Top Items:
Joe Nocera / New York Times:
The Journal Becomes Fox-ified — It's official. The Wall Street Journal has been Fox-ified. — It took Rupert Murdoch only three and a half years to get there, starting with the moment he acquired the paper from the dysfunctional Bancroft family in December 2007, a purchase that was completed …
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog, Company Town, The Big Picture, Prairie Weather, Hot Air and The Nation, more at Mediagazer »
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Mark Blumenthal / The Huffington Post:
Tea Party: Polls Show Importance To GOP Base … WASHINGTON — As negotiations continue over raising the debt limit, Republican leaders are at odds with their own base, amid reports that their electoral coalition is breaking down. Public polling data illustrating the growing importance …
James Chapman / Daily Mail:
Rebekah Brooks in line for £3.5m pay out as News International slaps gagging orders on chief executives (apart from that inquiry on Tuesday) — Former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks was given a seven-figure severance package after resigning, it has emerged.
Discussion:
Runnin' Scared, New York Magazine, Guardian and Truthdig
Peter Kafka / AllThingsD:
Dow Jones CEO Les Hinton Stepping Down
Dow Jones CEO Les Hinton Stepping Down
Discussion:
The Lede, Crooks and Liars and Guardian, more at Mediagazer »
James Pethokoukis:
Panic at the White House? Gloomy Goldman Sachs sees high unemployment, possible recession — Last night in a new report, Democrat-friendly Goldman Sachs dropped an economic bomb on President Obama's chances for reelection (bold is mine): … Alarms bells must be ringing all over Obamaland today.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, Hot Air, Conservatives4Palin, americanthinker.com, Pundit & Pundette, The Gateway Pundit and PoliPundit.com
Los Angeles Times:
House Republicans brace for compromise on debt — GOP leaders turn to their most trusted budget expert, Rep. Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), to explain to the rank and file what could happen if Congress fails to raise the debt ceiling. — Reporting from Washington— Republican leaders in the House …
Discussion:
americanthinker.com, Washington Monthly, Outside the Beltway, Booman Tribune, Calculated Risk and The Hill
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Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Reid and McConnell expect to unveil debt-limit ‘Plan B’ next week
Reid and McConnell expect to unveil debt-limit ‘Plan B’ next week
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit
Bloomberg:
Obama Eliminates Warren as Consumer Head — President Barack Obama has chosen a candidate other than Elizabeth Warren as director of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, according to a person briefed on the matter. — The president's choice is a person who already works at the consumer agency, the person said today.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, The Confluence, Crooks and Liars, naked capitalism, The Raw Story and Balloon Juice
Michael D. Shear / The Caucus:
Obama's Haul: Big Money From Big Donors — Twenty-seven fund-raisers collected more than $500,000 each in contributions for President Obama and the Democratic Party in the past three months, helping Mr. Obama collect a record haul of campaign cash as he starts his re-election effort.
Discussion:
Political Punch, americanthinker.com, Ben Smith's Blog, Ballot Box, USA Today and msnbc.com
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The Politico:
Of Obama's $86 million, 40% from bundlers
Of Obama's $86 million, 40% from bundlers
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, CNN and The Daily Caller
Dan Eggen / Washington Post:
Obama fundraising report signals juggernaut campaign
Obama fundraising report signals juggernaut campaign
Discussion:
OpenSecrets.org, The Daily Caller, Gawker, TPMDC, Ben Smith's Blog and FrumForum
James Oliphant / Los Angeles Times:
Michele Bachmann leaves church accused of anti-Catholic bias — Taking a page from President Obama's political playbook, Michele Bachmann has formally left a church in Minnesota accused of holding anti-Catholic views. — According to CNN, the church that Michele Bachmann and her husband Marcus …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, New York Sun, Washington Monthly, Washington Post and Politics
Paul Krugman:
The Political Economy of the Lesser Depression — Everyone in the forecasting business is scrambling to mark down both their estimates of second-quarter growth and their forecasts for later in the year. Goldman Sachs (no link) was pretty optimistic a few months ago; now they've grown quite pessimistic:
Discussion:
Hullabaloo, Grasping Reality …, Rortybomb and ThinkProgress
The Huffington Post:
Elizabeth Warren: Government Hasn't Sufficiently Probed Foreclosure Abuses (VIDEO) … WASHINGTON — A top Obama administration official on Thursday questioned the scope of the state and federal investigations into alleged mortgage abuses and “illegal” foreclosures perpetrated …
Discussion:
Firedoglake
Alexander Burns / The Politico:
Mitt Romney's cash advantage — Kasie Hunt does the math: … One of the more than incidental benefits to treading light in Iowa is that Romney will probably be able to keep a relatively low burn rate for much of the summer. At the end of the quarter, Pawlenty had just $1.4 million …
Discussion:
FrumForum
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The Note:
Pawlenty Calls Out Romney On Debt Ceiling Debate
Pawlenty Calls Out Romney On Debt Ceiling Debate
Discussion:
TPMDC, Ballot Box, The Raw Story and CNN
Mj Lee / The Politico:
Dalai Lama to visit W.H. on Saturday — Part of the Dalai Lama's Washington visit will include a White House visit. — AP Photo — The White House announced late Friday that President Obama will meet with the Dalai Lama at the White House on Saturday, finally putting an end …
Discussion:
Right Wing News and FrumForum
Frank Newport / Gallup:
For First Time, Majority in U.S. Supports Public Smoking Ban — Little support for making smoking illegal, however — PRINCETON, NJ — A majority of Americans (59%) support a ban on smoking in all public places for the first time since Gallup initially asked the question in 2001.
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, The New Republic and Hot Air