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GOP in chaos — Scrambling for votes on his troubled deficit package, Speaker John Boehner bluntly told wavering GOP lawmakers Wednesday morning to “get your ass in line” behind his debt ceiling bill. — Boehner predicted Senate Democrats will fold and pass the Boehner debt bill if it can get through the House.
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A Time for Choosing — To govern is to choose. To vote is to choose. To vote against John Boehner on the House floor this week in the biggest showdown of the current Congress is to choose to vote with Nancy Pelosi. To vote against Boehner is to choose to support Barack Obama.

GOPers chant ‘fire him’ at Paul Teller — House Republicans on Wednesday morning were calling for the firing of the Republican Study Committee top staffer after he was caught sending e-mails to conservative groups urging them to pressure GOP lawmakers to vote against a debt proposal from Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio).
Discussion:
The Note, Michelle Malkin, nation.foxnews.com, TPMDC, The Raw Story, The Daily Caller, Oliver Willis, The New Republic, iOwnTheWorld.com and CNN

McCain Blasts Tea Party for ‘Foolish’ Demands in Debt Debate — ABC News' Sunlen Miller (@sunlenmiller) reports: — As Speaker of the House John Boehner is looking for votes on his House debt bill, one Senate Republican sent a strong message to the Tea Party block in the House and Senate …
Discussion:
The Politico, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Little Green Footballs, The Hill, Taegan Goddard's … and Politics


Reid plan's savings trump Boehner's — In the battle of budget scores, the Senate Democrats' deficit reduction bill is the clear leader thus far over an alternative by Speaker John Boehner, which had to be pulled back from the floor Tuesday night for retooling.

McCain vs. the Tea Party — Is the old John McCain back? — The fiery, independent version of the Republican senator from Arizona took to the floor of the Senate Wednesday morning. Demanding “straight talk,” Mr. McCain accused conservative opponents of the House Republican leader's plan of abandoning reason in the debt fight.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Hit & Run, Outside the Beltway, Gawker, Nice Deb and Balloon Juice

Ben Affleck Reacts To House GOP Using Clip From ‘The Town’ In Debt Debate … WASHINGTON — Heads turned a bit on Tuesday night when the Washington Post reported that House Republicans were using a scene from the movie “The Town” as a motivational vignette to encourage members to back Speaker John Boehner's (R-Ohio) debt ceiling plan.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, USA Today, Big Hollywood, TPMDC and Washington Post


Boehner: ‘A Lot’ Of Republicans Want To Force Default, Create ‘Enough Chaos’ To Pass Balanced Budget Amendment — House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said today that some members of his own caucus who are refusing to agree to a compromise debt ceiling deal are hoping to unleash “chaos” …
Discussion:
Balloon Juice and Sky Dancing

Quote of the Day — House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) is obviously scrambling to secure as much Republican support for his budget plan as possible, and took his sales pitch to Laura Ingraham's radio show this morning. One line in particular stood out:
Discussion:
The Hill, The Hill, A plain blog about politics and Daily Kos

Dem lawmaker: ‘Nobody I know’ has seen Reid plan — A House Democrat indicated Wednesday that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) might not have Democrat votes locked down for his deficit proposal. — “I'm not going to commit to something that nobody I know has seen and had a chance to analyze …
Discussion:
The Politico


The GOP's Reality Test — Republicans who oppose Boehner's debt deal are playing into Obama's hands. — The debt-limit debate is heading toward a culmination, with President Obama reduced to pleading for the public to support a tax increase and Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority …


House Republicans delay vote on Boehner debt plan
Discussion:
The Note, CNN, Weigel, Talking Points Memo, National Review, Big Government, ThinkProgress, Salon, Taylor Marsh, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, Wonkette, Taegan Goddard's …, Washington Monthly, Mediaite, Gawker, Hullabaloo, Outside the Beltway, AMERICAblog News, Daily Kos, Booman Tribune and Dependable Renegade

House Republicans Psyche Themselves Up By Watching Ben Affleck Prepare To Beat Some Guys Up
Discussion:
The Reaction

