Top Items:
Michelle Malkin:
A gaffetastic new Miss USA — She nearly tripped over her gown. — She called birth control a “controlled substance.” — She argued that contraceptives should be covered by health insurers because they are “expensive” — and then said you could get them for “free” from your OB/GYN's office.
Discussion:
Another Black Conservative, The Anchoress, American Prospect, RealClearPolitics Video Log, Debbie Schlussel, alicublog, The Moderate Voice, Daily Kos, This Just In, American Power, The Other McCain, Below The Beltway, Don Surber, Cassy Fiano, The Powers That Be, Jules Crittenden, JammieWearingFool, DaTechguy's Blog, theblogprof, Left Coast Rebel, Weasel Zippers, Atlas Shrugs and DISSENTING JUSTICE
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Daniel Pipes:
Affirmative Action in Beauty Contests? — News that Rima Fakih, 24, of Dearborn, Michigan, won the Miss USA beauty pageant today prompts me to recall some prior instances of Muslim women winning beauty contests in Western countries. … Juliette Boubaaya, 19, was Mlle Picardie in 2009.
Melissa Clouthier / Liberty Pundits Blog:
More Muslims In Bikinis Please — UPDATED — Did the new Miss USA from “Dearbornistan” win because of politics? I don't really care. Have you seen the pictures? — If you haven't. Check her out. She's gorgeous. And she's not wearing a burqa. — She's in a bikini. And she's not wearing a burqa.
Debbie Schlussel:
Donald Trump, Dhimmi: Miss Hezbollah Rima Fakih Wins Miss USA; Rigged for Muslima? Miss Oklahoma's Arizona Immigration Answer — It's a sad day in America but a very predictable one, given the politically correct, Islamo-pandering climate in which we're mired.
Fox News:
Miss Oklahoma Named First Runner Up in Miss USA Pageant After Answering Immigration Question — Miss Oklahoma Morgan Elizabeth Woolard lost the crown to Miss Michigan Rima Fakih.
Zaid Jilani / Think Progress:
Right Wing Reacts With Rage To First Muslim American Miss USA …
Right Wing Reacts With Rage To First Muslim American Miss USA …
Discussion:
Feministing
Quinnipiac University:
Specter-Sestak Dem Primary Down To The Wire, Quinnipiac University Pennsylvania Poll Finds; Onorato Leads Dem Governor Primary — The Pennsylvania Democratic Senate primary goes down to the wire with U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak taking 42 percent of likely primary voters to Sen. Arlen Specter's 41 percent …
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Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
White House bracing for Arlen Specter loss? — If this is true, it's significant: CBS chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer is now saying that he has it on good authority that the White House is privately bracing for Arlen Specter to lose tomorrow. — Schieffer, to my knowledge, has not said this on national TV yet.
CNN:
Obama doesn't take questions at Freedom of Press Act signing — Obama declined to answer questions at bill signing for the Freedom of Press Act. — Washington (CNN) - After the signing of the Freedom of Press Act on Monday, President Obama declined to take any questions from the press.
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Chip Reid / CBS News:
Press Freedom, Sure. But No Questions. — There was some rich irony at the White House today — President Obama signed the Press Freedom Act, and then promptly refused to take any questions. — The new law expands the State Department's annual human rights reports to include a description of press freedoms in each country.
Jesse J. Holland / ABCNEWS:
Court: Sexually Dangerous Can Be Kept in Prison — Supreme Court says federal officials can indefinitely hold sexually dangerous prisoners — The Supreme Court ruled Monday that federal officials can indefinitely hold inmates considered “sexually dangerous” after their prison terms are complete.
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Peter Beinart / New York Review of Books:
The Failure of the American Jewish Establishment — In 2003, several prominent Jewish philanthropists hired Republican pollster Frank Luntz to explain why American Jewish college students were not more vigorously rebutting campus criticism of Israel. In response, he unwittingly produced …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Matthew Yglesias, The New Republic, ATTACKERMAN, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Maggie's Farm, The Daily Dish, Israel Matzav, The Atlantic Online, Mondoweiss, Newsweek Blogs, Tablet Magazine, AmSpecBlog, Democracy in America, News Desk, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Mother Jones, Balloon Juice, TPMCafe, The Other McCain, Swampland, The Huffington Post and Newshoggers.com
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Marc Tracy / Tablet Magazine:
Beinart Speaks to Tablet
Beinart Speaks to Tablet
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, Ezra Klein, ATTACKERMAN, The Daily Dish, Swampland and Ben Smith's Blog
Juliet Eilperin / Washington Post:
Interior official who oversees offshore drilling for MMS resigns — The top Interior Department official who oversees offshore oil and gas drilling for the Minerals Management Service will retire on May 31, The Washington Post has learned. — Chris Oynes, who oversaw oil and gas leasing …
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, News Desk, Washington Monthly, The Page and The Washington Independent
Ben Smith / The Politico:
Pawlenty budget a GOP model — Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty's final budget, completed early Monday morning over the protests of angry Democrats and passed in a special session of the state legislature later in the day, positions the 2012 Republican presidential hopeful as the embodiment …
Discussion:
Swampland
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Glynnis MacNicol / Mediaite:
Too Far? Family Guy's Vietnam Veterans Memorial ‘Joke’ — It's not a secret that Family Guy is famous for its offensiveness and tendency to cross the politically correct line. That said, I suspect they may be called upon to issue some sort of apology after tonight's episode (not that they will …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, DaTechguy's Blog, Liberty Pundits Blog, Hot Air, theblogprof and Weasel Zippers
Ross Douthat / New York Times:
The Great Consolidation — This feels like a populist moment. Americans are Tea Partying. Greeks are rioting. Incumbents are being thrown out; the Federal Reserve is facing an audit; Goldman Sachs is facing prosecution. In Kentucky, Ron Paul's son might be about to win a Republican Senate primary.
