Top Items:
Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:
Deal Reached for Ending Law on Gays in Military — WASHINGTON — The White House and leading Congressional Democrats reached agreement Monday on legislative language and a time frame for repealing the military's “don't ask, don't tell” policy, but it was not clear whether the deal had secured …
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Michael D. Shear / Washington Post:
Obama endorses 'don't ask, don't tell' compromise in Congress — President Obama has signed on to a “don't ask, don't tell” compromise between lawmakers and the Defense Department, the White House announced Monday, an agreement that removes a key obstacle to repealing the military's policy banning gays …
Lori Montgomery / Washington Post:
President Obama seeks new version of line-item veto — As part of what the White House called a campaign to crack down on wasteful government spending, President Obama on Monday asked Congress to grant him new powers to slice lawmakers' pet projects from congressionally approved spending bills.
Peter Baker / New York Times:
For Sestak Matter, a ‘Trust Us’ Response From White House — WASHINGTON — For three months, the White House has refused to say whether it offered a job to Representative Joe Sestak to induce him to drop his challenge to Senator Arlen Specter in a Pennsylvania Democratic primary, as Mr. Sestak has asserted.
Discussion:
Commentary, Beltway Confidential, The Politico, Real Clear Politics and Top of the Ticket
Philip Elliott / Associated Press:
White House backs plan on gays in military
White House backs plan on gays in military
Discussion:
Pam's House Blend
Mark Mazzetti / New York Times:
U.S. Expands Secret Military Acts in Mideast and Beyond — WASHINGTON — The top American commander in the Middle East has ordered a broad expansion of clandestine military activity in an effort to disrupt militant groups or counter threats in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and other countries in the region …
Discussion:
The Jawa Report, Prairie Weather, Informed Comment, The Agonist, Emptywheel, Associated Press, Truthdig and The Page
Erik Berte / FOXBusiness.com:
The Next Bailout: $165B for Unions — Taxpayers could be on the hook for another $165 billion if a bill to bail out private union pension funds makes it through Congress.
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Jonah Goldberg / The Corner on National Review Online:
It's Like He Does it On Purpose — By: Jonah Goldberg — Thomas Friedman does it again. He literally fantasizes about American becoming like China — but just for a day! From Meet the Press yesterday: … Can someone please tell Tom Friedman that China only produces “suboptimal solutions” too.
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Daniela Altimari / Capitol Watch:
Sources say Rob Simmons will drop out of U.S. Senate race tomorrow. — Rob Simmons will hold a press conference for this morning in New London to announce he's leaving the U.S. Senate race, sources said late today. — The former congressman and Vietnam War veteran lost …
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Mark Pazniokas / ctmirror.org:
Source says Simmons told staff he is ending campaign — A Republican source says Rob Simmons told his staff Monday he will end his campaign for U.S. Senate at a press conference today in New London. — On Monday night, Simmons called a press conference for 9 a.m. in New London to make an …
Michael Levenson / Boston Globe:
Patrick says Obama critics are ‘almost at the level of sedition’ — Governor Deval Patrick, even as he decried partisanship in Washington, said today that Republican opposition to President Obama's agenda has become so obstinate that it “is almost at the level of sedition.”
Edwin Mora / CNSNews:
Rep. Kennedy Says Mexican President ‘Right On’ in Criticizing Arizona Immigration Law — (CNSNews.com) - Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D.-R.I.) said last week that Mexican President Felipe Calderon had been “right on” in criticizing Arizona's new immigration enforcement law.
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Eric Kleefeld / TPMDC:
Hayworth: ‘In My History’ U.S. Didn't Formally Declare War On Nazi Germany (VIDEO) — Former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ), who is challenging Sen. John McCain in the Republican primary, said that the United States did not formally declare war on Germany in World War II — at least, that's how it went in his history.
