Top Items:
Mark S. Smith / Associated Press:
Rodent scurries by as Obama lauds Wall Street vote — WASHINGTON - In his battle with the titans of Wall Street, President Barack Obama almost got upstaged by a rat. — But he didn't even seem to notice. Assuming that's what it was, scurrying in front of his podium Thursday in a sun-drenched Rose Garden.
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Paul Krugman / New York Times:
Lost Decade Looming? — Despite a chorus of voices claiming otherwise, we aren't Greece. We are, however, looking more and more like Japan. — For the past few months, much commentary on the economy — some of it posing as reporting — has had one central theme: policy makers are doing too much.
Silla Brush / The Hill:
Wall Street bill nearing finish line as Senate passes legislation 59-39 — President Barack Obama on Thursday moved to the cusp of winning a major overhaul of Wall Street, following the worst financial crisis since the 1930s. — The Senate on Thursday voted 59-39 to support …
Washington Post:
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 …
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The Politico:
Rand Paul's trial by misfire
Rand Paul's trial by misfire
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Political Punch:
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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Mark Mazzetti / New York Times:
Facing a Rift, U.S. Spy Chief to Step Down — WASHINGTON — Dennis C. Blair, whose often tumultuous tenure as director of national intelligence was marked by frequent clashes with White House officials and other spy chiefs in America's still fractured intelligence apparatus, announced Thursday that he was resigning.
Michael Anton / Weekly Standard:
Obama Has “More Confidence” in Brennan?
Obama Has “More Confidence” in Brennan?
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reason-contest.s3.amazonaws.com:
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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David Brooks / New York Times:
The Story of an Angry Voter — Let's imagine a character named Ben. A couple of decades ago, Ben went to high school. — It wasn't easy. His parents were splitting up. His friends would cut class to smoke weed. His sister got pregnant. But Ben worked hard and graduated …
Oscar Avila / Chicago Tribune:
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.
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Phil Willon / Los Angeles Times:
Chuck DeVore has a staunch conservative record — The Senate candidate is a veteran of politics who portrays himself as an outsider. — Chuck DeVore argues that his military experience gives him an edge over his primary rivals. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
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Marc Ambinder / The Atlantic Online:
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.
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CNN:
THE SITUATION ROOM — Interview with Mexican President Felipe Calderon; Analysis of Special Election Results — THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. — WOLF BLITZER, HOST: Thanks very much, guys. — Happening now, the presidents …
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Molly K. Hooper / The Hill:
Constitution is this year's big best-seller — Demand for copies of the U.S. Constitution is skyrocketing. — The increased interest comes amid the rise of the Tea Party movement and as both parties cite the Constitution to advance their agendas. — The pocket edition of the Constitution …
Discussion:
Politics Daily
Ian Urbina / New York Times:
In Spill's Aftermath, Conflict of Interest Worries — Local environmental officials throughout the Gulf Coast are feverishly collecting water, sediment and marine animal tissue samples that will be used in the coming months to help track pollution levels resulting from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Charles Krauthammer / Real Clear Politics:
The Fruits of Weakness — WASHINGTON — It is perfectly obvious that Iran's latest uranium maneuver, brokered by Brazil and Turkey, is a ruse. Iran retains more than enough enriched uranium to make a bomb. And it continues enriching at an accelerated pace and to a greater purity (20 percent).
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NEWS.com.au:
'I'm a Marxist' says Dalai Lama, but agrees capitalism has helped China — TIBETAN spiritual leader the Dalai Lama says he's a Marxist, yet credits capitalism for bringing new freedoms to China, the communist country that exiled him. — “Still I am a Marxist,” the exiled Tibetan Buddhist leader …
Peter Nicholas / Los Angeles Times:
Democrats point the finger at Obama's chief of staff for immigration reform's poor progress — Rahm Emanuel, who in the past referred to the issue as the ‘third rail of American politics,’ has argued privately that it's a bad time to push an immigration bill.
The Hill:
Unions to spend $100M in 2010 campaign to save Dem majorities — At least two influential unions will spend close to $100 million on the 2010 election, with most of those funds going to protect incumbents. — Union officials told The Hill they plan to help endangered members …