Top Items:
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
Obama tries to box in House GOP — President Obama stopped by the White House briefing room, offering an update on the status of the debt-ceiling process. I've seen some reports suggesting the president endorsed the Gang of Six's compromise, but that's not quite what he said, and it seems to miss the point of Obama's comments.
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Russell Berman / The Hill:
House GOP passes ill-fated ‘cut, cap, and balance’ legislation — House Republicans on Tuesday approved an ambitious but legislatively ill-fated plan to enact deep spending restraints that could clear the decks for a compromise over the debt limit. — The so-called “cut, cap and balance” …
Jared Bernstein / The Huffington Post:
The People Want Balance! — It's crunch time — way past crunch time …
The People Want Balance! — It's crunch time — way past crunch time …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress and Washington Post
Jonathan Cohn / The New Republic:
Gang of Six: A Day Late...
Gang of Six: A Day Late...
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Firedoglake, The Politico, A plain blog about politics and The Daily Dish
Jonathan Chait / The New Republic:
Gang Of Six Has Last Gasp
Gang Of Six Has Last Gasp
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, The Note, The Reaction, JSOnline, JustOneMinute and The Politico
Michael D. Shear / The Caucus:
How ‘Gang of Six’ Revived Idea of Grand Debt Deal
How ‘Gang of Six’ Revived Idea of Grand Debt Deal
Discussion:
JSOnline and Wall Street Journal
Erik Wasson / The Hill:
Boehner's office says Gang of Six proposal ‘appears to fall short’
Boehner's office says Gang of Six proposal ‘appears to fall short’
Discussion:
CNN, ThinkProgress, Firedoglake, The Politico, The New Republic, RedState, Politics, Washington Wire and The Nation
The Hill:
Key Dems: Gang of Six plan won't be ready for debt-limit deal by Aug. 2
Key Dems: Gang of Six plan won't be ready for debt-limit deal by Aug. 2
Discussion:
The Note, The Huffington Post, Off the Charts Blog, CNN, Booman Tribune, Hot Air, Opinion L.A., Political Punch and Washington Post
Russell Berman / The Hill:
Two House lawmakers call for vote on Gang of Six plan
Two House lawmakers call for vote on Gang of Six plan
Discussion:
The Politico, TPMDC, RedState, National Review, Connecting.the.Dots, Taylor Marsh and Roll Call
Americans for Tax Reform RSS:
What should taxpayers think about the “Gang of Six” announcement today?
What should taxpayers think about the “Gang of Six” announcement today?
Discussion:
The Note, Pajamas Media, No More Mister Nice Blog and National Review
Rosalind S. Helderman / Washington Post:
House pursues balanced-budget bill; need for backup plan acknowledged
House pursues balanced-budget bill; need for backup plan acknowledged
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Allen West tirade: Wasserman Schultz ‘vile...despicable...not a Lady’ — Florida GOP Congressman Allen West this afternoon dispatched a scathing personal email to Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, calling her “vile, unprofessional ,and despicable,” “a coward …
Discussion:
Booman Tribune, Washington Monthly, ThinkProgress, Fox News, And So it Goes in Shreveport, Pajamas Media, The Gateway Pundit, New York Magazine, The Other McCain, TPMDC, Washington Post, Outside the Beltway, Scared Monkeys, No More Mister Nice Blog, Feministing, The Caucus, Gawker, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Hotline On Call, CNN, Althouse, American Power, TBogg, Weasel Zippers, The Raw Story, The Lonely Conservative, JammieWearingFool, Doug Ross, Balloon Juice and Hit & Run
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Mike Lillis / The Hill:
Wasserman Schultz brushes off West email
Wasserman Schultz brushes off West email
Discussion:
Hot Air, The Washington Independent and The Daily Caller
Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:
Franken Destoys Focus On The Family Witness, Exposes Misuse Of HHS Study — During this morning's Senate DOMA hearings, Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) destroyed Focus on the Family's Tom Minnery's argument that children are better off with opposite-sex parents by demonstrating how Minnery misrepresented an HHS study.
Discussion:
Good As You, Poliglot, Joe. My. God. and Towleroad News #gay
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Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:
Focus On The Family Witness Admits Children Are Disadvantaged By Lack Of Protections For Same-Sex Couples — This morning, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) is holding a hearing on the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Focus on the Family's Tom Minnery …
Discussion:
Gawker, Pam's House Blend and Good As You
JSOnline:
Democratic senator Hansen retains seat in recall attempt — Tea party activist, attorney are winners in Republican primaries — By Tom Tolan, Lee Bergquist and Georgia Pabst of the Journal Sentinel — Democratic state Sen. Dave Hansen of Green Bay was the first of nine state senators …
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First Read / msnbc.com:
First Thoughts: Disconnect — Disconnect between Obama …
First Thoughts: Disconnect — Disconnect between Obama …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Hot Air, Associated Press, New York Magazine and American Power
Gautham Nagesh / The Hill:
Report: Obama top recipient of News Corp. donations — Political donations by News Corp., its employees and their families were evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, with President Obama the all-time leading recipient, according to a report from the Sunlight Foundation.
