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Judge Walker's decision to overturn Prop 8 is factual, well-reasoned, and powerful. … - Charging the WikiLeaks Leaker With Treason Would Be Absurd- How Many Americans Can't Swim? - Profitable Companies That Refuse To Restore the Benefits They Axed in 2008- Is It Possible To Write an Interesting Novel About a Nanny?
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Why Has Media Ignored Judge's Possible Bias In California's Gay Marriage Case? — Any minute now we will hear the result of another lawsuit about same-sex marriage. — This month a federal judge in Massachusetts threw out a Congressional law which defined marriage as the union of man and woman.

Reagan-Appointed Judge Strikes Down Gay Marriage Ban — Chuck Donovan of the Heritage Foundation denounces Judge Vaughn Walker for “extreme judicial activism” and “judicial tyranny” in striking down California's Proposition 8, which barred gay people from marrying.

A Maximalist Decision, Raising the Stakes — I'm still studying the decision today in Perry v. Schwarzenegger, which strikes down Prop 8 on both due process and equal protection grounds. I like a lot of the language, and the arguments, as a matter of rhetoric, common sense, and policy.

Axelrod: President remains opposed to same-sex marriage — President Obama remains opposed to same-sex marriage despite a federal judge's decision to strike down a ban on such marriages, a top White House adviser said Thursday. — Senior adviser David Axelrod said the president supports …
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Good As You and The Politico


In Same-Sex Ruling, an Eye on the Supreme Court — A federal judge's forceful opinion Wednesday in favor of same-sex marriage is only the beginning of a process that is likely to go all the way to the United States Supreme Court. — The ultimate outcome of the California case cannot be predicted …
Discussion:
The Politico, Washington Post, The Caucus, Washington Monthly, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Good As You and The Page

President Obama's beliefs meet his policy — Judging by the White House statement after a federal judge struck down California's Proposition 8 on Wednesday, you might think President Obama supports the rights of gays to marry. — The president “has spoken out in opposition to Proposition 8 because it is divisive and discriminatory.
Discussion:
Think Progress, The Plum Line, New York Magazine, Mediaite, Taylor Marsh and Associated Press


Pat Buchanan suggests Judge Walker struck down Proposition 8 because he is gay.
Discussion:
Mercury News

Today's Proposition 8 Decision
Discussion:
Wonk Room, L.A. NOW, The Moderate Voice, National Review, Newshoggers.com and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Getting Ready to March on Washington
Discussion:
Shakesville, Outside the Beltway, MyDD, New York Magazine, DaTechguy's Blog and Hot Air

An August Surprise from Obama? — Main Street may be about to get its own gigantic bailout. Rumors are running wild from Washington to Wall Street that the Obama administration is about to order government-controlled lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to forgive a portion of the mortgage debt …


Material girl Michelle Obama is a modern-day Marie Antoinette on a glitzy Spanish vacation — Sacrifice is something that many Americans are becoming all too familiar with during this economic downturn. It was a key theme in President Obama's inaugural address to the nation …
Discussion:
Don Surber and Left Coast Rebel
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Google and Verizon in Talks on Selling Internet Priority — WASHINGTON — Google and Verizon, two leading players in Internet service and content, are nearing an agreement that could allow Verizon to speed some online content to Internet users more quickly if the content's creators are willing to pay for the privilege.
Discussion:
CNN, The Huffington Post, Post Tech, Associated Press, Bloomberg, CNET News, Open Congress, BuzzMachine, Balkinization, Guardian, Crooks and Liars, Scott Rosenberg's Wordyard, Digital Society, The Politico, GigaOM, Law Blog, Reuters, Outside the Beltway, The Confluence, The Moderate Voice, Gawker, Prairie Weather and Balloon Juice, more at Techmeme »
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Google-Verizon Deal: The End of The Internet as We Know It
Discussion:
Guardian and The Agonist


Briton held for wearing a bikini in Dubai shopping mall after fight with Arabic woman — A British holidaymaker has been charged with indecency in Dubai after walking through the world's largest shopping centre in a bikini. — The woman was buying clothes and gifts in the Dubai Mall …
Discussion:
Left Coast Rebel, Telegraph, The Mahablog, DaTechguy's Blog and Guardian

