Tuesday, September 03, 2013 Published Weekday Mornings   To see the full version of today's cartoon, click on the preview graphic of the cartoon (below the Commentary) to be taken to the full version in your favorite web browser. Syria: The Decision Pres. Obama Says U.S. Should Take Action In Syria, Will Seek Congress' Authorization For Use Of Force Chuck Todd: Obama changed mind, decided to send vote on Syria to Congress at 11th hour Neil Irwin: Obama to Congress - Put up or shut up Skepticism Runs High On Capitol Hill After Congressmembers Attend Classified Syria Briefing Sarah Binder: Congress and the use of force in Syria NYTimes: Debating the Case for Force Jonathan Bernstein: Blame Congress, not the Presdent, on use of war powers The six key players in Congress' Syria debate Where Does Your Congressman Stand on Syria? Garance Franke-Ruta: All the Previous Congressional Declarations of War Ed O'Keefe: The 5 ways that Congress is splitting on Syria Head Counting: Where Congress stands on Syria now New Senate Syria plan limits President Obama's authority in Syria White House OK with Congress changing language on Syria resolution  Syria: Reaction Overseas McClatchy: To some, U.S. case for Syrian gas attack and need for strike has too many holes Syrian refugees top 2 million as thousands flee daily Russia Rejects U.S. Evidence on Syrian Chemical Attack Assad warns of retaliation as France builds case for Syria attack Obama's outreach to Congress on Syria stirs call for Hollande to consult French Parliament Related: USS Nimitz carrier group sails into Red Sea in move Defense Dept. calls 'prudent' Labor Day Leftovers Sarah Kliff: Labor Day in America in eight charts Nancy Folbre: Not Really Labor's Day Paul Krugman: Love for Labor Lost Tim Fernholz: Two charts to ruin Labor Day; Why U.S. labor is worth less than ever Harry J Enten: Three more reasons why union power is waning in America Annie-Rose Strasser: The One Video (And Three Charts) That Explains Why Unions Matter Health Care Checkup Sarah Kliff: Two maps that are incredibly important to Obamacare Fact Checker: Ted Cruz's claims about 'Obamacare' in new TV ad as false as he is Education In America Why There's No Reason For Big Universities To Rein In Spending Charts: How Big Debt on Campus Is Threatening Higher Ed Marriage Equality Justice Ginsburg Presides at Same-Sex Wedding In New Mexico, a Rush to the Altar Energy, Climate & Environment Germany Breaks Its Own Record For Solar Power Generation Tom Philpott: The Real Reason Kansas Is Running Out of Water Nations In Turmoil Status of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood party under legal threat as bomb hits central Cairo Egyptian state TV: Rocket attack kills 15 militants in Sinai Egypt shuts down four TV stations International News Russia raises alarm over Israeli missile test in Mediterranean Japan to Spend Almost $500 Million on Water Crisis at Fukushima Nuclear Plant Wildfires continue to rage through Portugal Former NBA Star Dennis Rodman Returns to North Korea to Visit Kim Jong-un Midwest Roundup Neb. lawmaker fears more Republican River lawsuits Nebr. lawmakers now questioning statewide business incentives Iowa Attorney General & Iowa Ombudsman at odds with one another Other Notable News 64-yr old Diana Nyad 1st person to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage No Time For Childish Ways While there may have been more napping by our staff members over the Labor Day weekend than most adults normally do, we certainly were awake on Saturday afternoon. That's when President Obama, in what may be a precedent-setting action, announced he was passing the decision to Congress on whether the U.S. should take military action in Syria. That Congress didn't immediately rush back to Washington to debate the issue, didn't surprise us at all - especially given that President Obama stated any punitive action against Syria's current government wasn't time sensitive. Still, Senate committees will already be meeting this week on the issue, some possibly as early as today, while the Republican-led House won't begin debating any potential military action until next Monday at the earliest. That Speaker Boehner can't even face the difficult decision to act like an adult and bring the House back into session early doesn't bode well for any of the difficult decisions facing Congress this month. That President Obama did act as the Constitution declares Presidents should - and exactly in line with his past actions and statements, including his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech - didn't entirely surprise most of our staff. It did surprise many, as Wonkblog's Neil Irwin pointed out over the weekend... To continue reading... click here. And now, for your Daily Felltoon preview for September 03, 2013 (Click the preview cartoon above to see the full version of the cartoon) Syria: Reaction At Home Alex Seitz-Wald: Why the left is split on Syria Jonathan Martin: Congressional Vote On Syria Sets Up Foreign Policy Clash on Right Alex Seitz-Wald: Neocons outraged that Obama wants democratic approval for war | Obama authorization for Syria too broad for some lawmakers Rick Ungar: Media Outlets Spitting Mad At Obama For Spoiling Their Plans To Cash In On War Franke-Ruta: Six Reasons Why Americans Aren't as Willing to Intervene as They Used to Be Jobs & The Economy War Talk In Congress Could Slow Global Economic Growth Gallup: U.S. Workers Still Haven't Shaken the Job Worries of 2009 | Long-Term Jobless Left Out of the Recovery,Despite Improving Economy Jared Bernstein: The Audacity of the Fight for Higher Wages Wall Street Watch Verizon, Vodafone agree to $130 billion Wireless deal Nokia to sell handset business to Microsoft for $7.2 billion Fight For The Fed Federal Reserve's Yellen: Fearless and candid Michael Wolff: Fed battle is all about gender Battling Economic Inequality O'Brien: Over 50% of Food Stamp Recipients Now Live in the Suburbs Lydia DePillis: 401(k)s are replacing pensions. That's making inequality worse. Shutdown Showdown Summer break or not, fiscal fighting continues quietly in Washington Eugene Robinson: In budget fight, the GOP is not acting in the national interest The Spying Game Top-secret U.S. intelligence files show new levels of distrust of Pakistan United States D.E.A. Agents Use Vast Phone Trove, Eclipsing Phone Lists of N.S.A. NSA Spied On Phone Calls And Email Of Brazil, Mexico Presidents | Report: NSA spied on Al Jazeera Television Network Related: Russia Issues Travel Warning to Its Citizens About United States and Extradition Secret document shows U.S. intelligence agencies spend millions to hunt for insider threats Media Matters CBS and Time Warner Cable End Contract Dispute Jeffrey Bezos, WaPo's next owner, wants a new 'golden era' at the paper David Frost, Interviewer Who Got Nixon to Apologize for Watergate, Dies at 74 Communications Breakdown Pro-Assad Syrian group hacks U.S. Marines website Andrew Leonard: The Internet's next victim? Advertising. Poynter: College papers cutting back on print editions And now, for your Weekly OK Gazette Toon preview for September 03, 2013  (Click the preview cartoon above to see the full version of the cartoon) White House Update Pres. Obama To Meet With LGBT Activists While In Russia For G20 National Politics Alex Pareene: Six reasons political junkies love September On The Left John Nichols: Respecting the Constitution, President Honors Demand for Syria Vote Katrina vanden Heuvel: Congress, exercise caution on Syria Bernstein & Sargent: The 'McCain Doctrine' is nonsense On The Right G.O.P. Senators Fail to Head Off Primary Challenges by Tea Party Rivals Sen. John McCain Blasts Fox's Islamophobia: Would You Have A Problem With An American Saying 'Thank God?' Conservative writer blames 'Family Guy' cartoon for turning American youth against the GOP We hope you enjoy "The Daily Felltoon" every business day. Thanks for continuing to be a member! Paul Fell Shawn "Smith" Peirce Paul Fell Cartoons, Inc.