Top Items:
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).
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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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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 …
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 …
Discussion:
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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 …
Discussion:
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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.
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.
Discussion:
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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.
JSOnline:
Thompson says he won't run against Feingold — Madison - Former Gov. Tommy G. Thompson said Thursday that he would not challenge U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.). — “My family didn't want me to run,” Thompson told the Journal Sentinel moments before he gave a speech to a tea party gathering on the steps of the State Capitol.
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Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Tommy Thompson says no to Wisconsin Senate race
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.
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Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Breaking: NSA exec charged with leaking classified info in 2006, 2007
Breaking: NSA exec charged with leaking classified info in 2006, 2007
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NewsReal Blog
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.
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.
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 …
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.
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 …
Discussion:
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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.
Reid Wilson / Hotline On Call:
Romney Hands Out $58K To GOP Candidates — Ex-MA Gov. Mitt Romney's (R) political arm handed out $58K to GOP candidates running for office this year after raising an impressive sum during the first quarter. — The Free and Strong America PAC raised $1.45M in the first quarter, while 3 other state affiliates raised another $157K.
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
The Closing Of The Conservative Mind, Ctd — Jonathan Bernstein thinks that this somewhat bizarre post by McArdle, in response to Julian Sanchez's posts on the conservative cocoon, is an attempt to hijack the thread. Matt Steinglass engages respectfully. Chait goes after Jonah Goldberg, who leans heavily on Megan's post:
Jake Sherman / The Politico:
GOP split over terms of new ‘Contract’ — Republicans are salivating over the prospect of winning back the House in November, and they're planning to produce a new “Contract With America” in the hopes of sealing the deal. — The catch: They don't agree yet on what should be in it.