before Paris." ...

... The Full Palin. I would say the reason is because you can articulate intelligent options and because you know how to work with other people and utilize the incredible resources that we have available to us. You know, I've had an opportunity in recent weeks to talk to a lot of incredible people who have a lot of experience getting their lifetime experience. I talked to Henry Kissinger and got his whole perspective on those areas. -- Ben Carson, on why he would be a better president than Hillary Clinton

I also have a lot of experience getting my lifetime experience. Don't we all? Once I went to a cocktail party & Henry Kissinger was there. However, I avoided any chance to hear first-hand "his whole perspective on those areas." And not because I was worried he had cooties. -- Constant Weader

... Ben Carson wouldn't allow Syrian refugees into the U.S. because his "big frontal lobes" tell him not to. ...

... Too bad those "big frontal lobes" seldom help Ole Doc come up with coherent thoughts. Elise Viebeck of the Washington Post: "Speaking on 'Fox News Sunday,' Carson could not name a specific country or leader he would call to assemble an international coalition to counter the Islamic State, despite being asked three times by host Chris Wallace....  He suggested that he would shoot down a Russian plane if it violated a U.S.-led no-fly zone over Syria, even when told that the decision could prompt Russia to shoot down a U.S. plane in response.... And he continued to argue that China is directly involved in the Syrian conflict...." CW: Ole Doc should have listened to the Democratic debate. Bernie Sanders -- without being specifically asked -- named a whole lot of countries that he thought should be active in the fight to destroy ISIS. Hey, Doc, here's an idea: why not call France? Or, more specifically, Francois Hollande? One would think that while discussing an attack on Paris, Carson could remember that Paris is in France & France is a country & a NATO ally. But I guess not. Carson's hands are gifted; his mind, not so much.

... Linda Qiu of PolitiFact: "Multiple media outlets ... took Carson’s remarks to mean that Chinese troops are in Syria. But the Carson camp forwarded us a statement refuting that interpretation. Rather, his actual point was that China is providing "various military weapons and equipment that Syria is using in the current conflict," according to the statement which also included several links to articles on that point.... However, Carson seems to be backtracking. On Nov. 11, the day after the debate, a top Carson adviser spoke specifically about 'Chinese military advisers' in Syria when defending Carson’s remarks.... [Carson's] claim appears to be lifted from unconfirmed blog posts and a news report by a Lebanese news site. China and the White House have denied that Chinese troops are in Syria, and experts told us there’s no evidence to the contrary. Even if Carson meant something less than a military presence, China seems to be taking a hands-off approach to the conflict in Syria." ...

Well, if we established a no-fly zone and we make clear the rules, if [the Russians] violate it, that’s why you have a no-fly zone. That’s the very definition of a no-fly zone. You can’t fly there....  And, you know, we’ll see what happens. -- Ben Carson, calmly explaining he would provoke a war with Russia to see how it turns out

CW Translation: International relations are easy: the U.S. sets rules for the rest of the world & explains those rules in babytalk. Then, well, who knows? Kaboom!

Sabrina Siddiqui of the Guardian: "In light of the terrorist attacks in Paris..., Marco Rubio on Sunday said the US should not take in more Syrian refugees. The Florida senator had previously signalled openness to relocating some of the millions fleeing the Syrian civil war to American shores. On Sunday, as other Republican candidates rushed to condemn the Obama administration over its policy on Syria and Islamic State and its willingness to increase such admissions – and as the GOP governor of Michigan said his state would not after all welcome any Syrian refugees – he switched course." ...

... ** Jonathan Chait: According to Marco Rubio, " the Muslim faith as a whole is equivalent to Nazism, and violent jihadi terrorists are the equivalent of the Nazi leadership. Rubio has a knack for grasping the midpoint of Republican Party doctrine at any given moment, and his comments reflect the party’s renewed conviction that the war against terrorists must be defined in the broadest possible terms.... The United States is not actually at war with Islam. Non-extremist Muslims account for the lion's share of the victims of jihadist terror, and are needed as allies in the conflict.... And yet, since the Bush administration departed the scene, Republicans have jettisoned [George W.] Bush’s cautious strategy of distinguishing between Islam and its violent minority." ...

