Top Items:
Ian Welsh / Firedoglake:
The Real FISA Vote Passes 80 to 15 With the Presidential Nominees Passing — They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. - Benjamin Franklin — The FISA Cloture vote just passed. The Senate will now consider the motion …
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Greg Sargent / TPM Election Central:
Obama On FISA: Telecom Immunity Issue Doesn't Override National Security — At a presser today, Obama weighed in again on the FISA cave, and suffice it to say that what he said won't make opponents any less unhappy about Obama's position than they were already.
Carrie Budoff Brown / The Politico:
Netroots feel jilted by Obama's FISA stand — When former Sen. John Edwards dropped out of the presidential race, the progressive Netroots took their affections to Barack Obama, defending him against attack from Hillary Rodham Clinton and others. — But with his support of a government surveillance bill …
Dan Eggen / The Trail:
While Fundraising, Bush Mounts Attack on Obama — LIVONIA, Mich. — President Bush came to suburban Detroit Wednesday to mount a clear attack on Sen. Barack Obama, though he never actually mentioned the Democratic candidate's name. — Instead, Bush suggested through red-meat GOP rhetoric …
Discussion:
TIME.com
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Jann S. / Rolling Stone:
A Conversation With Barack Obama
A Conversation With Barack Obama
Discussion:
NewsBusters.org, Top of the Ticket, The Swamp, Rolling Stone, Jack and Jill Politics, The Opinionator and Macsmind
New York Post:
KEITH GOES NUTS OVER KETCHUP — MSNBC blowhard Keith Olbermann couldn't even control his temper at a memorial reception for beloved Tim Russert. — Network sources told Page Six Olbermann was furious last week when MSNBC didn't get him a first-class ticket to Washington, DC …
Belle Waring / John & Belle Have A Blog:
Pretty Girls...Rock and Roll...America....RULES! — I'm in America! So, New York is wonderful, my children are horribly jet-lagged...uh, what was I talking about again? Need...more...coffee—hey, it's thin, old school, regular New York coffee, I forgot about that.
Discussion:
Outside The Beltway
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New York Times:
Delicate Talks for Democrats on a Path to a Unified Party — WASHINGTON — With the help of one of Washington's best-connected lawyers, Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton are negotiating a thicket of complicated issues, like how to repay Mrs. Clinton's campaign debt and her role at the Democratic convention.
Sue Littlemore / BBC:
Law ‘will ban age discrimination’ — The government is to bring forward new legislation to outlaw all forms of age discrimination, the BBC has learned. — Equalities Minister Harriet Harman is expected to announce the plan on Thursday as part of a package of measures in an Equalities Bill.
Clifford Krauss / New York Times:
Parties Split on How to Expand Offshore Drilling — HOUSTON — The two political parties have settled on markedly different strategies for improving domestic oil supplies to help lower gasoline prices. — Republicans want to end the 27-year ban on offshore drilling along much of the nation's coastline …
Discussion:
Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog
Bill Mears / CNN:
Child rapists can't be executed, Supreme Court rules — CNN Supreme Court Producer — WASHINGTON (CNN) — The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 Wednesday that child rapists cannot be executed, concluding that capital punishment for crimes against individuals can be applied only to murderers.
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Matthew Mosk / Washington Post:
Top McCain Adviser Has Found Success Mixing Money, Politics — As Sen. John McCain's top presidential campaign adviser, Richard H. “Rick” Davis has worked for almost a year without compensation, telling reporters that the sacrifice shows his dedication to the cash-strapped Arizona Republican.
Discussion:
TIME.com
Mark Halperin / TIME.com:
HALPERIN'S TAKE: What Smart Republican Strategists Think Should Be on John McCain's To-Do List — 1. Prove to your staff you can drive a message for more than one consecutive day. — 2. Tell Americans what the one, key difference is between you and Obama.
Paul Kane / Washington Post:
Senate Debates Rewrite of '78 Law That Created Secret Intelligence Court — The Senate, clearing a key parliamentary hurdle, yesterday voted to begin debating a broad revision of U.S. intelligence laws that includes a controversial plan to grant immunity to telecommunications companies …
Discussion:
The Corner
Maura Reynolds / Los Angeles Times:
75% blame Bush's policies for deteriorating economy — The figure includes large numbers of dissatisfied Republicans and represents a sharp increase in pessimism over the last year. Higher fuel prices have sharpened the criticism. — WASHINGTON — Three out of four Americans …
GayPatriot:
BREAKING ELECTION NEWSGAYPATRIOT EXCLUSIVE:John McCain Meets with Log Cabin Republicans President — GayPatriot has exclusively learned that presumptive Republican Presidential nominee Senator John McCain held a personal meeting with the head of the national gay Republicans organization, the Log Cabin Republicans.
Mike Soraghan / The Hill:
BlueDogs seek a hunting ground in upper chamber — Blue Dog Democrats, frustrated that their fight to end deficit spending has been stymied by the Senate, may endorse candidates running for the upper chamber. — Leaders of the group told The Hill on Wednesday that they are considering plans …