Top Items:
New York Times:
Obama Opts for Faster Afghan Pullout — WASHINGTON — President Obama plans to announce Wednesday evening that he will order the withdrawal of 10,000 American troops from Afghanistan this year, and another 20,000 troops, the remainder of the 2009 “surge,” by the end of next summer …
Discussion:
New York Times, The Huffington Post, The Enterprise Blog, The Politico, Reuters, The Caucus, The Democratic Daily, The Note, JustOneMinute, Fox Nation, Guardian, Hot Air, Taylor Marsh, Sky Dancing, Proof Positive, Daily Kos, Top of the Ticket, Political Punch, New York Magazine, AmSpecBlog, Gothamist and The Right Scoop
RELATED:
Andrew Malcolm / Top of the Ticket:
Obama starts Afghan troop drawdown with 10,000 this year, 23,000 more before 2012 election — President Obama's remarks on Afghan war and U.S. troop drawdown, as provided by the White House — Good evening. Nearly ten years ago, America suffered the worst attack on our shores since Pearl Harbor.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, ThinkProgress and Guardian
The Politico:
Obama to draw down surge troops, focus on ‘nation building here at home’
Obama to draw down surge troops, focus on ‘nation building here at home’
Discussion:
Pajamas Media, Mudville Gazette, Outside the Beltway and The Note
Zaid Jilani / ThinkProgress:
GRAPH: Obama ‘Withdrawal’ Plan Would Leave More Troops In Afghanistan Than When He Began His Presidency
GRAPH: Obama ‘Withdrawal’ Plan Would Leave More Troops In Afghanistan Than When He Began His Presidency
Discussion:
ABCNEWS, The Huffington Post, Danger Room, Center for American Progress, New York Times and Newshoggers.com
Sam Youngman / The Hill:
President Obama lays out exit strategy for the Afghanistan war
President Obama lays out exit strategy for the Afghanistan war
Discussion:
The Hill, The Politico, CNN and The Nation
Scott Wilson / Washington Post:
Obama to order home 10,000 troops from Afghanistan, officials say
Obama to order home 10,000 troops from Afghanistan, officials say
Discussion:
Firedoglake, msnbc.com and Mediaite
Washington Wire:
Text of Obama's Speech on Afghanistan
Text of Obama's Speech on Afghanistan
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice and Connecting.the.Dots
Andrew Malcolm / Top of the Ticket:
Obama's speech on the Afghanistan war: Draining a political mess of his own making
Obama's speech on the Afghanistan war: Draining a political mess of his own making
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice and USA Today
Scott Conroy / Real Clear Politics:
Palin Bus Tour Takes Extended Pit Stop — Less than a month after she appeared poised to shake up the Republican presidential campaign, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has once again receded from the 2012 limelight. — When Palin launched her “One Nation” bus tour on Memorial Day amid …
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Raw Story, TPMDC, CNN, The Reaction, Jezebel, Mediaite, The Hill, sisu, The TrogloPundit, The Other McCain, The Wire, Sky Dancing, No More Mister Nice Blog, Guardian, The Daily Caller, Hot Air, Balloon Juice, Indecision Forever, Salon, Wonkette, New York Magazine, Outside the Beltway, The Camp Of The Saints, Gawker, Flap's Blog, Weigel, Hit & Run and Shakesville
RELATED:
Amy Gardner / Washington Post:
Palin cancels trip to Sudan — Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin has canceled a trip next month to war-ravaged Sudan, one of the most unstable nations in the world and the focus of passionate advocacy within the U.S. evangelical community. — Palin scrapped her visit to the North African country …
Discussion:
USA Today, The Note, Flap's Blog, JustOneMinute, The Daily Dish, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Conservatives4Palin and The Daily Caller
Colby Hall / Mediaite:
No Joke: Sarah Palin Reportedly Quits One Nation Bus Tour Halfway Through (Update)
No Joke: Sarah Palin Reportedly Quits One Nation Bus Tour Halfway Through (Update)
Discussion:
Washington Post and Ben Smith's Blog
Jose Antonio Vargas / New York Times:
My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant — One August morning nearly two decades ago, my mother woke me and put me in a cab. She handed me a jacket. “Baka malamig doon” were among the few words she said. ("It might be cold there.") When I arrived at the Philippines' Ninoy Aquino International Airport …
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, ABCNEWS, Mediaite, Salon, Washington Post, Daily Kos, Rooted Cosmopolitan, New York Magazine, Guardian, EconLog, Pajamas Media, The Impolitic, The Colorado Independent, Swampland, National Review, America's Voice Blog, Feministing, Hullabaloo, Towleroad News #gay, The Wire, ThinkProgress, Don Surber, Gothamist, Eschaton and Fox Nation, more at Mediagazer »
RELATED:
Chris Suellentrop / The 6th Floor:
My (Legal) Editor's Dream
My (Legal) Editor's Dream
Discussion:
The Politico, The Huffington Post, Mediaite, ThinkProgress, This Just In, Washington Post and National Review, more at Mediagazer »
Matt Taibbi / Rolling Stone:
Michele Bachmann's Holy War — The Tea Party contender may seem like a goofball, but be warned: Her presidential campaign is no laughing matter — Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and, as you consider the career and future presidential prospects of an incredible American phenomenon named Michele Bachmann, do one more thing.