The Clearest Sign Yet That Boehner's Bill Will Pass the House
Discussion:
Prairie Weather and msnbc.com

No House Dems will vote for Boehner plan, aide says
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Outside the Beltway, Donklephant, Daily Kos, Associated Press, The Politico, Weasel Zippers and The Hill

Hope For Boehner? Some House Conservatives Closing Ranks On Debt Limit Bill
Discussion:
Firedoglake, FiveThirtyEight, Crooks and Liars, Hullabaloo, Talking Points Memo, The Politico, Harry's Place and The New Republic

After Aiding Republicans, Business Groups Press Them on Debt Ceiling
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, The Impolitic, Washington Monthly, Prairie Weather, Daily Kos, AMERICAblog News and The BLT

Dem leaders: GOP using ‘vitriol’ in debt debate by showing Affleck clip
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers

McCain rips lawmakers demanding amendment to balance the budget
Discussion:
Connecting.the.Dots

Conservative Caucus Apologizes for Emails Attacking Boehner Plan
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit

Boehner Issues Blunt Warning to Dissenters to Back Plan
Discussion:
The Caucus and The Mahablog

Republicans Dress Down Jim Jordan, RSC Aide
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo

House Democrats urge Obama to invoke the 14th Amendment in debt fight — House Democratic leaders are calling on President Obama to invoke the 14th Amendment and raise the debt ceiling without congressional input. — Addressing the House Democratic Caucus on Wednesday morning …
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Big Government and The Daily Hurricane
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Clyburn: Invoke the 14th Amendment
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Taylor Marsh and Weasel Zippers

U.S. officials believe al-Qaeda on brink of collapse — U.S. counterterrorism officials are increasingly convinced that the killing of Osama bin Laden and the toll of seven years of CIA drone strikes have pushed al-Qaeda to the brink of collapse. — The assessment reflects a widespread view …
Discussion:
Top of the Ticket, Salon, Outside the Beltway, Via Meadia, The Jawa Report and Reuters

What Does Wall Street Want? — I've been having some disturbing conversations with both finance people and Washington people over the last few days, that have only confirmed the disconnect I wrote about a few weeks ago. Each side is sending signals that the other side is not reading correctly.
Discussion:
Vox Popoli


50 Most Beautiful People for 2011 — It's no accident that Amy Cheng exhibits model-like poise in front of a camera. Growing up, her family would spend time outside their Chinese restaurant taking photos of one another in a park, and later on, Cheng would pose for her younger sister …
Discussion:
Wonkette, FishbowlDC and The Daily Caller


G.D. Spradlin, Prolific Character Actor, Dies at 90 — G. D. Spradlin, whose experience as a corporate lawyer, independent oilman and rancher influenced his nuanced portrayals of authority figures in more than 70 films and television shows, including “The Godfather: Part II” and “Apocalypse Now …
Discussion:
Althouse


Clinton tries to stop House aid bill — Clinton says the measure ‘would be debilitating to my efforts.’ — Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is urging a group of House Republicans to give up their push for a bill that would slash payments to the United Nations and limit aid to Egypt …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers
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Clinton, in letter, blasts bill restricting foreign aid
Discussion:
CFR.org

Romney Leads Field of Announced GOP Candidates — Perry would be more competitive with Romney than Palin, Giuliani — PRINCETON, NJ — Mitt Romney is the leader for the GOP nomination among the current field of official candidates, supported by 27% of Republicans, compared with 18% for Michele Bachmann.


Stinger: James O'Keefe's Greatest Hits — The temperature was hovering near 90 degrees on the afternoon of Memorial Day when James O'Keefe III emerged from the woods and ambled over to my car. He was tall and thin, with pale skin and matted reddish hair. When his mug shot ran in the papers …
Discussion:
Big Journalism, Althouse and The Awl

The Guilty Parties — There's actually a simple way to resolve the debt ceiling crisis: non-crazy Republican leaders could support something like the Reid plan — which is, let's be clear, a huge victory for the right and defeat for progressives — and pass it with limited GOP support and overwhelming Democratic support.
Discussion:
TalkLeft and Balloon Juice