memeorandum: Tele-Abortions Gain Traction in Iowa (Susan Donaldson James/ABCNEWS)

4:25 PM ET, July 28, 2011

Top Items:

Payback may be coming for congressman's ‘disloyalty’ — U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan's open defiance of Speaker John Boehner's efforts to solve the debt-ceiling crisis could cost the Urbana Republican his safe seat in next year's election. — Two Republican sources deeply involved in configuring …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Hotline On Call, RedState, The Right Scoop and Booman Tribune

First Read / msnbc.com:

First Thoughts: In retreat — Dems in retreat... They draw another line in the sand, but will we see another concession?... Democrats reply: They might be losing this negotiating battle, but they could end up winning the larger war... Today's House vote on the Boehner bill is expected early this evening …

Discussion: The Atlantic Wire, Ben Smith's Blog, Washington Monthly, New York Times, The Hill, JustOneMinute, NationalJournal.com, iOwnTheWorld.com, No More Mister Nice Blog, Questions and Observations, Iowa Caucuses, Associated Press, The Daily Hurricane and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

The Politico:

Debt ceiling vote: John Boehner down to the wire with vote count — John Boehner is down to the one-on-one meetings with Republicans. — With just hours to go before a critical debt limit vote, the speaker is pulling Republicans off the floor and meeting with them in his ceremonial office …

Discussion: The Note, The Hill, CNN, PERRspectives, PolitickerNY, Ben Smith's Blog, Booman Tribune, The Reid Report, Outside the Beltway, The Camp Of The Saints, The Gavel, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, The Other McCain, Hotline On Call, The Page and The Hill

Pew Research Center for the People and the Press:

Obama Loses Ground in 2012 Reelection Bid — In GOP, Romney Leads, Attentive Like Perry, Bachmann Most Visible — OVERVIEW — The sizeable lead Barack Obama held over a generic Republican opponent in polls conducted earlier this year has vanished as his support among independent voters has fallen off.

Discussion: Hot Air, New Deal 2.0, CNN, Taegan Goddard's … and Hotline On Call

David Rogers / The Politico:

Biden, McConnell look for way out — Taking square aim at the White House, Republicans prepared to bring to a House vote Thursday a two-step $2.5 trillion debt ceiling bill that will avert default next week but threatens more conflict — and renewed instability — in six months.

Discussion: CNN, The Caucus, The New Republic, USA Today, The Hill, NY Daily News, Washington Post, New York Times, The Note, Global Public Square, Taylor Marsh, Washington Monthly, Outside the Beltway and The Page

Peter Schroeder / The Hill:
House to cast vote on Boehner debt-ceiling bill after markets close

Discussion: The Politico, The Hill, Ballot Box, Americans for Tax Reform RSS, Wake up America, Firedoglake, Bearing Drift, Booman Tribune and AMERICAblog News

Dan Friedman / NationalJournal.com:
Reid Says Senate Will Vote On Boehner Plan After House Thursday Night

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and HotAirPundit

ThinkProgress:
ThinkProgress Vote Count: 23 House Republicans Publicly Oppose Boehner Plan

Discussion: Daily Kos and Washington Monthly

Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
House Republicans Unprepared For Senate Rejection Of Boehner Debt Limit Plan

Discussion: CNN, The Hill, Hot Air, AMERICAblog News, Daily Kos and Salon, more at Mediagazer »

Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
Reid: Senate Dems Will Defeat Boehner Plan Tonight

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Hot Air, The Daily Caller, Daily Kos, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and New York Times

Suzy Khimm / Washington Post:
If Boehner's bill passes, what happens next?

Discussion: Washington Monthly, TPMDC, A plain blog about politics, RedState, Daily Kos and Crooks and Liars

James Taylor / Yahoo! News:

New NASA Data Blow Gaping Hole In Global Warming Alarmism — NASA satellite data from the years 2000 through 2011 show the Earth's atmosphere is allowing far more heat to be released into space than alarmist computer models have predicted, reports a new study in the peer-reviewed science journal Remote Sensing.

Discussion: Power Line, Michelle Malkin, Hot Air, Red Dog Report, Wizbang, Questions and Observations, The Lonely Conservative and Moonbattery

Rpielke / Climate Science:

New Paper “On the Misdiagnosis Of Surface Temperature Feedbacks From Variations In Earth's Radiant Energy Balance" By Spencer and Braswell 2011 — There is a new paper published which raises further questions on the robustness of multi-decadal global climate predictions. It is

Discussion: JustOneMinute, YID With LID and Pajamas Media

Fox News:

EXCLUSIVE: AWOL Soldier Arrested Over Concerns of Possible Second Attack On Fort Hood — At least one U.S. military serviceman has been arrested after raising concerns over another possible attack on Fort Hood, Fox News has learned exclusively. — Pvt. Nasser Jason Abdo …

J. David Goodman / The Lede:
Soldier's Arrest Revives Fear at Fort Hood

Discussion: AmSpecBlog, The Atlantic Online and Pajamas Media

Marie Diamond / ThinkProgress:

Rep. Joe Walsh Defends Not Paying $117,000 In Child Support: ‘This Is Where Real America Is’ — Last night the Chicago Sun-Times broke the story that Tea Party freshman Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL), who has spent months lecturing President Obama and Democrats on fiscal responsibility …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Washington Post, Crooks and Liars, USA Today, The Daily Caller, Suburban Guerrilla, Ballot Box, Taylor Marsh and The Daily Hurricane

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
Joe Walsh and the virtues of fiscal responsibility

Discussion: Salon and Wonkette

Reid J. Epstein / The Politico:
Joe Walsh sued for $117K in child support

Discussion: Lynn Sweet, CNN and Daily Kos

FRC Blog:

Texas Gov. Rick Perry: “Obviously gay marriage is not fine with me...” — Last week in Aspen, Colorado, Gov. Rick Perry of Texas addressed New York's new same-sex marriage law by saying “That's New York, and that's their business, and that's fine with me...”

