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Why I Am Leaving Goldman Sachs — TODAY is my last day at Goldman Sachs. After almost 12 years at the firm — first as a summer intern while at Stanford, then in New York for 10 years, and now in London — I believe I have worked here long enough to understand the trajectory of its culture, its people and its identity.
Discussion:
Felix Salmon, The Jungle, CANNONFIRE, Hullabaloo, Deal Journal, The Hill, Sky Dancing, Business Week, DealBook, DownWithTyranny!, Brad DeLong, Guardian, The Huffington Post, FT Alphaville, Ed Driscoll, Telegraph, InvestorPlace, ThinkProgress, Chicago Boyz, msnbc.com, News Desk, The Big Picture, Politico, Liberal Values, Mother Jones, Business Insider, Wall Street Journal, Boing Boing, Economix, blogs.telegraph.co.uk, The Awl, Washington Monthly, Indecision Forever, Mashable!, The New Republic, The Agonist, Daniel W. Drezner, business.time.com, Jared Bernstein, ABCNEWS, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, Balloon Juice, Gawker, American Prospect, US Politics, kottke.org, The American Conservative, Marginal Revolution, Gothamist, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Booman Tribune
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Why I am leaving the Empire, by Darth Vader — TODAY is my last day at the Empire. — After almost 12 years, first as a summer intern, then in the Death Star and now in London, I believe I have worked here long enough to understand the trajectory of its culture, its people and its massive, genocidal space machines.


On Goldman Executive Greg Smith's Brave Departure — Wall Street is buzzing this morning about a resignation - a historic one. Greg Smith, the executive director and head of Goldman Sachs's United States equity derivatives business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, not only decided to quit Goldman …
Discussion:
Deal Journal, DealBook, New York Times, naked capitalism, ThinkProgress, Ezra Klein, The Huffington Post and Guardian


Goldman Sachs Mobilizes Rapid Smear Campaign Against Whistleblower — Today, Goldman Sachs employee Greg Smith excoriated the investment bank in a New York Times op-ed, resigning due to the banks “toxic and destructive” culture, one in which the bank's trading profits took precedence over its customers' financial well-being.
Discussion:
Firedoglake and Deal Journal

Public Exit From Goldman Raises Doubt Over a New Ethic
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, ThinkProgress, Outside the Beltway, The BLT and Truthdig


Santorum to Puerto Rico: Speak English if you want statehood — (Reuters) - Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum told Puerto Ricans on Wednesday they would have to make English their primary language if they want to pursue U.S. statehood, a statement at odds with the U.S. Constitution.
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Losing, Newt sets new goal: Keep Mitt from 1,144
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Ballot Box, ABCNEWS, Associated Press, Daily Kos, Power Line, The Daily Caller, Marbury, National Review, Wall Street Journal, Rasmussen Reports and New York Times

Not Closing the Deal — “In five years of campaigning …
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Other McCain, American Spectator, The Daily Caller, msnbc.com, GOP 12 and American Power

Santorum says Puerto Rico must adopt English as official language if it wants statehood
Discussion:
CNN

Obama up in NC, primary hinges on Newt
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Guardian and Outside the Beltway


House Republican Leaders Plan To Renege On Debt Ceiling Deal — Last week, Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) signaled during an interview with Fox Business that he was open to reneging on the budget deal the GOP crafted with Democrats last year during the debacle over raising the nation's debt ceiling.
Discussion:
The Impolitic and Hullabaloo
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Harry Reid, Mitch McConnell strike deal on judges
Discussion:
ThinkProgress and Washington Blade

House Republican leaders set to break US budget deal
Discussion:
Daily Kos, A plain blog about politics and Balloon Juice

Here we go again — Via Pat Garofalo, Reuters reports:
Discussion:
US Politics


Why Ron Paul May Cut a Deal With Mitt Romney — Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Ron Paul shake hands before the start of the first 2012 Republican presidential debate in Manchester, New Hampshire, June 13, 2011. — For Ron Paul, victory is finally in sight.
Discussion:
Hit & Run, No More Mister Nice Blog, Campaign 2012, Hot Air and The War Room …
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NBC pulls Ron Paul's last embed
Discussion:
Business Insider, Mediaite and Taylor Marsh, more at Mediagazer »


