Top Items:
The Atlantic Online:
More On McCain Campaign Decimation: UPDATE — One Republican directly connected to today's events said that Mark Salter, McCain's long-time chief of staff and co-author of his five books, had also left the campaign payroll. — But Salter will remain as an adviser.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Hot Air, JustOneMinute, Washington Times, MyDD, NewsBusters.org, Lonewacko and Democratic National Committee
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Liz Sidoti / Associated Press:
McCain shakes up staff — WASHINGTON - John McCain's campaign manager and chief strategist are gone from their leadership roles, according to several officials with knowledge of the staff changes. — One official said Terry Nelson resigned as campaign manager for the Republican presidential candidate …
Jonathan Martin / The Politico:
Davis in charge as Nelson fired and Weaver and Salter quit — Rick Davis, who managed Sen. John McCain's 2000 presidential campaign but had a more limited role in this contest, will take the helm of the Arizonan's troubled candidacy, according to two McCain sources.
Discussion:
CNN Political Ticker
Dan Balz / Washington Post:
Top McCain Aides Quit Struggling Campaign — Republican presidential candidate John McCain accepted the resignations of two of his top aides today in a stunning shakeup of a campaign that has been roiled by financial and political problems. — Campaign manager Terry Nelson …
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online
Shailagh Murray / Washington Post:
Senator's Number on 'Madam' Phone List — Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) apologized last night after his telephone number appeared in the phone records of the woman dubbed the "D.C. Madam," making him the first member of Congress to become ensnared in the high-profile case.
Discussion:
Fox News, Sister Toldjah, Althouse, Jon Swift, The Newshoggers, TIME, Say Anything, Balloon Juice, CBS News, The Gun Toting Liberal™, Outside The Beltway, Right Wing News, Taylor Marsh, The Carpetbagger Report, Crooks and Liars, Mercury Rising, DownWithTyranny!, Abovethelaw.com, PoliBlog (TM), wtopnews.com, Beltway Blogroll, Corrente and TBogg
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Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
Sen. David Vitter, a leading Christian social conservative — Republican Senator David Vitter of Louisiana was not merely a supporter of last year's proposed constitutional amendment to "protect the sanctity of traditional marriages" by amending our Constitution to ban same-sex marriages …
Discussion:
MSNBC, MoJoBlog, The Rude Pundit, Democratic National Committee, TIME and No More Mister Nice Blog
Carrie Budoff / The Politico:
GOP senator admits link to escort service — Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) acknowledged Monday night that his number appears on telephone records of the alleged D.C. Madam, Deborah Jeane Palfrey, and issued an apology. — "This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course …
Susan Page / USA Today:
Anti-war views on Iraq rise to record — Poll: Bush approval drops to low of 29% — WASHINGTON — Opposition to the Iraq war has reached a record high, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds, a development likely to complicate President Bush's efforts to hold together Republican support …
Discussion:
Salon, The Moderate Voice, Gallup Poll, The Politico, Michael P.F. van der Galiën and Middle Earth Journal
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CNN:
White House touts 'retooled' Iraq mission — WASHINGTON (CNN) — As President Bush faces GOP pressure to change his war strategy, the White House announced Tuesday that an upcoming progress report will result in "the beginning of a new way" in Iraq. — Six months after announcing an increase …
Chris Bowers / Open Left:
Bush Equals Nixon's Highest Disapproval — The Roper Center at the University of Connecticut is an excellent archive for poll junkies, featuring polling archives that go back much further than Polling Report (not that polling report isn't great). the coup de grace (I hope I spelled that right) …
The Hill:
Pelosi lines up Iraq votes — House Democrats are planning a series of votes this month on Iraq that they hope will ratchet up pressure on the White House and congressional Republicans to change course on the unpopular war or suffer political consequences. — Sensing that additional GOP …
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John Solomon / Washington Post:
Gonzales Was Told of FBI Violations — After Bureau Sent Reports, Attorney General Said He Knew of No Wrongdoing — As he sought to renew the USA Patriot Act two years ago, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales assured lawmakers that the FBI had not abused its potent new terrorism-fighting powers.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, TPMmuckraker, Think Progress, PoliBlog (TM), The American Mind, Reason Magazine, The Next Hurrah, Wonkette, Obsidian Wings, New Pairodimes, The Carpetbagger Report, On Deadline, Capitol Hill Blue, Blanton's and Ashton's, Mercury Rising, Democratic National Committee, Prairie Weather, Bark Bark Woof Woof, Daily Kos and The Raw Story
MichaelMoore.com:
'SiCKO' Truth Squad Sets CNN Straight — DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN: "(Moore says) the United States slipped to number 37 in the world's health care systems. It's true. ... Moore brings a group of patients, including 9/11 workers, to Cuba and marvels at their free treatment and quality of care.
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Isambard Wilkinson / Telegraph:
Chief siege cleric killed as rebel mosque falls — The chief cleric of the radical Red Mosque in Islamabad has been killed after Pakistani special forces launched a bloody assault on his compound. — The body of Abdul Rashid Ghazi, who earlier had predicted that his "martyrdom was certain" …
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Perry Bacon Jr / Washington Post:
For Democrats, Pragmatism On Universal Health Care — In a conference call in January, the health-care debate within the Democratic Party played out before former senator John Edwards of North Carolina, who was in search of policy advice for his presidential campaign, and his wife, Elizabeth.
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The Hill:
Ex- convicts and addicts may get DoD clearance — At the Pentagon's request, Senate defense authorizers tucked deep within a defense bill a repeal of the department's restriction on granting security clearances to ex-convicts, drug addicts and the mentally incompetent.
Mixter / Mixter's Mix:
Blogger challenge - Let's really put the netroots to work! — You gotta admit, Cindy Sheehan has got a pair! — Cindy Sheehan has threated to run against Nancy Pelosi for Congress as a third party candidate in 2008 unless Pelosi introduces articles of impeachment against Bush by July 23rd.