Rolling Stone:
Climate of Denial — Can science and the truth withstand the merchants of poison? — AL GORE — The first time I remember hearing the question “is it real?” was when I went as a young boy to see a traveling show put on by “professional wrestlers” one summer evening in the gym …
Discussion:
Associated Press, Mediaite, The Note, New York Times, Power Line, The TrogloPundit, Slate, TPMDC, Top of the Ticket, CNN, DeSmogBlog, NewsBusters.org blogs, The Incidental Economist, Climate Denial Crock …, ThinkProgress, The Politico, Taylor Marsh, Weasel Zippers, New York Magazine, The Hill, The Daily Caller, The Atlantic Wire, Salon, Washington Monthly, The Raw Story, iOwnTheWorld.com, Shakesville and msnbc.com
RELATED:
Robin Bravender / The Politico:
Dana Rohrabacher: ‘Looney Tunes’ Al Gore could help Barack Obama
Dana Rohrabacher: ‘Looney Tunes’ Al Gore could help Barack Obama
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and ThinkProgress
Jimmy Vielkind / Capitol Confidential:
Silver sees session end today, ready for SSM tweaks — After spending 90 minutes meeting with Gov. Andrew Cuomo, legislative leaders emerged to say they have not fully ironed out details of the “big ugly” framework containing a property tax cap, rent regulation renewal and relief of some local government mandates.
Discussion:
PolitickerNY, Firedoglake, Capital Tonight, New York Magazine, Towleroad News #gay and AMERICAblog Gay
RELATED:
National Review:
If the NY Senate Passes Gay Marriage, It's Republicans Who Will Take the Heat
If the NY Senate Passes Gay Marriage, It's Republicans Who Will Take the Heat
Discussion:
Right Wing Watch, Equality Matters and New York Magazine
Michael Gormley / Associated Press:
NY leaders say no obstacles to gay marriage vote
NY leaders say no obstacles to gay marriage vote
Discussion:
Towleroad News #gay and Prop 8 Trial Tracker
Ezra Klein / Washington Post:
CBO: We'll only have giant deficits if Congress wants giant deficits — The Congressional Budget Office just released the latest edition of its long-term budget outlook (pdf), and it shows the same thing as always: If Congress lets the Bush tax cuts expire or offsets their extension …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Associated Press, The Hill, Grasping Reality …, Washington Monthly, Daily Kos, Crooks and Liars and Hullabaloo
RELATED:
Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
Democrats Explicitly Call Out GOP For Sabotaging The Economic Recovery — They've made it explicit. Democrats are accusing Republicans of trying to sabotage the recovery — or at least stall it — by blocking all short-term measures to boost the economy, even ones they previously supported.
