Top Items:
David Brooks / New York Times:
What It Takes — About a decade ago, one began to notice a profusion of Organization Kids at elite college campuses. These were bright students who had been formed by the meritocratic system placed in front of them. They had great grades, perfect teacher recommendations …
Discussion:
Blogs and Stories, msnbc.com, Swampland, Washington Post, NewsBusters.org, News Desk, ABCNEWS, The Daily Caller, City Room, Josh Gerstein's Blog, The Note and Althouse
RELATED:
Robert C. Clark / Wall Street Journal:
Kagan and the Military: What Really Happened — As dean, she upheld a policy already in place. — With the announcement of Elena Kagan as nominee for the open seat on the Supreme Court, comments both sound and foolish are sure to flood the media. In the prior category is the observation …
Scott Lemieux / American Prospect:
Is Kennedy Easily Manipulated? — One important component of the liberal case for Elena Kagan seems to be that she could exert a strong influence on the Court's median vote, Anthony Kennedy. Here's Jeffrey Rosen: … And half-seriously, Jonathan Zasloff:
David Bernstein / The Volokh Conspiracy:
Isn't This a Bit Much? — The president went to Harvard, and barely defeated a primary opponent who went to Yale. His predecessor went to Yale and Harvard, and defeated opponents who went to Yale and Harvard, and Harvard, respectively. The previous two presidents also went to Yale …
Peter Baker / New York Times:
News Analysis: Kagan Nomination Leaves Longing on the Left — WASHINGTON — The selection of Solicitor General Elena Kagan to be the nation's 112th justice extends a quarter-century pattern in which Republican presidents generally install strong conservatives on the Supreme Court …
Eugene Volokh / The Volokh Conspiracy:
Elena Kagan as Scholar — As scholar, Elena Kagan worked in two main fields, First Amendment law and (more or less) administrative law. Since the first of those fields is one in which I also work, I decided to reread those articles, and — since some people have raised questions …
Discussion:
Ezra Klein, Newsweek Blogs, Hit & Run, Balkinization, SCOTUSblog, NY Daily News, Washington Wire, Mother Jones, The Bilerico Project, ACS Blog and The BLT
Jon Ward / The Daily Caller:
Elena Kagan no longer thinks Supreme Court nominees should have …
Elena Kagan no longer thinks Supreme Court nominees should have …
Discussion:
TalkLeft, Salon, The Volokh Conspiracy, Outside The Beltway, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Hot Air and News Desk
Jane Hamsher / The Politico:
Wrath of the angry left
Wrath of the angry left
Discussion:
Power Line, Betsy's Page, The Confluence, The Mahablog, About.com US Liberal Politics, Lynn Sweet, Cato @ Liberty, Instapundit and Salon
Jon Ward / The Daily Caller:
White House bristles at mention of Elena Kagan's sexuality …
White House bristles at mention of Elena Kagan's sexuality …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, The Huffington Post, The Nation, Mediaite, NewsBusters.org and Gateway Pundit
Ilya Somin / The Volokh Conspiracy:
Kagan, the Harvard Ban on Military Recruiters, and Anti-Military Bias
Kagan, the Harvard Ban on Military Recruiters, and Anti-Military Bias
Discussion:
Mother Jones, The Other McCain, The Lonely Conservative, Think Progress, Power Line and Conservatives4Palin.com
Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
Top Strategist Advises GOP To Prolong SCOTUS Fight To Block Obama Agenda
Top Strategist Advises GOP To Prolong SCOTUS Fight To Block Obama Agenda
Discussion:
The Hill, Newshoggers.com, The Moderate Voice, The Washington Independent, Daily Kos and Right Now
Brad Thor / Big Government:
EXCLUSIVE: Mullah Omar Captured! — Through key intelligence sources in Afghanistan and Pakistan, I have just learned that reclusive Taliban leader and top Osama bin Laden ally, Mullah Omar has been taken into custody. — According to the State Department's Rewards for Justice Program …
Discussion:
Left Coast Rebel, The Atlantic Online, Hot Air, Weasel Zippers, The Jawa Report, Doug Ross, RedState and Another Black Conservative
RELATED:
Marc A. Thiessen / Washington Post:
U.S. may be passing up chances to stop terrorist plots — Did a captured Taliban leader know about the Times Square plot and withhold this information from his interrogators? — On Sunday, Obama administration officials, including counterterrorism chief John Brennan …
New York Times:
Drone Strikes Pound West Pakistan — KARACHI, Pakistan — In an unusually ferocious American attack on militants in Pakistan, about 18 missiles fired from pilotless aircraft killed at least 14 fighters and wounded four others on Tuesday in the tribal area of North Waziristan, a security official and a resident of the area said.
