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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.
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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.
Discussion:
Right Now, Detroit Free Press, TPM LiveWire, Guardian, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, Swampland, The New Republic and Talking Points Memo


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.

CONSERVATIVES FIND GREAT IMPORTANCE IN MISS USA PAGEANT.... Who knew political conservatives cared so deeply about a beauty pageant? — Last week, organizers of the Miss USA pageant published promotional photos recently of contestants wearing lingerie. Fox News' Sean Hannity and Rep. Louie Gohmert …


Crowning of Arab-American As Miss USA Unleashes Torrent of Attacks From the Right — Miss Michigan Rima Fakih, 24, made history this week as the first Arab-American to win the Miss USA competition, here. — The extreme right has gone ballistic -painting Fakih as a mole for Hamas and part …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, The Lede, Debbie Schlussel, The Jawa Report and entertainment.blogs …


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.

Right Wing Reacts With Rage To First Muslim American Miss USA …
Discussion:
Feministing

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:
Ezra Klein, ATTACKERMAN, Tablet Magazine, The Atlantic Online, Maggie's Farm, Mondoweiss, Israel Matzav, Newsweek Blogs, AmSpecBlog, Democracy in America, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Matthew Yglesias, Mother Jones, Ben Smith's Blog, The Huffington Post, Swampland, The Other McCain and Newshoggers.com
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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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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.

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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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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Uranium Offer by Iran May Hinder Efforts on Sanctions
Discussion:
Laura Rozen's Blog, The Daily Dish, Commentary, RubinReports, The Washington Independent, The Page and FrumForum


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:
Mudville Gazette, Liberty Pundits Blog, The Daily Caller, theblogprof and Weasel Zippers


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.


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 …

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:
Discussion:
Will Wilkinson


Andrew Breitbart's empire of bluster. — On Sunday, March 21st, the day that the House voted to pass health-care reform, Andrew Breitbart, the conservative Internet entrepreneur, was thousands of miles away, at home in Westwood, a neighborhood of Los Angeles.

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 …

Class Warfare: Hundreds Protest Outside Bankers' Houses In DC — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — Huge raucous crowds converged outside bank employees' houses on Sunday afternoon to demand banks stop lobbying against Wall Street reform. — “Bank of America: bad for America!” …

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.

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.


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 …

Going to Extreme — Utah Republicans have denied Robert Bennett, a very conservative three-term senator, a place on the ballot, because he's not conservative enough. In Maine, party activists have pushed through a platform calling for, among other things, abolishing both the Federal Reserve and the Department of Education.
Discussion:
The Note, BBC, Wall Street Journal, No More Mister Nice Blog, Prairie Weather and AMERICAblog News

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.


E-mails show Times Square suspect's frustration — New York (CNN) — Faisal Shahzad, the suspect in the failed car bombing in New York's Times Square, was frustrated with the state of the Muslim world and sought a way to “fight back.” — Two e-mails obtained by CNN help piece together …