Top Items:
New York Times:
Obama Rules Out Large Reduction in Afghan Force — WASHINGTON — President Obama told Congressional leaders on Tuesday that he would not substantially reduce American forces in Afghanistan or shift the mission to just hunting terrorists there, but he indicated that he remained undecided …
Discussion:
Politics Daily, Weekly Standard, Commentary, Los Angeles Times, TPMDC, The Huffington Post, Think Progress, The Enterprise Blog, The Cable, The Note, Taylor Marsh, Wake up America, msnbc.com, Ben Smith's Blog, Christian Science Monitor, The Politico, New York Times, Enduring America, The Faster Times, Foreign Policy Watch, QandO, Jules Crittenden, Guardian, First Draft, Wonk Room, Outside The Beltway, JustOneMinute, The Corner on National …, The Hill, American Power, No More Mister Nice Blog, Matthew Yglesias, marbury, Riehl World View, George's Bottom Line, Washington Post, Indecision Forever and Wall Street Journal
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Wall Street Journal:
Battle of Books Rages in Afghan Debate — WASHINGTON — The struggle to set the future course of the Afghan war is becoming a battle of two books — both suddenly popular among White House and Pentagon brain trusts. — The two draw decidedly different lessons from the Vietnam War.
Fred Kaplan / Slate:
Should Gen. McChrystal stop speaking publicly about Afghan war strategy?
Should Gen. McChrystal stop speaking publicly about Afghan war strategy?
Discussion:
American Spectator, THE WEEK News & Opinion, marbury, Abu Muqawama, The Opinionator, Washington Post and ATTACKERMAN
Scott Wilson / Washington Post:
Afghan Strategy Divides Lawmakers
Afghan Strategy Divides Lawmakers
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, CNN, McClatchy Washington Bureau, BLACKFIVE, Hot Air, Raw Story, The Majlis, Guardian, The Hill, Capitol Briefing and The Note
Anne / BackyardConservative:
Bill Ayers No Dream — There I was, sitting in Reagan National Monday morning, sipping a Starbucks by the United counter before going through security. I had a little time, so I was browsing through the news. Some military guys had borrowed a chair from my table.
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Examiner:
Bill Ayers admits writing ‘Dreams’ to conservative blogger — Last Friday we posted an article on these pages asserting Bill Ayers' authorship of President Barack Obama's ‘Dreams From My Father,’ based on claims made by Obama biographer Christopher Andersen.
Scott / Power Line:
Whose Dreams? — In the run-up to the election, Jack Cashill framed a speculative argument that Bill Ayers wrote Barack Obama's Dreams From My Father. Cashill first ventured his thesis in “Who wrote Dreams From My Father?” Cashill cited Obama's sophomoric stabs at poetry from his days at Occidental.
Frank Newport / Gallup:
Approval of U.S. Congress Falls to 21%, Driven by Democrats — Lowest rating for Congress since January — PRINCETON, NJ — Americans' approval of the job Congress is doing is at 21% this month, down significantly from last month's 31% and from the recent high of 39% in March.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Hot Air, The Hill, Salon, TalkLeft, The Daily Dish, Wake up America, Gawker, Scared Monkeys and Politics Daily
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Lydia Saad / Gallup:
Parties Nearly Tied for Congress in 2010 — Voter preferences for Congress split 46% Democratic vs. 44% Republican — PRINCETON, NJ — Roughly a year before the 2010 midterm elections, Gallup finds the Republican and Democratic Parties nearly tied in the congressional ballot preferences of registered voters.
Discussion:
The Atlantic Politics Channel, The Swamp, Taegan Goddard's …, The Plum Line, Commentary, RedState and The Hill
Neil King Jr / Wall Street Journal:
Jobless Rate Is Key to Fate of Democrats in 2010
Jobless Rate Is Key to Fate of Democrats in 2010
Discussion:
QandO
Washington Post:
White House Gets Republican Backing for Bipartisan Reform — Urged by the White House, Republicans Speak Up for Bipartisan Health Fix — Seeking to provide fresh evidence of bipartisan support for health-care reform, the White House is orchestrating a series of endorsements from GOP heavyweights around the country.
Discussion:
The Politico, Democratic Strategist, Daily Kos, Prescriptions, SFGate, Blog entry, TPMDC, The Note, Hit & Run and New York Times
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Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Key House chairman: Dems ‘arriving at a consensus’ on health bill
Key House chairman: Dems ‘arriving at a consensus’ on health bill
Discussion:
The Politico
Paul Krugman:
Still chasing shadows? — This article on the continued troubles in credit markets was informative. But it raised a puzzle. Call me naive, but why does Fed policy seem to assume that the only way to repair credit markets is to return to the status quo ante, circa January 2007?
