Top Items:

On Today's Ruling in Virginia — Since the enactment of health reform legislation in March, several state Attorneys General have filed lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. Having failed in the legislative arena, opponents of reform are now turning to the courts …
Discussion:
Think Progress, Virginia Politics Blog, SCOTUSblog, Washington Monthly, Doug Ross, CNN, The Hill, Pirate's Cove, Daily Kos, The Page, AMERICAblog News and msnbc.com
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Challenge to Health Care Law Advances — This just in: Virginia federal judge Henry Hudson on Monday ruled that he'll let the state of Virginia's challenge to the landmark health care law passed in March go forward, at least for the time being. Click here for the early Reuters story; here for the 32-page opinion.

Cuccinelli: Va. police can ask about immigration status
Discussion:
TPMMuckraker, The Washington Independent, NewsReal Blog, The Reid Report and Post Now


Harman buys Newsweek, Meacham out — The Washington Post Co. has sold Newsweek to Sidney Harman, a wealthy industrialist and husband of Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), and Jon Meacham will not remain as the magazine's editor, the company has confirmed. — The terms of the deal were not announced …
Discussion:
Runnin' Scared, New York Magazine, FishbowlDC and NewsBusters.org
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The Washington Post Company Agrees to Sell NEWSWEEK to Sidney Harman
Discussion:
Politics Daily, Hot Air and Truthdig, more at Mediagazer »

GOP Resumes Favorable Standing on Generic Ballot — Democratic enthusiasm for voting in midterms is the lowest seen this year — PRINCETON, NJ — Registered voters favor Republicans by 48% and Democrats by 43% in Gallup's generic congressional ballot for the week of July 26 through Aug. 1.
Discussion:
Ruby Slippers, Hotline On Call and National Review
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Obama vs the Congressional Black Caucus?
Discussion:
Pajamas Media, Palm Beach Post and Post on Politics

GOP surges in generic ballot
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, Weekly Standard and L.A. NOW

WashPost TV critic smears ABC's Amanpour as possible Taliban sympathizer — This is really just beyond the pale. — Everyone knows that Post critic Tom Shales can't stand Christiane Amanpour and has what is now officially a creepy obsession with belittling her work.
Discussion:
Gawker, American Power, Washington Monthly, The Other McCain, Matthew Yglesias and Balloon Juice, more at Mediagazer »
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Tom Shales reviews Christiane Amanpour's lackluster debut on ABC's ‘This Week’ — With pomp and panoply befitting a visit from a foreign dignitary, ABC raised the curtain on its newly revamped “This Week” program and introduced in a big way the superstar who's taken it over in a big, big way …

Set the Timer? — I hate to say it. But anybody got a guess …
Discussion:
Balloon Juice

Ethics cases raise racial questions — But the investigation that cost him his House Ways and Means Committee gavel grew out of an OCE-initiated probe. While five of the other black Democrats eyed in the same affair ended up facing no sanctions from the ethics committee …
Discussion:
The Remmers Report and The Moderate Voice
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Maxine Waters Second Democrat Headed for Trial On Ethics Charges
Discussion:
Power Line

Rudy: GZ Mosque is a ‘desecration,’ ‘decent Muslims’ won't be offended — This went way under the radar three weeks ago, but Rudy Giuliani made what, as best as I can tell, were his first public comments about the planned mosque near Ground Zero on the Jeff Katz show on radio (someone will I'm sure correct me if I'm wrong).
Discussion:
Commentary, NY Daily News, The New Republic, No More Mister Nice Blog, Nice Deb, Weasel Zippers, The Atlantic Online and Salon
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Center for American Progress Attacks New York As Un-American
Discussion:
Wonk Room, Think Progress and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog


