memeorandum: The Case for Not-Quite-So-High-Speed Rail (Phillip Longman/Washington Monthly)

4:45 PM ET, July 1, 2011

Top Items:

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: TalkLeft, The Huffington Post, City Room, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, New York Magazine, The Atlantic Online, Mediaite, neo-neocon, Runnin' Scared, Gawker, Above the Law, Truthdig, Guardian 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, Don Surber, Daniel W. Drezner and iOwnTheWorld.com

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, Guardian, New York Magazine, Althouse, Reuters, FrumForum, Economix and The Baseline Scenario

Minneapolis Star Tribune:

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 …

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, TPMDC and FrumForum

The Politico:

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

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Hullabaloo and James Pethokoukis

Abby Phillip / The Politico:
Fact checking a claim on tax breaks

Discussion: The Other McCain

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

Discussion: The Heritage Foundation, Hot Air, The Politico 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

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

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

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

Jennifer Epstein / The Politico:

Mark Kelly: I'm not running for office — Rep. Gabrielle Giffords's astronaut husband is ruling out a run for public office, at least for the time being. — “She's the politician in the family, I'm the space guy,” Mark Kelly said Friday afternoon at the National Press Club in Washington.

Ballot Box: Giffords' husband rules out run for public office — at least for now

Jennifer Epstein / The Politico:

W.H. picks counterterrorism chief — President Barack Obama plans to nominate the top lawyer at the National Security Agency as the next director of the National Counterterrorism Center, replacing a predecessor who started on the job during the Bush administration, the White House announced Friday afternoon.

Discussion: ThinkProgress

The White House:
President Obama Announces Intent to Nominate Matthew Olsen as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center

Discussion: Washington Wire

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

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, Sky Dancing and Crooks and Liars

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

Discussion: TBogg, Talking Points Memo and Althouse

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

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

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

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: Ricochet Conversation Feed

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

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: The Agitator, Hullabaloo and Cato @ Liberty

Gina Pace / NY Daily News:

Glenn Beck to move to Texas; rents $20,000-a-month house — New Yorkers better get their heckling in fast, because Glenn Beck is headed for the Lone Star State. — The TV host and commentator recently sold his New Canaan, Conn., mansion, to Maura Abeln Smith, recently named general counsel of PepsiCo, for $3.6 million.

Discussion: Wonkette, Gawker, Trail Blazers Blog, Pajamas Media and UrbanGrounds

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

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:

Obama campaign to go on the offensive against conservative critics of Israel stance — Obama's top presidential campaign advisers are putting together a plan to go on the offensive against critics of his stance on Israel, I'm told, and are assembling a team of high profile surrogates …

Discussion: Pajamas Media, National Review, The Politico and ThinkProgress

Jordan Fabian / The Hill:

Pawlenty raises $4.2M in second quarter — GOP presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty raised around $4.2 million between April and June, according to his campaign. — The number is considered low for someone trying to position himself as a top-tier candidate.

Discussion: The Note

Los Angeles Times:

Amazon fights California sales tax requirement — Amazon seeks to avoid collecting sales taxes from California consumers by cutting ties to affiliates in California who steer business to its site. — Reporting from Sacramento and Los Angeles— Saying it won't force California customers …

Discussion: ThinkProgress and The American Independent

Spencer Ackerman / Danger Room:

‘Some Will Call Me a Torturer’: CIA Man Reveals Secret Jail — Admitting that “some will call me a torturer” is a surefire way to cut yourself off from anyone's sympathy. But Glenn Carle, a former CIA operative, isn't sure whether he's the hero or the villain of his own story.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Mark Finkelstein / NewsBusters.org blogs:

Mika: ‘Morning Joe’ Being Pressured To Invite More Pro-Obama Flacks — Jay Carney admits calling MSNBC yesterday to complain about Mark Halperin's crack [that we were first to report] that the President, at his Wednesday press conference, acted like a “d—k.”

Discussion: Hot Air