memeorandum: California Republicans push Rick Perry to run (Seema Mehta/Los Angeles Times)

6:10 PM ET, July 1, 2011

Top Items:

Minnesota government begins historic shutdown — Dayton renewed his call to tax the rich; GOP pointed to harm of long-term debt. The governor and legislative leaders worked into the evening in a last-ditch bid for resolution. — Talks imploded Thursday between DFL Gov. Mark Dayton …

Chris Cillizza / Washington Post:

Tim Pawlenty raises $4.2 million — Republican presidential candidate, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty speaks at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, Tuesday, June 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)Former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty raised $4.2 million over the past three months …

Discussion: The Washington Independent, GOP 12, The Blotter, MinnPOTUS, Hot Air, New York Times, Iowa Caucuses and Politics

Tim Mak / The Politico:

Tim Pawlenty: Shutdown could be a good thing — In a press conference just hours before the shutdown to defend his record as Minnesota governor, Tim Pawlenty said that he wished the 2005 government shutdown he presided over would have lasted longer, and that the paralysis underway now in the state could be a good thing.

Discussion: ABCNEWS, Washington Monthly, The Blotter, TPMDC and FrumForum

Danny Yadron / Washington Wire:
Pawlenty Raises $4.2 Million, Ron Paul Collects $4.5 Million in Quarter

Discussion: Iowa Caucuses

Jordan Fabian / The Hill: Pawlenty raises $4.2M in second quarter

The Note: Pawlenty Raised $4.2 Million During Second Quarter

John Eligon / New York Times:

Strauss-Kahn Is Released as Case Teeters — Dominique Strauss-Kahn was released from house arrest on Friday as the sexual assault case against him moved one step closer to dismissal after prosecutors told a Manhattan judge that they had serious problems with the case.

Discussion: City Room, The Huffington Post, TalkLeft, PolitickerNY, New York Magazine, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Mediaite, Guardian, The Atlantic Online, Runnin' Scared, neo-neocon, Above the Law, Gawker, Truthdig and FrumForum

New York Times:

Strauss-Kahn Case Faces Test in Hearing — The sexual assault case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn is on the verge of collapse as investigators have uncovered major holes in the credibility of the housekeeper who charged that he attacked her in his Manhattan hotel suite in May, according to two well-placed law enforcement officials.

New York Post:

Maid who accused DSK of sexual assault repeatedly lied: sources — The maid who accused former IMF boss Dominique Strauss-Kahn of a violent sex attack in his Midtown hotel room has repeatedly lied to prosecutors and is “personally associated” with money launderers and drug dealers …

Discussion: Gothamist, Daniel W. Drezner and iOwnTheWorld.com

Globe and Mail:
Letter from prosecutors on the accuser of Strauss-Kahn

Discussion: Patterico's Pontifications and The Atlantic Online

Andrew Cohen / The Atlantic Online:
5 Ways to Think About The Times' Strauss-Kahn Story

Discussion: Guardian, Outside the Beltway, Politics and AMERICAblog News

New York Times:
News of Turnaround in Dominique Strauss-Kahn Case Stuns France

Discussion: Associated Press, New York Magazine, Althouse, Reuters, Outside the Beltway, FrumForum, Economix and The Baseline Scenario

Abby Phillip / The Politico:

Fact checking a claim on tax breaks — 'I think it's only fair to ask an oil company .... to give up a tax break,' Obama said. — AP Photo — President Obama used oil barons and corporate jet owners to anchor his opposition to Republicans' demands on taxes in his press conference on Wednesday.

Discussion: The Other McCain

The Politico:
Whiteboard Archives … JUNE 30, 2011 - 04:38PM

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Hullabaloo and James Pethokoukis, more at Techmeme »

David Freddoso / Washington Examiner:
BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL — Heritage: Yes, Obama still owns the tax break for corporate jets

Discussion: The Heritage Foundation, The Politico, Hot Air and Booman Tribune

Matthew Yglesias / ThinkProgress:
Heritage Foundation Refusing To Admit It Made A Mistake On Tax Preference For Corporate Jets

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, TPMDC and The New Republic

Mike Lowe / WITI:

EXCLUSIVE: FOX6 talks to four of the seven Wisconsin Supreme Court Justices — Grabbing the microphone - and the spotlight. Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice David Prosser did both when FOX6's Mike Lowe attempted to speak with him about the serious allegations of a physical altercation with Justice Anne Walsh Bradley on Thursday.

Discussion: Politics, Crooks and Liars and Sky Dancing

Jeffrey Rosen / The New Republic:
Why I Miss Sandra Day O'Connor

Discussion: SCOTUSblog, USA Today, Weekly Standard, Washington Post and Law Blog

Eric Kleefeld / tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com:
Prosser Grabs Reporter's Microphone, Quickly Hands It Back (VIDEO)

Discussion: TBogg, Althouse and Talking Points Memo

Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:

Reid: Millionaires should pay more taxes for deficit reduction — The Democratic leader of the Senate has introduced a measure asking the wealthy to make a large contribution to deficit reduction. — The resolution offered by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) …

Discussion: Daily Kos and National Review

Carl Hulse / New York Times:
Two Top Republican Lawmakers Form Unusual Bond

Discussion: New York Magazine and FrumForum

David Rogers / The Politico:
Ghost of Gipper looms over GOP

Discussion: New York Times, The Moderate Voice and Outside the Beltway

Carol D. Leonnig / Washington Post:

Employees had been increasingly troubled by Gingrich's Tiffany purchases — Employees of presidential candidate Newt Gingrich grew increasingly concerned in recent years about their boss's purchases from luxury jeweler Tiffany & Co., worried that if he followed through on plans to run …

Discussion: GOP 12, USA Today, The Raw Story, New York Magazine and The Page

Mark Halperin / The Daily Beast:

Why Mark Halperin Is a D—k — The political commentator erred in speaking disrespectfully of the president. His far greater sin: being so cowed by conservatives that he's offended by Obama's mild poke at the GOP. — Here's why Mark Halperin is a disgrace.

