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Obama plan: Destroy Romney — Barack Obama's aides and advisers are preparing to center the president's re-election campaign on a ferocious personal assault on Mitt Romney's character and business background, a strategy grounded in the early stage expectation that the former Massachusetts governor is the likely GOP nominee.
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Firedoglake, Fox News, msnbc.com, Politics, No More Mister Nice Blog, YID With LID, Washington Post, Washington Monthly, The Raw Story, Gawker, Ben Smith's Blog, The New Republic, Balloon Juice, Pajamas Media, The Daily Caller, emptywheel, Mediaite, NewsBusters.org blogs, New York Magazine, Eunomia, Hot Air, Swampland, Questions and Observations, Indecision Forever, Connecting.the.Dots, Outside the Beltway, Neptunus Lex, Weasel Zippers, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Daily Dish, The Note, AmSpecBlog, The Lonely Conservative, Towleroad News #gay, TPMDC, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, GOP 12, CNN and New York Times
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Obama's 2008 Hope Morphs Into 2012 Slash-and-Burn
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Salon and Pajamas Media


Impeach Obama, says Michael Burgess — Burgess, center, wants to impeach Barack Obama to stop him from ‘pushing his agenda.’ — Impeaching President Barack Obama “needs to happen,” Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) told a local tea party group, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported Tuesday.
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PoliTex, Indecision Forever, Weasel Zippers and The Daily Dish
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Burgess meets with unhappy Tea Party group — KELLER — Hours after the Dow Jones industrial average closed down more than 600 points Monday, U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Lewisville, heard from local conservatives who were unhappy that he supported legislation that many believed led to the calamitous day on Wall Street.
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, ThinkProgress, Washington Monthly, TPMDC and nation.foxnews.com

Sen. McCain won't apologize for ‘Tea Party hobbits’ comment
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers

CNN Poll: Time to clean house in Congress? — Washington (CNN) - Need more evidence that Americans are extremely angry at Congress? — Well, here you go: According to a new national survey, for the first time ever most Americans don't believe their own member of Congress deserves re-election.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, ThinkProgress, Taegan Goddard's …, The Politico, The Hill, Prairie Weather, TPMDC and Talking Points Memo
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On the Defense Over the Debt Deal, McConnell Says He's ‘Very Close’ to Super Committee Picks
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Hill and Washington Monthly

Cantor pushes intransigence, hopes to prove S&P right
Discussion:
Daily Kos, Washington Post and The Hill


About that plane over S&P — Who sent an aerial message to Wall Street? — Courtesy of NY Observer — Earlier today, a plane flew over S&P headquarters trailing a banner that read: … Fortune has learned that the person who paid to fly the banner is a Midwestern broker …
Discussion:
Wonkette, FT Alphaville and The Raw Story
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Single Mother from St. Louis Flying Banner Over Lower Manhattan: 'Thanks For The Downgrade. You Should All Be Fired.' (UPDATED) — YOU SHOULD ALL BE FIRED." Pictures and more sightings are beginning to emerge. Full image below: — The S&P offices are in the McGraw Hill building at 96 Water Street …
Discussion:
Money & Company, Mogulite and New York Magazine


As Rioting Widens, Cameron Deploys 10,000 More Police — By ALAN COWELL, RAVI SOMAIYA and JOHN F. BURNS — LONDON — Prime Minister David Cameron pledged on Tuesday to flood the streets of London with 10,000 extra police officers and said Parliament would be recalled in emergency session …
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The most powerful man on Earth? — A familiar air of indecision preceded President Obama's pep talk to the nation. — The first draft of his schedule for Monday contained no plans to comment on the downgrading of the U.S. credit rating by Standard & Poor's.
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While the Markets Swoon ... It's hard not to feel a certain contempt …
Discussion:
Hit & Run, Washington Post, AmSpecBlog, The Atlantic Online, The Politico, Scared Monkeys, Global Public Square, CNNMoney.com and The Hill


Is Obama Smart? — A case study in stupid is as stupid does. — The aircraft was large, modern and considered among the world's safest. But that night it was flying straight into a huge thunderstorm. Turbulence was extreme, and airspeed indicators may not have been functioning properly.
Discussion:
The Anchoress, UrbanGrounds, Hot Air, The Daily Dish, Wizbang, National Review, The Glittering Eye, The New Republic, Betsy's Page and Shakesville

For immediate release — Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in June indicates that economic growth so far this year has been considerably slower than the Committee had expected. Indicators suggest a deterioration in overall labor market conditions in recent months, and the unemployment rate has moved up.

