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$100,000 For Glenn Beck's Sex Tape — What's Your Reaction: — Rupert Murdoch and the Koch brothers are happy to throw money at the rising tide of right wing lunacy. Breitbart offered $100,000 for JournoList, the email listserve that brought down WaPo blogger Dave Weigel this June.
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Was the Glenn Beck rally turnout really that impressive? — Adam Serwer of the American Prospect is guest blogging on The Plum Line this week, while Greg Sargent takes a short vacation. — While the official Tea Party estimates of Saturday's rally attendance may range between a gajillion …
Discussion:
Fox News, Indecision Forever, Runnin' Scared, News Hounds and Washington Post

Mr. Beck Goes to Washington — Entering this weekend, I was convinced that Glenn Beck's star was about to go into eclipse. — Just as Michael Moore, amid Democratic disarray, became the unlikely face of liberal opposition to George W. Bush, the mercurial, weepy, demagogic Beck has spent …
Discussion:
Firedoglake, The Plum Line, TBogg, The Huffington Post, First Draft, No More Mister Nice Blog, NewsReal Blog and Mediaite


Just How Large Was the Attendance At Beck's ‘Restoring Honor’ Rally? — In an era when satellite imagery allows one to count cars from space, and in a country fascinated with numbers (weekly box office take, home runs, calorie counting, etc) the MSM is having a difficult time with the math …
Discussion:
Cubachi, The Daily Caller, The Powers That Be, Right Wing News and CBS News

My Take: Beck's rally was about restoring virtue and God's place
Discussion:
Right Wing Watch, No More Mister Nice Blog, Daily Kos, Left Coast Rebel and Townhall.com

Obama Builds a Big Tent . . . for Conservatives
Discussion:
Chicago Boyz


BREAKING!! Alaska Libertarian Party votes to deny Lisa Murkowski ballot line — From Eric Dondero: — The Executive Committee of the Alaska Libertarian Party held an emergency meeting yesterday to discuss the contested primary results in the Republican Senate primary.
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More than 25,000 ballots uncounted in Alaska GOP Senate race — (CNN) - One day before vote counting resumes in Alaska's Republican Senate primary, election officials say more than 25,000 ballots remain uncounted. — According to unofficial results from last Tuesday's primary …
Discussion:
The Hill, Firedoglake, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Outside the Beltway, Red Dog Report, Sister Toldjah, HotAirPundit and CBS News

Tea Party Express ready to spend on Rep. Castle challenger — The Tea Party Express, which spent some $600,000 on Alaska Republican Joe Miller's primary challenge to Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), says it's preparing to do the same on behalf of Christine O'Donnell (R) in Delaware.
Discussion:
CNN, The Atlantic Online, Public Policy Polling, TPMDC, Daily Kos, Swing State Project, Weigel and The Politico


Alaska Libertarians: No ballot switch — Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski was dealt another major setback Monday when the Alaska Libertarian Party announced it would not swap its chosen candidate for the Republican senator if she loses her party's nomination. — “We have decided that we will not offer …
Discussion:
CNN, Ballot Box, The Hill, Red Dog Report, The Other McCain and Swing State Project

Bombshell: Alaska Libertarian Party says no to nominating Murkowski
Discussion:
The Swamp, Swing State Project and Hotline On Call

GOP Takes Unprecedented 10-Point Lead on Generic Ballot — Republicans also maintain wide gap in enthusiasm about voting — PRINCETON, NJ — Republicans lead by 51% to 41% among registered voters in Gallup weekly tracking of 2010 congressional voting preferences.

Coburn rips the left and right alike — He pulls no punches during a town hall meeting in Wagoner. — WAGONER - U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn called out Democrats, Republicans, Newt Gingrich, the military-industrial complex, teachers unions and Medicare - to name a few - at a town hall meeting Friday.
Discussion:
Think Progress, Salon, Left Coast Rebel, msnbc.com, Gawker, Wonkette, Pam's House Blend and AMERICAblog Gay
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Sen. Tom Coburn: Newt Gingrich 'last person I'd vote for'
Discussion:
The Page, New York Magazine and The Political Carnival

Obama may call Bush before Iraq speech — President Obama will likely phone his predecessor, President George W. Bush, before delivering his speech on the Iraq war Tuesday. — Obama will visit troops in Fort Bliss, Texas, which is in Bush's home state, before returning to Washington …
Discussion:
The Politico, Weasel Zippers and The Page
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Report: Warnings about e-mails went unheeded in Bush White House
Discussion:
TPMMuckraker, Raw Story and Crooks and Liars


Thinner Time magazine still manages to stand out — Rick Stengel may have his shoulder in a sling, but when it comes to the newsmagazine wars, he's the last man standing. — The reason, says Time's managing editor, is that “we saw what was coming. We wanted to fix the roof when the sun was shining.”
Discussion:
Gawker, Salon, Wonkette, Hullabaloo, The Wire, Pajamas Media, New York Magazine and Romenesko, more at Mediagazer »

Israel group targets Holt, J Street — The Emergency Committee for Israel's latest ad targets Rep. Rush Holt, but its real target, again, seems to be the left-leaning Jewish group J Street. — The ad, which started airing Saturday in a modest but real buy, an aide to the group said …
Discussion:
Commentary and Israel Matzav
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Secret showdown set for Islamic charity
Discussion:
Law Blog, Power Line and Israel Matzav