Discussion: Lance Mannion, The Other McCain, NewsBusters.org blogs, The Daily Dish, National Review and Man Are We Screwed

Ian / CBS Los Angeles:

Official Calls For Riverside, 12 Other Counties To Secede From California — RIVERSIDE (CBS) — Is the state of California about to go “South”? — Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Stone apparently thinks so, after proposing that the county lead a campaign for as many as 13 Southern California counties to secede from the state.

Discussion: Don Surber, Politics and Ricochet Conversation Feed

Byron York / Washington Examiner:

Union curbs rescue a Wisconsin school district — “This is a disaster,” said Mark Miller, the Wisconsin Senate Democratic leader, in February after Republican Gov. Scott Walker proposed a budget bill that would curtail the collective bargaining powers of some public employees.

Discussion: Hot Air, Weasel Zippers, Betsy's Page, The Moderate Voice, Questions and Observations, americanthinker.com, Althouse and UrbanGrounds

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:

Dems pounce on Romney's latest mega flip-flop — Yesterday Mitt Romney backtracked on one of his core campaign messages — that Obama made the economy “worse” — and the Democratic National Committee has rushed out a new video documenting the flip-flop with footage.

Discussion: TAPPED, GOP 12, Washington Monthly, The Hill, msnbc.com and Gawker

Scott Keyes / ThinkProgress:
Romney Repeatedly Said Obama ‘Made The Recession Worse,’ Now Claims 'I Didn't Say That Things Are Worse'

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Daily Kos and msnbc.com

Radley Balko / The Huffington Post:

Cory Maye To Be Released From Prison … MONTICELLO, Miss. — After 10 years of incarceration, and seven years after a jury sentenced him to die, 30-year-old Cory Maye will soon be going home. Mississippi Circuit Court Judge Prentiss Harrell signed a plea agreement Friday morning …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, The Agitator, National Review, Hullabaloo, Hit & Run and Cato @ Liberty

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

To the Limit — In about a month, if nothing is done, the federal government will hit its legal debt limit. There will be dire consequences if this limit isn't raised. At best, we'll suffer an economic slowdown; at worst we'll plunge back into the depths of the 2008-9 financial crisis.

Discussion: Washington Post, TalkLeft, No More Mister Nice Blog, NewsBusters.org blogs, Washington Wire, Politics, The Mahablog, Man Are We Screwed, AMERICAblog News and The Huffington Post

Marist Poll:

7/1: Independence Day — Seventeen Seventy When? — Just in time for the July 4th weekend, the Marist Poll has asked Americans in which year the United States declared its independence. And, the result is many Americans need to brush up on their American history.

Discussion: New York Magazine and Gothamist

Alicia M. Cohn / The Hill:

White House says stimulus boosted employment by as many as 3.6M jobs — A White House report released Friday said the 2009 stimulus bill raised GDP by as much as 3.2 percent in the first quarter of 2011. — The report from the White House Council of Economic Advisers said the stimulus added 2.3 …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and FrumForum

Glenn Kessler / Washington Post:

Barbara Boxer's blatant rewriting of history — (Paul Sakuma/AP) “I think we ought to go back to the people and the party that was the only party and the only people to balance the budget in 40 years. I hate to break it to my Republican friends, but that is the Democratic Party.

Discussion: ThinkProgress

Tanya Somanader / ThinkProgress:

NY Catholic Bishop Bans Legislators Who Supported Marriage Equality From Catholic Parish And School Events — New York's successful marriage equality effort was marked by an outpouring of support from religious groups. About 727 clergy and congregations across faiths and denominations signed on to the push for marriage equality.

Discussion: CNSNews

Jordan Fabian / The Hill:

Senate GOP mocks president with video of Obama on golf course — Senate Republicans on Friday said President Obama should look in the mirror before questioning their work ethic. — The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the Senate GOP's campaign arm, released a Web video …

Discussion: Right Wing News, FrumForum and Washington Monthly

JSOnline:

Firefighters union throws cold water on 9-11 float — These days, almost anything can get caught in the blender of Wisconsin's union politics. — It can even happen to a Fourth of July parade float honoring firefighters and cops killed on Sept. 11, 2001.

Discussion: National Review, Pajamas Media, alicublog, The TrogloPundit and Don Surber

Phillip Longman / Washington Monthly:

The Case for Not-Quite-So-High-Speed Rail — The bad news: Republicans have torpedoed plans for American bullet trains. The good news: The Obama administration is quietly building a slower, but potentially much better, rail system. — This principle is also illustrated by Amtrak's highly successful …

Discussion: ThinkProgress