Top Items:
Ben Smith / The Politico:
‘Wellstone effect’ for Kennedy? — Key conservative voices have begun to charge in the day after Sen. Ted Kennedy's death that Democrats are inappropriately politicizing the senator's death, his memorial and his legacy. — Kennedy was that ultimate political creature, a “lion of the Senate …
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Andy Barr / The Politico:
Romney won't run for Kennedy's seat — Former Massachusetts GOP Gov. Mitt Romney will not seek the Senate seat vacated by Ted Kennedy's death, a Romney spokesman said Thursday. — Responding to speculation that Romney may be interested in the seat—which he challenged Kennedy for in 1994 …
Discussion:
Liberal Values, Swing State Project, The TrogloPundit, The Caucus, The New Republic, Ben Smith's Blog, The Page, Flopping Aces, Let Freedom Ring, The Reaction, TPMDC, The Atlantic Politics Channel, The Hill, The Strata-Sphere, Boston Globe, GOP 12, Right Wing News, US News, TalkLeft and The Fix
Brian Maloney / The Radio Equalizer:
Libtalker: Kennedy Brothers Killed By ‘Right-Wing’ — HISTORICAL ‘FANTASIES’ — Libtalker Claims Right Responsible For Kennedy Killings — *** ONGOING CRITIQUE OF MEDIA COVERAGE AT OUR OTHER SITE *** — How fast could Ted Kennedy's death be used to smear conservatives?
Discussion:
Hot Air
Matea Gold / Show Tracker:
UPDATED: As boycott continues, Glenn Beck's audience swells — An advertising boycott against Fox News host Glenn Beck has succeeded in keeping most major sponsors from running commercials on his show even as the controversial commentator's viewership has grown.
Discussion:
JammieWearingFool, Mediaite, BuzzFlash.org, Michael Calderone's Blog, NewsBusters.org and The Swamp
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ColorOfChange.org:
Ten New Companies Pledge Not to Run Additional Ads on Glenn Beck Program — Vonage, Bank Of America, Kraft Among Latest To Distance Themselves from FNC Host as the Network Struggles to Fill Beck's Advertising Space — OAKLAND, Calif.—Adding to an increasing list of companies distancing themselves …
Adam Serwer / American Prospect:
The Onion Wins The Internet. — First, there was the article on the “afterbirthers” demanding to see Obama's placenta. Now, we have an Onion segment discussing whether or not using a minotaur to gore detainees is, in fact, torture. Obviously there are two sides to the question.
Discussion:
DISSENTING JUSTICE
RELATED:
Onion News Network:
[video] Is Using A Minotaur To Gore Detainees A Form Of Torture? — In The Know panelists discuss the closing of the controversial detainee labyrinth and debate whether the Minotaur's sternum-stomping-by-hooves interrogation technique yielded valuable intelligence.
Discussion:
Hot Air
Adam Serwer / American Prospect:
Andy McCarthy's Unwavering Defense Of Torture.
Andy McCarthy's Unwavering Defense Of Torture.
Discussion:
The Washington Independent
David Weigel / The Washington Independent:
Obtained: The RNC's Health Care Survey — I just chatted with Raymond Denny, the 64-year-old La Center, Wash., man who received the RNC's “2009 Future of American Health Survey,” which alleged that President Obama's health reform plans might discriminate against Republicans. Here's the survey question:
Discussion:
Glenn Thrush's Blog, Washington Monthly, Big Brass Blog, Think Progress, Swampland, TPMDC, Runnin' Scared and Salon
RELATED:
Digby / Hullabaloo:
Suggested By ... Glenn Beck?
Suggested By ... Glenn Beck?
Discussion:
Firedoglake, The Washington Independent, Crooks and Liars, RADAMISTO and Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog!