Discussion:
JammieWearingFool, Weasel Zippers, The Confluence, Guardian and Pajamas Media, more at Mediagazer »
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Ryan Sibley / Sunlight Foundation Blog:
Murdoch's influence extends to U.S., global politics
Murdoch's influence extends to U.S., global politics
Discussion:
The Agonist and New York Times
Brian Stelter / New York Times:
Scandal Stirs U.S. Debate on Big Media
Scandal Stirs U.S. Debate on Big Media
Discussion:
TVNewser, The Atlantic Online, Guardian, ABCNEWS, The New Republic and The Nation, more at Mediagazer »
Ron Nixon / New York Times:
Cost-Cutters, Except When the Spending Is Back Home — WASHINGTON — Freshman House Republicans who rode a wave of voter discontent into office last year vowed to stop out-of-control spending, but that has not stopped several of them from quietly trying to funnel millions of federal dollars into projects back home.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice and Politics
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Matthew Boyle / The Daily Caller:
State Dept. contract officer steers $52 million to secret husband, daughter — A special investigation by The Daily Caller has discovered that a State Department contract specialist participated in awarding more than $52 million in taxpayer-funded contracts to a company owned and operated by her husband and daughter.
Discussion:
National Review, Hot Air and International Liberty
Allen West / National:
At this Point, Anyone with an Obama 2012 Bumper Sticker is a Threat to the Gene Pool — Greetings to our constituents, fellow Floridians, and all Americans, here we are for another weekly update. There is only one word that describes the past week: appalling.
Discussion:
MyDD, The Raw Story and Alan Colmes' Liberaland
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Marie Diamond / ThinkProgress:
Allen West: Obama Supporters Are ‘A Threat To The Gene Pool’
Allen West: Obama Supporters Are ‘A Threat To The Gene Pool’
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars
realtor.org:
June Existing-Home Sales Slip on Contract Cancellations, but Prices Stabilize — Existing-home sales eased in June as contract cancellations spiked unexpectedly, although prices were up slightly, according to the National Association of Realtors®. — Sales gains in the Midwest and South …
Discussion:
Calculated Risk, Hot Air, The Big Picture and Moneyland
Matt Schneider / Mediaite:
GOP Rep. Walsh Yells At Chris Matthews: 'Obama Doesn't Send A Thrill Up My Leg' — Add today's debate between Chris Matthews and Republican Congressman Joe Walsh to the Hardball hall of fame for the most exciting and in-your-face political discussions ever recorded.
Discussion:
Breitbart.tv and The Gateway Pundit
Bloomberg:
Romney as Job Creator Clashes with Bain Record of Job Cuts — Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's campaign misses few opportunities to promote his record creating jobs, including his role in taking Staples Inc. (SPLS) from a start-up to the world's largest office-supply retailer.
Discussion:
Politics
Steve Lohr / New York Times:
U.S. to Close 800 Computer Data Centers — The federal government plans to shut 40 percent of its computer centers over the next four years to reduce its hefty technology budget and modernize the way it uses computers to manage data and provide services to citizens.
Discussion:
Prairie Weather and New York Magazine, more at Techmeme »
Timothy Geithner / Wall Street Journal:
A Dodd-Frank Retreat Deserves a Veto — Only six congressional Republicans crossed the aisle to support reform one year ago. The GOP is still working to thwart change. — Two and a half years ago, with our country on the edge of a second Great Depression, we met with the president …
Discussion:
Cato @ Liberty, The Politico, Money & Company and Politics
Jennifer Epstein / The Politico:
Finally, Minnesota open for business — Minnesota's legislature approved a budget deal in the early hours of Wednesday morning that will end the state's 20-day government shutdown - the longest ever in a state - once Gov. Mark Dayton signs it later in the day.
Discussion:
CNN
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Carol Williams / L.A. NOW:
Man's call for Obama assassination is free speech, not crime, court rules — A La Mesa man who posted racial epithets and a call to “shoot” Barack Obama on an Internet chat site was engaging in constitutionally protected free speech, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday in overturning his criminal conviction.
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Confederate Yankee