Top Items:


Wonkbook: Republicans have won. But can they stop there? — (YURI GRIPAS - REUTERS) We don't yet know what the final deal to raise the debt ceiling will be. But now that Harry Reid is developing a proposal with $2.7 trillion in cuts and nothing in revenues, it's a safe bet that it won't include any tax increases.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Don Surber, Betsy's Page, Washington Wire, Swampland, TPMDC, The Hill, The Heritage Foundation and Balloon Juice
RELATED:

EXCLUSIVE: What Boehner said to the caucus — From a source familiar with the call, this is what House Speaker John Boehner told House Republicans on Sunday: … That suggests to me that the House Republicans will pass a bill, send it to the Senate and let the Democrats decide if they want to send the country into default.
Discussion:
Booman Tribune, Don Surber, Politics, Taegan Goddard's …, Babalú Blog, The Lonely Conservative, msnbc.com, Hot Air, The Right Scoop, Shakesville, The Hill and The Politico

White House stokes debt-ceiling crisis — A Republican aide e-mails me: “The Speaker, Sen. Reid and Sen. McConnell all agreed on the general framework of a two-part plan. A short-term increase (with cuts greater than the increase), combined with a committee to find long-term savings …
Discussion:
The Politico, Hot Air, Pundit & Pundette, Poor Richard's News, Pajamas Media, CNN and The Gateway Pundit

First Thoughts: Finger-pointing, posturing, and politics — Another week of finger-pointing, posturing, and politics?... Boehner to introduce his $3 trillion two-step plan at 2:00 pm ET ($1.2 trillion in cuts for a temporary debt-ceiling extension, following by a bipartisan committee to come …
Discussion:
Washington Post and Mother Jones

Bill would force Obama to pay Social Security, military if US defaults — Tea Party conservatives hope to make a push on the House floor to force President Obama to avoid a national default if Congress fails to raise the debt limit. — Members of the Senate Tea Party Caucus have met …
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Mahablog, Balloon Juice, The Gateway Pundit, The Politico and RedState


Our stupid self-inflicted debt crisis
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, current.com, MN Progressive Project and Guardian

Obama takes political, policy gamble on ‘big deal’
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Hullabaloo, The Hankster, AMERICAblog News, The Impolitic, The Politico and Paul Krugman

Barack the Mad — The American presidency comes off the rails.
Discussion:
And So it Goes in Shreveport, Doug Ross, The Lonely Conservative, No More Mister Nice Blog and The Hill

Speaker Boehner's Big Gamble
Discussion:
NationalJournal.com, Taegan Goddard's … and The Hill

Harry Reid Calls House Republicans' Bluff
Discussion:
TPMDC and Talking Points Memo

BLACK MONDAY? Obama's Debt-Ceiling Crisis Strategy Could Sink Wall Street

Reid to offer $2.7T deficit cutting plan
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Chicago Tribune and Hot Air

Two sides craft debt plans before deadline
Discussion:
James Pethokoukis and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

U.S. Stock Futures Decline After Lawmakers Fail to Reach Debt-Ceiling Deal
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, TPMDC, Booman Tribune and odd time signatures

Boehner, Reid key to path out of debt crisis
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog, Online NewsHour, Washington Post, Taylor Marsh and Washington Monthly


Killings in Norway Spotlight Anti-Muslim Thought in U.S. — The suspect behind the attacks in Norway said he believed multiculturalism to be a threat. Here, mourners at Oslo Cathedral. More Photos » — The man accused of the killing spree in Norway was deeply influenced …
RELATED:

Why the European Right Can't Be Blamed for the Attacks in Norway
Discussion:
New York Times, The Reaction, loonwatch.com and Instapundit

Norway suspect borrowed from Unabomber's manifesto
Discussion:
Connecting.the.Dots and Weasel Zippers

Inside the Mind of the Oslo Murderer
Discussion:
Towleroad News #gay

The Hill Poll: Most voters see media as biased and unethical — Likely voters hold a dismal view of the news media, generally regarding reporters as biased, unethical and too close to the politicians they purport to cover, according to a new poll for The Hill.
Discussion:
Red Dog Report, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, NewsBusters.org and JammieWearingFool

Palin doc headed for PPV as ticket sales plummet — LOS ANGELES (TheWrap) - With its Sarah Palin documentary “The Undefeated” increasing its playdates by 40 percent this weekend, only to watch box office revenue decline by more than 63 percent, distributor Arc Entertainment announced Sunday …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Ben Smith's Blog, GOP 12 and Outside the Beltway


Wu won't resign; Pelosi seeks probe — Embattled Rep. David Wu will not seek reelection in 2012, but he won't resign from office now despite allegations that the Oregon Democrat had an “unwanted sexual encounter” with the teenage daughter of a close friend last Thanksgiving.
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Hot Air, Oregonian, Mediaite, americanthinker.com, Weasel Zippers, The Raw Story, Washington Post and Gawker
RELATED:

Rep. David Wu won't resign, won't run again, will face ethics investigation
Discussion:
Power Line, OpenSecrets.org, USA Today and National Review

Some Republicans in Congress Once Argued Against Short-Term Solutions - They Were Right — Despite warnings that a short-term extension could lead to a credit downgrade and higher interest rates resulting in a tax increase on every American, Republicans in Congress continue to push for a …
Discussion:
The Politico, USA Today and ThinkProgress
RELATED:

U.S. trucking funds reach Taliban, military-led investigation concludes — A year-long military-led investigation has concluded that U.S. taxpayer money has been indirectly funneled to the Taliban under a $2.16 billion transportation contract that the United States has funded in part to promote Afghan businesses.
Discussion:
The Jawa Report, The Heritage Foundation, Moonbattery and Marine Corps Times
RELATED:

Report: U.S. aid diverted to Taliban
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and The Western Experience


Rick Perry Eyes Late August Campaign Launch — Texas Gov. Rick Perry is all but certain to launch a presidential campaign and is nearing an announcement set for the second half of August, according to sources familiar with his political team's planning. — For months, Republican activists …


The Secret-Keeper — On the eve of her 101st birthday, reclusive philanthropist Bunny Mellon, the wealthy zelig who cavorted with Kennedys and stood by John Edwards, talks exclusively to Meryl Gordon about life with Paul, her famous friends, and the secrets buried in her gardens.
Discussion:
The Politico, Taegan Goddard's … and Ben Smith's Blog


The Maid's Tale — She was paid to clean up after the rich and powerful. Then she walked into Dominique Strauss-Kahn's room—and a global scandal. Now she tells her story. — “Hello? Housekeeping.” — The maid hovered in the suite's large living room, just inside the entrance.
Discussion:
Pajamas Media, Feministing, ABCNEWS, TalkLeft, New York Times, The Politico, The Raw Story, Runnin' Scared and Media Decoder, more at Mediagazer »
RELATED:

Strauss-Kahn Accuser: ‘I Want Justice’
Discussion:
New York Times and Gawker

Obama administration's charm offensive fails to win over business groups — The Obama administration's push to mend its relationship with business has gone cold only six months into the effort. — Complaints abound about the regulations pouring out of federal agencies to implement …
Discussion:
Red Dog Report and Right Wing News

Messing With Medicare — At the time of writing, President Obama's hoped-for “Grand Bargain” with Republicans is apparently dead. And I say good riddance. I'm no more eager than other rational people (a category that fails to include many Congressional Republicans) to see what happens if the debt limit isn't raised.
Discussion:
The Incidental Economist and Prairie Weather