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.
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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 …
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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.)
Steve / Sweetness & Light:
Was Pelosi So Wrong About Swastikas? — As you may have heard by now, the United States Speaker of the House, the number two most powerful elected federal official, Nancy Pelosi, has accused the protesters at Democrat healthcare town halls of carrying swastikas:
Washington Post:
Senate Committee's Bipartisan Health-Care Reform Talks Move Toward Center
Senate Committee's Bipartisan Health-Care Reform Talks Move Toward Center
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, New York Times, The Treatment, Ezra Klein, Wonk Room, msnbc.com, The Page, Boston Globe and Indecision Forever
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Say, isn't this Astroturfing? — The White House and its allies …
Say, isn't this Astroturfing? — The White House and its allies …
Discussion:
Now! Hampshire, American Power, thedanashow.wordpress.com, RedState, The Sundries Shack and Sister Toldjah
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:
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Little Green Footballs:
Punkin' the Nirthers — That “Kenyan birth certificate” promoted by World Net Daily, Orly Taitz, Free Republic, and quite a few bloggers turns out to have been a deliberate prank on the Nirthers. They were well and truly punk'd. — The first words I wrote immediately after seeing the latest incarnation of the Nirth Certifikit:
Discussion:
The Jawa Report
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 …
Discussion:
RealClearWorld, CNN, The Jawa Report, Jules Crittenden, Atlas Shrugs, Pajamas Media, Jihad Watch and Shot in the Dark
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Byron York / Washington Examiner:
Obama's dissident database could be secret — and permanent
Obama's dissident database could be secret — and permanent
Discussion:
Power Line, Fausta's Blog, Raw Story, Neptunus Lex, Babalú Blog, Right Wing News, Hot Air and St. Louis Tea Party
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 …
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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
The Huffington Post:
Anti-Obama Protester Compares President To Nazi In Swastika Sign — In championing the protests being staged at Democratic town halls, the Republican Party faces the obvious danger of becoming defined by the crazier elements of the crowd. So it's hard to imagine GOP higher-ups feeling …
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Liberal Values, American Power, The Politico, The Huffington Post, The Jawa Report, NJDC Blog, IMAO, Don Surber and Wizbang
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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.
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 …
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 …
Discussion:
The Long War Journal, The Lede, FP Passport, Don Surber, Hot Air, The Washington Independent, ATTACKERMAN and PrairiePundit
Michelle Malkin:
Revolt against AARP in Dallas: “Do you work for us or do we work for you?” — Watch the senior citizen “hooligans” and “civic vigilantes” in Dallas question a condescending AARP representative about Obamacare. Dues-paying members are speaking up about the organization's sellout of its members — and the AARP brass is not happy.
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.
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 …
Adam Smith / St. Petersburg Times:
Protesters drown out Tampa health care summit — TAMPA - Bitter divisions over reforming America's health care system exploded Thursday night in Tampa amid cat calls, jeering and shoving at a town hall meeting. — “Tyranny! Tyranny! Tyranny!” dozens of people shouted as U.S …
Gary Fields / Wall Street Journal:
Clunkers Plan Deflates Mechanics — WASHINGTON — Who doesn't like the government's “cash for clunkers” program? Your mechanic, for one. — Owners of automotive repair shops say the program to help invigorate sales of new cars is succeeding at their expense.
Andy Barr / The Politico:
Ron Paul: Obama ‘deserves an F’ — Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) said Thursday that President Barack Obama deserves a failing grade for his first 200 days in office. — The libertarian-minded Republican ultimately graded the president at a just-passing “D” when asked to rate Obama's performance during …