Top Items:
Wall Street Journal:
Debt-Limit Harakiri — Mitch McConnell isn't selling out Republicans. — Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell said yesterday he's concluded that no deal to raise the debt ceiling in return for serious spending restraint is possible with President Obama, and who can blame him?
Discussion:
Betsy's Page, TPMDC, Erick's blog, CNN, Hot Air, The Lonely Conservative and National Review
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Erick Erickson / Erick's blog:
Mitch McConnell Just Proposed the “Pontius Pilate Pass the Buck Act of 2011″ — Editor's note: I decided to make the title less incendiary. — Consider the Associated Press's headline right now: “GOP Leader McConnell proposes giving Obama new power for automatic debt limit increase”
Discussion:
Washington Post, TPMDC, National Review, Spartanburg Tea Party, Townhall.com, The Lonely Conservative, Politics, Hot Air, Heritage Action for America, Say Anything, Pajamas Media, UNCOVERAGE.net, Right Wing News, Outside the Beltway, Washington Wire, The American Independent, Gawker, Booman Tribune, The Hill, Daily Pundit, Weigel, Moe Lane and Fox Nation
CBS News:
Obama says he cannot guarantee Social Security checks will go out on August 3 — President Obama on Tuesday said he cannot guarantee that retirees will receive their Social Security checks August 3 if Democrats and Republicans in Washington do not reach an agreement on reducing the deficit in the coming weeks.
Discussion:
The Politico, The Caucus, americanthinker.com, Verum Serum, ProPublica, CBS News, Politics, The Western Experience, UNCOVERAGE.net, The Camp Of The Saints, Outside the Beltway, Michelle Malkin, NO QUARTER, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Other McCain, Talking Points Memo, Say Anything, Swampland, The TrogloPundit, RedState, Hullabaloo, Weasel Zippers, Don Surber, The Lonely Conservative, ThinkProgress, Crooks and Liars, The Hill, Balkinization, TPMDC, Sky Dancing, Confederate Yankee, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Pundit & Pundette, AmSpecBlog, Shakesville, Washington Wire, Washington Monthly, The Impolitic, National Review, JammieWearingFool and New York Magazine
Washington Post:
McConnell outlines new proposal on debt ceiling — McConnell was quickly excoriated online by tea party bloggers, with Erick Erickson of the Web site RedState.com blasting the plan as “the Pontius Pilate Pass the Buck Act of 2011.” — Still, with less than three weeks left until …
Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
The Big Blink? McConnell Proposes Giving Obama Authority To Raise Debt Limit Alone — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has proposed creating an escape hatch for Congressional Republicans, who have put themselves in a box by threatening not to raise the national debt limit …
Lydia Saad / Gallup:
U.S. Debt Ceiling Increase Remains Unpopular With Americans — More are concerned about higher level of spending than risk of economic crisis — PRINCETON, NJ — Despite agreement among leaders of both sides of the political aisle in Washington that raising the U.S. debt ceiling is necessary …
Michelle Malkin:
Another mortifying McConnell head-banging-against-the-wall moment — Longtime readers are familiar with our time-honored tradition of marking inevitable Senate GOP sellout moments with the head-banging-against-the-wall animated gif. — Well, it is time to resurrect it again …
The Politico:
Senate GOP mulls new debt strategy — Trying to get out of the political box which they have helped to create, Senate Republicans are actively discussing a new plan under which the debt ceiling would grow in three increments over the remainder of this Congress unless lawmakers approve a veto proof resolution of disapproval.
Discussion:
CNN, Hot Air, Firedoglake, Healthwatch, Jared Bernstein, National Review, Daily Kos, Politics, PERRspectives, The Note, No More Mister Nice Blog, TalkLeft, Lawyers, Guns & Money and msnbc.com
Fred Barnes / Weekly Standard:
Republicans Introduce Plan, Go On Offensive
Republicans Introduce Plan, Go On Offensive
Discussion:
Washington Post, AmSpecBlog, Erick's blog and justoneminute.typepad.com
Andrew Stiles / National Review:
Norquist: Time to Force Obama's Hand
Norquist: Time to Force Obama's Hand
Discussion:
Hit & Run, Americans for Tax Reform RSS, ThinkProgress, Hot Air, Talking Points Memo, TPMDC, Cold Fury and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion
Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
Judo Flip! Boehner Agrees With McConnell That Dems Should Not Be Allowed To Take Debt Limit Hostage
Judo Flip! Boehner Agrees With McConnell That Dems Should Not Be Allowed To Take Debt Limit Hostage
Discussion:
Daily Kos and Balloon Juice
Lori Montgomery / Washington Post:
McConnell outlines new proposal on debt ceiling
McConnell outlines new proposal on debt ceiling
Discussion:
Swampland, Daily Kos, The New Republic, Pajamas Media, Prairie Weather, Politics and msnbc.com
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Craven Reign — I just finished explaining that Mitch McConnell …
Craven Reign — I just finished explaining that Mitch McConnell …
Discussion:
Daily Kos
Philip Klein / Washington Examiner:
BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL — Why McConnell's debt limit proposal is a bad idea
BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL — Why McConnell's debt limit proposal is a bad idea
Discussion:
Roll Call, AmSpecBlog, Riehl World View, Hot Air and National Review
Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
EXCLUSIVE: McConnell to Obama: Eat your own darn peas
EXCLUSIVE: McConnell to Obama: Eat your own darn peas
Discussion:
Donklephant, The Page, REPUBLICAN REDEFINED, Commentary Magazine, Fox News and Pajamas Media
Daniel Strauss / The Hill:
Tea Party group tells McConnell to ‘find his spine’
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
McConnell fallback plan would leave debt-ceiling hikes to Obama
McConnell fallback plan would leave debt-ceiling hikes to Obama
Discussion:
The Note, The Politico, The Hill, Washington Monthly, The Moderate Voice and A plain blog about politics
The Note:
Politics Aside at Betty Ford Funeral: Hillary Clinton, George W. Bush Share Intent Conversation — ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf (@zbyronwolf) reports: — Nancy Reagan and Michelle Obama stared quietly ahead before the funeral of Betty Ford in Palm Desert, California.