... Katie Zezima of the Washington Post: "Sen. Ted Cruz Sunday continued to call for Muslim refugees from Syria to be barred from entering the United States but opening the borders to displaced Christians, arguing there is not a 'meaningful risk' that Christians will commit terrorist acts." ...

... Katie Glueck of Politico: Ted Cruz "has more cash than any other Republican candidate. He is organized in every county in the first four voting states. And he has served up one strong debate performance after the next. Now, not three months from primary season, rivals concede they have begun to fear Ted Cruz has an increasingly clear path to the Republican nomination."

David Edwards of the Raw Story: "... Jeb Bush said over the weekend that the U.S. should respond to the terrorist attacks in Paris by carefully screening out Syrian refugees who are not Christians." CW: Yeah, i doubt there are many non-Christian Syrians. ...

... What's in a Name? Part 1. Theodoric Meyer: "Republican presidential contender Jeb Bush said on Sunday, in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on Paris, the U.S. should 'declare war' on the Islamic State, which is blamed by the French for the deadly attacks." CW: I don't think Congress can issue a declaration of war against a non-state, even if it calls itself a "state."  ...

... What's in a Name? Part 2. Mitt Romney writes an op-ed for the Washington Post saying President Obama isn't doing enough to fight ISIS. First, one really must call ISIS "radical Islamists." Then Obama must do stuff (that it appears he's already doing.) And stop letting those Syrian immigrants into Western Europe. And everything is Obama's fault. 

Beyond the Beltway

Richard Fausset of the New York Times: "Joseph Riley, who has been the mayor of Charleston, South Carolina, for 40 years is stepping down. "Mr. Riley, a Democrat, is among the last of a wave of progressive white Southern mayors from the 1960s and ’70s ... who accepted and promoted racial integration. His open alliances with black politicians, his hiring of the city’s first black police chief in 1982 and his march to Columbia, the state capital, in 2000 to protest the flying of the Confederate battle flag at the State House earned him a degree of enmity among some whites, who, in his early days, derisively called him L.B.J. for Little Black Joe. Some nicknames were uglier."

The Commentariat -- Nov. 15, 2015

Internal links & defunct video removed.

The Sydney Opera House. Buildings & other structures around the world took on the colors of the French flag.

David Nakamura of the Washington Post: "President Obama opened two days of talks with world leaders [in Antalya, Turkey,] Sunday by vowing to help France in 'hunting down the perpetrators' of the terrorist attacks in Paris, amid questions about how the United States and its allies will respond to the mass killings carried out by the Islamic State. Shortly after arriving, Obama met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erogan, who is hosting the Group of 20 Summit here, and they presented a united front in a brief appearance before reporters after a discussion that lasted more than an hour." ...

... Anthony Faiola & Souad Mekhennet of the Washington Post: "French police took seven people in for questioning Sunday in connection with the deadly siege that killed at least 129 people on Friday night, expanding an international dragnet and investigation that now stretches from the Aegean Sea to the teeming Paris suburbs. The seven people taken into custody were relatives of Omar Ismail Mostefai, a 29-year old French national with a criminal record and one of seven assailants who died during Friday night's deadly siege...." ...

... Adam Nossiter, et al., of the New York Times: "Three teams of Islamic State attackers acting in unison carried out the terrorist assault in Paris on Friday night, officials said Saturday, including one assailant who may have traveled to Europe on a Syrian passport along with the flow of migrants." The Times' liveblog is here. ...

... The Washington Post's main story, by Anthony Faiola & others, is here. The Post's live updates are here. ...