Robert Moore / Coloradoan Online:
Markey: Medicare will take hit — Some people, including Medicare recipients, will have to give up some current benefits to truly reform the nation's health-care system, Rep. Betsy Markey told a gathering of constituents in Fort Collins on Wednesday. — Markey has repeatedly said during …
Discussion:
Let Freedom Ring, Flopping Aces, Pawatercooler.com, Sister Toldjah, protein wisdom, Hot Air and Townhall.com
RELATED:
Mary Katharine Ham / Weekly Standard:
Dem. Rep. Betsy Markey: Yep, Medicare Will Take a Hit
Dem. Rep. Betsy Markey: Yep, Medicare Will Take a Hit
Discussion:
Gateway Pundit
Taylor Gandossy / CNN:
Girl taken in 1991 surfaces; couple held — (CNN) — A 29-year old woman walked into a northern California police station, saying she was abducted 18 years ago, authorities said Thursday. Two people are being held in connection with the case. — Jaycee Dugard is in good health …
Justin Elliott / TPMMuckraker:
Pastor Of Gun-Toter At Obama Event Prayed For Obama To Die — Chris Broughton, the man who brought an assault rifle and a handgun to the Obama event in Arizona last week, attended a fiery anti-Obama sermon the day before the event, in which Pastor Steven Anderson said he was going to …
Discussion:
pandagon.net, Jesus' General, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, Talking Points Memo and The Impolitic
RELATED:
Joshua Rhett Miller / Fox News:
ABC, NBC Won't Air Ad Critical of Obama's Health Care Plan — The refusal by ABC and NBC to run a national ad critical of President Obama's health care reform plan is raising questions from the group behind the spot — particularly in light of ABC's health care special aired in prime time last June hosted at the White House
Robert Seidman / TVbytheNumbers:
Big Beck: Goes over 3 million viewers, beats O'Reilly in demo: Cable News Ratings for Wednesday, August 26, 2009 — Though a little scandal might alienate advertisers, it's pure ratings gold. Last night Glenn Beck had over 3 million viewers at 5pm, second only to O'Reilly for the night.
Gil Hoffman / Jerusalem Post:
‘Post’ poll: Only 4% of Jewish Israelis think Obama is pro-Israel — The number of Israelis who see US President Barack Obama's policies as pro-Israel has fallen to four percent, according to a Smith Research poll taken this week on behalf of The Jerusalem Post.
Jared S. Hopkins / Times-News:
Rammell howls at Otter for not buying wolf tag — This time, the howling isn't coming from the wolves. — Rex Rammell, a long-shot gubernatorial candidate seeking the Republican nomination, criticized Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter on Wednesday for not making good on a promise to buy the first wolf tag.
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, BlueOregon, Crooks and Liars, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, AMERICAblog News and Roger Ailes
Matea Gold / Show Tracker:
Fox News beats CNN and MSNBC with more limited Kennedy coverage — Fox News maintained its top ranking among the cable news channels Wednesday as its competitors turned most of their coverage over to the death of Sen. Edward Kennedy. The event didn't prove to be a major draw for viewers, however.
Eric Dash / New York Times:
Bank Losses Drain Deposit Fund, F.D.I.C. Reports — Even as financial stocks have rallied nearly 60 percent since the end of March, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation issued another grim report card Thursday on the health of the nation's banks. — The agency reported …
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Ian Pannell / BBC:
US envoy ‘in angry Karzai talks’ — The BBC has learned that the US special envoy to Afghanistan has had what has been described as “an explosive meeting” with President Hamid Karzai over the country's election. — Sources have revealed that Richard Holbrooke raised concerns about ballot-stuffing …
Discussion:
Truthdig
Democracy in America:
This week's Economist/YouGov poll — BARACK OBAMA'S approval rating has hit a new low (48%) in our latest poll. Americans are increasingly questioning the president's handling of the wars in Iraq (44% approve, down from 46% last week) and Afghanistan (42% approve, down from 47% last week).
Peter Kirsanow / The Corner on National Review Online:
Pelosi vs. the CIA : Who Lied? — By: Peter Kirsanow — Understandably, most of the media's attention has been focused on the portion of the CIA IG's report that deals with whether the Enhanced Interrogation Techniques ("EITs") caused suspected terrorists to provide information that they otherwise …
BREITBART.COM:
Sheehan returns to rebuke Obama — After spending weeks dogging George W. Bush's presidential vacations, anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan is now trying to make life uncomfortable for President Barack Obama. — Sheehan used to pitch a peace camp near Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas …
Discussion:
Salon
Ellen Nakashima / Washington Post:
Bush's Search Policy For Travelers Is Kept — Obama Officials Say Oversight Will Grow — The Obama administration will largely preserve Bush-era procedures allowing the government to search — without suspicion of wrongdoing — the contents of a traveler's laptop computer …
Discussion:
MoJo Blog Posts
New York Times:
Abuse Issue Puts the Justice Dept. and C.I.A. at Odds — WASHINGTON — With the appointment of a prosecutor to investigate detainee abuses, long-simmering conflicts between the Central Intelligence Agency and the Justice Department burst into plain view this week, threatening relations between …
Discussion:
Emptywheel
Erica Werner / Associated Press:
Key Democrat suggests party moderates ‘brain dead’ — WASHINGTON (AP) - A key House liberal suggested Thursday that party moderates who've pushed for changes in health care legislation are “brain dead” and out for insurance company campaign donations. — Moderate Blue Dog Democrats …
James C. McKinley Jr / New York Times:
No Charges for Governor After Inquiry Into Contract — HOUSTON — Federal prosecutors have decided not to pursue criminal charges against Gov. Bill Richardson and other New Mexico officials after a yearlong inquiry into accusations that his administration steered a lucrative contract …