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Joe Schoffstall / The Blast:
Joe Biden: Brussels Has Legitimate Claim to ‘Capital of the Free World’ Title
Joe Biden: Brussels Has Legitimate Claim to ‘Capital of the Free World’ Title
Discussion:
Betsy's Page, The Foundry, Hot Air, blogs.telegraph.co.uk, Moonbattery, Pajamas Media, RedState, NewsBusters.org and Beltway Confidential
Ace / minx.cc:
Gov. Bobby Jindal Rips Obama For Slowness On Oil Spill — Video at the link. The problem is with sand-booms needed to protect Louisiana's shores from the invasion of oil. — The video is worth watching, but here's a transcript of some of his remarks. — Note his Tea Party-like vow.
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Jake Tapper / Political Punch:
WH: We're On the Case; Jindal: HELP!
WH: We're On the Case; Jindal: HELP!
Discussion:
New York Times, The Confluence, Hot Air, RedState, New Orleans Times-Picayune and Daily Kos
Tom Cohen / CNN:
Experts: Feds have authority, but not know-how, on spill
Experts: Feds have authority, but not know-how, on spill
Discussion:
Mediaite, Dot Earth, Donklephant, The Politico, Patterico's Pontifications and Washington Monthly
Kyung M. Song / Seattle Times:
Rossi expected to enter Senate race soon; hires key staff — WASHINGTON — Dino Rossi is expected to officially enter the U.S. Senate race as early as Wednesday, and already has hired several key staffers for a campaign to unseat three-term incumbent Patty Murray.
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Ishaq Siddiqi / Wall Street Journal:
European Stocks Track Asia Selloff — European stock markets slumped Tuesday, hit by higher inter-bank lending rates, concerns about the banking industry and worries over the growing tensions between North and South Korea. — The declines in Europe followed a slump in Asian markets …
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Sarah Palin / Facebook:
Nikki Haley in Opposition's Crosshairs: a Good Sign for Nikki and South Carolina! — Well, whaddya know? South Carolina's conservative candidate, Nikki Haley, recently zipped to the front of the line in her state's race for governor; and lo and behold, now accusations of an affair surface.
Discussion:
Rumproast, Another Black Conservative, The Hill, Washington Post, The Other McCain, Ben Smith's Blog, FITSNews, Erick's blog, RedState, The Politico, Hot Air, Mediaite, The American Conservative, Riehl World View, The Fix, The New Ledger, Right Now, The Atlantic Online, Free Times, WIS-TV, Crooks and Liars, msnbc.com and National Review
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Stephen Farber / Hollywood Reporter:
Sex and the City 2 — Film Review — Bottom Line: Overlong sequel scores some choice, politically incorrect laughs. — Because the first “Sex and the City” movie turned out to be a boxoffice bonanza two years ago, there are a lot of women panting for the sequel, already planning their wardrobe for a girls' night out.
Brian Maloney / The Radio Equalizer:
Libtalker Pleads With Obama To Take Action On Oil Spill — THEY'RE WORRIED — Libtalkers Worry Public Outrage Shifting Toward Obama — Can blame for gross inaction on the Gulf oil spill be shifted away from Obama indefinitely? Some on the left are clearly beginning to realize the anti-BP OUTRAGE …
Erick Erickson / RedState:
This Stuff Is Not Supposed to Happen in America — “When it becomes fair game to attack and intimidate private citizens and their families to advance a public policy, we cross over from an orderly civil democracy to something decidedly third world.” — I would like to be gloating this morning …
Stephen Ohlemacher / Associated Press:
Oil tax increase would help pay to clean up spills — WASHINGTON (AP) - Responding to the massive BP oil spill, Congress is getting ready to quadruple—to 32 cents a barrel—a tax on oil used to help finance cleanups. The increase would raise nearly $11 billion over the next decade.
Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:
When Passengers Spit, Bus Drivers Take Months Off — It could be the cutbacks to the city's transportation system, or a general decline in urban civility. Perhaps people are just in a collective bad mood. — What else could explain why New Yorkers — notoriously hardened to the slings …