Top Items:
The Politico:
The GOP's special failure — All the evidence pointing to monster Republican House gains this fall—the Scott Brown upset win in Massachusetts, the scary polling numbers in once-safely Democratic districts, the ever-rising number of Democratic seats thought to be in jeopardy—was contradicted Tuesday.
Discussion:
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Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
What Tuesday Really Meant — There were five races that we were tracking closely over the course of the evening — and I've already seen analysts drawing flimsy conclusions from each of them. — Pennsylvania — Democratic Senate primary — The results: Joe Sestak defeats Arlen Specter, 54-46.
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
‘WHERE IS THE WAVE?’.... Arguably the most important election yesterday wasn't a primary race, but rather, the congressional special election in Pennsylvania's 12th — a contest to fill the vacancy left by the late Rep. Jack Murtha (D). — Observers in both parties considered the race something of a bellwether.
Glen Bolger / Public Opinion Strategies:
The Death Of Independence — Analysts are pointing toward last night's primary results (the defeat of Arlen Specter, Trey Grayson, and the run-off for Blanche Lincoln) as - when combined with Bob Bennett and Alan Mollohan's defeats - proof of anti-incumbency and anti-Washington establishment.
Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
Resultsblogging II: PA-12 — Former John Murtha staffer Mark Critz's win in the PA-12 House election is just straight-up embarrassing for Republicans. The Democratic strategy was straight out of the 2006/2008 playbook. Find a moderately conservative House district and run a somewhat heterodox Democrat.
New York Times:
Specter Defeat Signals a Wave Against Incumbents — WASHINGTON — Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, who left the Republican Party a year ago in hopes of salvaging a 30-year career, was rejected on Tuesday by Democratic primary voters, with Representative Joe Sestak winning the party's nomination …
Discussion:
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Daniel Larison / Eunomia:
PA-12 and The Single Greatest Pushback in American History
PA-12 and The Single Greatest Pushback in American History
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, The Daily Dish, Beltway Confidential, Swing State Project and Balloon Juice
Domenico Montanaro / msnbc.com:
FIRST THOUGHTS: THE OUTSIDERS — The outsiders (Paul, Sestak) …
FIRST THOUGHTS: THE OUTSIDERS — The outsiders (Paul, Sestak) …
Discussion:
The Fix, The Moderate Voice, Philly.com, Politically Speaking, Daily Kos, Ezra Klein and Outside The Beltway
Charles Babington / Associated Press:
Obama endorsements don't seem to help Democrats
Obama endorsements don't seem to help Democrats
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, NY Daily News, Pajamas Media, NewsBusters.org, Sweetness & Light and Associated Press
Michael Barone / Beltway Confidential:
Republican lesson from Pennsylvania 12 special
Republican lesson from Pennsylvania 12 special
Discussion:
Riehl World View
The Politico:
Reid Wall St. reform vote held up — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) postponed a key test vote on the Wall Street reform bill Wednesday as he attempted to wrangle support from Democrats who were protesting their inability to secure votes on amendments.
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Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
More on Rand Paul — So is Rand Paul, on a personal level, just a deeply unlikeable guy? One of the weird things about his acceptance speech last night was that he held it at the local country club — to what looked uncannily like a members only crowd. This morning he defended the venue …
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Simon McGregor-Wood / ABCNEWS:
Rahm's Son's Bar Mitzvah Irks Some in Israel — Israeli Activists Say They Will ‘Blow Up,’ Figuratively, Zach Emanuel's Bar Mitzvah — White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel's plan to take his son, Zach, to Jerusalem's famous Western Wall for his Jewish coming-of-age ritual appeared to have run into serious trouble.
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Matt Corley / Think Progress:
Right-wing Israeli activists threaten to protest Rahm Emanuel's …
Right-wing Israeli activists threaten to protest Rahm Emanuel's …
Discussion:
Gateway Pundit
George F. Will / Washington Post:
Slow learners at the 9th Circuit — The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is a stimulus package for the Supreme Court, which would rather not have one. The 9th Circuit, often in error but never in doubt, provides the Supreme Court with steady work: Over the past half-century …
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Wall Street Journal:
Kagan Criticized the Warren Court in Thesis
Kagan Criticized the Warren Court in Thesis
Discussion:
CNN, New York Times, National Review, The Politico, SCOTUSblog, Law Blog, The New Republic, Main Justice, Lynn Sweet, Liveshots, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Balkinization and The BLT
Andy Barr / The Politico:
Dean: N.Y. Times story a ‘hatchet job’ — Howard Dean on Wednesday took the New York Times to task for running a “hatchet job” story on Democratic Senate candidate Richard Blumenthal misstating his service in Vietnam without acknowledging that the information came from a GOP campaign.
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NBC Los Angeles:
Power Play Over Immigration Law — LA's boycott resolution sparks a threat over power the city receives from Arizona — An Arizona utility commissioner said he's willing to pull the plug on Los Angeles if the city goes through with a boycott of his state.
Discussion:
Top of the Ticket, Tammy Bruce, Hot Air, Weasel Zippers, Moonbattery, L.A. NOW and Philly.com
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Judson Berger / Fox News:
Arizona Official Threatens to Cut Off Los Angeles Power as Payback for Boycott
Arizona Official Threatens to Cut Off Los Angeles Power as Payback for Boycott
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland
Chris Johnson / Washington Blade:
Key senator says hold off on 'Don't Ask' repeal — A key U.S. senator has told the Blade that he opposes repealing “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” at this time. — In a brief exchange on Capitol Hill, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) said Tuesday he would vote against an effort next week to overturn the law.
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Who woulda thunk it: Fact-checking is popular! — Has anyone else noticed that the Associated Press has been doing some strong fact-checking work lately, aggressively debunking all kinds of nonsense, in an authoritative way, without any of the usual he-said-she-said crap that often mars political reporting?
Michelle Malkin:
The U.S. Department of Blame America First — Today's syndicated column builds on my weekend post about Foggy Bottom foghorn Michael Posner. If you thought the State Department's handling of Posner's Arizona-bashing, China-pandering couldn't get worse than ignoramus P.J. Crowley's clueless defense yesterday, think again.
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Patrick Gavin / The Politico:
HOUSE PASSES BEER RESOLUTION — While most of Washington was focused on Tuesday's election results, the House was busy doing something else: Passing a resolution about beer. — House Resolution 1297, sponsored by Rep. Betsy Markey, supports “the goals and ideals of American Craft Beer Week.”
Gene J. Koprowski / Fox News:
Global Cooling Is Coming — and Beware the Big Chill, Scientist Warns — Contrary to the commonly held scientific conclusion that the Earth is getting warmer, a scientist who has written more than 150 peer-reviewed papers has unveiled evidence for his prediction that global cooling is coming soon.
David Dayen / Firedoglake:
Why Are Incumbents Faltering? Check Out The Election Night FinReg Massacre — Yesterday's results in the election showed what has now become conventional wisdom: an “anti-incumbent mood,” something the media will parrot from now to November. Have they explored why?
Jane Horwitz / Washington Post:
Theater J pulls Madoff play after objections from activist Elie Wiesel — Bowing to objections from Elie Wiesel, the author, human rights activist and Holocaust survivor, Theater J has canceled its first production of the coming season — a play in which Wiesel is a character.