Top Items:
Erick Erickson / RedState:
Perhaps the Most Ridiculous Thing to Come Out of Washington Since George McClellan — The House Republicans' “Pledge to America” is out. A thrill will run up the leg of a few Chris Matthews' types on the right. As Dan noted on Twitter, the Contract with America was 869 words and this is 21 pages.
Discussion:
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Ezra Klein:
The GOP's bad idea — “America is more than a country,” begins the GOP's ‘Pledge to America.’ America, it turns out, is an “idea,” an “inspiration,” and a “belief.” And the GOP wants to govern it. — Their policy agenda is detailed and specific — a decision they will almost certainly come to regret.
Club for Growth:
The Milquetoast GOP “Pledge” — I want to like the new GOP Pledge to America. I want to endorse it, but it's so milquetoast that it proves to me that these guys just aren't ready to lead. — In order to prevent a return of the big-spending Republican ways during the Bush years …
The Huffington Post:
GOP ‘Pledge For America’ Director Lobbied For AIG, Exxon, Pfizer, Chamber — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — The Republican Party's 21-page blueprint, “Pledge to America,” was put together with oversight by a House staffer who, up till April 2010, served as a lobbyist for some of the nation's most powerful oil …
Mike Lillis / The Hill:
Boehner offers no solutions on Medicare, Social Security reform
Boehner offers no solutions on Medicare, Social Security reform
Discussion:
The Note, Washington Monthly, CNN and Think Progress
Philip Klein / AmSpecBlog:
GOP Pledges to Be Timid in the Face of Crisis
GOP Pledges to Be Timid in the Face of Crisis
Discussion:
National Review, Law Blog, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Daily Caller, Weekly Standard and Power Line
Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
Bill Clinton: Dems should issue their own governing document
Bill Clinton: Dems should issue their own governing document
Discussion:
The Fix, White House.gov Blog Feed and FrumForum
Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
House Dems Also Punt On Upper-Income Bush Tax Cuts — The Senate's decision not to address the Bush tax cuts until after the election is the strongest indication yet that the game is over. After a House Democratic caucus meeting this morning — but before the news broke on the Senate side …
Discussion:
The Hill, The New Republic, Taylor Marsh, Speakeasy, Daily Kos, Hullabaloo, Philly.com, Mock, Paper, Scissors, First Draft and Talking Points Memo
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TPMDC:
Senate Dems Ready To Shelve Tax Cut Vote — A senior Senate Democratic aide told TPM today there won't be a vote on extending the Bush tax cuts in the upper chamber before the November election, a blow to party leaders and President Obama who believed this would have been a winning issue.
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
More Senate Dems cast doubt on pre-election vote to extend tax cuts — A growing number of Senate Democrats say that there should not be a vote on extending the Bush tax cuts before Election Day. — Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) expressed doubt that Democrats could even muster the 60 votes necessary …
Discussion:
The Politico, The Note and CNN
Josh Margolin / New Jersey Online:
Gov. Christie confronts heckler at California GOP candidate's political rally — LOS ANGELES — True to his tough-guy persona, Gov. Chris Christie mixed it up today with a political naysayer, who heckled California Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman at a political rally.
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog, Weasel Zippers, National Review, Politics Daily, Power Line, Outside the Beltway and Gawker
Quinnipiac University:
Little-Known New York Attorney General Candidates Tied, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Gillibrand Up By Only 6 Points — Two little-known candidates for New York State Attorney General, Democratic State Sen. Eric Schneiderman and Republican Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan …
Discussion:
City Room, FiveThirtyEight, Hot Air, The Daily Politics, National Review, Power Line, WGRZ-TV, RedState, Washington Wire, Weekly Standard, New York Magazine, Capital Tonight, Pollster.com All Content, Commentary, the albany project, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Capitol Confidential and FrumForum
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Harriet Johnson Brackey / Sun-Sentinel:
Man's home sold out from under him in foreclosure mistake — (Robert Duyos, Sun Sentinel / September 22, 2010) — When Jason Grodensky bought his modest Fort Lauderdale home last December, he paid cash. But seven months later, he was surprised to learn that Bank of America had foreclosed on the house …
Discussion:
Fortune, Boing Boing, Calculated Risk and Geekosystem
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Barry Ritholtz / The Big Picture:
Man without Mortgage Loses Home in Foreclosure
Washington Post:
Two of Obama's closest advisers among those likely to leave in White House shuffle — In his nearly two years in office, President Obama has relied on a very small clique of advisers that serves as his most trusted sounding board on politics and policy. — Members of his staff describe Obama …
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Bill Plante / CBS News:
Axelrod Leaving WH; Emmanuel Likely Next
Axelrod Leaving WH; Emmanuel Likely Next
Discussion:
Questions and Observations, Yourish.com and Sweetness & Light
Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
Senate again fails to advance campaign finance bill with ‘no’ vote from Snowe — Senate Democrats again failed to advance stalled campaign finance legislation on Thursday, dealing another blow to the bill's chances of final passage. — The legislation, known as the Disclose Act …
Discussion:
FrumForum
