Top Items:
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
The Flimflam Man — One depressing aspect of American politics is the susceptibility of the political and media establishment to charlatans. You might have thought, given past experience, that D.C. insiders would be on their guard against conservatives with grandiose plans.
Discussion:
Ezra Klein, Matthew Yglesias, TaxVox, Washington Monthly, FiveThirtyEight, DownWithTyranny!, ReadWriteWeb, Left Coast Rebel, GayPatriot, The Nation, No More Mister Nice Blog, culturekitchen, Clusterstock, National Review, Hit & Run, AmSpecBlog, AMERICAblog News, Paul Krugman, Townhall.com, Daily Kos, Hullabaloo, Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog!, Prairie Weather, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Economist's View, Balloon Juice and Shakesville
RELATED:
Walter Alarkon / The Hill:
Old Washington hands break with GOP leaders on Bush-era tax cuts
Old Washington hands break with GOP leaders on Bush-era tax cuts
Discussion:
The Politico, Washington Monthly, The Atlantic Online, Ezra Klein and ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*
CNSNews:
Republican Senator: Jesus's ‘Golden Rule’ Inspired His Vote For Pro-Abortion Kagan — (CNSNews.com) - Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said that Jesus's Golden Rule inspired him to vote to confirm Elena Kagan to the U.S. Supreme Court and suggested it would be a good thing …
Discussion:
Hot Air, Creative Minority Report, The Blast and Breitbart.tv
RELATED:
Daniel Foster / National Review:
Birth of a Strategy: Talking Immigration With Lindsey Graham — Yesterday I spoke with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) who caused a bit of a stir by tentatively endorsing a plan to modify the century-old standard of birthright citizenship — by constitutional amendment if necessary.
Discussion:
Comments from Left Field, Ezra Klein and AmSpecBlog
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
The alleged political benefits of moderation
The alleged political benefits of moderation
Discussion:
ACS Blog, The Monkey Cage and SCOTUSblog
Doug Powers / Michelle Malkin:
Who Inspired Lindsey Graham to Vote for Elena Kagan's Confirmation?
Who Inspired Lindsey Graham to Vote for Elena Kagan's Confirmation?
Discussion:
Riehl World View
David Harsanyi / Denver Post:
Time for a divorce — In the 1500s, a pestering theologian instituted something called the Marriage Ordinance in Geneva, which made “state registration and church consecration” a dual requirement of matrimony. — We have yet to get over this mistake. But isn't it about time we freed marriage from the state?
Discussion:
protein wisdom and GayPatriot
RELATED:
John Schwartz / New York Times:
Conservative Jurist, With Independent Streak — Judge Vaughn R. Walker has ruled on cases involving newspaper mergers, high-tech corporate battles and the Bush administration's use of wiretaps without warrants. But nothing has earned him as much attention — and ire …
James Taranto / Wall Street Journal:
Scalia Was Right — Why the same-sex marriage ruling will stand. — For the first time, a federal judge has held that the Constitution mandates the legal redefinition of marriage. The California Supreme Court had reached a similar conclusion in 2008, and voters responded by amending …
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns & Money, AmSpecBlog, American Spectator, Betsy's Page, neo-neocon, Sadly, No!, Lean Left, RedState, Althouse, The BLT and ACS Blog
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
What collapsing empire looks like — (updated below) — As we enter our ninth year of the War in Afghanistan with an escalated force, and continue to occupy Iraq indefinitely, and feed an endlessly growing Surveillance State, reports are emerging of the Deficit Commission hard at work planning …
Discussion:
The Mahablog and The Atlantic Online
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Michael Cooper / New York Times:
Governments Go to Extremes as the Downturn Wears On
Governments Go to Extremes as the Downturn Wears On
Discussion:
Money Game
CNN:
Palin helping RNC raise money — Sarah Palin is helping the RNC raise funds. — Palin has attached her name to a letter and survey being mailed to RNC donors soliciting contributions for the committee's Victory 2010 program, a nationwide get-out-the-vote effort.
Discussion:
Conservatives4Palin.com
RELATED:
Reid Wilson / Hotline On Call:
RNC Passes Calendar Reform
RNC Passes Calendar Reform
Discussion:
Politics Daily, Ben Smith's Blog, Conservatives4Palin.com and The Page
Andy Barr / The Politico:
Sharron Angle opposes gay adoption — Sharron Angle doesn't believe gays should be able to adopt, according to a questionnaire she filled out. AP — Nevada GOP Senate candidate Sharron Angle believes that gays should not be allowed to adopt children and that religious leaders should be allowed …
Discussion:
Wonkette and New York Magazine
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Jon Ralston / Las Vegas Sun Blogs:
Group promoting Angle event: Medicare “evil” …
Group promoting Angle event: Medicare “evil” …
Discussion:
Little Green Footballs, TPMDC and Daily Kos
Bloomberg:
Obama Fed Board Pick Diamond Gets Referred Back to White House by Senate — The Senate sent the nomination of Peter Diamond, one of President Barack Obama's three nominees for the Federal Reserve Board, back to the White House because of objections from at least one lawmaker.
Discussion:
Opinionator, Matthew Yglesias, Washington Post, Hot Air, DealBook, Reuters, Firedoglake, Wonk Room, The Washington Independent and Brendan Nyhan
RELATED:
Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
Private Sector Adding Jobs, State Budget Crises Killing Economy — The new unemployment report highlights the fact that the economy remains lousy and John Boehner is going to be the next Speaker of the House of Representatives. Ironically, it also demonstrates the bankruptcy of Boehner's way of thinking.
