Top Items:
Washington Post:
Once critical of financial regulation bill, Republicans change their tone — Key Senate Republicans on Tuesday began to back away from their sharp criticism of proposed new financial regulations and expressed optimism that a bipartisan deal on a bill that would drastically change …
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The Politico:
Dems haunted by corporate ties — President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats are promising a climactic clash with Wall Street, but there's a complication in their battle plan: The Democratic Party is closer to corporate America — and to Wall Street in particular — than many Democrats would care to admit.
Discussion:
CNN, Associated Press, Townhall.com, USA Today, Roll Call, New York Times, Michelle Malkin and The Note
Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Sen. Carper: Dems should drop areas of disagreement from Wall St. reform bill
Sen. Carper: Dems should drop areas of disagreement from Wall St. reform bill
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AMERICAblog News
PRWeb:
FreedomWorks Bullies GEICO To Axe Voice Over Actor — GEICO voice over actor targeted by Tea Party members after expressing opinion on FreedomWorks voicemail. — Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) April 21, 2010 — Los Angeles actor, D.C. Douglas, says he was dropped from the upcoming GEICO …
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David Weigel / Right Now:
GEICO voice actor fired after insulting tea parties — Sometimes you have a headline that makes the rest of the story superfluous, but here's the background. Actor Lance Baxter, otherwise known as “D.C. Douglas,” currently known as the man who informs you how much GEICO can save you on car insurance …
Quinnipiac University:
Obama's Bounce Goes Flat, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; But Voters Confident He Will Pick Good Judge — President Barack Obama's job approval, which bounced slightly to a 45 - 46 percent split March 25 in the wake of his health care victory, has flattened out at 44 - 46 percent …
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St. Petersburg Times:
U.S. attorney, IRS and FBI investigating Florida GOP credit card use — Federal law enforcement agencies have launched a criminal investigation into the use of American Express cards issued by the Republican Party of Florida to elected officials and staff, according to sources familiar with the probe.
Discussion:
The Buzz, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, msnbc.com, Wall Street Journal, Firedoglake, Washington Post, Pat Dollard, CNN, The Political Carnival, And So it Goes in Shreveport, Washington Monthly, Hot Air, The Hill, RedState, American Spectator, Naked Politics, MyDD, TPMDC, Main Justice, Ben Smith's Blog, Erick's blog, Talking Points Memo, Real Clear Politics, The Page and Balloon Juice
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Matt Towery / Southern Political Report:
SPR exclusive bulletin: Crist to run for Florida Senate as an independent — It may be the worst-kept secret in American politics today, and it's apparently about to become a reality. Reliable sources informed me today that embattled Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, whose early lead …
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The Fix, Post on Politics, Hot Air, Open Left, Time, Taegan Goddard's …, TPMDC, Politics Daily and The Political Carnival
CNBC:
Testimony Could Undercut SEC Charge Against Goldman — The government has testimony from a Paulson & Co. official that could contradict its own claims against Goldman Sachs, CNBC has learned. — Paolo Pellegrini told the government that he informed ACA Management that Paulson intended to bet against …
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Wall Street Journal:
Paulson Confronts Goldman Fallout
Paulson Confronts Goldman Fallout
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ABCNEWS, Felix Salmon, The Confluence, Deal Journal, AOL, FT Alphaville and Clusterstock
New Jersey Online:
N.J. voters reject school budgets in heated elections … New Jersey voters took a stand on school spending and property taxes Tuesday, rejecting 260 of 479 school budgets across 19 counties, according to unofficial results in statewide school elections. — In the proposed state budget …
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Mark Leibovich / New York Times:
Mike Allen, the Man the White House Wakes Up To — Before he goes to sleep, between 11 and midnight, Dan Pfeiffer, the White House communications director, typically checks in by e-mail with the same reporter: Mike Allen of Politico, who is also the first reporter Pfeiffer corresponds with after he wakes up at 4:20.