Discussion:
The BRAD BLOG, Firedoglake, The New Republic and Daily Kos
RELATED:
Michael McAuliff / The Huffington Post:
Dick Durbin, Chuck Schumer Accuse GOP Of Sabotaging Economy For Political Gain
Dick Durbin, Chuck Schumer Accuse GOP Of Sabotaging Economy For Political Gain
Discussion:
Washington Post and Washington Monthly
Mike Riggs / Hit & Run:
Barney Frank and Ron Paul will Introduce Legislation on Thursday to Fully Legalize Marijuana — Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) will introduce “bi-partisan legislation tomorrow ending the federal war on marijuana and letting states legalize, regulate, tax …
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Top of the Ticket, Gawker, The Daily Caller and Salon
Dan Mitchell / International Liberty:
Andrew Sullivan Has No Idea What He's Talking about, but I Agree with His Conclusion — Even though he's become rather partisan in recent years, I still enjoy an occasional visit to Andrew Sullivan's blog. But I was rather amused last night when I read one of his posts …
Discussion:
The Lonely Conservative and GayPatriot
Steve Tetreault / Las Vegas Review-Journal:
Reid says candidate misled him, questions fitness for Senate — WASHINGTON — Simmering tension in the still-young 2012 Nevada race for U.S. Senate burst into the open Tuesday when Sen. Harry Reid unloaded on upstart candidate Byron Georgiou, a Democratic lawyer and entrepreneur from Las Vegas.
Discussion:
Hotline On Call
David Beasley / Reuters:
Staff quit because “I'm different,” Gingrich says — (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich on Wednesday attributed the mass resignations among his campaign staff to the fact that he is “very different” from mainstream politicians. — “Philosophically …
Discussion:
Political Insider, News Desk, GOP 12, Ballot Box, Indecision Forever and The Page
Telegraph:
Self publishing writer becomes million seller — An entrepreneur has turned the writing world upside down by becoming the first author to sell more than a million electronic books without a publishing deal. — In the last year John has had four of the top 10 books on Amazon/Kindle at the same time, including number one and two
Discussion:
Guardian and Pajamas Media
Paul Bentley / Daily Mail:
Has O.J. Simpson confessed murder to Oprah? Huge TV interview planned in which convict ‘will admit he killed Nicole in self-defence as she pulled a knife on him’ — O.J Simpson has confessed to Oprah Winfrey that he murdered his former wife, it has been reported.
Discussion:
And So it Goes in Shreveport and Mediaite
Rick Callahan / Associated Press:
Planned Parenthood stops seeing Medicaid patients — INDIANAPOLIS - Thousands of low-income Planned Parenthood of Indiana patients were left fending for themselves Tuesday to pay for birth control, breast exams, Pap tests and other medical services while a court battle continued over a new state law …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and Ricochet Conversation Feed
The Investigative Project on Terrorism:
CAIR Loses IRS Status — Donations to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) no longer are tax deductible after the organization was among 275,000 tax-exempt organizations purged earlier this month by the Internal Revenue Service. — The groups failed to file required annual reports …
Discussion:
Maggie's Notebook and Weasel Zippers
ABCNEWS:
Economic Trouble Puzzles Fed Chief, Too — The economy's continuing struggles aren't just confounding ordinary Americans. They've also stumped the head of the Federal Reserve. — Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke told reporters Wednesday that the central bank had been caught off guard by recent signs of deterioration in the economy.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, Truthdig and Fox Nation
Jon Ralston / Las Vegas Sun Blogs:
Huntsman's family gave nearly $25,000 to Reid last cycle — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who said this week he prefers Jon Huntsman to Mitt Romney in the GOP Mormon presidential primary, has taken a lot of money from the Huntsman family, and the former Utah governor appointed Reid's son, Josh, to Utah's Board of Regents.
Discussion:
The Politico, The Hill, New York Magazine, Verum Serum and And So it Goes in Shreveport
Michael Barone / Wall Street Journal:
The Surprising Roots of Liberal Nostalgia — World War II created confidence in large institutions and big government. But few would want the cultural conformity of the mid-20th century back. — There's a longing on the left for the golden years of the 1940s, '50s and early '60s.
Discussion:
Power Line, Pajamas Media and Betsy's Page
Dylan Howard / RADAR:
Tobey Maguire Sued Over Multi-Million Dollar Illegal Poker Game; DiCaprio, Affleck & Damon Involved — Spider-Man star Tobey Maguire is among more than a dozen high-profile Hollywood celebrities being sued in connection with a mega-millions illegal gambling ring that ran high-stakes underground poker games …
Discussion:
Don Surber, Flap's Blog, Maggie's Notebook, ArtsBeat and National Review
David Weigel / Weigel:
Et Tu, Gephardt? — The former Democratic leader of the House writes an op-ed calling — gently, gently — for the repeal of the Independent Payment Advisory Board. … He sounds awfully concerned, but why? We look for clues in the client list provided by Gephardt Government Affairs.
Discussion:
The Nation, ThinkProgress and The Huffington Post