Why Do Heavy Drinkers Outlive Nondrinkers? — Jodi Cobb / National Geographic Creative / Getty Images — One of the most contentious issues in the vast literature about alcohol consumption has been the consistent finding that those who don't drink actually tend to die sooner than those who do.
Discussion:
Runnin' Scared and The Awl

Angle in 2005: I would have voted “no” on Katrina relief funds — I have previously wondered how many Angle tapes are out there to compete with the jobs/Social Security/slush fund/Government is not God classics. I know the answer is: A lot. But I am starting to think there may be one a week …
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Washington Monthly and Daily Kos
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Judge quashes Cuccinelli subpoena of U-Va. records — An Albemarle County Circuit Court judge has set aside a subpoena issued by Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli to the University of Virginia seeking documents related to the work of climate scientist and former university professor Michael Mann.

Boehner's spending-cut savings canceled out by tax-cut extension — Most of the budget savings from House GOP Leader John Boehner's proposed spending cuts would be canceled out by the extension of upper-income tax cuts also backed by Republicans. — Boehner, who hopes to succeed Rep. Nancy Pelosi …
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Obama returns from vacation to blast Republicans on small-business bill
Discussion:
The Hill, Red Dog Report and Prairie Weather

It's Witch-Hunt Season — The last time a Democrat sat in the White House, he faced a nonstop witch hunt by his political opponents. Prominent figures on the right accused Bill and Hillary Clinton of everything from drug smuggling to murder. And once Republicans took control of Congress …


Bigot starts ground zero church: Where's the outrage? — A bigoted pastor who has assailed gays and Muslims is launching the “9-11 Christian Center at Ground Zero” a mere two blocks from the World Trade Center site this Sunday, but so far the project hasn't drawn a peep of protest …
Discussion:
The Onion, The Lede, Washington Monthly and Little Green Footballs


The Folly of Subsidizing Unemployment — My calculations suggest the jobless rate could be as low as 6.8%, instead of 9.5%, if jobless benefits hadn't been extended to 99 weeks. — Congressman John Boehner recently suggested that President Obama replace his top economic advisers.
Discussion:
Newshoggers.com, Modeled Behavior, Marginal Revolution, msnbc.com and The Future of Capitalism

Crist won't ‘Meet the Press’ with Rubio and Meek — Gov. Charlie Crist is not joining his rivals for the U.S. Senate, Republican Marco Rubio and Democrat Kendrick Meek, this Sunday on MSNBC's “Meet the Press.” — “The governor has long planned Labor Day events, when he'll be out talking …
Discussion:
Hot Air, Marco Rubio for US Senate and The Page


Crist walks back same-sex marriage remarks — (CNN) - Florida Gov. Charlie Crist appeared to backtrack from statements he made regarding same-sex marriage during a CNN interview Sunday, saying in a statement that he does not support a Constitutional ban on the practice.
Discussion:
The Fix, Riptide 2.0, Wonkette, Naked Politics, Weekly Standard and Ballot Box

Ron Paul questions whether there's gold at Fort Knox, NY Fed — Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) said he plans to introduce legislation next year to force an audit of U.S. holdings of gold. — Paul, a longtime critic of the Federal Reserve and U.S. monetary policy, said he believes it's “a possibility” …
Discussion:
Wonkette, Weasel Zippers and Red Dog Report

‘Call Me’ Campaign Ad — The book also deals directly with the 2006 Senate campaign, where Ford nearly became the first African-American elected to statewide office in Tennessee. — Some of Ford's characterizations of his opponent, now U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, are less than flattering.
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's … and New York Magazine

This I Believe — It's quickly mushroomed into the summer's hottest data point: A boatload of Americans believe Barack Obama's a Muslim. — Except that, maybe, they don't. Consider this instead: They're just willing to say it. — This not-so-subtle difference is useful in understanding public opinion and its measurement.
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online and JustOneMinute

Biden in Iraq for Talks and Handover — BAGHDAD — Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. arrived in Baghdad on Monday to commemorate the official end of the United States combat mission and meet with Iraqi political leaders, who have yet to form a government more than five months after the March election.
Discussion:
Pajamas Media, Wonkette and The Page


Random Density Facts — A couple of facts about population density that I came across while my girlfriend was behind the wheel on some long drives up and down the east coast. First if Texas (268,820 square miles) were as densely populated as New Jersey (1,134 per square mile) …
Discussion:
Paul Krugman

A Note to the President — When you speak to the troops tomorrow at Fort Bliss, and to the nation tomorrow night from the Oval Office, you speak, of course, as the president. As our president. — You won't be speaking—not in these settings—as a once (and perhaps future) candidate for president.
Discussion:
msnbc.com, JustOneMinute, Commentary and Washington Post

Environmental groups face their future in climate-change debate — On Thursday, some of the country's most respected environmental groups - in the midst of their biggest political fight in two decades - sent a group of activists to Milwaukee with a message. — We're losing.
Discussion:
New Deal 2.0, Liberty Pundits Blog, Right Wing News and Peter Daou