Top Items:
The Note:
Bill Clinton to Paul Ryan on Medicare Election: ‘Give me a Call’ — ABC News' Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) reports: — The day after the stunning upset in the special congressional election in upstate New York, Rep. Paul Ryan is a man under fire. — But ABC News was behind the scenes …
RELATED:
Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Five GOP senators jump ship in Ryan budget vote — Five Republican senators jumped ship and voted against House Republicans' 2012 budget on Wednesday. — Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) joined four other Republican senators who'd previously announced their opposition to the budget …
Discussion:
msnbc.com, Weasel Zippers and FrumForum
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Senate rejects Ryan budget — The Senate on Wednesday resoundingly rejected a budget sponsored by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) that calls for significant cuts to future Medicare benefits. — Five Republican senators voted against the ambitious budget plan …
Discussion:
Healthwatch, AmSpecBlog, The Hill, The Raw Story, Barefoot and Progressive and Ballot Box
David Frum / FrumForum:
Paul Ryan: 2012's Goldwater? — I used to worry that Sarah Palin would be the Barry Goldwater of 2012. My bad. Paul Ryan is the Barry Goldwater of 2012. — The Goldwater effect continues on this morning after the NY-26 debacle. Henry Olsen of AEI, as smart a political numbers guy …
Jake Sherman / The Politico:
Newt Gingrich now defending Paul Ryan — Newt Gingrich is resurfacing in the battle over Medicare, but this time on Rep. Paul Ryan's side. — The former House speaker sent a letter to members of Congress Wednesday morning claiming that “Democrats and their allies in the elite media …
Discussion:
CNN, The Hill, The Note, Weasel Zippers, Nice Deb, The Gateway Pundit, TPMDC, FrumForum, The Maddow Blog and National Review
David Rogers / The Politico:
Senate rejects Ryan budget — With five Republicans joining Democrats in opposition, the Senate easily rejected a House-passed budget plan Wednesday calling for deep cuts in domestic appropriations and major restructuring of Medicare, the government-backed healthcare program for the elderly.
Discussion:
The Note, Outside the Beltway and CNN
Peter Orszag / Bloomberg:
About Peter R Orszag — Peter R. Orszag, vice chairman of global banking at Citigroup and an adjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, was President Obama's director of the Office of Management and Budget. — Sharing Costs Is No Way to Fix Medicare — Chart by Jarrod Barretto.
Discussion:
Yglesias, Firedoglake, Mother Jones and Wall Street Journal
Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
Six Months After Midterm Disaster, Hopeful Signs for Democrats
Six Months After Midterm Disaster, Hopeful Signs for Democrats
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Public Policy Polling, Hot Air, Emptywheel, The Huffington Post, Opinionator, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Right Wing Nut House, Washington Post, Michelle Malkin, The Monkey Cage, Hit & Run, GayPatriot, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, Booman Tribune, AMERICAblog News, Feministing, sisu, The Mahablog, Indecision Forever, Daily Kos, Examiner, No More Mister Nice Blog, Washington Monthly and The Other McCain
Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
Senate Republicans Vote Overwhelmingly To End Medicare
Senate Republicans Vote Overwhelmingly To End Medicare
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland
Henry Olsen / National Review:
A Blue-Collar Warning Sign
A Blue-Collar Warning Sign
Discussion:
Weekly Standard, Washington Post, Erick's blog, The New Republic, JSOnline, FrumForum, The Reality-Based Community and Buffalo News
Jennifer Epstein / The Politico:
Ryan blames NY-26 on Dem ‘scare tactics’
Ryan blames NY-26 on Dem ‘scare tactics’
Discussion:
Washington Post, FrumForum and Indecision Forever
Budget Committee:
The Facts on Medicare and How to Save It
The Facts on Medicare and How to Save It
Discussion:
The Foundry, TPMDC and RedState
Jerry Zremski / The New Republic:
Buffalo Wild Win
Buffalo Wild Win
Discussion:
The Politico, Hotline On Call and Guardian
Benjy Sarlin / TPMDC:
UPDATED: MSNBC's Ed Schultz Calls Radio Host Laura Ingraham A ‘Right Wing Slut’ — Late Update [7:08 pm ET]: MSNBC has suspended Schultz for one week. — MSNBC host Ed Schultz is known for his hyperbolic attacks on Republicans but it looks like he may have crossed the line on his show yesterday …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Washington Post, TalkLeft, Taylor Marsh, Gawker, ECHIDNE of the snakes, Salon, The Daily Caller and Fox Nation
RELATED:
Laura Ingraham / Facebook:
Response to Ed Schultz — Re. the crude comments made about me by Ed Schultz on his radio program: First, I was surprised to learn that Ed Schultz actually hosted a radio show. Is it only available online? Second, I have to get back to recording the audio edition of my new book “Of Thee I Zing.”
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Hot Air, Weasel Zippers, Mediaite and TPMDC
Jeff Cox / CNBC:
CNBC Anchor Mark Haines Dies Unexpectedly at Age 65 — Veteran journalist Mark Haines, a fixture on CNBC for 22 years, died unexpectedly Tuesday evening. He was 65 years old. — Haines, founding anchor of CNBC's morning show “Squawk Box,” was co-anchor of the network's “Squawk on the Street” …
Discussion:
Mediaite, MarketBeat, The Daily Caller, DealBook, Gawker, New York Magazine, HotAirPundit and Freedom's Lighthouse, more at Mediagazer »
Brian Maloney / The Radio Equalizer:
Libtalker Ed Schultz Uses Vulgarity To Attack Conservative Host
Libtalker Ed Schultz Uses Vulgarity To Attack Conservative Host
Marc Lacey / New York Times:
Suspect in Shooting of Giffords Ruled Unfit for Trial — TUCSON, Ariz. — A federal judge on Wednesday ruled that Jared L. Loughner was not mentally competent to stand trial on charges of opening fire at a constituent event for an Arizona congresswoman in January, killing 6 and injuring 13.