Megan McArdle / The Atlantic Online:
Why Does Academia Treat Its Workforce So Badly? — A piece on adjuncts in Inside Higher Ed has been attracting a lot of attention among academics of my acquaintance. Its description of academic life is shockingly brutal—shocking even to me, who knows enough PhDs to be acquainted with the dismal facts:
Laura Rozen / Laura Rozen's Blog:
Wrinkles with Iran fuel deal — Two potential problems have emerged with the nuclear fuel swap deal that Iran agreed with Brazil and Turkey Sunday and announced today. — Under the agreement (available here), Iran has essentially accepted the October 2009 fuel swap deal …
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Michael Slackman / New York Times:
Uranium Offer by Iran May Hinder Efforts on Sanctions
Uranium Offer by Iran May Hinder Efforts on Sanctions
Discussion:
Laura Rozen's Blog, Commentary, RubinReports, The Washington Independent, Brazil Portal, The Page and FrumForum
Norm Eisen / White House.gov Blog Feed:
The President & Vice President's Financial Disclosure Forms — Today, the President and Vice President released their 2009 financial disclosure reports. — The Ethics in Government Act of 1978 requires high-level federal officials to publicly disclose their personal financial interests.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Swampland, Ben Smith's Blog, TPMDC, The Page and The Washington Independent
Marc Ambinder / The Atlantic Online:
Palin Calls Huntsman Out — Even though Jon Huntsman, Jr. stopped pretending not to run for president to become President Obama's ambassador to China, associates of the former Utah Governor say that he will return to the U.S. as a proud Republican and will probably try to position himself for a 2016 run.
David Ranson / Wall Street Journal:
The Revenue Limits of Tax and Spend — Whether rates are high or low, evidence shows our tax system won't collect more than 20% of GDP. — The Greeks have always been trendsetters for the West. Washington has repudiated two centuries of U.S. fiscal prudence as prescribed by the Founding Fathers …
Jonah Goldberg / The Corner on National Review Online:
Birthers v. Truthers, Again — By: Jonah Goldberg — As I wrote last year, I find it amazing that the “Birthers” are considered more dangerous and evil than the “Truthers.” The Birthers believe that an ambitious man who travelled a lot as a kid has concealed the circumstances of his birth so he could be eligible for the presidency.
entertainment.blogs.foxnews.com:
Woody Allen says President Obama should be granted dictatorial powers (seriously) — Woody Allen and wife Soon-Yi Previn. (AP) — Woody Allen has a strange take on the democracy that allowed him to become rich and famous. — The “Scoop” director said it would be a cool idea …
Rowan Hooper / New Scientist:
Bat fellatio causes a scandal in academia — University College Cork in Ireland is coming under international pressure to lift a punishment meted out to one of its academics. Dylan Evans, a psychologist at the university's school of medicine, has been saddled with a two-year period …
Riptide 2.0:
Before He Hired an Escort, Rekers Tried to Spank the Gay Away — What do you do with a little boy who likes cross-dressing and playing with dolls? If you're George Alan Rekers, you “extinguish” the boy's feminine behavior with a sometimes violent Pavlovian regimen while your scientific team observes through a one-way mirror.
Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
Politics as Entertainment — One of the most disturbing trends in American politics has been the increasing rise of conservative pundits who I don't think are honestly mistaken or lying for tactical political advantage, but rather just making stuff up because they don't really care …
Discussion:
Dennis the Peasant
JSOnline:
Big Ten Conference likely seeking universities that fit its identity in expansion talks — By Bill Glauber of the Journal Sentinel — It was an exciting time in college sports, an era of great change and large dreams. — Faculty delegates from the big conference of the Midwest gathered …
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Crisis of Legitimacy — TPM Reader MM says it's a crisis of legitimacy, a deep doubt in our core political institutions. I've tended to flip by the emails that say that all the pols are corrupt and govern by a system of institutionalized bribery and so forth. Not that that's wrong necessarily.