Discussion:
Balloon Juice, Washington Monthly and Right Wing Nut House
RELATED:
Ezra Klein:
Jobs report: Public sector loses 202,000 jobs; private sector gains 71,000
Jobs report: Public sector loses 202,000 jobs; private sector gains 71,000
Discussion:
gopleader.gov, Seeing the Forest and Eschaton
Christina Romer / White House.gov Blog Feed:
The Employment Situation in July
The Employment Situation in July
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, Guardian, CNN and The Swamp
The Huffington Post:
Dean: Individual Mandate Will Be Removed From Health Care Reform By 2014 — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — Former DNC Chairman Howard Dean has never been a fan of the individual mandate for insurance coverage, both on policy and political grounds. And once Senate negotiators removed any hope …
Discussion:
Taylor Marsh and Prime Buzz
RELATED:
Ian M. / Think Progress:
Howard Dean Launches Misguided Attack On Health Reform — Speaking on MSNBC this morning, former Vermont Governor Howard Dean (D) made the wildly incorrect claim that the provision in the Affordable Care Act requiring almost all Americans to carry insurance is not “essential to the plan”:
Discussion:
Center for American Progress, MyDD and Raw Story
David Weigel / Washington Post:
Five myths about the ‘tea party’ — The grass-roots conservative activists who march under the “Don't tread on me” Gadsen flag and the “tea party” label have put a new twist on Gandhi's maxim: First they were ignored; then they were ridiculed; then they began to fight.
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, baldilocks, sisu, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Don Surber
Steven Allen Adams / West Virginia Watchdog:
Manchin's Office Confirms Subpoenas — Gov. Joe Manchin's office confirmed today that state government officials have been contacted by the U.S. Attorney's Office this week regarding an ongoing investigation. The target may be Manchin himself, according to a source who asked to remain anonymous.
Discussion:
Hot Air, National Review, Weigel and The Eye
RELATED:
Gretchen Morgenson / New York Times:
Exotic Deals Put Denver Schools Deeper in Debt — In the spring of 2008, the Denver public school system needed to plug a $400 million hole in its pension fund. Bankers at JPMorgan Chase offered what seemed to be a perfect solution. — The bankers said that the school system …
RELATED:
Brookings Institute:
2010 Arab Public Opinion Poll: Results of Arab Opinion Survey Conducted June 29-July 20, 2010 — Shibley Telhami, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy, Saban Center for Middle East Policy — On Thursday, August 5, Shibley Telhami, Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development …
RELATED:
Marc Lynch / Foreign Policy:
Arab confidence in Obama collapsing
Arab confidence in Obama collapsing
Discussion:
The Daily Dish, The League of Ordinary … and Daniel W. Drezner
New York Sun:
Palin's Fraternal Greetings — No sooner had President Obama concluded his dirge before the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations than Sarah Palin was out with a posting on her Facebook page, commiserating with her husband's fellow union members on having to sit through another “Blame Bush” lecture.
Discussion:
The League of Ordinary … and Weekly Standard
RELATED:
Alan Snyder / Big Government:
Ridicule and Disdain: The Reagan-Palin Connection
Ridicule and Disdain: The Reagan-Palin Connection
Discussion:
Whiskey Fire and Da Techguy's Blog
Motoko Rich / New York Times:
Private Growth Is Tepid as U.S. Economy Sheds Jobs Overall — With the American economic recovery hanging in the balance, private employers added 71,000 jobs in July, up from a downwardly revised 31,000 in June but below the consensus forecast of 90,000. The unemployment rate stayed steady at 9.5 percent.
Discussion:
Economix, The Atlantic Online, Washington Monthly, Free exchange, Daily Kos, BBC, Hot Air, Reuters, Salon, Political Byline, Guardian, The Daily Beast, Wonkette, CNN, NewsBusters.org, Outside the Beltway, Bloomberg, The Washington Independent, MyDD, Money Game, Taylor Marsh, The Moderate Voice, Left Coast Rebel, Wake up America, Truthdig, The Other McCain, TalkLeft and FP Passport
RELATED:
Tanya Somanader / Think Progress:
Reminder to critics who think a mosque is offensive to the legacy of 9/11: There's already one at the Pentagon. — In opposing the planned Islamic community center two blocks from Ground Zero in New York City, conservative stalwarts have picked up on right-wing extremists' paranoid hysteria over the initiative.
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Real Clear Politics and Daily Kos
RELATED:
Daniel Halper / Weekly Standard:
Three Senators Oppose Ground Zero Mosque
Three Senators Oppose Ground Zero Mosque
Discussion:
Washington Wire, Metropolis and Washington Monthly
Wall Street Journal:
America Is at Risk of Boiling Over — And out-of-touch leaders don't see the need to cool things off. — It is, obviously, self-referential to quote yourself, but I do it to make a point. I wrote the following on New Year's day, 1994. America 16 years ago was a relatively content nation …
Discussion:
JOSHUAPUNDIT, Mediaite and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog
Charlie Sykes / 620wtmj.com:
FEINGOLD'S FAKE PERSON? — In Senator Feingold's new ad, he features some footage designed to make the argument that his $787 stimulus bill created Wisconsin jobs. — One piece of footage features a nameplate being placed outside an office or cubicle, and it appears the person named does not exist …
Discussion:
RedState and Marathon Pundit
John Cook / Yahoo! News:
Fox News chief packs heat — Fox News chief Roger Ailes has a license to carry a firearm in New York City on his person at all times, according to the NYPD's newly released list of handgun-permit holders. And he's not alone among his Fox News colleagues: Prime-time shouter Sean Hannity also has a city license to carry a gun.
Discussion:
Gawker, Gothamist, New York Magazine and Romenesko