Top Items:
New York Times:
Poll Finds Tea Party Backers Wealthier and More Educated — Tea party supporters are wealthier and more well-educated than the general public, tend to be Republican, white, male, and married, and their strong opposition to the Obama administration is more rooted in political ideology …
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Michelle Malkin:
How to spot and tag a Tea Party infiltrator — Happy Tax Day Tea Party. Be safe out there. A few tips on how to spot and tag a Tea Party infiltrator: — 1. Ask them what the 10th amendment says. — 2. Two letters: B.O. (and I'm not talking about the president's initials).
Digby / Hullabaloo:
Teabag Nation — The NY Times and CBS just released a pretty comprehensive poll on the teabaggers. It probably won't surprise you much. — They are extremely negative and angry. And they really, really hate Barack Obama. — Here's the NY Times summary: … Way more likely.
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
A CONFUSED GROUP OF MISLED PEOPLE.... A new New York Times/CBS News poll was released last night, taking a closer look at those who identify with the so-called Tea Party “movement.” The results confirm much of what we already know — this is a confused contingent of conservative white people older than 45 …
Molly K. Hooper / The Hill:
Tea Party snubs GOP leaders — The Tea Party is hosting a Tax Day rally on Thursday in Washington, but the Republicans leaders in the House and Senate are not invited. — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (Ariz.), House Minority Leader John Boehner …
Stephanie Condon / CBS News:
What's Obama Doing to Your Taxes?
What's Obama Doing to Your Taxes?
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Hot Air, Daily Kos, White House.gov Blog Feed, Weekly Standard, Newsweek Blogs and Taegan Goddard's …
St. Petersburg Times:
Gov. Crist vetoes teacher tenure bill — TALLAHASSEE — After weeks of protest and a deluge of messages, Gov. Charlie Crist on Thursday vetoed a bill that would link teacher pay to student test scores and wipe out tenure for new teachers. — “I know in my heart it's the right thing to do,” Crist said of his veto.
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Quinnipiac University:
Rubio Tops Crist By 23 Points In Florida GOP Senate Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Crist As Independent Has Slight Edge In 3-Way Race — Marco Rubio has opened up an elephant-sized 56 - 33 percent lead over Gov. Charlie Crist in Florida's U.S. Senate Republican primary …
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Norm Eisen / White House.gov Blog Feed:
President Obama and Vice President Biden's Tax Returns — Today, the President released his 2009 federal income and gift tax returns. He and the First Lady filed their income tax return jointly and reported an adjusted gross income of $ 5,505,409. The vast majority of the family's 2009 income …
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New York Times:
Obama Speech Signals a U.S. Shift on Middle East — WASHINGTON — It was just a phrase at the end of President Obama's news conference on Tuesday, but it was a stark reminder of a far-reaching shift in how the United States views the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and how aggressively it might push for a peace agreement.
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Ronald S. Lauder / World Jewish Congress:
Full Text of Letter from Ronald S. Lauder to President Obama
Full Text of Letter from Ronald S. Lauder to President Obama
Discussion:
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Boston Herald:
Mitt Romney-Sarah Palin in 2012? You betcha! — Conservative superstar Sarah Palin opened the door yesterday to joining forces with Mitt Romney for a 2012 White House run - a hot ticket that has some Republicans licking their chops at the prospect of unseating President Obama.
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Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:
Obama, GOP folks knotted up — Our monthly look ahead to the 2012 Presidential race finds Barack Obama more or less tied with all four of the leading candidates for the Republican nomination. He trails Mike Huckabee 47-45 and Mitt Romney 45-44, ties Newt Gingrich at 45-45, and leads Sarah Palin 47-45.
Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Tommy Thompson says no to Wisconsin Senate race — Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson has decided against challenging Sen. Russ Feingold (D), robbing Republicans of their top recruit and likely removing the race from most target lists. — “My family did not want me to run,” Thompson told a local newspaper.
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Mike Donahue / Wall Street Journal:
A Message from ‘Henry’ — We're high earners not yet rich, and now the government wants us to pay more? — I'm in the 32% federal and 10% state income tax brackets. I pay a 1.2% property tax on very expensive California real estate. I am subject to the Alternative Minimum Tax.
Eric Boehlert / Media Matters for America:
Did Glenn Beck just post a new ratings low for 2010? — It sure looks that way, as Beck's ratings continue to sag. — Bottom line: Over the last nine months, Beck gained and then lost nearly one million viewers. Trust me, in the world of cable news, that's not small feat.
ABC News:
Obama opens up on Rudd relationship — United States president Barack Obama says he and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd share several personality traits - one of which is humility. — The US president made the comments to the 7.30 Report's Kerry O'Brien during an interview which will be aired on ABC1 tonight.
David M. Halbfinger / New York Times:
Early Bumps in Blumenthal's Senate Run in Connecticut — HARTFORD — Richard Blumenthal's campaign for the Senate was supposed to be a glide. Nothing and no one could stop him. — As the Connecticut attorney general, Mr. Blumenthal, a Democrat, had been sticking up for consumers …
Wall Street Journal:
Europe's VAT Lessons — Rates start low and increase, while income tax rates stay high. — As Americans rush to complete their annual tax returns today, there is still some consolation in knowing that it could be worse: Like Europeans, we could pay both income taxes and a value-added tax, or VAT.
Discussion:
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James Taranto / Wall Street Journal:
The Great Tea-Bait — Heath Shuler did not hear the “N-word” on March 20. — It may be the most celebrated missing recording since Watergate: the nonexistent or unaccounted-for video of the tea-party protesters at the Capitol who three black congressmen claim yelled racial slurs at them on March 20, the eve of ObamaCare's enactment.
Discussion:
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Spencer S. Hsu / Washington Post:
Former NSA executive charged with leaking information to newspaper — A former senior executive with the National Security Agency has been indicted on 10 felony charges related to the alleged leaking of classified information to a national newspaper in 2006 and 2007, the Justice Department announced Thursday morning.
Jim McElhatton / Washington Times:
Taxpayers foot State Department's stiff liquor bill — Months after President Obama urged federal agencies last year to cut wasteful spending, the U.S. Department of State paid $3,814 to fill an order of Jack Daniel's whiskey for gratuities at one of its many overseas embassies. — The booze buy wasn't unusual.
Adam Liptak / New York Times:
Elena Kagan's Stints in Court May Hint at a Style On It — WASHINGTON — Two weeks ago, Solicitor General Elena Kagan, a leading contender for appointment to the Supreme Court, presented her sixth argument there. She bantered easily with the justices, and she seemed to have a special rapport …
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New York Times:
Volcanic Ash Closes Down Air Traffic in North Europe — LONDON — Civil aviation authorities closed airspace and shut down airports in Britain, France, Scandinavia and other parts of Europe on Thursday as a high-altitude cloud of ash drifted south and east from an erupting volcano in Iceland.
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Teddy Davis / ABCNEWS:
Tea Parties Unveil ‘Contract From America’ — Democratic Party Spokesman Says Contract Amounts to ‘Slogans Not a Plan’ — Tea Party activists are once again descending on Washington, D.C., and this time they have a 10-point “Contract From America” that they want the next Congress to follow.