Discussion: ThinkProgress, The Note, Politics, Equality Matters, TPMDC, NOM Blog, Joe. My. God. and Towleroad News #gay

The Note:
Court Allows Rick Perry to Participate in Prayer Event

Discussion: The Politico

CNN:
Texas Gov. Perry: ‘Gay marriage is not fine with me’

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Judson Phillips / Washington Post:

Why the Tea Party is unyielding on the debt ceiling — The liberal media have gone to warp speed in their defense of President Obama and their attacks on the Tea Party. We are “extreme” and “dangerous.” Republicans are “afraid of” the Tea Party. And more.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Politico, The Agonist, ThinkProgress, Outside the Beltway, Wake up America, The Reid Report and The Daily Caller

The Politico:

Rand Paul: 'I'd rather be a hobbit than a troll' — The “Lord of the Rings” metaphors crept into the debt-limit fight on Thursday, as tea-party heroes fired back at Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) who mocked members of the conservative grassroots movement as “tea-party hobbits.”

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Washington Post, Salt Lake Tribune, Weasel Zippers and The Caucus

Ginger Gibson / New Jersey Online:

Gov. Christie is taken to hospital after having difficulty breathing — SOMERVILLE — Gov. Chris Christie was hospitalized this morning after he complained of having trouble breathing, according to the governor's office. — A spokesman, Michael Drewniak, said Christie suffers from asthma …

Discussion: Red Dog Report, Ballot Box, CNN, The Daily Caller and Verum Serum

Fox News:
New Jersey Gov. Christie Rushed to Hospital With Breathing Problems

Discussion: National Review

Robert Kuttner:

Remember World War I — Like most American spectators watching this slow-motion train wreck of a budget disaster, I have assumed that at the last minute the damsel would be pulled off the track of the oncoming train. Somehow, the Republicans would appreciate the stakes, a compromise …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, The Politico and The Hill

The Daily Beast:
Obama Should Stop Being Reasonable

Discussion: The Atlantic Online and Grasping Reality …

Jay Solomon / Wall Street Journal:

U.S. Accuses Iran of Pact With al Qaeda — WASHINGTON—The U.S. for the first time formally accused Iran of forging an agreement with al Qaeda, helping operatives move money, arms and fighters through Iranian territory to the terrorist group's bases in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Discussion: Politics

The Note:
US accuses Iran of ‘secret’ deal with al Qaeda to send money & fighters to Afghanistan & Pakistan

Discussion: The Politico

Becky Bohrer / Yahoo! News:

APNewsBreak: Arctic scientist under investigation — JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A federal wildlife biologist whose observation in 2004 of presumably drowned polar bears in the Arctic helped to galvanize the global warming movement has been placed on administrative leave and is being investigated …

Discussion: blogs.telegraph.co.uk, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller, Weasel Zippers, The Lonely Conservative and JammieWearingFool

Thomas Lane / Talking Points Memo:

Whatever The Outcome Of The Debt Vote, The Age Of Austerity Is Here — Whatever the outcome of Thursday's projected House vote on Speaker Boehner's debt plan, this process has already ended the political life of one prominent member of the Washington establishment: John Maynard Keynes.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Firedoglake, Don Surber and Via Meadia

Paige Winfield Cunningham / Washington Times:

Health care law won't rein in costs, study says — Critics of Affordable Care Act cite government's own forecast — Despite President Obama's promises to rein in health care costs as part of his reform bill, health spending nationwide is expected to rise more than if the sweeping legislation had never become law.

Discussion: nation.foxnews.com, Sister Toldjah and Pirate's Cove

Tina Korbe / Hot Air:
New numbers, no surprise: Affordable Care Act anything but affordable

Discussion: White House.gov Blog, Healthwatch, Outside the Beltway and Red Dog Report

Susan Donaldson James / ABCNEWS:

Tele-Abortions Gain Traction in Iowa — A typical patient who walks into Planned Parenthood of the Heartland in Iowa isn't typical at all. She may older or younger, married or single, but she is usually confident in her decision to terminate a pregnancy. — Neither is her preferred method …

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Taylor Marsh, LifeNews.com and La Shawn Barber's Corner

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:

Bachmann Dodges Question On Ex-Gay Therapy: My Clinics Are ‘Not Running For The Presidency’ — Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) dodged a question about reports that her family's Christian counseling clinics practice “pray away the gay” reparative therapy during an appearance this afternoon at the National Press Club.

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Towleroad News #gay