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Rand Paul may not be a racist, but he is an extremist — Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy — It's safe to say Rand Paul's first few days as the Republican nominee for the open Senate seat in Kentucky are not going well.
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Rand Paul comments about civil rights stir controversy — Two days after becoming the newest symbol of “tea party” politics, Republican Senate candidate Rand Paul of Kentucky thrust himself, his party and the movement into an uncomfortable conversation about the federal government's role …

Rand Paul, telling the truth — If we use “gaffe” in its proper, Kinsleyan form, that's what U.S. Senate candidate Rand Paul issued to NPR yesterday, and that's what he defended on Rachel Maddow's show last night. He told the truth about his stance on the Civil Rights Act.
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Rand Paul On Civil Rights Controversy: I Shouldn't Have Talked To Rachel Maddow [UPDATED] — See new updates below. — The morning after he declined to endorse the totality of the Civil Rights Act in his much-discussed appearance on the Rachel Maddow Show, Dr. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) …


Area politician has some explaining to do — Rand Paul is predictably walking his statements on the Civil Rights Act back as fast as he can. “Let me be clear,” he says in a statement released today. “I support the Civil Rights Act because I overwhelmingly agree with the intent of the legislation …

Exclusive: DeMint Says He Disagrees With Rand Paul On Civil Rights …
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Rand Paul causes Civil Rights Act controversy with desegregation remarks
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The Politico

Senate clears way to vote on financial reform — The Senate voted Thursday afternoon to end its three-week debate on a bill to rewrite the nation's financial regulations, paving the way for a final vote on the landmark legislation. — The 60-to-40 vote — the minimum required to end debate …
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Alan Colmes' Liberaland
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Brown key to Wall St. bill passage — In January, he broke the Democrats' lock on the Senate. — On Thursday, he gave it back. — Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) effectively became the 60th vote to cut off debate on Wall Street reform Thursday - a far cry from when Republicans were hailing …

Wall Street Power Play: Bankers In Bizarre Showdown With Auto Dealers — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — Wall Street has found itself battling auto dealers in a last-ditch effort to block an amendment opposed by big banks from coming to the Senate floor. The bank lobbyists are working to persuade …
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Firedoglake

Wall Street bill nearing finish line as Senate passes legislation 59-39
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FrumForum

Bill to Overhaul Financial Rules Clears Hurdle in Senate Vote

Exclusive: President Obama To Replace Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair* — ABC News has learned that President Obama will replace the Director of National Intelligence, Admiral Dennis Blair (ret.) His resignation will come as soon as tomorrow, sources tell ABC News.
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Obama Has “More Confidence” in Brennan? — I've never been a huge fan of Admiral Dennis Blair as Director of National Intelligence—nor of the institution of DNI, for that matter. A fine naval officer, Blair seemed out of his milieu as DNI, often unaware of basic facts that someone in his position should know.


Little Girl Who Challenged First Lady Is Right: Obama Is Deporting More Immigrants Than Ever — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — A little girl became the face of the nation's immigration debate on Wednesday, when she told First Lady Michelle Obama about her mother's fear.
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Immigration crackdown for Illinois — Feds to step up enforcement — In the midst of an outcry over illegal immigration and Arizona's new crackdown, a top Department of Homeland Security official visiting Chicago on Wednesday said his agency intended to step up enforcement in places such as Illinois.


And The Winner of The Everybody Draw Mohammad Contest is... To remind readers of the stakes: In recent months, a Swedish cartoonist that sketched Mohammed as a “roundabout dog” as part of a planned street installation was assaulted during a lecture and, the following week, two extremists attempted to burn his house down.
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iowahawk, Instapundit, Weasel Zippers, Grim's Hall, Hot Air, Dean's World, Washington Post and Balloon Juice
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Obama-Prop Calderon Rips USA, Gets Standing Ovation from Dems (But Off-Script He Admits the Truth) — BEGIN TRANSCRIPT — RUSH: I know. I know he's there. I saw it. I saw the spectacle. I watched a little bit of it, Felipe Calderon's speech to a joint session of Congress beating …
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Gateway Pundit
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Gibbs mum on Sestak job offer — Don't ask the White House if Obama aides tried to force Joe Sestak out of the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate primary by offering him a job. They are keeping mum on the controversy. — Press Secretary Robert Gibbs deflected a barrage of questions about reports …
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The New Term for the War on Terror — If you blinked, you might have missed it. The Obama administration has unofficially rebranded “war on terror” phrase that dominated public discourse throughout the Bush administration. The replacement phrase, carefully chosen, is “CVE” — Countering Violent Extremism.

Scientists make ‘artificial life’ — The synthetic cell looks identical to the “wild type” — Scientists in the US have succeeded in developing the first synthetic living cell. — The researchers constructed a bacterium's “genetic software” and transplanted it into a host cell.

Op-Ed Contributor: The Rush Limbaugh Victory — THERE are many theories for why very conservative Republicans seem to be doing so well lately, taking their party's Senate nominations in Florida, Kentucky and Utah, and beating Democrats head-to-head in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Virginia.