Top Items:
Sahil Kapur / tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com:
TPMDC — McConnell: GOP Will Fight To Let ANY Employer Deny Birth Control Coverage — Not satisfied with President Obama's new religious accommodation, Republicans will move forward with legislation by Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) that permits any employer to deny birth control coverage …
RELATED:
Mike Lillis / The Hill:
McConnell: Birth-control debate will continue until Obama ‘backs down’
McConnell: Birth-control debate will continue until Obama ‘backs down’
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, White House.gov Blog, Bark Bark Woof Woof, Booman Tribune, Los Angeles Times and Washington Wire
Jake Tapper / ABCNEWS:
WH Chief of Staff Errs on Senate Budget Rules
WH Chief of Staff Errs on Senate Budget Rules
Discussion:
Campaign 2012, Betsy's Page and ThinkProgress
Charles Johnson / Little Green Footballs:
Now the GOP Wants to Permit Any Employer to Deny Contraception Coverage
ABCNEWS:
‘This Week’ Transcript: Jack Lew, Paul Ryan and Rick Santorum
‘This Week’ Transcript: Jack Lew, Paul Ryan and Rick Santorum
Discussion:
Althouse and Washington Post
Leigh Ann Caldwell / CBS News:
W.H. official: Contraceptive rule stands
W.H. official: Contraceptive rule stands
Discussion:
American Spectator, US Politics, Brilliant at Breakfast and CNS Blog
Tucker Carlson / The Daily Caller:
Inside Media Matters: Sources, memos reveal erratic behavior, close coordination with White House and news organizations — This is the first in a Daily Caller investigative series on Media Matters For America. Daily Caller reporters Alex Pappas and Will Rahn contributed to this report.
Discussion:
Taylor Marsh, Atlas Shrugs, FishbowlDC, TBogg and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog
Reuters:
Greek lawmakers pass austerity bill as Athens burns — (Reuters) - Greece's parliament approved a deeply unpopular austerity bill Monday to secure a second EU/IMF bailout and avoid national bankruptcy, as buildings burned across central Athens and violence spread around the country.
Discussion:
Power Line and The Raw Story
RELATED:
New York Times:
Greek Parliament Passes Austerity Plan as Riots Rage — ATHENS — After violent protests left dozens of buildings aflame in Athens, the Greek Parliament voted early on Monday to approve a package of harsh austerity measures demanded by the country's foreign lenders in exchange for new loans to keep Greece from defaulting on its debt.
Discussion:
The Confluence, Mish's Global Economic …, Guardian, The Raw Story and Runnin' Scared
BBC:
Greek MPs pass austerity plan amid violent protests — The BBC's Mark Lowen: “It was some of the worst violence Athens had seen for months” — Greece's parliament has passed a controversial package of austerity measures, demanded by the eurozone and IMF in return for a 130bn-euro ($170bn; £110bn) bailout to avoid default.
Discussion:
naked capitalism, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS and Suburban Guerrilla
Trip Gabriel / New York Times:
Gingrich Money Hunt Faces Obstacles — Newt Gingrich recently joined Gov. Rick Perry of Texas on a conference call with more than 50 “bundlers” who had powered Mr. Perry's formidable campaign-cash machine. — Mr. Perry asked his top financial rainmakers to raise money for Mr. Gingrich …
Discussion:
GOP 12, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Bark Bark Woof Woof and The Page
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
Severe Conservative Syndrome — Mitt Romney has a gift for words — self-destructive words. On Friday he did it again, telling the Conservative Political Action Conference that he was a “severely conservative governor.” — As Molly Ball of The Atlantic pointed out, Mr. Romney “described conservatism as if it were a disease.”
Discussion:
Bark Bark Woof Woof, Daily Kos and Prairie Weather
John Hinderaker / Power Line:
Cronyism 101 — I wrote about my participation in the Koch brothers' semi-annual seminar in Palm Springs two weekends ago here. Along with Peter Schweizer, I did a presentation on cronyism. My speech focused on corporate cronyism, while Peter's centered on the sort of political cronyism …
Discussion:
Balloon Juice
Charles Johnson / Little Green Footballs:
Fox News Commenters Respond to Whitney Houston's Death With Deluge of Hatred and Racism — I don't even know what to say about this any more. There's a real sickness running rampant in the right wing; the Fox News comment thread on Whitney Houston's death is yet another disgusting deluge …
Discussion:
Balloon Juice, Towleroad News #gay and Alternate Brain
RELATED:
E.J. Dionne Jr / Washington Post:
Contraception and the cost of culture wars — Politicized culture wars are debilitating because they almost always require partisans to denigrate the moral legitimacy of their opponents, and sometimes to deny their very humanity. It's often not enough to defeat a foe.
John Bresnahan / Politico:
Ethics issues tarnish congressional image — The 112th Congress is the most unpopular ever, but is it the most corrupt? — The dire headlines about bad behavior by members of Congress are everywhere: At least a dozen House members are under investigation for ethical or potential criminal charges …
Discussion:
The Page