... Joe Mozingo, et al., of the Los Angeles Times: "... authorities said evidence suggested at least some of the attackers had come from Syria and Iraq. Six of them detonated suicide vests and a seventh was shot to death by police.... Friday's operation apparently began with a small extremist cell around Brussels, where French authorities believe the attack was planned and financed, according to two U.S. law enforcement officials who have been advised about the French investigation. The French newspaper Le Monde reported the terrorists came from the Brussels suburb of Molenbeek.... French prosecutor Francois Molins said three teams of terrorists, carrying AK-47 assault rifles and wearing explosives vests with identical detonators, appeared to have carried out the attacks.... Authorities across Europe moved swiftly Saturday to identify possible accomplices to the seven attackers, with Belgian authorities announcing they had made several arrests." ...

Daniel Kreps of Rolling Stone: As hundreds of mourners gathered outside Paris' Bataclan venue, where a terror attack at an Eagles of Death Metal show resulted in the death of 118 people, an unknown musician set up a grand piano outside the concert hall and delivered a poignant, instrumental take on John Lennon's 'Imagine.'" ...

... CW: President Obama is getting a lot of grief for claiming, in an interview first aired hours before the Paris attacks, that ISIS has been "largely contained" in Iraq.:

     ... CW: BUT I think Obama was right. In fact, it's reasonable to assume that the reasons for the attack that killed 43 people in Beirut last week & the coordinated attacks in Paris are the result of that containment. Frustrated in their quest to maintain their "Islamic State" in Iraq, ISIS is reaching outward to further establish their creds as bloodthirsty nihilists & to recruit new soldiers. As Tobin Harshaw wrote in Bloomberg, "The euphoria after the taking of Mosul in June 2014 has faded, and the conquering of Falluja last summer has yielded no real strategic advantage. Indeed, it has begun to unite Islamic State's fractious enemies: the Iraqi military, Iranian-backed militias and Kurdish forces.... These developments may cut deeply into the narrative of scriptural inevitability that Islamic State uses to attract and keep its followers. The problem with a doomsday cult is that you have to keep your followers on edge, believing that the Apocalypse is just around the corner even though the sun keeps rising every day."

Eric Schmitt of the New York Times: "The United States has broadened its fight against the Islamic State, targeting the group's senior leader in Libya on Friday night, the Pentagon announced on Saturday. The airstrike against the Islamic State commander took place shortly after the attacks in Paris began, but had been in the works for several days and was not related to the events in France, American officials said. Western officials have been warning for months about a growing threat from militants in Libya aligned with the Islamic State." ...

     ... Update: Missy Ryan of the Washington Post: "U.S. airstrike is believed to have killed the leader of the Islamic State affiliate in Libya, Pentagon officials said on Saturday, in a mission that did not appear to be related to the terror attacks claimed by the group in Paris. Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said the strike took place on Friday and targeted Wisam al Zubaidi, also known as Abu Nabil al-Anbari, who commands what is the Islamic State's strongest branch outside of Iraq and Syria, according to U.S. intelligence officials."

Joshua Keating of Slate: "A day after the attacks in Paris underlined the global danger posed by the continuing violence in Syria, Russia, the United States, and governments in Europe and the Middle East agreed at talks in Vienna to a road map for ending the devastating and destabilizing war. The proposal, which appears to draw heavily from a Russian peace plan circulated before the talks, sets Jan. 1 as a deadline for the start of negotiations between Bashar al-Assad's government and opposition groups. Within six months, they would be required to create an 'inclusive and non-sectarian' transitional government that would set a schedule for holding new, internationally supervised elections within 18 months."

"Because It's 2015." Derrick Clifton of the Daily Dot, republished in Salon: "When announcing the selection of his new cabinet, made up of 15 men and 15 women (a 50-50 split), one reporter asked [Canadian PM Justin] Trudeau why he felt it was important to build his team with gender equity in mind. His short, sweet response urged everyone to get comfortable with a new reality: 'Because, it's 2015.' Those three words took a life of their own on Twitter, where his quick, off-cuff response set off a number of inspired hashtags like #BecauseIts2015, affirming the need for governments to ensure that the people in power represent the population they've sworn to serve. The move was simple, but the impact was profound -- and it sends a message to other countries, including the United States, about an easy way to address gender disparities in government, starting at the highest executive levels."