Discussion:
Felix Salmon
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Jenny Anderson / New York Times:
Debt-Market Paralysis Deepens Credit Drought
Debt-Market Paralysis Deepens Credit Drought
Discussion:
MoJo Blog Posts, The Baseline Scenario, Not Tucker Carlson, naked capitalism and The Big Picture
Tony Romm / The Hill:
150 Dems to Pelosi: No tax on health insurance — More than 150 House Democrats have urged Speaker Nancy Pelosi to quash a new tax on expensive insurance plans. — In a letter sent Wednesday to Pelosi (D-Calif.), a broad coalition of Blue Dogs and progressives said the proposed fee …
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Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Rep. Waters: ‘Many members’ suffer from disclosure problems like Rep. Rangel — “Many members” of Congress suffer from the same disclosure issues as the embattled Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), one of his congressional allies suggested Wednesday. — Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) …
Discussion:
Michelle Malkin
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Jonathan Martin / The Politico:
Deeds points finger at Washington — Virginia Democratic gubernatorial nominee Creigh Deeds said in an interview that he was lagging in the polls entering the final weeks of the campaign in part because of voter concerns over his national party's agenda. — “Frankly, a lot of what's …
Discussion:
Taylor Marsh, msnbc.com, Washington Post, The Fix, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Hotline On Call, Commentary and Virginia Politics
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Michael B. Oren / The New Republic:
Deep Denial — Toughened by their frontier ethos, steeled by serial wars, Israelis are not prone to flattery. Most, in fact, eschew using the closest equivalent to the Hebrew word for flattery—chanupa— in favor of the derisive Yiddish-derivative, firgun.
Discussion:
Matthew Yglesias, Haaretz, Jeffrey Goldberg, Commentary, Newshoggers.com, The Majlis and Wall Street Journal
Catherine Rampell / New York Times:
Support Builds for Tax Credit to Help Hiring — The idea of a tax credit for companies that create new jobs, something the federal government has not tried since the 1970s, is gaining support among economists and Washington officials grappling with the highest unemployment in a generation.
Mark Preston / CNN:
First on the Ticker: Obama enlists Hollywood in new ad — WASHINGTON (CNN) - President Obama is turning to a handful of Hollywood stars to judge a contest that asks grassroots supporters to create a television commercial promoting health care reform. — Musician Will.I.Am, actor John Cho …
Wall Street Journal:
State-Run Health Plans Garner Support — WASHINGTON — Some influential centrist Democrats in the Senate are warming to a compromise that envisions health-insurance plans run by state governments, and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger added his voice Tuesday to a small group …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, TalkLeft, Politics Daily, Wonk Room, tmccarthy0's Blog, Blog entry, The New Republic and Prescriptions
Jackson Baker / Memphis Flyer:
Finally! A Mayoral Forum With Character(s)! — Of all the mayoral debates and forums that have been held so far this campaign season, perhaps the most bizarre was the one sponsored Tuesday night at the University of Memphis' Rose Theatre by the NAACP. Three of the 12 candidates on stage …
Discussion:
Weekly Standard
Lee Fang / Think Progress:
Rep. Louie Gohmert: Hate crimes bill will lead to Nazism, legalization of necrophilia, pedophilia, and bestiality. — Led by Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA) last night, lawmakers convened for a special session of floor speeches urging a repeal of Don't Act Don't Tell.
William Saletan / Human Nature:
The Beauty of Artificial Virginity — If you're a woman in a conservative Muslim country, you had better bleed on your wedding night. If you don't, your husband or his family will know you aren't a virgin. For that, you could be beaten or killed. — If you're a man, on the other hand …
Josh McAuliffe / Scranton Times-Tribune:
Former U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson coming to Scranton to discuss war in Afghanistan — The U.S. military's ongoing conflict in Afghanistan is a movie Charlie Wilson has seen before, and he isn't thrilled with where the plot of this one is going. — “I think they're looking at us more and more like occupiers,” he said.
Aunohita Mojumdar / Christian Science Monitor:
‘Code Pink’ rethinks its call for Afghanistan pullout — In Afghanistan, the US women's activist group finds that their Afghan counterparts want US troop presence - as well as more reconstruction. — KABUL, AFGHANISTAN - — When Medea Benjamin stood up in a Kabul meeting hall this weekend …
Amanda Carpenter / Washington Times:
A new mommy tax — When Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus proposed taxing medical devices to raise $40 billion over the next 10 years for his health care plan, opponents started digging in and looking at what would be taxed. It turned out feminine products, like tampons …
Discussion:
Moe Lane
Dahlia Lithwick / Slate:
The Supreme Court mauls the law banning animal-cruelty videos. — Witness the American deputy solicitor general in his natural habitat—the Supreme Court. As Neal Katyal roams softly across the cool marble chamber, he has no idea what awaits him. He is here to protect his tribe …
Robert D. Kaplan / New York Times:
Beijing's Afghan Gamble — IN Afghanistan's Logar Province, just south of Kabul, the geopolitical future of Asia is becoming apparent: American troops are providing security for a Chinese state-owned company to exploit the Aynak copper reserves, which are worth tens of billions of dollars.