Top Items:
Robert Draper / New York Times:
This Year's Maverick — Lindsey Graham was sitting in a sedan early one morning and contentedly discussing the various fellow South Carolina conservatives who dislike him — Tea Partiers, Constitutionalists, immigration hardliners — when Van Cato, his upstate regional director …
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People-Press.org:
Voting Intentions Even, Turnout Indicators Favor GOP — Older Americans Eager to Vote... Republican, That Is — With four months to go before Election Day, voting intentions for the House remain closely divided, and neither party has gained or lost much ground over the course of 2010.
Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:
Independent Voters Favor GOP in 2010 Election Tracking — Prefer Republican candidate to Democrat by an average of 45% to 35% — PRINCETON, NJ — By an average 10 percentage-point margin since March, 45% to 35%, independent registered voters have consistently preferred the Republican …
Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
Sen. Graham predicts Tea Party movement will eventually ‘die out’ — Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who has earned the ire of Tea Party groups for his penchant for negotiating with Democrats, predicted this week the movement will “die out.” — Graham, who has partnered with Democrats …
Michael Memoli / The Swamp:
Boehner fires back at ‘whining’ White House — House Minority Leader John Boehner today escalated a growing battle with Congressional Democrats and the White House, accusing the latter of “childish partisanship” after President Obama criticized him for remarks about the financial crisis.
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Fox News:
Pelosi: Unemployment Checks Fastest Way to Create Jobs — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill June 24. (AP Photo) — Unemployment benefits are creating jobs faster than practically any other program, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday.
Faiz Shakir / Think Progress:
Boehner doesn't refute the notion that he's drinking at bars every night. — During a press conference earlier today, House Republican leader John Boehner was asked about MSNBC host Joe Scarborough's accusation that “every Republican I talk to says John Boehner, by 5 or 6 o'clock at night, you can see him at bars.”
Gail Collins / New York Times:
The Most Unhappy Fellow — Our Independence Day weekend winner …
The Most Unhappy Fellow — Our Independence Day weekend winner …
Discussion:
Ezra Klein, Think Progress, PostPartisan, The Daily Dish, The Moderate Voice and Prairie Weather
Stephen Ohlemacher / Associated Press:
1.3 million unemployed won't get benefits restored — WASHINGTON - More than 1.3 million laid-off workers won't get their unemployment benefits reinstated before Congress goes on a weeklong vacation for Independence Day. — And hundreds of thousands more will lose their benefits in the coming weeks.
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The Huffington Post:
Unemployment Extension Fails: Senate Rejects Jobless Benefits 58-38 — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — The Senate rejected Wednesday — for the fourth time — a bill that would have reauthorized extended benefits for the long-term unemployed, by a vote of 58 to 38.
Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
With Millions Losing Benefits, Ben Nelson Blocks Extension Of Unemployment Insurance
With Millions Losing Benefits, Ben Nelson Blocks Extension Of Unemployment Insurance
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
First look at Daily Kos's lawsuit: Charges Research 2000 with “fraudulently manufacturing phony results” — I've obtained a copy of the lawsuit that Daily Kos just filed against Research 2000, and this going to get nastier than you thought. — The suit contains striking new details …
Discussion:
The Next Right, The Politico, FiveThirtyEight, TPMMuckraker, Ben Smith's Blog, New York Magazine, Babalú Blog and New York Times
Devin Dwyer / ABCNEWS:
Obama Targets ‘Polarization’ and ‘Pettiness’ in Push for Immigration Reform — With Arizona Law Set to Take Effect, Obama Calls for ‘Clear National Standard’ and ‘Accountability’ — President Obama today sought to tap into national frustration over the country's “fundamentally broken” …
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Tara Siegel Bernard / New York Times:
Google to Add Pay to Cover a Tax for Same-Sex Benefits — Working for a company as rich as Google comes with an incredible number of fringe benefits: the free food, the free laundry, the doctor on duty at company headquarters and the impressive five months of maternity leave with full pay and benefits, to mention a few.
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Ezra Klein:
Don't just sit there. Do nothing. — Due to the nature of the U.S. Senate, doing nothing is always and everywhere easier than doing something. After all, doing nothing takes only 41 votes. Doing something takes 60 votes. So when you hear Bob Bixby of the Concord Coalition say that …
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Andy Barr / The Politico:
Breitbart, Sullivan in JournoList spat — Andrew Breitbart's $100,000 offer for the full archives of the now-defunct liberal listserve JournoList has prompted a fight between Breitbart and Atlantic blogger Andrew Sullivan. — Breitbart has not yet had any takers for the offer …
Discussion:
Taylor Marsh
LoriC / RADAR:
WORLD EXCLUSIVE: Mel Gibson's Racist Rant Caught On Tape - Tells Oksana She Would Get ‘Raped By N***ers’ — In one of the most explosive, racist and vile outbursts by a celebrity ever caught on tape, Mel Gibson told the mother of his love child that the way she was dressed would get her …
Brian Stelter / Media Decoder:
Huckabee Trying Out a Daily Show for News Corp. — Mike Huckabee, the weekend Fox News Channel host and possible 2012 presidential candidate, is getting a six-week tryout as a daily talk show host. — Called “The Huckabee Show,” it will have a preview run on weekdays for six weeks …
Courtland Milloy / Washington Post:
In Clarence Thomas's gun rights opinion, race plays a major role — He hardly ever speaks during oral arguments, often appearing asleep on the bench. But in his written opinion Monday supporting the right to bear arms, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas roared to life.