QUOTE OF THE DAY.... Throughout July, Republican leaders were aggressive in touting their belief in the Tax Fairy — there's no need to worry about paying for tax cuts, because they magically pay for themselves. It was a startling example of “invincible ignorance,” but from the Senate Minority Leader …
Discussion:
Firedoglake and Think Progress
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Rep. Cantor Reluctantly Admits Extending Bush Tax Cuts Will Increase Deficits
Discussion:
Think Progress, Daily Kos, TPMDC, Crooks and Liars and The Washington Independent

Raise My Taxes, Mr. President!
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Pajamas Media and Don Surber


THE EMPTY CHAMBER — Just how broken is the Senate? — “Sit and watch us for seven days,” one senator says of the deadlocked chamber. “You know what you'll see happening? Nothing.” … KEYWORDS … “This is just one of those days when you want to throw up your hands and say, ‘What in the world are we doing?’ ”
Discussion:
Newshoggers.com, Balkinization, Taylor Marsh, The Hill, The Atlantic Online and Wonk Room
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The Three-Day Workweek — George Packer has a pretty excellent article …
Discussion:
Ezra Klein, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Obsidian Wings


Arizona Sheriff: ‘Our Own Government Has Become Our Enemy’ — (Correction: As initially posted, this story inaccurately said that Pinal County was contiguous with the Mexican border. It is in southern Arizona, but not on the border.) — (CNSNews.com) - Pinal County (Ariz.) …
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Breitbart to get RNC invite — California event rescheduled, not canceled — The Republican National Committee will invite Andrew Breitbart to its rescheduled “big donor” fundraiser in Southern California, which had been set to feature the conservative columnist and online-media mogul …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Politics Daily, Salon, Pensito Review, TPMDC, HotAirPundit and CNN
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In journalism's crossfire culture, everyone gets wounded
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, FishbowlDC and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »

Democrats increase pressure on Senate GOP ahead of critical vote on state aid — Democrats sought Monday to pressure Senate Republicans ahead of an expected vote on a state aid bill. — Republicans who vote against the legislation, which extends aid to state governments' health and education programs …
Discussion:
The Politico, CNN, Democratic National Committee, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/* and The Impolitic
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What Social Science Does—and Doesn't—Know — In early 2009, the United States was engaged in an intense public debate over a proposed $800 billion stimulus bill designed to boost economic activity through government borrowing and spending. James Buchanan, Edward Prescott, Vernon Smith …
Discussion:
The Reality-Based Community, National Review and EconLog

Anti-Chinese sentiment fuels extreme nationalism — Alarm sounds over rise of extreme groups such as Tsagaan Khass who respect Hitler and reject foreign influence — Their right hands rise to black-clad chests and flash out in salute to their nation: “Sieg heil!” They praise Hitler's devotion to ethnic purity.
Discussion:
The Peking Duck, Marginal Revolution and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Could Pot Drive Turnout In Key Elections? — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — Putting the question of marijuana legalization on state ballots in 2012 may be one of the most effective ways for a dispirited Democratic Party to get reluctant voters out to the polls.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Taylor Marsh and Mediaite


Dudley, Former N.B.A. Player, Stands Out on Campaign Trail — PORTLAND, Ore. — Among politicians in this state, Chris Dudley stands out. Especially when he is standing up. — In a visit to a rodeo in the coastal town of Tillamook, Dudley dwarfed a port commissioner who asked for greater investment in salmon hatcheries.
Discussion:
JammieWearingFool, Indecision Forever and Jeff Mapes on Politics

WikiLeaks must be stopped — Let's be clear: WikiLeaks is not a news organization; it is a criminal enterprise. Its reason for existence is to obtain classified national security information and disseminate it as widely as possible — including to the United States' enemies.
Discussion:
The Daily Dish, Swampland, Raw Story, PostPartisan, The Enterprise Blog, Emptywheel, New York Times and Balloon Juice

Defining Prosperity Down — I'm starting to have a sick feeling about prospects for American workers — but not, or not entirely, for the reasons you might think. — Yes, growth is slowing, and the odds are that unemployment will rise, not fall, in the months ahead. That's bad.