Top Items:
Charlie Savage / New York Times:
Sotomayor Confirmed by Senate, 68-31 — WASHINGTON — Voting largely along party lines, the Senate on Thursday confirmed Judge Sonia Sotomayor as the 111th justice of the Supreme Court. She will be the first Hispanic and the third woman to serve on the court.
Discussion:
FiveThirtyEight, New York Times, Room for Debate, Political Byline, US Senator Orrin Hatch, The Confluence, The Nation, Wonkette, Reason, Shakesville, Indecision Forever, BlueOregon, Corrente, Little Green Links, Donklephant, The TrogloPundit, Lawyers, Guns and Money, Feministe and Truthdig
RELATED:
The Huffington Post:
Unions To Take On Conservative Groups Health Care Town Halls — The nation's largest federation of labor organizations has promised to directly engage with boisterous conservative protesters at Democratic town halls during the August recess. — In a memo sent out on Thursday …
RELATED:
Washington Post:
Senate Committee's Bipartisan Health-Care Reform Talks Move Toward Center — Bipartisan Talks On Reform Move Toward Center — Senate negotiators are inching toward bipartisan agreement on a health-care plan that seeks middle ground on some of the thorniest issues facing Congress …
Moe Lane / Moe_Lane's blog:
Behold those scary, scary swastika-bearing astroturfers. — (Brief summary for those lacking video: Dallas AARP meeting went wrong for organizers when participants refused to sit down, shut up, and applaud Democratic talking points. Organizers then left; meeting continued.)
Tom Bevan / Real Clear Politics:
After 6 Months, More View Obama's Presidency as a ‘Failure’ Than Bush's — A rather surprising finding from the newly released CNN poll. Question three on the national survey of 1,136 adults (which includes an oversample of African-Americans) asks, “Do you consider the first six months …
RELATED:
Paul Steinhauser / CNN:
Poll: Obama approval drops 7 points over last 100 days — CNN Deputy Political Director — WASHINGTON (CNN) — As President Obama approaches 200 days in the White House, a new national poll shows his approval rating has dropped seven points since the 100-day mark in April.
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
THEY ALREADY HAVE THEIR CARE.... The CNN poll released yesterday found …
THEY ALREADY HAVE THEIR CARE.... The CNN poll released yesterday found …
Discussion:
Liberal Values
Philip Kennicott / Washington Post:
Obama as The Joker: Racial Fear's Ugly Face — ‘Political’ Poster Turns On Violent Symbolism — Between Jack Nicholson's 1989 portrayal of the Joker in “Batman” and Heath Ledger's 2008 characterization in “The Dark Knight,” something sinister happened to the villain's iconic makeup.
David Weigel / The Washington Independent:
‘Punkin’ the Birthers: Priceless' — It's looking more and more like the forged “Kenyan birth certificate” released by Orly Taitz on Sunday was a prank by a supporter of President Obama. Politijab points to an anonymous blogger at FearlessBlogging, who has uploaded four photos of the original forgery and a mocking declaration:
RELATED:
Jerome R. Corsi / WorldNetDaily:
Obama birth doc update: Kenya sources weigh in — Comparison with similar certificates suggests fakery, WND probe reveals — NEW YORK - The Kenyan birth document released by California attorney Orly Taitz is probably not authentic, according to WND's investigative operatives in Africa …
Washington Times:
White House: ‘War on terrorism’ is over — ‘Jihadists’ and ‘global war’ no longer acceptable terms — It's official. The U.S. is no longer engaged in a “war on terrorism.” Neither is it fighting “jihadists” or in a “global war.” — President Obama's top homeland security …
RELATED:
David D. Kirkpatrick / New York Times:
White House Affirms Deal on Drug Cost — WASHINGTON — Pressed by industry lobbyists, White House officials on Wednesday assured drug makers that the administration stood by a behind-the-scenes deal to block any Congressional effort to extract cost savings from them beyond an agreed-upon $80 billion.
RealClearPolitics Video Log:
Pelosi: Town Hall Protesters Are “Carrying Swastikas” — Nancy Pelosi claims protesters are “carrying swastikas and symbols like that to a town meeting on healthcare.” VIDEO: Man At Town Hall: “You Need To Get The Government The Hell Out Of Our Way” VIDEO: DNC Web Ad Attacks Protesters …
Discussion:
San Francisco Chronicle, Columbian, The Moderate Voice, Don Surber, Gathering of Eagles: NY, Achenblog, PrairiePundit, Gateway Pundit, Below The Beltway, Maggie's Farm, Founding Bloggers, Townhall.com, Wake up America, Sister Toldjah, RedState, The Western Experience and Knowledge is Power
RELATED:
Pew Research Center:
Many Fault Media Coverage of Health Care Debate — Partisan Divide Over Coverage of “Birther” Allegations — As the fight in Washington over health care reform continues to dominate public attention and media coverage, most Americans are critical of the way news organizations are explaining key elements of the debate.
RELATED:
Tim Fernholz / American Prospect:
CHRISTY ROMER ARGUES FOR THE STIMULUS. — Well, can't get a much better speech title than “So, Is It Working?” That's the question answered in Council of Economic Advisers Chair Christina Romer's speech today, and she answers it with one word: Absolutely.
RELATED:
Byron York / Washington Examiner:
Obama's dissident database could be secret — and permanent — The White House request that members of the public report anyone who is spreading “disinformation” about the proposed national health care makeover could lead to a White House database of political opponents that will be both secret …
RELATED:
Rasmussen Reports:
Election 2009: New Jersey Governor — New Jersey Governor: Christie Takes 13-Point Lead Again — Republican challenger Chris Christie has regained his 13-point lead over incumbent Democrat Jon Corzine in New Jersey's closely watched gubernatorial race. — A new Rasmussen Reports survey …
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's …
RELATED:
Lanny Davis / The Hill:
The Clinton-Clinton-Obama triumph — The release of the two journalists by the North Koreans on Tuesday night D.C. time was the result of a tour-de-force, trifecta combination of the three most talented and truly great political leaders of our times — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton …
Discussion:
Weekly Standard
RELATED:
Rachel Slajda / Talking Points Memo:
CNN Anchor Rips Into Health Care CEO Who's Funding Anti-Reform Effort — A CNN anchor today tore down Rick Scott, the founder of an organization that's been funding anti-health care reform protests and the former CEO of a hospital company that, as Sanchez pointed out, paid $1.7 billion …
Erica Alini / Wall Street Journal:
No More Perks: Coffee Shops Pull the Plug on Laptop Users — They Sit for Hours and Don't Spend Much; Getting the Bum's Rush in the Big Apple — A sign at Naidre's, a small neighborhood coffee shop in Brooklyn, N.Y., begins warmly: “Dear customers, we are absolutely thrilled that you like us …
Alex Isenstadt / The Politico:
Reid: GOP ‘run by a talk show host’ — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid launched his harshest attack on the Republican Party in months, claiming the GOP is “being run by a talk show host.” — Reid, armed with a patch of Astroturf, slammed Republicans for sponsoring town hall attacks …
Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
The Guns of August — Jon Cohn says he's “been obsessing over the lack of passion and organization on the left,” though now feeling slightly better. I agree, but it is worth saying that this is almost 100 percent the fault of Max Baucus. — There's a reason, after all …
ABCNEWS:
U.S. Official: ‘Strong Indications’ Pakistani Taliban Leader Baitullah Mehsud is Dead — U.S., Pakistani Officials Awaiting DNA Tests for “100 Percent” Confirmation — “There is strong indication” that Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud was killed in a CIA drone strike that targeted …