Top Items:
The Trail:
Gramm Stands by Recession Comments — Former senator Phil Gramm — under fire for saying the United States has “become a nation of whiners” — said in an interview today that he meant the nation's leaders were whiners, not its citizens. — But the top adviser to Sen. John McCain repeated …
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Mike Allen / The Politico:
Gramm calls slowdown ‘mental’ — Former Sen. Phil Gramm, a top economic adviser to presumptive GOP nominee John McCain, referred to the economic slowdown as “a mental recession” and called the United States “a nation of whiners.” — The comments, in an interview with The Washington Times …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, The Fix, Crooks and Liars, The Swamp, Jonathan Martin's Blogs, Washington Wire, The Trail, Sadly, No!, Ross Douthat, Firedoglake, The Caucus, Newshoggers.com, The American Conservative, MSNBC, PoliticalBase.com Blog, Think Progress, Hot Air, The Seminal, Taylor Marsh, Glamocracy, Exurban League and Salon
Jonathan Martin / Jonathan Martin's Blogs:
McCain forcefully rebukes Gramm — John McCain strongly disavowed the comments today of his campaign co-chair and economic adviser, saying Phil Gramm “does not speak for me — I speak for me.” — “So, I strongly disagree,” McCain told reporters gathered for a press conference that was added …
Discussion:
Real Clear Politics
Sam Stein / The Huffington Post:
McCain Campaign Initially Stood By Gramm Remarks — The McCain campaign is working hard to distance itself from statements made by economic adviser Phil Gramm describing the current economic downturn as a “mental recession” and saying America had “sort of become a nation of whiners.”
Kelly Moeller / Political Punch:
Defensive McCain Campaign Emails Out Youtube Clip of McCain Bashing Own Economic Adviser — This is how you know a campaign is having a bad day: when it feels the need to email out to reporters a Youtube clip of its own candidate bashing his own top economic adviser.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo
Karl Rove / Wall Street Journal:
Barack's Brilliant Ground Game — For a campaign that says it wants to end the politics of the Bush-Cheney years, the Obama for President effort has cribbed an awful lot from the Bush-Cheney playbooks of 2000 and 2004. — For starters, Barack Obama's manager admitted to the New York Times …
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Telegraph:
President George Bush: 'Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter' — George Bush surprised world leaders with a joke about his poor record on the environment as he left the G8 summit in Japan. — The American leader, who has been condemned throughout his presidency for failing to tackle climate change …
Matea Gold / Los Angeles Times:
Jackson's Obama comments almost went unnoticed — A Fox News technician transcribing the tape overnight heard it, and it took off from there. — NEW YORK — The news that the Rev. Jesse Jackson took a crude swipe at Sen. Barack Obama this week put renewed scrutiny on the relationship between …
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John Bresnahan / The Crypt's Blogs:
Pelosi says House Judiciary may hold hearings on Kucinich impeachment resolution — Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said this morning that the House Judiciary Committee may hold hearings on an impeachment resolution offered by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio).
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CNN:
Rove ignores panel's subpoena, refuses to testify — WASHINGTON (CNN) — Karl Rove, President Bush's longtime political guru, refused to obey an order to testify before a House Judiciary Committee hearing Thursday. — Rove's lawyer asserted that Rove was “immune” from the subpoena …
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
The Hubris Of Obama? — A few things have unsettled me these past couple of weeks about the Obama campaign. It is not the small adjustments to previously-held positions - FISA, the Second Amendment, Iraq. It's a sense that Obama's ample self-regard is lapsing into hubris.
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Kevin Drum / Washington Monthly:
OBAMA'S KIDS....Andrew Sullivan goes ballistic about the Obama family interview with Access Hollywood: … I gather that a fair number of people feel the same way, and even Obama himself now says he wouldn't do it again. Am I living in a bubble when I say that I'm just flabbergasted by this reaction?
Discussion:
Corrente
The Lede:
In an Iranian Image, a Missile Too Many — Updated, 9:33 a.m., Agence France-Presse has retracted the image as “apparently digitally altered.” — As news spread across the world of Iran's provocative missile tests, so did an image of four missiles heading skyward in unison.
Jared Allen / The Hill:
Pelosi: Drilling in protected areas ‘a hoax’ — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday shut the door on expanding oil and gas drilling beyond areas that have already been approved for energy exploration, drawing a clear distinction from her counterparts in charge of the Senate.
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Little Green Footballs:
Reality vs. Photoshop — Here's the genuine photo from Iran's missile test, showing the reason why it was altered: because one of the missiles failed to launch. — The Photoshopped version for comparison: — UPDATE at 7/10/08 1:51:09 pm: — Another of the photos released by Iran turns …
Discussion:
The Jawa Report
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Andrew Malcolm / Top of the Ticket:
Clinton and Obama do joint fundraiser but he forgets the fund part — The unity thing is proving something of a stubborn problem for the no longer officially dueling camps of Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. There've been reports in recent days of some die-hard Clinton supporters …
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George F. Will / Washington Post:
Survival of the Sudsiest — Perhaps, like many sensible citizens, you read Investor's Business Daily for its sturdy common sense in defending free markets and other rational arrangements. If so, you too may have been startled recently by an astonishing statement on that newspaper's front page.
Rasmussen Reports:
Election 2008: North Dakota Presidential Election — North Dakota: McCain and Obama Tied — North Dakota is as safe a Republican state as any in Presidential elections. George W. Bush carried the state by twenty-seven points in Election 2004 and twenty-eight points four years earlier.
Discussion:
TPM Election Central
Eric Stirgus / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
‘Men At Work’ signs to disappear in Atlanta — In the battle of the sexes, women's magazine editor Cynthia Good said this was a skirmish she had to fight. — [Post comments below.] — Across Atlanta they stood, orange signs with black letters that read “Men At Work” or “Men Working Ahead.”
Discussion:
Moonbattery
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