Top Items:
The Huffington Post:
Liz Cheney Joins The Michael Steele Should Resign Chorus — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — Another prominent neoconservative has called for RNC Chairman Michael Steele to resign in the wake of his calling the Afghanistan war a largely un-winnable conflict of President Obama's choosing.
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, The Impolitic, Washington Post, Emptywheel, LewRockwell.com Blog, The Hill, The Daily Caller and TPMDC
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Russell Berman / The Hill:
Steele's Afghanistan criticism highlights Democrats' mixed message on war — Michael Steele's criticism of the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan may be creating a headache for the Republican National Committee, but it's also shining a spotlight on the Democrats' mixed message on the war.
Michael Muskal / D.C. Now:
RNC leader Michael Steele's Afghanistan comments put GOP in a …
RNC leader Michael Steele's Afghanistan comments put GOP in a …
Discussion:
Unqualified Offerings, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Huffington Post, FiveThirtyEight and TPMDC
Fox News:
Steele Blames Afghan War on Obama, Drawing Calls to Resign
Steele Blames Afghan War on Obama, Drawing Calls to Resign
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, Hot Air, Newsbroke, Jules Crittenden, Washington Wire, Betsy's Page and Informed Comment
Tim Arango / New York Times:
Biden Visits Iraq, Offering Diplomacy Amid Impasse — BAGHDAD — Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. landed here on Saturday evening for a visit that signaled a desire by the United States to step deeper into a four-month political stalemate that has become a backdrop to the drawdown of American forces this summer.
Discussion:
The Caucus
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Walter Alarkon / The Hill:
Bidens make unannounced trip to Iraq — Vice President Joe Biden is in Iraq for July 4 weekend to meet with U.S. troops and Iraqi leaders trying to form a new government after March's deadlocked election. — Biden will “meet with Iraqi political leaders to reaffirm the U.S. long-term commitment …
Discussion:
The Politico
Michael Powell / New York Times:
Illinois Stops Paying Its Bills, but Can't Stop Digging Hole — CHICAGO — Even by the standards of this deficit-ridden state, Illinois's comptroller, Daniel W. Hynes, faces an ugly balance sheet. Precisely how ugly becomes clear when he beckons you into his office to examine his daily briefing memo.
Marc Kaufman / Washington Post:
Jefferson changed ‘subjects’ to ‘citizens’ in Declaration of Independence — “Subjects.” — That's what Thomas Jefferson first wrote in an early draft of the Declaration of Independence to describe the people of the 13 colonies. — But in a moment when history took a sharp turn …
Rob Hughes / New York Times:
An Apology to Maradona, a Rollicking Genius — Dear Diego: It is high time that we critics say sorry, and thank you. — We misjudged your appointment as coach. We believed that Julio Grondona, the 78-year-old president of Argentina's soccer federation, had lost all sense of reason in asking you …
Jackie Calmes / New York Times:
Spend or Scrimp? Two Sides in White House Debate — WASHINGTON — Not since the first years of the Clinton administration has a White House had to debate whether to give precedence to stimulating the economy or reducing budget deficits. Now, as the recovery shows signs of faltering …
Thom Shanker / New York Times:
Gates Tightens Rules for Military and the Press — WASHINGTON — Nine days after a four-star general was relieved of command for comments made to Rolling Stone magazine, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates issued orders on Friday tightening the reins on officials dealing with the news media.
Bradley Blackburn / ABCNEWS:
Petraeus Assumes Command of Coalition Forces in Afghanistan — On Deadly Day in Afghanistan, Gen. David Petraeus Arrives in Kabul to Take Control of War — As Gen. David Petraeus arrived in Kabul today to take control of the long Afghanistan war, a pre-dawn attack on an American aid organization …
Discussion:
Associated Press
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Rasmussen Reports:
29% Say Stimulus Plan Helped the Economy, 43% Say It Hurt — Just 25% of voters nationwide believe the economic stimulus package created jobs and voters are counting on decisions made by business owners more than government officials to create the jobs needed by the nation.
Associated Press:
Moynihan, as Nixon aide, warned of global warming — YORBA LINDA, Calif. — Documents released Friday by the Nixon Presidential Library show members of President Richard Nixon's inner circle discussing the possibilities of global warming more than 30 years ago.
Kathleen Parker / Washington Post:
Following up on ‘the first female president’ — In the days since I suggested that President Obama's rhetorical style mimics feminine tropes, I've been informed of the following: — One, a black man cannot show anger in public lest he be considered an Angry Black Man.
Neil Irwin / Washington Post:
Economy lags as job growth remains weak — The economic expansion is sputtering. — Private employers added only 83,000 jobs in June, the government said Friday, too few to keep up with growth in the working-age population. And the unemployment rate fell to 9.5 percent from 9.7 percent …
Brian Stelter / Media Decoder:
Study of Waterboarding Coverage Prompts a Debate in the Press — A study released this week of the four biggest newspapers in the United States said that in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, there was “a dramatic shift in coverage away from nearly a century of practice recognizing waterboarding as torture.”
The Huffington Post:
Pelosi: End The Filibuster — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has some advice for her Senate counterparts: Try majority rule for a change. Pelosi, in an interview with the Huffington Post, called for an end to the filibuster, which she labeled “the 60-vote stranglehold on the future.”
Discussion:
Firedoglake
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Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
BUY THAT SENATOR A NEWSPAPER SUBSCRIPTION.... I've noticed, from time to time, that Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) seems to be a little slow on the uptake. As the New York Times' Gail Collins noted this week, after the senator tried to talk about Wall Street reform, and demonstrated …
Discussion:
Hullabaloo
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