Anu Narayanswamy of the Washington Post: "Black Americans are more than twice as likely as white Americans to experience non­fatal force or the threat of force from police, according to a new Justice Department study. The study, which was released Saturday, found that an annual average of 44 million U.S. residents older than 16 had at least one face-to-face contact with police between 2002 and 2011. About 75 percent of those who had encountered force from the police perceived the force to be excessive."

** Philip Galanes of the New York Times has a conversation with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg & Gloria Steinam. CW: If you or someone you know is a woman younger than they are, read the transcript. Many young women have no idea what life was like for women who are now of a certain age.

Presidential Race

We haven't come up with an exact number yet, but it will not be as high as the number under Dwight D. Eisenhower, which was 90 percent. I'm not that much of a socialist compared to Eisenhower. -- Bernie Sanders, on the top tax bracket ...

... David Fahrenthold of the Washington Post: "Former secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton faced sharp attacks -- about her closeness to Wall Street, and her vote for the Iraq War -- from two more aggressive rivals, in the second Democratic presidential debate Saturday night." ...

... Over at Politico's Daily Racing Form, Katie Glueck picks out the key moments of the debate. ...

... Ben Kamisar of the Hill: "Hillary Clinton broke with President Obama during Saturday's Democratic primary debate when she said that the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria can't just be 'contained,' a phrase Obama used in a Friday interview that aired just hours before the Paris terror attacks. 'We have to look at ISIS as a leading threat of an international terror network, it cannot be contained, it must be defeated,' the former secretary of State said during CBS's debate." With video. ...

     ... Amber Phillips of the Washington Post elaborates. ...

... Katherine Krueger of TPM: "Asked if Sanders still believes climate change greatest is the gravest national security threat, as he did in the first Democratic debate, he responded 'absolutely.' 'In fact, climate change is directly related to the growth of terrorism. And if we do not get our act together and listen to what the scientists say, you're going to see counties all over the world ... they're going to be struggling over limited amounts of water, limited amounts of land to grow their crops, and you're going to see all kinds of international conflict,' Sanders said." With video. ...

... Rebecca Traister of New York: "... these candidates' bona fides and infinite superiority to any of the Republicans in contention were established during the first debate. What was notable tonight was that it laid everything bare -- not just the good, but the bad of what the Democratic party and its contenders for the presidency have to offer.... The contrast between [Sanders & Clinton] wasn't flattering to either: one candidate appeared out of his depth, the other in way too deep." Traister also is amazed that in both debates, the issue of reproductive rights did not come up. (Traister writes extensively on women's rights.) "It was almost as though women's rights to control their reproduction and family size were not fundamental to their economic, social, professional and political equality. Democrats' failure to make issues of comprehensive reproductive justice central to their primary is also strategically stupid, since now is the time when the Republicans are trying to out-do each other with insane litmus tests over which one of them would more effectively force rape and incest survivors to carry their unwanted pregnancies to term." ...

... Amy Davidson of the New Yorker: "Clinton ... managed, in a couple of sentences, to simultaneously open herself up to the charge that she sees ISIS as someone else's war and that she rushed into wars too readily. Those notions feel paradoxical, and yet they both feed into a critique of Clinton as someone who does not always embrace responsibility." Davidson details other Clinton missteps. ...

... Fred Kaplan of Slate: "The question of the evening -- of our time -- is how to defeat ISIS, but Clinton, the candidate with the deepest résumé on foreign policy, never said what she would do beyond what President Obama is already doing." ...

... Jamelle Bouie of Slate: "... thanks to sharp questioning from my colleague John Dickerson -- we can see weaknesses that weren't apparent before. The discussions went at the heart of each candidacy. And Hillary Clinton, who is running for the general election as much as she is the primary, needs to improve her game." ...