Critics allege Elena Kagan is sympathetic to Sharia law — Few fireworks erupted as the Senate opened up floor debate over Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan this week. Conventional wisdom remains that President Barack Obama's second nomination to the high court will be confirmed with little trouble.
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online
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Diversity Debate Engulfs Hunter High in Manhattan
Discussion:
City Room, Steve Sailer's iSteve Blog, Unfogged and Gawker


Jobless Claims in U.S. Unexpectedly Climb to Three-Month High — More Americans than projected filed applications for unemployment insurance last week, indicating firings remain elevated as the recovery moderated. — Initial jobless claims climbed by 19,000 to 479,000 in the week ended July 31 …
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Surprise Rise in Jobless Claims Casts Pall on Economy
Discussion:
Liberty Pundits Blog, Weasel Zippers and Scared Monkeys


Portland lemonade stand runs into health inspectors, needs $120 license to operate — It's hardly unusual to hear small-business owners gripe about licensing requirements or complain that heavy-handed regulations are driving them into the red. — So when Multnomah County shut down an enterprise …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Townhall.com, Another Black Conservative and JOSHUAPUNDIT


White House Statement on Proposition 8 — A White House statement regarding Wednesday's ruling overturning Proposition 8 said President Barack Obama had spoken out against the measure because it was “divisive and discriminatory.” — A White House spokesperson sent the following statement …
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Pence: Obama ‘most anti-Israel’ president in modern history
Discussion:
The Swamp, CNN, ABCNEWS, The Politico, Israel Matzav and HotAirPundit


Marcela Hoeven Bikini Scandal? — North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven is 47 points ahead in a Senate campaign that is, by all odds, the closest thing to a surefire pick-up for Republicans this fall. And yet it appears that there are some fiendish Democrats who hope that “family values” …
Discussion:
Instapundit, iOwnTheWorld.com and DaTechguy's Blog

You Know How Jesus Prized Wealth. — The mainstays of conservative Christian activism — the Family Research Council and the Christian Coalition — are launching a new campaign to protect the wealthy from tax increases, according to subscription-only Roll Call. The tax hikes, they say, are a “family values issue.”
Discussion:
Matthew Yglesias

Gibbs dismisses Missouri vote against federal health insurance mandate — White House press secretary Robert Gibbs flatly dismissed Missouri's vote Tuesday rejecting a key part of the healthcare law. — Gibbs said Missouri's vote approving a ballot initiative to exempt residents …

Is the GOP shedding a birthright? — Rather than shout, I'll just ask the question in a civil way: Dear Republicans, do you really want to endanger your party's greatest political legacy by turning the 14th Amendment to our Constitution into an excuse for election-year ugliness?
Discussion:
The Politico, Washington Monthly, Think Progress, Media Matters for America, pandagon.net, TPMDC, Balloon Juice, Firedoglake and Daily Kos


After flood of outrage, police will investigate shooting of husky in dog park — A day after dog's death becomes public, officials vow to look into the incident — Bea-Bear the Siberian husky was shot and killed at an Anne Arundel County dog park. (Baltimore Sun / August 3, 2010)
Discussion:
LewRockwell.com Blog

Todd S. Purdum's big question of Obama's presidency: Can he play the game, yet transcend the game? - GPG hires top Republican - How Malia used her one phone call from camp — BULLETIN — Michael Hastings, the Rolling Stone contributing editor who wrote “The Runaway General,” tells Mika …
Discussion:
The Huffington Post

Justice: 14 charged for supporting Somalia group — WASHINGTON — Attorney General Eric Holder said Thursday that 14 people are being charged with providing support for the Somalian terrorist group al-Shabab. — Holder said the charges reflect a disturbing trend that leaders in Muslim communities …
Discussion:
Hot Air


Against Fatalism — Sometimes people can be wrong without actually saying anything that isn't true. That's how I felt about the posture of fatalism that Carmen Reinhart adopted talking to Ezra Klein: … To be clear, I don't disagree with any of that. But the message seems to be—calm down.
Discussion:
Ezra Klein, TalkLeft and Paul Krugman

Reid decries ‘Charlie Brown theory of government’ in the Senate — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) decried on Thursday the “Charlie Brown theory of government” that, he said, has plagued the Senate this year. — Reid knocked Senate Republicans for forcing delays …
Discussion:
The Politico