The Day of Reckoning in Wisconsin Recall Fight — Outside groups, finger-pointing and acrimony have nearly eclipsed the original reason six state senators face voters today — Wisconsin is tired of standing. — First the state was told to “Stand with Walker.” — Ever since then, it's been “Stand with Rob Cowles.”
Discussion:
The Colorado Independent, The Agonist, Cognitive Dissidence and We Are Wisconsin
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The Wisconsin recall vacuum
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New York Times, The Maddow Blog, A plain blog about politics, Washington Wire, Politics K-12 and FrumForum

Inside the Wisconsin Recall's Massive Get-Out-the-Vote Machine
Discussion:
JSOnline, Wonkette, ThinkProgress and Mother Jones

The bullets yet to be fired to stop the crisis — Four years into the financial crisis, it is becoming increasingly clear that the biggest deficit is not in credit, but credibility. Markets can adjust to a downgrade of global growth, but they cannot cope with a spiralling loss of confidence …
Discussion:
EconLog, The Glittering Eye, AMERICAN FUTURE and Rortybomb
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Why This Crisis Differs From the 2008 Version
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, New York Times and New York Magazine

US scolds Israel over new construction plans … WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration says it is “deeply concerned” by Israeli approval of new housing construction in disputed east Jerusalem. — The State Department says such “unilateral actions work against efforts to resume direct negotiations” …
Discussion:
Agence France Presse, ThinkProgress and Weasel Zippers
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Obama's job approval — President Obama's job approval rating is 50% or higher in 16 states and D.C. Roll over each state to see how each rated Obama. The darker the shade of the state, the higher his overall approval rating. — Source: Gallup — WASHINGTON — Another “wave” …


Bachmann's ‘Must-Read’ List Included A Book That Claims Blacks Were ‘Better Off In Nearly Every Way’ Under Slavery — Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann (R) has already made one slavery-related gaffe during her presidential campaign, signing a pledge produced by the Iowa FAMiLY LEADER …
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, FrumForum, Via Meadia, Swampland and Joe. My. God.

Mr. Cool turns cold — In her autobiography, Helen Gahagan Douglas recalled telling President Franklin D. Roosevelt about her visits to the camps of migrant workers. She was especially poignant about the children and their lack of Christmas toys when the president tried to stop her.
Discussion:
JustOneMinute, Big Government, Balloon Juice, AMERICAblog News, Hot Air, Presidential Power, Liberal Values and Hit & Run

Philadelphia mayor talks tough to black teenagers after ‘flash mobs’ — ** FILE ** In this March 20, 2010, photo, young people run down South Street during a flash mob incident that involved thousands and closed the street to traffic from Front Street to Broad in Philadelphia.
Discussion:
The Anchoress, JSOnline, blogs.telegraph.co.uk, Althouse and Vox Popoli


London riots: Theresa May rejects calls for water cannon — Theresa May this morning rejected growing pressure to deploy water cannon against London's rioters, insisting that “the way we police is by consent.” — The Home Secretary appeared to rule out sending water cannon or the Army onto …
Discussion:
Daily Mail, Sister Toldjah, Guardian, Oliver Willis, National Review, Europe and Pajamas Media


Obama Cancels Schedule to Meet Returned Bodies of Fallen Soldiers — President Obama will travel to Dover Air Force base later on Tuesday to honor the 22 Navy SEALs and eight other American troops killed in Afghanistan on Saturday when an insurgent shot down their helicopter …
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, msnbc.com and The Page


Obama's penchant for speeches now sounding hollower by the word — This is the 931st day of the Barack Obama presidency. — Yesterday Obama gave a strange statement to the media. He'd been away on another mini-vacation at Camp David. So, it was left to aides and Treasury Secy.
Discussion:
Don Surber