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GOP elite see Mitch Daniels as 2012 savior — Top Republicans are increasingly convinced that President Barack Obama will be easily reelected if stronger GOP contenders do not emerge, and some are virtually begging Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels to add some excitement to the slow-starting nomination race.
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With Huckabee Out, No Clear GOP Front-Runner — Bachmann and Cain generate high positive intensity among those who know them — PRINCETON, NJ — With Mike Huckabee out of the race for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, three well-known politicians, Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Outside the Beltway, National Review, Eunomia, FITSNews, Hot Air, Daily Kos, AmSpecBlog, Pajamas Media, Fox News, Washington Post, Balloon Juice and The Daily Dish


Newt Gingrich apologizes to Paul Ryan — Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich apologized in a telephone call to House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) on Tuesday afternoon for his remarks on “Meet the Press,” where the presidential candidate referred to Ryan's Medicare proposal as “radical change.”


Newt Apologizes To Paul Ryan, Begs Democrats Not To Use His Own Quotes In Ads — Newt Gingrich's walk back tour reached its zenith Tuesday night, as Gingrich personally apologized to Paul Ryan for dismissing his Medicare plan as “right wing social engineering.”
Discussion:
Mediaite, Fox News, The Caucus, Mother Jones, News Hounds and ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*


Gingrich hit with glitter at Minneapolis event — Robert Erickson, a journeyman political activist prankster also known as Nick Espinosa, approached Gingriches during the signing event at a downtown Minneapolis hotel. He dumped a cracker box full of confetti on the pair and said, “Feel the rainbow!
Discussion:
Wonkette, The Gateway Pundit, FrumForum and American Power


Tully: Daniels says decision on 2012 presidential run is near
Discussion:
GOP 12 and The New Republic

Newt Gingrich campaign fights for its life
Discussion:
msnbc.com, CNN, USA Today, Salon and American Power

Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin jump to top in new Gallup poll
Discussion:
Real Clear Politics

Gingrich and Romney run against their own party
Discussion:
Conservatives4Palin

Daniels to headline Tennessee GOP dinner
Discussion:
GOP 12, The Page and The Politico


Catholic Church Investigation Says Hippies Made Catholic Priests Sexually Abuse Children — Laurie Goodstein reports on the release of an inquiry by American bishops into sex abuse scandals: … This hippie-blaming strategy seems unlikely to persuade anyone.
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ThinkFast: May 18, 2011 — Conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said yesterday that critics of the court's decisions are either illiterate or lazy, and that their critiques are undermining “the integrity of the law.” Thomas, who hasn't uttered a word during the high court's oral arguments …
Discussion:
Gawker, Wonk Room, The BLT and Prairie Weather


Thomas defends ideals of court — U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas told a packed dinner crowd of Augusta's judges, lawyers and politicians Tuesday that while discourse in American society seems to be growing coarser and angrier, the Supreme Court remains a bastion of respectful disagreement …
Discussion:
The Politico

Church Report Cites Social Tumult in Priest Scandals — A five-year study commissioned by the nation's Roman Catholic bishops to provide a definitive answer to what caused the priest sexual abuse crisis has concluded that neither the all-male celibate priesthood nor homosexuality are to blame.
Discussion:
Religion News Service, Salon, Gawker, Washington Post, Philly.com and Joe. My. God.

White House shuts out Herald scribe — The White House Press Office has refused to give the Boston Herald full access to President Obama's Boston fund-raiser today, in e-mails objecting to the newspaper's front page placement of a Mitt Romney op-ed, saying pool reporters are chosen based on whether they cover the news “fairly.”


Democrats' Oil Subsidy Repeal Bill Is Actually Unconstitutional — Republicans may have a point that Democrats are playing politics with oil subsidies. To understand why, look no further than the fact that the bill Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will bring to the floor for a vote Tuesday evening …
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Senate Refuses to End Tax Breaks for Big Oil
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Outside the Beltway, ThinkProgress, Prairie Weather and Climate Progress

Democrats' plan for millionaire surtax intended to soften-up GOP
Discussion:
AMERICAblog News

Vote to hike taxes on oil fails in Senate 52-48; Dems vow to revive it
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times and Climate Progress