Discussion:
Arizona Republic and Law Blog
RELATED:
Arizona Daily Star:
Loughner found incompetent to stand trial — Jared Lee Loughner's “major mental illness” leaves him so delusional and psychotic that he is incompetent to stand trial, a federal judge ruled today. — U.S. District Court Judge Larry A. Burns viewed hours of videotape of Loughner, he said …
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit and The Page
SpyTalk:
Gingrich wife worked for committee heavily lobbied by Tiffany — At the same time Tiffany & Co. was extending Callista (Bisek) Gingrich a virtual interest-free loan of tens of thousands of dollars, the diamond and silverware firm was spending big bucks to influence mining policy in Congress …
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog, The Raw Story, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Gawker, Washington Examiner, Roger Ailes, Washington Post and FrumForum
RELATED:
Alana Goodman / Commentary Magazine:
Key Jewish Donor Breaks With Obama — One of the most important Democratic donors in the past two decades, whose generous contributions helped pay for the DNC headquarters in Washington, D.C., has indicated that he will not contribute to President Obama's reelection campaign in 2012, because of the administration's stance on Israel.
Discussion:
Wonk Room, Ben Smith's Blog, Doug Ross and Capital J | JTA
RELATED:
Jeffrey Goldberg / Bloomberg:
About Jeffrey Goldberg — Jeffrey Goldberg, a national correspondent …
About Jeffrey Goldberg — Jeffrey Goldberg, a national correspondent …
Discussion:
Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Mondoweiss and Unqualified Offerings
Edward Wyatt / New York Times:
Decorum Breaks Down at House Hearing — WASHINGTON — A House committee hearing into the structure of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau disintegrated into heated accusations of lying to Congress on Tuesday, with the panel's chairman accusing Elizabeth Warren of giving misleading testimony …
Discussion:
Hot Air, Wall Street Journal, Swampland, Raw Replay, AlterNet, naked capitalism, The Lonely Conservative, Washington Wire and Blue Mass Group
RELATED:
J. Bradford DeLong / Grasping Reality …:
Time to PANIC!!: Second-Quarter Real GDP Growth Looks Slow Enough to Put No Upward Pressure at All on the Employment-to-Population Ratio — Time to push the panic button. — Macroeconomic Advisers is revising their tracking forecast of real GDP growth in the second quarter.
Discussion:
Paul Krugman, PERRspectives, MarketBeat and Hullabaloo
Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:
Walker's numbers continue to get worse — Scott Walker's popularity has continued to decline over the last three months and Wisconsin voters now say they would vote to recall him if there was an election today. They also say they would pick either Russ Feingold or Tom Barrett over Walker in a head to head match up.
Discussion:
Firedoglake and Daily Kos
Spencer Ackerman / Danger Room:
There's a Secret Patriot Act, Senator Says — You may think you understand how the Patriot Act allows the government to spy on its citizens. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) says it's worse than you've heard. — Congress is set to reauthorize three controversial provisions of the surveillance law as early as Thursday.
Discussion:
TPMDC, Emptywheel and Cato @ Liberty
Marie Diamond / ThinkProgress:
‘Heckuva Job’ Brownie Criticizes Obama For ‘Toasting The Queen’ During Tornadoes — After violent storms slammed three mid-western states and claimed 14 lives yesterday, President Obama announced he would be returning from his long-planned European trip to visit Missouri on Sunday.
Discussion:
News Hounds, Prairie Weather and Balloon Juice
Katie Roiphe / Slate Magazine:
“Love Child” … Like This Story … - Shafer: Bloomberg's New Opinion Site Is Stocked With Talent. But Is It Any Good? - Finally, a New Website That Takes the Tedium and Pain Out of Filing Expense Reports- The Surprisingly Avant-Garde Debut Season of Dynasty- The Idiotic Proposal …
Associated Press:
AP sources: Army chief picked to head Joint Chiefs — WASHINGTON (AP) — A general installed just last month as the Army's top officer is President Barack Obama's surprise choice to become the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, two people familiar with the selection process said Wednesday.
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Danger Room and Oliver Willis
Katharine Q. Seelye / New York Times:
Edwards to Face Criminal Charges — The Justice Department plans to move ahead with criminal charges against the former senator and presidential candidate John Edwards, contending that he misused campaign funds to cover up an affair with his mistress, a person close to Mr. Edwards said Wednesday morning.
Carrie Budoff Brown / The Politico:
Obama miscues on toast — Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, and U.S. President Barack Obama during a state banquet in Buckingham Palace, London, on Tuesday May 24, 2011. — AP Photo — LONDON - It was all going so well. — But when the time came for President Obama to deliver his toast …
Discussion:
Taylor Marsh, AmSpecBlog, No More Mister Nice Blog and Salon
First Read / msnbc.com:
Vitter blocks Salazar's scheduled pay increase — President Obama's Interior secretary is due for a raise, but Louisiana GOP Sen. David Vitter threatened to block that pay increase unless the Interior Department opens more access to Gulf drilling. Democrats say that Vitter's opposition amounts to coercion.
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's …