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Meredith Shiner / The Politico:
Campaign finance bill fails again
David Axelrod / Washington Post:
The election campaigners we can't see — All of Washington is in a frenzy, speculating about the outcome of the fall elections. Yet the development that could most tip the scales is getting far too little public attention. That hidden factor is the audacious stealth campaign being mounted …
Discussion:
Weekly Standard, Ben Smith's Blog, MyDD, culturekitchen, Commentary, The Huffington Post, The Page and Sunlight Foundation
People-Press.org:
Independents Oppose Party in Power ... Again — More Conservative, More Critical of National Conditions — For the third national election in a row, independent voters may be poised to vote out the party in power. The Republican Party holds a significant edge in preferences …
Discussion:
Politics Daily, The Note, The Atlantic Online, Taegan Goddard's …, MyDD and Ballot Box
James C. McKinley Jr / New York Times:
A Claim of Pro-Islam Bias in Textbooks — HOUSTON — Some conservative members of the Texas Board of Education assert that the history books used in this state have a pro-Islamic bias, and they are upset about it. — Never shy about wading into the culture wars, they are planning …
Discussion:
msnbc.com, Wonkette, Jihad Watch, Ò" and Open Left
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Alexander C. Hart / The New Republic:
Lying With Graphs, Republican Style — The Republican “Pledge to America” is out, and I'll give them some credit: there are more concrete policies in there than I've seen Republicans suggest in a long while. Sure, they ideas are largely terrible, overly simplistic, or some combination of the two.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Ezra Klein and A plain blog about politics
Aubrey Sarvis / The Huffington Post:
Outrage Is Overdue — What's Your Reaction: — Let's call Tuesday's pitifully embarrassing Senate performance on the defense authorization bill exactly what it was: shameful. They blocked debate because the bill included repeal of the federally imposed ban on gays in the military …
Discussion:
AMERICAblog Gay
Glen Bolger / Public Opinion Strategies:
National Survey Highlights Dem Problems in Key Seats — Last week, I conducted a national survey for American Action Network. The two key political environment questions show the significant opportunity Republicans have this year. While the overall numbers on the President's approval rating …
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog and Hot Air
Andy Barr / The Politico:
Sarah Palin: I'll run if nobody else steps up — Former Alaska GOP Gov. Sarah Palin gave her strongest indication yet that she may run for president Wednesday night, saying she would jump into the race if “nobody else were to step up” with the proposals she wants to see.
Discussion:
TPMDC, PostPartisan, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Barefoot and Progressive, Outside the Beltway and Wonkette
Chad Bray / Wall Street Journal:
Pakistani Woman Sentenced to 86 Years for Trying to Kill Americans — NEW YORK—A Pakistani woman trained as a scientist in the U.S. was sentenced to 86 years in prison Thursday after she was convicted of trying to kill U.S. Army soldiers and FBI agents in Afghanistan two years ago.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and Atlas Shrugs
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
The GOP's Fiscal Fraudulence — One tiny part of me hoped that after the GOP spending binge of the Bush years, and the alleged Tea Party commitment to turn the page on growing government, the Republicans, like the Tories in Britain, would run on a clear platform of massive spending cuts …
Discussion:
Hit & Run and Balloon Juice
Dana Goldstein / The Nation:
Grading ‘Waiting for Superman’ — This article appeared in the October 11, 2010 edition of The Nation. — Recommended by — Here's what you see in Waiting for Superman, the new documentary that celebrates the charter school movement while blaming teachers unions for much of what ails …
Discussion:
Suburban Guerrilla
Mike Allen / Associated Press:
Bill Clinton to John F. Harris: Obama's way to win in 2010, 2012 - Obama at U.N.: ‘teachings of tolerance’ can help Israeli-Palestinian standoff - House GOP ‘Pledge to America’: Cut Congress' budget — DAVID AXELROD e-mails JON WARD: “I'll be here well into 2011.
John McCormack / Weekly Standard:
Joe Manchin Lies About His Position on Obamacare — The NRSC is highlighting West Virginia governor Joe Manchin's recent claim to West Virginia Gazette reporter Alison Knezevich that he wouldn't have voted for Obamacare: … The NRSC points out a YouTube clip of Manchin saying he was “totally behind health care reform.”
Discussion:
The Fix
Adam Serwer / American Prospect:
The GOP's Ridiculous “Pledge.” — The new Republican Policy platform, the “Pledge to America,” offers a number of unrealistic and even undesirable policy proposals on immigration and national security that are worth noting. … Interesting idea. First off, there are already 359 convicted terrorists …
Discussion:
The Poor Man Institute
Catherine Clifford / CNNMoney.com:
House OKs small biz jobs bill — NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — One week after the Senate passed a $42 billion bill aimed at helping small businesses, the House voted Thursday to send the bill to President Obama's desk. — The measure, which passed the House in a 237 to 187 vote …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, White House.gov Blog Feed and The Page
Gail Sheehy / The Daily Beast:
Obama's Fire Sale — trending topics - CLINTON GLOBAL INITIATIVE - COLLEGE RANKINGS - GET AMERICA BACK TO WORK - FASHION WEEK - CHRISTINE O'DONNELL — Six weeks before the election, President Obama couldn't fill the ballroom at the Roosevelt Hotel, despite cheap tickets on offer.
Discussion:
The Politico, CBS New York, Commentary and Liberty Pundits Blog