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
The Evolving Politics And Ethics Of The Closet — John Tabin says I have no consistency on this topic. He's well within his rights to link to pieces (or mere sentences in posts) I have written over two decades to find evolution or shifts, but I think he's wrong to say my slight evolution on this is simply out of pique.
Discussion:
AmSpecBlog, The Moderate Voice, The Poor Man Institute, Sadly, No! and Conventional Folly
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Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
So Is She Gay? — It is no more of an empirical question than whether she is Jewish.
So Is She Gay? — It is no more of an empirical question than whether she is Jewish.
Discussion:
Political Insider, Blogs and Stories, Towleroad News #gay, Salon, Balkinization, Raw Story, No More Mister Nice Blog, Hullabaloo, Jay Currie, The Nation, News Desk, skippy the bush kangaroo, The Hill, Newshoggers.com, Taylor Marsh, Hot Air, Liberal Values, Americans For Truth, Center for American Progress, White House.gov Blog Feed, Slate, Truthdig, action.afa.net, The Stranger … and The Atlantic Online
Dennis Cauchon / USA Today:
Tax bills in 2009 at lowest level since 1950 — Amid complaints about high taxes and calls for a smaller government, Americans paid their lowest level of taxes last year since Harry Truman's presidency, a USA TODAY analysis of federal data found. — Some conservative political movements such as the …
Hilary Andersson / BBC:
‘Secret jail’ confirmed at US base — The US airbase at Bagram in Afghanistan contains a facility for detainees that is distinct from its main prison, the Red Cross has confirmed to the BBC. — Nine former prisoners have told the BBC that they were held in a separate building, and subjected to abuse.
Discussion:
The Huffington Post
Wall Street Journal:
Did Big Bet Trigger Stock Swoon? — Shortly after 2:15 p.m. Eastern time last Thursday, hedge fund Universa Investments LP placed a big bet in the Chicago options trading pits that stocks would continue their sharp declines. — On any other day, this $7.5 million trade for 50,000 options contracts might …
Allahpundit / Hot Air:
New McCain ad: You cannot be serious — I don't know what to say, guys. I'm genuinely speechless. Pandering is one thing, shameless careerist pandering is something else, and then there's John “Goddamned Fence” McCain marching along the border in a badass Navy baseball cap looking …
Sergei L. Loiko / Los Angeles Times:
U.S. troops march in Moscow in salute to Allies' role in WWII — American soldiers march for the first time in Red Square in a Victory Day parade, sparking anger among some Russians. — Seventy-one U.S. infantrymen march in Moscow's Red Square as part of the annual Victory Day parade.
Colin Woodard / Christian Science Monitor:
'Tea party'-backed platform sails through Maine GOP convention — Maine is known for GOP moderates, but over the weekend, conservative activists succeeded in passing a platform that's backed by tea party groups. — Conservative activists backed by “tea party” groups have rejected …
BBC:
Pope pins scandal on Church ‘sin’ — Pope Benedict XVI has warned that the greatest threat to the Catholic Church comes from “sin within”, rather than persecution from outside. — He made his comments in response to a question on the clerical child abuse scandal, while en route to Portugal.
Discussion:
Shakesville
Sam Hananel / Associated Press:
Rule change favors unions at airlines, railroads — WASHINGTON (AP) - Labor unions will have an easier time organizing workers at U.S. airline and railroad companies after the Obama administration on Monday changed a 76-year-old rule on union elections. — The change is a major victory …
Maggie Haberman / The Politico:
Fossella mulls bid for former seat — Former Rep. Vito Fossella (R-N.Y.), who opted not to seek re-election in 2008 after a DWI arrest exposed the married father of three as having a second family in Virginia, is seriously considering entering the race for his old seat, POLITICO has learned.
Lindsay Fortado / Bloomberg:
Fired London Bankers Overcome Bonus Backlash in U.K. Courtrooms — U.K. bankers, the butt of political and public criticism for getting taxpayer bailouts and large bonuses, at least have some friends in London's courts. — A former Societe Generale managing director …
Roger Alford / Associated Press:
Paul may not vote for McConnell as floor leader — LEXINGTON, Ky. — Front-runner Rand Paul said in a U.S. Senate debate Monday night that he may not support Kentucky's other senator, Mitch McConnell, for minority floor leader if he's elected. — “I'd have to know who the opponent …