... The Guardian's liveblog of the debate is here. ...

... Annie Karni of Politico: "In a conference call with all three campaigns hours after the attacks in Paris, executives with CBS ... suggested changing the format of the forum to carve out more time to discuss the suddenly-imperative issue of keeping the violence in Europe from lapping over to U.S. cities, campaign sources said. But [Bernie] Sanders' team forcefully opposed any changes -- and, to the amazement of the network and the other Democrats who decried his tone-deafness, crowed publicly about limiting the foreign policy component to spend more time discussing economic inequality and other issues central to the Vermont senator's candidacy." ...

... Bill Curry of Salon: "I still don't see establishment media types grappling with the seeming mystery of how a 74-year-old socialist outperforms a centrist front-runner in those general election match-ups. Here's a hint: the Democrats' real opponents are anger, apathy and fear. With just three months till Iowa, Bernie Sanders is still the only candidate addressing anger, fear and apathy in a responsible, effective way.... Voters agree so strongly [with Sanders' economic message] even Republicans cry 'crony capitalism,' but they're just kidding. Clinton still doesn't get it. Raising billions from big business and floating boatloads of new programs is a bad strategy. Voters look at government and see a car with a cracked engine block. Until it's fixed they won't let anybody drive it."

Patrick Healy of the New York Times: "A dark portrait of America -- impotent against Islamic State militants, vulnerable against shadowy, undocumented refugees, and isolated in a world of fraying alliances -- emerged from the Republican presidential field on Saturday as candidates seized on the Paris attacks to try to elevate terrorism into a defining issue in the 2016 election. Leading Republicans like Donald J. Trump, Ben Carson and Senator Ted Cruz of Texas called on the Obama administration to halt plans to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees next year. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, warning that the Islamic State would leverage the Paris attacks to add recruits and raise money, said the United States needed to move immediately to assemble a stronger coalition to fight the militants." ...

... Katie Zezima of the Washington Post: "In the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) said President Obama is not interested in protecting the United States. 'I recognize that Barack Obama does not wish to defend this country,' Cruz said on 'Fox and Friends' 'He may have been tired of war, but our enemies are not tired of killing us. And they’re getting stronger.'" ...

... AP: Speaking at a campaign rally in Beaumont, Texas, "... Donald Trump says the terror attacks in Paris would have been 'a much, much different situation' had the victims been armed with guns. And he says the United States is 'insane' to accept any refugees from Syria in the wake of the attacks.... He began the event with a moment of silence in honor of the victims of the attacks."

Beyond the Beltway

Alice Ollstein of Think Progress: "On Friday morning, Alabama and the federal Justice Department reached an agreement to bring the state in compliance with the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), a law passed in 1993 requiring states to make it easier and more convenient for residents to register to vote ... [by] giving residents who visited the state's DMVs the opportunity to register.... The new agreement, however, does not force the state to reopen the more than two dozen DMVs in majority-black counties that recently shut down...."

News Ledes

New York Times: "At least 15 Sudanese migrants trying to cross from Egypt into Israel were shot and killed at the border early Sunday, possibly by Egyptian police officers, according to security officials and news reports. The death toll, if confirmed, would be one of the highest in years for migrants and asylum seekers making the treacherous journey across the Sinai Peninsula into Israel. People coming from Sudan, Eritrea and other countries in East Africa have been tortured by traffickers, beaten or shot by the Egyptian security services and have faced open-ended detention by the Israeli authorities, according to human rights groups."

Washington Post: "The Pentagon transferred five Yemeni detainees who had been held for more than a decade at the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to the United Arab Emirates, U.S. officials announced Sunday."

New York Times: "The Japanese economy deteriorated more severely than expected in the third quarter, government data released on Monday showed, extending a downturn into a second consecutive three-month period and putting the country in technical recession."