Top Items:
Michael Gerson / Washington Post:
Obama's health reform gamble raises questions of judgment — On health-care reform, the strategy of President Obama and Democratic congressional leaders is psychologically understandable — as well as delusional. — It is easy to imagine the internal dialogue: “Well, they voted for me, overwhelmingly.
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Ruth Marcus / Washington Post:
Obama's continued audaciousness on health reform could backfire — The White House description of President Obama's health-care proposal as his “opening bid” raises the question: With whom is he bidding? The public dance is with Republicans, but this is hardly serious.
Ezra Klein:
The Fox News/David Brooks tag team — Jon Chait points out an important dynamic here: … To make a related point, this is one of those legislative problems that ending the filibuster won't fix. Neither party is really able to vote for the other party's major initiatives.
Patrick O'Connor / The Politico:
Boehner makes his summit picks, awaiting word whether he can bring a governor
Boehner makes his summit picks, awaiting word whether he can bring a governor
Discussion:
CNN
Mike Allen / The Politico:
Exclusive: W.H. privately plots 2012 campaign run — President Barack Obama's top advisers are quietly laying the groundwork for the 2012 reelection campaign, which is likely to be run out of Chicago and managed by White House deputy chief of staff Jim Messina, according to Democrats familiar with the discussions.
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Ben Pershing / Washington Post:
Senate passes $15 billion jobs bill on bipartisan vote — The Senate easily passed a $15 billion jobs bill on Wednesday morning amid hope that the measure could provide a blueprint for other items on President Obama's agenda. — The measure passed 70 to 28, with 13 Republicans joining 57 Democrats in support of the package.
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Gail Russell Chaddock / Christian Science Monitor:
With jobs bill, Democrats' new strategy: piecemeal legislation
With jobs bill, Democrats' new strategy: piecemeal legislation
Discussion:
Firedoglake, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, National Journal Online, Washington Post and Wonk Room
James Wolcott / Vanity Fair:
The Lunatics Have Taken Over the Salon — Vanity Fair colleague Michael Wolff, though not a licensed clinician or chiropodist, renders what seems to me an inarguable diagnosis of the current conservative condition, i.e., they've gone loco: — Having whipped themselves into dishrag fatigue …
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Zaid Jilani / Think Progress:
Miss Beverly Hills tries to one-up Carrie Prejean, says it's divine law that gays be put to death. — Last year, Miss California Carrie Prejean endeared herself to the right wing when she answered a question about same-sex marriage by saying that she believes marriage “should be between a man and a woman.”
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John Yoo / Wall Street Journal:
My Gift to the Obama Presidency — Though the White House won't want to admit it, Bush lawyers were protecting the executive's power to fight a vigorous war on terror. — Barack Obama may not realize it, but I may have just helped save his presidency. How?
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Catherine Philp / Times of London:
US diplomats add a moat to their expenses at $1bn London embassy — The United States has unveiled plans for its new $1 billion high-security embassy in London — the most expensive it has ever built. — The proposals were met with relief from both the present embassy's Mayfair neighbours …
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Buford T Justice / Breitbart.tv:
OBAMA & DEMS IN ‘05: 51 VOTE ‘NUCLEAR OPTION’ IS ‘ARROGANT’ POWER GRAB AGAINST THE FOUNDERS’ INTENT — Biden: “I pray God when the Democrats take back control we don't make the kind of naked power grab you are doing.”
Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute:
One Of Obama's Great Achievements May Be Unraveling — Was it only two weeks ago that Joe Biden explained that Iraq was on track to become “one of the great achievements” of the Obama Administration? Now Thomas Ricks, author of “Fiasco” and “The Gamble”, warns us of the fragile stability …
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Chairman Ben S. Bernanke / Board of Governors …:
Testimony — Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress — Before the Committee on Financial Services, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. — Chairman Frank, Ranking Member Bachus, and other members of the Committee, I am pleased to present the Federal Reserve's …
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Andy Barr / The Politico:
Top Palin aide resigns — Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's senior adviser and spokeswoman Meghan Stapleton has resigned, POLITICO has learned. — Stapleton has been a Palin confidant since December 2006 and one of the governor's most trusted aides since she was vaulted onto …
Rasmussen Reports:
Election 2010: Texas Republican Primary for Governor — Texas GOP Primary: Perry 48%, Hutchison 27%, Medina 16% — Just days before Texas Republicans pick their nominee for governor, incumbent Rick Perry has his biggest lead yet. — A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey …
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CNN:
Poll: Americans place blame for partisanship — Washington (CNN) — Two-thirds of Americans think that the Republicans in Congress are not doing enough to cooperate with President Obama, according to a new national poll. — But a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey, released Wednesday …
R. H. Potfry / The Nose On Your Face:
Harry Reid Launches New “Vote For Me Or The Wife Gets It” Campaign — Just hours after revealing that unemployed men in Nevada “tend to be abusive” toward their wives and facing the prospect of joblessness himself with an election this fall, Harry Reid has launched a bold new …
James Hider / Times of London:
Son of Hamas founder spied for Israel for more than a decade — The son of one of Hamas's founding members was a spy in the service of Israel for more than a decade, helping prevent dozens of Islamist suicide bombers from finding their targets, it emerged today.
CNN:
Contractors outnumber full-time workers at DHS; lawmakers ‘astounded’ — Sens. Joseph Lieberman and Susan Collins call the hiring situation at the Department of Homeland Security ‘unacceptable.’. — Washington (CNN) - The Department of Homeland Security has more contractors working …
Washington Post:
Wall Street shifting political contributions to Republicans — Commercial banks and high-flying investment firms have shifted their political contributions toward Republicans in recent months amid harsh rhetoric from Democrats about fat bank profits, generous bonuses and stingy lending policies on Wall Street.
Discussion:
New York Times, The Washington Independent, The Confluence, The Caucus, Taylor Marsh, Raw Story and Wake up America
Julie Rovner / NPR:
Health Care No Stranger To Reconciliation Process … text sizeAAA — To reconcile or not to reconcile — when it comes to a health overhaul bill, that seems to be the biggest argument of the moment. — At issue is a process called budget reconciliation.