Erick Erickson / RedState:
NRA Now Leans Toward Endorsing Harry Reid — Multiple sources tell me the National Rifle Association is planning to endorse liberal Harry Reid against pro-gun champion Sharron Angle. — Two weeks ago, I told you about the carveout the NRA received in exchange for their support for the DISCLOSE ACT deal.
Discussion:
Don Surber, Hot Air, National Review, Wonkette, Say Anything, Babalú Blog, FrumForum and Riehl World View
Marc Thiessen / The Enterprise Blog:
Soccer Is a Socialist Sport — In the Washington Post this morning, sports columnist Sally Jenkins complains about the lack of popular outrage over America's elimination in the World Cup: “Why is it that Americans expect to win in every sport we compete in except for soccer?
Sarah Kliff / The Politico:
Health site promotes vodka, P. Diddy — With HHS's rollout of a new web portal, HealthCare.Gov, you can investigate health insurance plans and provisions of the new health care law. And for a while, you could also learn some not so health-related information, like that HealthCare.Gov enjoys P. Diddy and Indian politicians.
Discussion:
White House.gov Blog Feed, The Swamp, Ezra Klein, Washington Wire, Mediaite, Moonbattery and Weasel Zippers
Cynthia Laird / ebar.com:
Speier: 5 years for ENDA — Congresswoman Jackie Speier put a damper on hopes for swift House passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, telling the Bay Area Reporter over the weekend that she doesn't see the LGBT workplace protections becoming law anytime soon.
Discussion:
AMERICAblog Gay, The Bilerico Project, Wonk Room, Pam's House Blend and Towleroad News #gay
Peter H. Stone / The Center for Public Integrity:
MONEY & POLITICS: U.S. Chamber Boosts Election Budget to $75 Million — Tom Donohue, the combative president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is upping the ante for the fall elections. — The Chamber aims to raise $75 million for the business behemoth's electoral efforts …
Washington Post:
Pentagon recommends Medal of Honor for a living soldier — The Pentagon has recommended that the White House consider awarding the Medal of Honor to a living soldier for the first time since the Vietnam War, according to U.S. officials. — The soldier, whose nomination must be reviewed by the White House …
Discussion:
Big Government, BLACKFIVE, Jules Crittenden, The Moderate Voice, Balloon Juice and Mudville Gazette
Doug Powers / Michelle Malkin:
NAACP, NY Times Whitewash Robert Byrd's Past — Somebody at the NAACP either needs a history lesson or is being intentionally deceptive about somebody's horrid past just because the person in question was a liberal Democrat (don't tell me which it is and ruin the suspense). — From Mike Riggs at the Daily Caller:
Peter Baker / New York Times:
Harsh Words for G.O.P. From Obama — RACINE, Wis. — President Obama leveled a harsh indictment against Congressional Republicans on Wednesday, accusing them of doing the bidding of bankers and oil executives while cutting “working folks loose to fend for themselves.”
Discussion:
Fox News, Wonkette, The Moderate Voice, Democratic National Committee, Latest Open Salon Blog, The Caucus and The Gavel
Erika Lovley / The Politico:
Senate denies C-SPAN coverage — As the late Sen. Robert Byrd's coffin lies in repose on the Senate floor, C-SPAN has been refused permission to broadcast the event, causing members of the Radio-Television Correspondents Association to send a formal complaint to Senate Rules Committee Chairman Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
Charles Levinson / Wall Street Journal:
Iran Arms Syria With Radar — System Could Help Tehran Dodge Israeli Strike; a Blow to U.S. Strategy on Damascus — JERUSALEM—Iran has sent Syria a sophisticated radar system that could threaten Israel's ability to launch a surprise attack against Iran's nuclear facilities …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, Israel Matzav, Beltway Confidential, FP Passport, Chicago Boyz and Clusterstock
Sean J. Miller / Ballot Box:
Giannoulias fires back, Kirk touts 2nd quarter cash (updated) — Illinois Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias (D) planned to respond to the two TV ads released by his Republican rival this week with a TV spot of his own but decided to refrain from airing it over the holiday weekend …
Discussion:
CNN
Marc Ambinder / The Atlantic Online:
Al Qaeda's First English Language Magazine Is Here — As the U.S. struggles to manage its efforts to influence opinion about Al Qaeda abroad, Al Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula has produced its first English-language propaganda magazine. — It's called “Inspire,” and you can read parts of it below.