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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:
msnbc.com, No More Mister Nice Blog, TPMDC, americanthinker.com, CNN, Betsy's Page, Erick's blog, Hot Air, The Lonely Conservative and National Review
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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:
The Politico, And So it Goes in Shreveport, National Review, The Hill, Spartanburg Tea Party, Daily Kos, Commentary Magazine, Hot Air, The Lonely Conservative, Say Anything, FreedomWorks blogs, Townhall.com, The Hill, Pajamas Media, Politics, Right Wing News, UNCOVERAGE.net, Washington Wire, Booman Tribune, Outside the Beltway, The American Independent, Gawker, The Moderate Voice, Daily Pundit, Weigel, TPMDC, Moe Lane and Fox Nation


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 …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly and New York Times

Republicans Introduce Plan, Go On Offensive
Discussion:
Washington Post, AmSpecBlog, Erick's blog and justoneminute.typepad.com

Obama says he cannot guarantee Social Security checks will go out on August 3
Discussion:
theblogprof, New York Times, The Caucus, The Politico, Mediaite, National Review, americanthinker.com, Verum Serum, ProPublica, CBS News, Politics, UNCOVERAGE.net, The Western Experience, The Camp Of The Saints, Outside the Beltway, Michelle Malkin, NO QUARTER, The Other McCain, Swampland, Talking Points Memo, No More Mister Nice Blog, The TrogloPundit, Hullabaloo, RedState, Don Surber, Crooks and Liars, Balkinization, ThinkProgress, The Lonely Conservative, Weasel Zippers, Say Anything, TPMDC, The Hill, Confederate Yankee, Sky Dancing, Pundit & Pundette, Shakesville, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Washington Wire, The Impolitic, AmSpecBlog, JammieWearingFool, New York Magazine and Washington Monthly

The Big Blink? McConnell Proposes Giving Obama Authority To Raise Debt Limit Alone

Judo Flip! Boehner Agrees With McConnell That Dems Should Not Be Allowed To Take Debt Limit Hostage
Discussion:
Washington Post, Daily Kos and Balloon Juice

Congress hears outcry from business lobby on debt ceiling and deficit
Discussion:
Washington Monthly and Daily Kos

McConnell outlines new proposal on debt ceiling
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, The Daily Caller, Swampland, Daily Kos, RedState, The Caucus, The BLT, The New Republic, Pajamas Media, Prairie Weather, msnbc.com and Politics

BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL — Why McConnell's debt limit proposal is a bad idea
Discussion:
Roll Call, National Review, AmSpecBlog, Riehl World View and Hot Air

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:
Hotline On Call, TPMDC and JammieWearingFool
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Obama fails to match Bush fundraising
Discussion:
Oliver Willis


Raise Taxes or Granny Gets It — The liberal media's idea of a grown-up. — President Obama is pulling out the big guns and pointing them straight at your grandmother. “Obama on Tuesday said he cannot guarantee that retirees will receive their Social Security checks August 3” …
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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:
The Western Experience, Pajamas Media, iOwnTheWorld.com and Maggie's Farm


Shutdown could leave Minnesota dry — The famous Minnesota niceness could all go away if residents lose access to beer due to the two-week-old state government shut down. — The Star Tribune of Minneapolis reported Wednesday that bars, restaurants and stores across the state are unable …
Discussion:
KSTP-TV and Marginal Revolution
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One by one, bars get tapped out — Hundreds of bars, restaurants and stores across Minnesota are running out of beer and alcohol and others may soon run out of cigarettes — a subtle and largely unforeseen consequence of a state government shutdown. — In the days leading up to the shutdown …


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 Althouse


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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No Justice: Gladney Attackers Found Not Guilty
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and The Other McCain

Two charged in scuffle at St. Louis County meeting found not guilty
Discussion:
TBogg and Washington Post


Prison doctor gets paid for doing little or nothing — A California surgeon has mostly been locked out of his job: on paid leave, fired or fighting his termination. When he does work, it's reviewing records. He made $777,000 last year, including back pay. — A file photo of San Quentin State Prison.
Discussion:
Hit & Run, americanthinker.com and Politics


Missing 9-year-old B'klyn boy found dead: sources — The dismembered body of a missing 9-year-old Hasidic boy was found at two locations in Brooklyn and police this morning arrested a suspect in the slaying — who had the child's severed feet in his freezer, sources told The Post.
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit and Israel Matzav
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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:
CNN, PolitiCal, UNCOVERAGE.net, Pajamas Media, The Other McCain, The Lonely Conservative and American Power
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Janice Hahn wins House seat
Discussion:
L.A. NOW, AmSpecBlog and Politics

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:
driftglass
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What's Rick Perry waiting for? — Rick Perry sure looks like a presidential candidate. — The Texas governor and his top advisers are feeling out early-state Republican activists on the phone. He met for lunch in Austin Tuesday with former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.
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GOP indecision on 2012 may give Rick Perry a ‘huge opening’
Discussion:
Hot Air, Poll Watch Daily and Wonkette

Netflix Introduces New Plans and Announces Price Changes — Jessie Becker, here to share two significant changes at Netflix with you. — First, we are launching new DVD only plans. These plans offer our lowest prices ever for unlimited DVDs - only $7.99 a month for our 1 DVD out at-a-time plan …
Discussion:
PC World, Outside the Beltway, Felix Salmon, Company Town, msnbc.com, CBS Los Angeles, Gothamist, TalkLeft, Gawker, TechCrunch and The Consumerist, more at Techmeme »

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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Judge reinstates Ill. foster-care contracts — SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — An Illinois judge on Tuesday put Catholic Charities back in the business of finding foster and adoptive homes for children, reinstating — at least temporarily — contracts that were halted when the not-for-profit agency refused …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress and Joe. My. God.


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 …


For Rick Scott, a Tough Road to Reform — Governor prioritizes campaign promises over popularity, poll reveals — Florida Gov. Rick Scott's 58 percent disapproval rating may be scary to Republicans, but it's neither surprising nor necessarily lethal, a new Sunshine State News Poll finds.
Discussion:
The Daily Pulp and Taegan Goddard's …