Top Items:
Marc Ambinder / The Atlantic Online:
Bush Campaign Chief and Former RNC Chair Ken Mehlman: I'm Gay — Ken Mehlman, President Bush's campaign manager in 2004 and a former chairman of the Republican National Committee, has told family and associates that he is gay. — Mehlman arrived at this conclusion about his identity fairly recently, he said in an interview.
Discussion:
Think Progress, The Daily Dish, The Other McCain, Slate, GayPatriot, blogs.telegraph.co.uk, Commentary, TRAIL BLAZERS, Wonkette, The Rachel Maddow Show, Guardian, Outside the Beltway, The Reaction, Advocate, Mediaite, Shakesville, Althouse, AMERICAblog Gay, Speakeasy, CNN, iOwnTheWorld.com, Above the Law, Pam's House Blend, Sister Toldjah, Joe. My. God., Jeff Mapes on Politics, Daily Kos, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Hot Air, Political Punch, Balloon Juice, Politics Daily, The Note, American Glob, Political Byline, Gawker, Roger Ailes and skippy the bush kangaroo
RELATED:
Michael Luo / New York Times:
Former G.O.P. Leader Says He Is Gay — Ken Mehlman, President George W. Bush's campaign manager in 2004 and a former chairman of the Republican National Committee, has revealed to family and friends over the last few months that he is gay, he said in an interview Wednesday.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, AMERICAblog Gay, Political Punch, The Politico, GayPatriot and Joe. My. God.
Advocate:
Mehlman Draws Fire, Praise
Mehlman Draws Fire, Praise
Discussion:
The Hill, Pam's House Blend, AMERICAblog Gay, Mediaite and Joe. My. God.
Felicia Sonmez / Washington Post:
Former RNC chairman Ken Mehlman: I'm gay
Former RNC chairman Ken Mehlman: I'm gay
Discussion:
The Gist, The Reaction, Ben Smith's Blog and Joe. My. God.
E.J. Dionne Jr / Washington Post:
Tuesday's tutorial: a GOP too far right — Republicans are in the midst of an insurrection. Democrats are not. This vast gulf between the situations of the two parties — not some grand revolt against “the establishment” or “incumbents” — explains the year's primary results …
Discussion:
New York Times, The New Republic, PostPartisan, Riehl World View, Guardian, Prairie Weather and Philly.com
RELATED:
Sean Cockerham / Anchorage Daily News:
Miller's lead slims; Murkowski awaits absentees — Joe Miller's lead over U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski slightly narrowed to 1,668 votes with all the election precincts counted Wednesday. A stunned Murkowski said she is not giving up hope until absentee ballots are counted starting next week.
Discussion:
msnbc.com, Weigel, Outside the Beltway and Taegan Goddard's …
Anchorage Daily News:
Miller on verge of toppling Murkowski
Miller on verge of toppling Murkowski
Discussion:
TPMDC, The Caucus, MyDD, Salon, The Fix, American Power, RedState and Outside the Beltway
Shira Toeplitz / The Politico:
Murkowski won't ditch GOP yet
Murkowski won't ditch GOP yet
Discussion:
The Caucus, Conservatives4Palin.com, The Other McCain, RedState and CNN
The Politico:
Democrats privately fear House prospects worsening — Top Democrats are growing markedly more pessimistic about holding the House, privately conceding that the summertime economic and political recovery they were banking on will not likely materialize by Election Day.
Discussion:
ABCNEWS, Washington Monthly, Commentary, Scared Monkeys and Right Wing News
RELATED:
New York Post:
‘Bigot’ slashes Muslim cabby — A crazed film student who recently embedded with Marines in Afghanistan is accused of a drunken, hate-fueled attack on a Muslim cabby in Midtown — further heightening tensions in a city already gripped by the Ground Zero mosque controversy.
Discussion:
Coalition to Honor Ground Zero
RELATED:
N. R. Kleinfield / New York Times:
Rider Asks if Cabby Is Muslim, Then Stabs Him
Rider Asks if Cabby Is Muslim, Then Stabs Him
Discussion:
JustOneMinute and Jihad Watch
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Alleged anti-Muslim attacker works at pro-Park51 group
Alleged anti-Muslim attacker works at pro-Park51 group
Discussion:
Don Surber, TPMMuckraker, Weasel Zippers, Atlas Shrugs, Think Progress, City Room, Runnin' Scared, This Just In, Intersections International, American Power, Guardian, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, American Glob, Political Byline, JOSHUAPUNDIT, The Mahablog, New York Post, Big Peace, Little Green Footballs, National Review and Outside the Beltway
Amy Gardner / Washington Post:
Glenn Beck rally will be a measure of the tea party's strength — When Fox News and talk radio host Glenn Beck comes to Washington this weekend to headline a rally intended to “restore honor” to America, he will test the strength - and potentially expose the weaknesses …
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Townhall.com, Associated Press, Mediaite, No More Mister Nice Blog and The Page
Paul Bedard / US News:
Tea Party Group Hit With Death Threats — One of Washington's principal supporters of the Tea Party movement, former GOP Majority Leader Dick Armey's FreedomWorks, has been receiving death threats and profanity-laced phone calls as it gets involved in the fall elections.
