Top Items:
Ezra Klein:
You wouldn't like Lindsey Graham when he's angry — If the policy inside the Kerry-Lieberman-Graham climate change bill seem to have finally come together, it looks like the politics are about to come apart. In a move that's surprised pretty much everybody, Harry Reid and the White House …
RELATED:
Jonathan Martin / Reuters:
‘Nobody wins’ on immigration reform — The Arizona Legislature's passage of a new hard-line anti-immigration law may force both Democrats and Republicans into a place they don't want to be: dealing with the contentious, no-win issue of immigration reform in the midst of an election year.
Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Lieberman: Reid will bring energy bill to floor, maybe before immigration — Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said Monday that he'd been told that an energy bill would be brought to the Senate floor this year, even possibly before immigration. — Lieberman suggested Monday that energy legislation …
Political Punch:
Anti-Defamation League: National Security Adviser Jones Told “Inappropriate, Stereotypic” Joke About Jewish Merchant — As first noted by the Jewish newspaper The Forward, at an event last week at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy - a pro-Israel think tank …
Discussion:
Politics Daily, Laura Rozen's Blog, Ben Smith's Blog, The Confluence and AMERICAblog News
RELATED:
The Anchoress:
Was Jones' Joke Anti-Semitic? — President Obama's National Security Advisor, retired General James Jones, with an ice-breaker: — Is it offensive? — Why, yes. In our easily-offended society, you might say this joke wins the Triple Crown or the Insult Trifecta:
Discussion:
alicublog
Josh Rogin / Foreign Policy:
Jones under fire for Jewish joke — National Security Advisor Jim Jones's speech to a top Middle East think thank last week has been overshadowed somewhat by a brewing controversy over a joke he told at the outset. But within the speech, Jones made big news on the foreign-policy front.
Sammy Benoit / YID With LID:
National Security Adviser Jones: Jews Are Greedy Merchants
National Security Adviser Jones: Jews Are Greedy Merchants
Discussion:
Power Line, The Other McCain, Hot Air, Pajamas Media, Grim's Hall, Mediaite, Gateway Pundit, Riehl World View, DaTechguy's Blog and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS
Jon Cohen / Behind the Numbers:
Most back stricter financial reform, advantage Obama — About two-thirds of Americans support stricter regulations on the way banks and other financial institutions conduct their business, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. — Majorities also back two main components …
RELATED:
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
THE FATE OF WALL STREET REFORM.... Last week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) scheduled the first procedural vote — the motion to proceed — on Wall Street reform for about 5 p.m. (ET) today. As of yesterday, Republicans were still prepared to voice their unanimous opposition, blocking the debate from getting underway.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, ABCNEWS, The Huffington Post, The Plum Line, Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog!, Eschaton and The Hill
Alexander Mooney / CNN:
Napolitano takes aim at Arizona immigration law — (CNN) - Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is taking aim at the new controversial law passed in her home state of Arizona dealing with illegal immigration, telling ABC News it is “not a good law in any number of reasons.”
RELATED:
Amanda Terkel / Think Progress:
Even Tancredo worries AZ immigration law may go too far …
Even Tancredo worries AZ immigration law may go too far …
Discussion:
TPM LiveWire
Gabriel Sherman / New York Magazine:
The Revolution Will Be Commercialized — Sarah Palin is already president of right-wing America—and it's a position with a very big salary. — On the morning of July 3, 2009, a national holiday, Sarah Palin placed a call to her communications director and told her that she wanted to hold …
RELATED:
Ross Douthat / New York Times:
Not Even in South Park? — Two months before 9/11, Comedy Central aired an episode of “South Park” entitled “Super Best Friends,” in which the cartoon show's foul-mouthed urchins sought assistance from an unusual team of superheroes. These particular superfriends were all religious figures …
RELATED:
Jimmy Orr / Top of the Ticket:
Creators of ‘Everybody Draw Muhammad Day’ drop gag after everybody gets angry — “Everybody Draw Muhammad Day?” — As South Park's Sheila Broflovski would say: “What, What, WHAT?” — The outcry from Comedy Central's decision to censor an episode of South Park with depictions of Muhammad …
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
Op-Ed Columnist: Berating the Rating Agencies — Let's hear it for the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Its work on the financial crisis is increasingly looking like the 21st-century version of the Pecora hearings, which helped usher in New Deal-era financial regulation.
Discussion:
Weekly Standard, Bloomberg, Financial Times, TalkLeft, DailyFinance, Commentary, Prairie Weather, European Tribune, The Politico and Paul Krugman
RELATED:
Tim Fernholz / American Prospect:
Can Deregulation Solve the Rating-Agencies Problem?
Can Deregulation Solve the Rating-Agencies Problem?
Discussion:
Matthew Yglesias
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Obama seeks to ‘reconnect...young people, African-Americans, Latinos, and women’ for 2010 — The Democratic National Committee this morning released this clip of the president rallying the troops, if rather coolly, for 2010. Obama's express goal: “reconnecting” with the voters who voted …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Townhall.com, Commentary, Pundit & Pundette, Hot Air, The Plum Line, JOSHUAPUNDIT and INSTAPUTZ
Mark Halperin / Time:
Obama Ahead of Election 2010: The Secrets of His Success — Barack Obama's right-wing opponents cast him as a socialist failure. His left-wing hecklers see him as an overcautious hedger. But, critics notwithstanding, the President is on a path to be a huge success by the time of November's midterm elections.
John O'Connor / The State:
Bauer takes aim at the ‘lazy’ in S.C. — Republican gubernatorial debate held in Spartanburg — SPARTANBURG - Lazy state residents are contributing to the number of illegal immigrants in South Carolina, Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer said during a Republican gubernatorial debate Friday, living off public aid rather than working.
Jonathan Chait / The New Republic:
The GOP's Terrible FinReg Bluff — As of now, it looks like the Republicans will filibuster the first vote on financial reform. It also looks like they're pursuing the most asinine political strategy I've ever heard of, according to Politico: … So wait.
Calculated Risk:
Q1 2010: Homeownership Rate Lowest Since Q1 2000 — The Census Bureau reported the homeownership and vacancy rates for Q1 2010 this morning. Here are a few graphs ... Click on graph for larger image in new window. — The homeownership rate declined to 67.1%. This is the lowest level since Q1 2000.
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
McCain unsure Arizona law is legal — John McCain — who has spoken supportively of his state's crackdown on illegal immigrants — appeared torn on the issue at a town hall meeting Saturday: — Although McCain had sounded a note of support for the bill, calling it a “good tool” …