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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Brady Dennis / Washington Post:
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 …
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 …
Meredith Shiner / The Politico:
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 …
David M. Herszenhorn / New York Times:
Bill to Overhaul Financial Rules Clears Hurdle in Senate Vote
Bill to Overhaul Financial Rules Clears Hurdle in Senate Vote
Discussion:
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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.
Discussion:
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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.
Discussion:
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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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Ezra Klein:
Rand Paul may not be a racist, but he is an extremist
Rand Paul may not be a racist, but he is an extremist
Discussion:
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David Weigel / Right Now:
Rand Paul in '02: I may not like it, but ‘a free society’ …
Rand Paul in '02: I may not like it, but ‘a free society’ …
Discussion:
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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.
Discussion:
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The Huffington Post:
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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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.
Dana Blanton / Fox News:
Fox News Poll: States Should Have Right To Make Immigration Laws — Amid the ongoing controversy over Arizona's new immigration law, voters by a 2-to-1 margin think individual states should have the right to make their own immigration laws. And a majority of voters would like their own state to follow Arizona's lead.
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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.
Discussion:
Outside The Beltway, Hotline On Call, Freedom's Lighthouse, Weasel Zippers, Gothamist and USS Neverdock
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.
Charlie Savage / New York Times:
House Panel Rejects a Plan to Shift Detainees to Illinois — WASHINGTON — The House Armed Services Committee has dealt a blow to President Obama's hopes to shutter the military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, by unanimously approving legislation that would prohibit creating a detention center inside the United States.
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)
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's …
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 …
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.