Discussion:
Right Wing News, Sister Toldjah, Weasel Zippers and Instapundit
RELATED:
Kate Zernike / New York Times:
Shaping Tea Party Passion Into Campaign Force — WASHINGTON — On a Saturday in August when most of the political class has escaped this city's swelter, 50 Tea Party leaders have flown in from across the country to jam into a conference room in an office building on Pennsylvania Avenue …
Discussion:
The Mahablog, Brilliant at Breakfast and Prairie Weather
Stephen Prothero / CNN:
TRENDING: New York's Bloomberg: We are all Muslims — Editor's Note: Stephen Prothero, a Boston University religion scholar and author of “God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions that Run the World,” is a regular CNN Belief Blog contributor. — By Stephen Prothero, Special to CNN
Discussion:
Firedoglake and Gateway Pundit
The Politico:
Party-less Charlie Crist faces harsh reality — WEST MIAMI, Fla. — First, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist was supposed to be the Republican nominee for Senate. Then he seemed on track to be the de facto Democratic candidate. Now, following Rep. Kendrick Meek's victory in Tuesday's Democratic primary …
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's …
Paul Krugman:
Fire Alan Simpson — I always thought that the deficit commission was a bad idea; it has only looked worse over time, as the buzz is that Democrats are caving in to Republicans, leaning ever further toward an all-cuts, no taxes solution, including a sharp rise in the retirement age.
Discussion:
CEPR, The Huffington Post, Brilliant at Breakfast, Firedoglake, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, ECHIDNE of the snakes, Balloon Juice, New York Times, Opinion L.A., DownWithTyranny!, The Political Carnival, Macsmind, Mediaite, Political Punch, Daily Kos, Ben Smith's Blog, AMERICAblog News, Shakesville, The Atlantic Online, The Hill, TPMDC, The Page, The Impolitic and TPMCafe
RELATED:
Ashley Carson / National Commission …:
Sen. Simpson apologizes to OWL for his remarks
Sen. Simpson apologizes to OWL for his remarks
Discussion:
Firedoglake, The Caucus, Daily Kos, The Huffington Post, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/* and HotAirPundit
New York Post:
MSNBC's Ed Schultz goes bonkers — MSNBC talk show screamer Ed Schultz had a meltdown in the network's 30 Rock newsroom, shouting at staff, “I'm going to torch this [bleep]ing place.” — The hot-tempered anchor of “The Ed Show” lost it during a phone call in the packed studio and slammed down the phone before exploding.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, The Daily Caller and JammieWearingFool
Duke Helfand / Los Angeles Times:
Anthem Blue Cross is allowed to move ahead with rate hikes — State regulators find that the firm's proposal meets the requirement that 70% of premiums go for medical care. As a result, they can't stop the increases, which average 14%. Blue Shield also is cleared to raise its rates.
Discussion:
NPR Topics and AMERICAblog News
Todd Starnes:
Is “Happy Birthday” Song Insensitive? — A ban on singing “Happy Birthday” lasted all of four days at Chesterfield Elementary School in Missouri after angry parents bombarded the school with complaints. — “Singing is not permitted due to the sensitivity of all student beliefs,” …
Discussion:
Gateway Pundit and theblogprof
New York Times:
Key Karzai Aide in Corruption Inquiry Is Linked to C.I.A. — KABUL, Afghanistan — The aide to President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan at the center of a politically sensitive corruption investigation is being paid by the Central Intelligence Agency, according to Afghan and American officials.
Discussion:
Politics Daily, Commentary, Wonk Room, News Dissector Blog, Prairie Weather and The Reality-Based Community
Frederic J. Frommer / Associated Press:
FACT CHECK: Stimulus assessments overly optimistic — WASHINGTON - The Obama administration claimed this week that $100 billion invested in innovative technologies under the economic stimulus law is “transforming the American economy” by putting the nation on track for technological breakthroughs …
Discussion:
Hot Air, Time and Riehl World View
CNN:
10 week to-do list: Your ideas for Obama, Republicans — (CNN) — Strategists on both sides of the political aisle weighed in this week on what President Obama and Republicans must do before the November midterms to give their parties a boost. — The 10-week to-do lists resulted in thousands …
Discussion:
This Just In and Right Wing News
Tom Murse / LancasterOnline.com:
Corbett, Toomey leading, poll says — F&M poll director says the only question is how badly Democrats will lose in November election — Intelligencer Journal Lancaster New Era — Republicans Pat Toomey and Tom Corbett are running far ahead of their Democratic opponents in congressional …
Discussion:
Hotline On Call, Taegan Goddard's … and The Page
Kathleen Lucadamo / NY Daily News:
Forget the Obama slam: Rep. Charles Rangel is now President's BFF — Rep. Charles Rangel calls himself one of President Obama's ‘best friends.’ — Two days after ripping President Obama, Rep. Charles Rangel took a more respectful tone on Wednesday night, calling himself one of Obama's “best friends.”
Discussion:
Ballot Box, Michelle Malkin and JammieWearingFool
Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
LA GOPer: November A Choice Between An Atheist Society And A Christian Nation — Appearing before the Republican Women of Bossier with Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), Rep. John Fleming (R-LA) cast the November elections as a choice between godlessness and Christianity. He also called bipartisanship impossible.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly and Brilliant at Breakfast
Sebastian / Snowflakes in Hell:
EPA Considering Banning Lead Ammunition — NSSF is springing into action, as the public comment period opens on EPA considering a regulation that will ban all traditional lead ammunition. This would basically end the shooting sports as we know it. Remember this is a no-win situation for us …
Discussion:
The Foundry, Political Byline, Hot Air, iOwnTheWorld.com and Beltway Confidential