memeorandum: Former Bush surgeon general says he was muzzled (Will Dunham/Reuters)

3:15 PM ET, July 10, 2007

Top Items:

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: Hot Air, Washington Monthly, JustOneMinute, The American Mind, Washington Times, NewsBusters.org, MyDD, Lonewacko and Democratic National Committee

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 …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, TIME, DownWithTyranny! and Pajamas Media

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: Roger Ailes

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

Liz Sidoti / Associated Press:
McCain campaign suffers key shake-ups

Discussion: Captain's Quarters and Shakesville

Ana Marie Cox / TIME: Swampland:
McCain's Sad Finale

Discussion: The Newshoggers

The Atlantic Online:
The McCain Decimation: The Inside Story: UPDATED

Discussion: Patrick Ruffini

CNN: McCain's top political strategists forced out

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.

Justin Rood Reports / The Blotter:

'Hustler' Call May Have Prompted Vitter Admission — Justin Rood Reports: — A call from Hustler magazine may have prompted a Louisiana Republican senator to expose his past with an escort service run by the so-called "D.C. Madam," the Blotter on ABCNews.com has learned.

Discussion: MoJoBlog and JammieWearingFool

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, The Carpetbagger Report, TIME and No More Mister Nice Blog

Carrie Budoff / The Politico:
GOP senator admits link to escort service

Discussion: Think Progress, Yeas & Nays, TPMmuckraker, ABCNEWS, TIME, Pandagon, MSNBC and Blogs of War

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) …

Discussion: Think Progress, Taylor Marsh, The Carpetbagger Report, Democrats.com and Norwegianity

Susan Page / USA Today:
Anti-war views on Iraq rise to record

Discussion: Salon, Washington Post, The Moderate Voice, Gallup Poll, The Politico, Dick Polman's American Debate and Middle Earth Journal

Gallup Poll:
Bush Job Approval at 29%, Lowest of His Administration

Discussion: Pollster.com, MyDD and TIME

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 …

Discussion: Election Central, Let Freedom Ring and Air America Radio

Brent Budowsky / The Hill:
George Bush's Iraq Obsession: America Held Hostage

Discussion: DownWithTyranny! and TPMCafe blogs

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.

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.

Discussion: Cato-at-liberty, The Atlantic Online, The Moderate Voice, Boston Globe, New York Times, MSNBC, Universal Health and Connecting.the.Dots

New York Times:
Bush Is Firm as Criticism Over Iraq Mounts

Discussion: Prairie Weather

Mike Glover / Associated Press:
Obama challenges rivals on Iraq war

Discussion: TalkLeft

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.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, The Carpetbagger Report, The Raw Story, Blah3, Left I on the News, KnoxViews, Rising Hegemon, Brian Beutler, Daily Kos, Boing Boing, The Sideshow, News Bloggers Blog and Brendan Nyhan

CNN:
THE SITUATION ROOM — Pentagon Lowering the Bar for Measuring Success in Iraq.

Discussion: BlondeSense, CBS News and Blanton's and Ashton's

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" …

Discussion: Little Green Footballs and Theo Spark

Will Dunham / Reuters:

Former Bush surgeon general says he was muzzled — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The first U.S. surgeon general appointed by President George W. Bush accused the administration on Tuesday of political interference and muzzling him on key issues like embryonic stem cell research.

Discussion: New York Times

Amanda / Think Progress:
Former Surgeon General Was Muzzled, Censored By Bush Administration

Discussion: The Gavel and The Carpetbagger Report

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.

Discussion: JammieWearingFool, Don Surber, Cliff Schecter and Balloon Juice

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 …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, New York Times and PoliBlog (TM)

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.

Discussion: michellemalkin.com, The American Mind, Sugar Land is Dreaming and Corrente