Top Items:
New York Times:
Polish President Dies in Jet Crash in Russia — WARSAW — A plane carrying the Polish president and dozens of the country's top political and military leaders to the site of the Soviet massacre of Polish officers in World War II crashed in western Russia on Saturday, killing everyone on board.
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theblogprof:
KGB'd? Polish President, High Level Officials Die In Plane Crash Over Russia — The sad news this morning of the Polish President and some of the highest-level leaders in the Polish government over Russia smells rancid to me. Consider that: — Polish president Lech Kaczynski was a friend of the US …
Associated Press:
Polish leader, 96 others dead in Russia jet crash — SMOLENSK, Russia - Polish President Lech Kaczynski and some of the country's highest military and civilian leaders died on Saturday when the presidential plane crashed as it came in for a landing in thick fog in western Russia, killing 97, officials said.
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, BBC, Associated Press, neo-neocon, New Atlanticist, Hot Air and Liberty Pundits dot net
Daily Mail:
A nation in mourning: Polish president and wife among 88 confirmed dead as plane crashes in Russia — Polish president Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria have been killed after their plane crashed on approach to Smolensk airport in western Russia. — There were conflicting reports today of the number of people on board the flight.
Discussion:
Scared Monkeys
CNN:
Polish president killed in plane crash
Polish president killed in plane crash
Discussion:
The Sundries Shack, Laura Rozen's Blog, Pajamas Media, RedState, The Reaction and TheFourthBranch.com
Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Haley Barbour's growing influence — A self-described “fat redneck” is the most influential Republican in the country in our latest Friday Line. — Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour is that rare combination of effective politician and savvy strategist, popular in his home state and revered among …
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CNN:
Gingrich says Palin ‘tremendously important’ — Gingrich is touting Sarah Palin's role in the Republican Party. — (CNN) - Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, still considered among the most influential members of the Republican Party, is touting Sarah Palin's impact on the GOP and her future in the party.
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
REMEMBER THOSE TAX CUTS?.... April 15 comes this week, so taxes will no doubt be on the minds of many. President Obama used his weekly address to remind the public about a little detail that usually goes overlooked: he cut taxes. — “All across America are good, decent folks who meet …
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Adam C. Smith / St. Petersburg Times:
Junior Florida Republican Party staffer had $1.3 million charged to party credit card — She was a 25-year-old junior staffer when the Florida Republican Party gave her an American Express card. — Over the next 2½ years, nearly $1.3 million in charges wound up on Melanie Phister's AmEx …
Bob Herbert / New York Times:
A Voice of Reason — The Republican Party is not simply the “just-say-no” party. It's also a shameless advocate of the free lunch. Ronald Reagan famously told us he could jack up defense spending, cut taxes and balance the federal budget all at the same time. — George W. Bush put two big wars on a credit card.
The Politico:
Right gears for fight, not filibuster — Conservative judicial activists say they won't ask their Republican allies to go to the mat over President Barack Obama's nominee to replace Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens by pressing for the ultimate weapon in a court fight - a filibuster.
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Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
“Bias” — Not to nitpick too much, but the decision by Andrew Golis and Chris Lehman to kick off their new Yahoo News venture with lame efforts at even-handedness kind of annoyed me: … I think it's important to note that on the Media Matters “about us” page they don't once mention bias.
Discussion:
Yahoo! News
Josh Margolin / New Jersey Online:
Former N.J. Congressman Bob Franks dies … NEWARK — Former Rep. Bob Franks, a well-respected Republican who led the state GOP but lost races for governor and U.S. Senate, died late Friday night after a brief battle with an aggressive form of cancer, a family spokesman said this morning.
Discussion:
The Eye
M.C. Tracey / The Perspective:
Huckabee Rips Steele, Romney, LGBT Activists — Calls Romney's Healthcare Plan “Dismal Failure,” Compares Same-Sex Marriage to Incest — In an interview Wednesday, former Arkansas governor and Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee weighed in on embattled Republican National …
Gus Lubin / The Business Insider:
15 Mind-Blowing Facts About Wealth And Inequality In America — The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Cliché, sure, but it's also more true than at any time since the Gilded Age. — The poor are getting poorer, wages are falling behind inflation, and social mobility is at an all-time low.
New York Times:
U.S. Tries Softer Approach to Afghan Leader — WASHINGTON — After more than a year of watching America's ability to influence President Hamid Karzai ebb, Obama administration officials now admit privately that the tough-love approach Mr. Obama adopted when he came to power may have been a big mistake.
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Fouad Ajami / Wall Street Journal:
Afghanistan and the Decline of American Power