Discussion:
The Politico
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Stephen Marche / Esquire:
How Can We Not Love Obama? — Because like it or not, he is all of us — Before the fall brings us down, before the election season begins in earnest with all its nastiness and vulgarity, before the next batch of stupid scandals and gaffes, before Sarah Palin tries to convert her movie …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Pajamas Media, iOwnTheWorld.com and Maggie's Farm
David Catanese / The Politico:
California special election: Hahn cruises to solid victory — Democrat Janice Hahn defeated Republican Craig Huey in a bitterly contested Southern California special election marked by stinging attacks from both sides. — Hahn finished with a healthy 54.56 percent of the vote to Huey's 45.44 percent in Tuesday's vote.
Discussion:
UNCOVERAGE.net, Pajamas Media, The Other McCain and The Lonely Conservative
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Jean Merl / Los Angeles Times:
Janice Hahn wins House seat
Janice Hahn wins House seat
Discussion:
Politics, AmSpecBlog and L.A. NOW
Jean Merl / PolitiCal:
Vote-suppression complaints filed in testy congressional election
Vote-suppression complaints filed in testy congressional election
Discussion:
Pajamas Media, American Power and UNCOVERAGE.net
The Politico:
Obama and DNC raise $86M, more than doubling GOP field - RNC campaign targets four swing states - Mandel brings in $2.3M for Senate bid - Hahn wins in CA-36 - Barbour camp eyes Perry - One month until — (aburns@politico.com) and (jhohmann@politico.com) — 2012 SIREN - OBAMA'S NUMBER …
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, Taegan Goddard's … and JammieWearingFool
Jim Hoft / The Gateway Pundit:
NOT GUILTY!... SEIU Thugs Cleared in Brutal Gladney Beatdown! ... Update: Gladney Reaction (Video) — NOT GUILTY- SEIU GOONS CLEARED IN GLADNEY BEATING! — I just spoke with Kenneth Gladney and his wife outside the courtroom. Here is their first reaction— “I couldn't beat them; I didn't have the resources they had.
Discussion:
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Daily RFT, Cold Fury and Daily Pundit
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Stan Musial / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Two charged in scuffle at St. Louis County meeting found not guilty
Two charged in scuffle at St. Louis County meeting found not guilty
Discussion:
TBogg, Weasel Zippers and Washington Post
Darren Goode / The Politico:
Light bulb bill goes dark in House — House lawmakers Tuesday stymied an initial effort by Republicans to put an end to infamous light bulb efficiency standards. — The bill from Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) to repeal part of a 2007 energy law requiring traditional incandescent light bulbs …
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, Gawker and The Lonely Conservative
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Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:
Lightbulb bill likely headed for defeat in House
Lightbulb bill likely headed for defeat in House
Discussion:
Sweetness & Light and Hot Air
Gary Lewi / Secure America Now:
The Latest News from Secure America Now New Poll of Jewish American Voters Shows Great Concern Over the Future Of Israel and Administration Relations With Israel — New SAN Poll Shows Great Concern Over the Future Of Israel — To download more information on the poll, click here.
Discussion:
Israpundit and The Gateway Pundit
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Carl Campanile / New York Post:
Blow against O in Weiner race
Blow against O in Weiner race
Discussion:
Israpundit, Weasel Zippers, Nice Deb, The Lonely Conservative, Israel Matzav and JammieWearingFool
Tevi Troy / National Review:
Poll: Only 43 Percent of Jews Would Reelect Obama
Poll: Only 43 Percent of Jews Would Reelect Obama
Discussion:
americanthinker.com, Israel Matzav and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS
NBC New York:
Fan Who Caught Jeter's 3,000th Hit May Owe IRS Thousands — The tax man may be on the hunt for the super fan who caught Derek Jeter's 3,000th hit. — Christian Lopez, 23, recovered the prized ball his father fumbled after The Captain hammered it into their section of the stands …
Discussion:
NY Daily News, REPUBLICAN REDEFINED, Say Anything, iOwnTheWorld.com, Pajamas Media and International Liberty
Thomas Beaumont / Associated Press:
APNewsBreak: Romney rejects gay marriage pledge — DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's campaign said Tuesday that he will not sign a conservative Iowa Christian group's far-reaching pledge opposing gay marriage, making him the first Republican presidential candidate to reject it.
Discussion:
Hot Air, The Raw Story and Towleroad News #gay
JSOnline:
6 fake Democrats fall, setting stage for GOP recalls — Six fake Democratic candidates put up by the Republican Party to buy time for Republican state senators subject to recalls accomplished that job Tuesday, but none of them did the unexpected and knocked off a real Democrat.
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's … and Public Policy Polling
Sam Youngman / Ballot Box:
Obama is winning on debt debate, but there's no room for moral victories — Talking to senior administration officials these days is like talking to a basketball player who's in the zone in the playoffs. — They know they're playing well, but they also know that without a win, it's meaningless.
Discussion:
The Politico