Ben Stein Watch, DSK edition — Without further ado, the top ten lines from Ben Stein's article on Dominique Strauss-Kahn: — If he is such a womanizer and violent guy with women, why didn't he ever get charged until now? — This is a case about the hatred of the have-nots for the haves, and that's what it's all about.
Discussion:
Pundit & Pundette, News Desk, Paul Krugman, Gawker, Salon, Daniel W. Drezner, Jezebel, ThinkProgress, New York Magazine, Gothamist and RADAMISTO
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Pressure Is Building on Jailed IMF Chief
Discussion:
New York Times, Global Public Square, New York Magazine, The BLT and FrumForum, more at Mediagazer »

I.M.F. Chief May Claim Consensual Sex as a Defense
Discussion:
The Other McCain, TalkLeft, Pajamas Media, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, This Just In, Fox News and Connecting.the.Dots

Obama: “My People, You Continue to Have My Blessing.” — What kind of political leader tells his supporters this? … President Obama does. That's what he said toward the end a speech at a campaign fundraiser last night in Washington to a relatively youthful crowd of supporters …
Discussion:
Left Coast Rebel, theblogprof, The Gateway Pundit, Doug Ross, Pundit & Pundette, AMERICAN DIGEST, UrbanGrounds and Weasel Zippers


‘Gang of Six’ on verge of collapse as Republican Sen. Coburn withdraws — View Photo Gallery — "You've got to have Republicans and Democrats talking and trying to find common ground," says Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.). But in these immoderate times, his aisle-reaching is politcially dangerous.
Discussion:
Yglesias, Washington Monthly, TPMDC, Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, Wonk Room, The Hill, News Desk, msnbc.com and Erick's blog
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Senate Group on Debt Loses a Key Republican
Discussion:
The New Republic


State Department snubs the Elders — Former President Jimmy Carter and former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari were hoping to visit the State Department this week to brief officials on their recent trip to North Korea, but nobody at the State Department was available to meet with them.
Discussion:
YID With LID, Hot Air, Weasel Zippers, Pajamas Media and AmSpecBlog

Healthcare reform waivers part of ‘crony politics,’ Pawlenty says — Likely GOP presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty on Tuesday added to already widespread criticism of healthcare reform law waivers, calling the practice an example of “crony politics.” — Pawlenty, the former Minnesota governor …


Prayer request for Osama bin Laden at Catholic Church in West Palm Beach — Priest to honor request at Sunday Mass — Last Updated: 3 hours and 54 minutes ago — WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The name of Osama bin Laden appears in the Holy Name of Jesus Sunday bulletin. There's a cross next to it.
Discussion:
Atlas Shrugs, Wonkette, JammieWearingFool and iOwnTheWorld.com


What CNN's story on political sex scandals left out: Eliot Spitzer — A TVNewser reader Tweeted at us today: … The answer: yes it did. — Suzanne Malveaux's story, which aired at 2:30pmET, made mention or showed images of politicians ranging from John F. Kennedy to John Edwards …
Discussion:
theblogprof, Mediaite, Big Journalism, NewsBusters.org, Pajamas Media and ProfessorBainbridge.com


Fewer Emergency Rooms Available as Need Rises — Hospital emergency rooms, particularly those serving the urban poor, are closing at an alarming rate even as emergency visits are rising, according to a report published on Tuesday. — Urban and suburban areas have lost a quarter …
Discussion:
Simply Left BehindThe … and blogs.wsj.com


BREAKING: Jerome Corsi's Birther Book Pulled from Shelves! — In a stunning development one day after the release of Where's the Birth Certificate? The Case that Barack Obama is not Eligible to be President, by Dr. Jerome Corsi, World Net Daily Editor and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Farah …
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway and Towleroad News #gay

CIA flew stealth drones into Pakistan to monitor bin Laden house — The CIA employed sophisticated new stealth drone aircraft to fly dozens of secret missions deep into Pakistani airspace and monitor the compound where Osama bin Laden was killed, current and former U.S. officials said.
Discussion:
FrumForum

Ron Paul fears US will invade Pakistan next — GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul is worried the U.S. could invade Pakistan after Osama bin Laden's death. — “I am absolutely afraid we will be in Pakistan trying to occupy that country,” Paul, a congressman from Texas and a critic of the wars …
Discussion:
The Politico and Weasel Zippers