Discussion:
Mother Jones, Vanity Fair, Wonkette, New York Magazine, Ben Smith's Blog, The Impolitic, The Politico, FishbowlDC, Mediaite, The Page, Balloon Juice and First Draft
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Dems To Attack Sue Lowden With “Chickens For Checkups” Web Site — Chickens for Checkups! — That's the name of a new Web site the DSCC is planning to unveil today in an effort to draw national attention to GOP Senate candidate Sue Lowden, who doubled down this week on her assertion …
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Heather / Crooks and Liars:
Matthews Allows Gun Rights Protesters to Show Their Blind Hatred for President Obama — Chris Matthews allows 2nd Amendment protesters Larry Pratt and Skip Coryell to dig their own hole while trying to get them to explain what freedoms are being taken away from them and what right the 2nd Amendment protects.
David Brody / The Brody File:
Senator DeMint to Brody File: Tea Party Movement Will Bring On “Spiritual Revival” — Senator Jim DeMint tells The Brody File that the Tea Party is a “spiritual revival” waiting to happen. He compares it to “The Great Awakening”. You can watch his fascinating comments below and read a partial transcription as well.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, CNN, Washington Monthly, Think Progress, msnbc.com, Ben Smith's Blog, The Plum Line and ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES
Bill Gertz / Washington Times:
Iran boosts Qods shock troops in Venezuela — Pentagon predicts U.S. clash with Islamist paramilitary — Iran is increasing its paramilitary Qods force operatives in Venezuela while covertly continuing supplies of weapons and explosives to Taliban and other insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq …
Discussion:
Power Line, Pat Dollard, Atlas Shrugs, Washington Post, Fausta's Blog and JammieWearingFool
R. Jeffrey Smith / Washington Post:
Both national party committees spend big chunks on fancy meals, hotels, travel — Both the national Democratic and Republican party committees spend about two-thirds of the money they take in on the care and comfort of committee staffs and on efforts to raise more funds, with lavish spending on limousines …
Associated Press:
Ariz House: Check Obama's Citizenship — PHOENIX — The Arizona House on Monday voted for a provision that would require President Barack Obama to show his birth certificate if he hopes to be on the state's ballot when he runs for reelection. — The House voted 31-22 to add the provision to a separate bill.
Greg Morabito / Eater National:
Chain Restaurants: Claim Jumper: The World's Unhealthiest Chain Restaurant? — The Widow Maker Burger [Photo: Claim Jumper] — It's a given that restaurant meals are high in calories, but Claim Jumper — the national Gold Rush-themed restaurant chain with 46 locations in eight states …
Sebastian Junger / New York Times:
Farewell to Korengal — LAST week the United States military pulled out of the Korengal Valley in eastern Afghanistan. Six miles long, sparsely populated and of dubious strategic value, the Korengal was the scene of some of the most relentless fighting of the Afghan war.
Noah Shachtman / Danger Room:
Would the U.S. Shoot Down an Israeli Jet? Top Officer Won't Say — MORGANTOWN, West Virginia — I'm not going to make a big deal of this, although some dug deep in the trenches of the Middle East debate might. But America's top military officer wouldn't rule the possibility today …
Discussion:
Israel Matzav, Taylor Marsh, Weekly Standard, Commentary, BLACKFIVE and Laura Rozen's Blog
David Leonhardt / New York Times:
Economic Scene: As Markets Fizzle, Buying May Cost Less Than Renting — In much of the country, for much of the last decade, renting a home has usually been a better financial move than buying one. It's been true in Southern California, San Francisco, Phoenix, Las Vegas and large parts of Florida …
Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
White House eagerly touts early repayment of GM loans — The Obama administration launched a media blitz on Wednesday to promote the early repayment of billions in loans to General Motors. — GM repaid an outstanding $5.8 billion in loans to the U.S. on Wednesday, loans it had received …
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The Politico
Reid Wilson / Hotline On Call:
RNC Spent $340K On Hawaii Meeting — The RNC spent more than $340K at a semi-annual meeting in Honolulu in Jan., the latest example of the party spending lavishly on itself while GOP officials worry they won't have enough money to take advantage of a promising national landscape this fall.
Zachary Roth / TPMMuckraker:
Sole Ensign Donor: ‘All Men Are Dogs’ — The only person to contribute to Sen. John Ensign's re-election campaign this year says he thinks the scandal-plagued lawmaker is “a really good guy.” — “He did some bad things with his personal life,” Robert Donald, a Las Vegas retiree, told TPMmuckraker.