Republicans Losing on Birth Control as 77% in Poll Spurn Debate — Americans overwhelmingly regard the debate over President Barack Obama's policy on employer-provided contraceptive coverage as a matter of women's health, not religious freedom, rejecting Republicans' rationale for opposing the rule.
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250 words, ‘Republican war on women’ used 4 times
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and Hot Air

The Quit and the Dead — Pamela Geller was struck by that ad The New York Times ran the other day, “It's Time To Quit The Catholic Church”, an “open letter to ‘liberal’ and ‘nominal’ Catholics”. So she sent in her own ad, “It's Time To Quit Islam”, an “open letter to ‘moderate’ Muslims”.
Discussion:
Atlas Shrugs, The Volokh Conspiracy, iOwnTheWorld.com, Cold Fury, Vox Popoli and Jihad Watch
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Times nixes anti-Islam ad, runs anti-Catholic ad
Discussion:
Wake up America, Taylor Marsh, The Catholic League, iOwnTheWorld.com and Atlas Shrugs

The Villain — The left hates him. The right hates him even more. But Ben Bernanke saved the economy—and has navigated masterfully through the most trying of times. — THE U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE was founded 99 years ago, as a bulwark to the banking system and an antidote to its frequent runs and panics.
Discussion:
Modeled Behavior and Free exchange

EXCLUSIVE: CHRIS ROCK ATTACKS CONSERVATIVE AUTHOR OVER TEA PARTY QUESTION — The New York Times bestselling author of the explosive new book, Hollywood Hypocrites: The Devastating Truth About Obama's Biggest Backers, Jason Mattera, had his crew's camera snatched and hurled by comedian Chris Rock …
Discussion:
Mediaite, Hot Air, RedState, The Gateway Pundit, No More Mister Nice Blog and Michelle Malkin


Democrats Accuse Conservative News Outlet Of “Blackmail” — The Caller was, perhaps, leaning into the story a bit. Boyle stands by his warning. — The Democratic National Committee is at odds with the conservative Daily Caller over a reporter's threat as to how he would interpret an unreturned email.
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JIMROMENESKO.COM


Company Puts Obama's, Pelosi's Faces On ‘BastardBlaster’ Shooting Targets — Barack Obama , Nancy Pelosi , Sarah Palin , Video , Obama Shooting Target , Palin Shooting Target , Pelosi Shooting Target , Yipe Media , Yipe Media Shooting Targets , Politics News
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland


How Romney Gave Rick Santorum An Opening In Illinois — The frontrunner took his foot off Santorum's neck, and let him on the ballot. An “unnecessary problem” for the frontrunner, created by his ambitious state chairman. — Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford. — (AP / M. Spencer Green)
Discussion:
The Other McCain, RedState, Guardian and msnbc.com


U.N. to Investigate Voter I.D. Laws — This is really the last straw. It is time to get out of the United Nations: “UN rights council delves into US voter I.D. laws.” … That isn't treason, but it is disloyal; disgracefully so. … This is hilarious, in a black comedy sort of way:
Discussion:
Fox News, National Review and The Gateway Pundit


Exclusive: secret Bashar al-Assad emails lift lid on life of leader's inner circle — • Messages show Bashar al-Assad took advice from Iran — • Leader made light of promised reforms — • Wife spent thousands on jewellery and furniture — Bashar al-Assad took advice …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, FP Passport, msnbc.com, New York Magazine and Gawker

DNC slams Romney pledge to ‘get rid of’ Planned Parenthood funding — The DNC released a new Web ad Wednesday blasting Mitt Romney for saying he would “get rid of” federal funding for Planned Parenthood if elected president. — “Mitt Romney will say and do anything in his continued race to the far-right …
Discussion:
Politico, Taylor Marsh and The Maddow Blog
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Coulter on Palin, brokered convention: GOP has ‘a problem with con men and charlatans’ — Conservative columnist Ann Coulter, the author of “Demonic: How the Liberal Mob Is Endangering America,” took some shots at those seeking the limelight in the Republican Party and the conservative movement Monday night …
Discussion:
The Raw Story, Hot Air, Wonkette and The Shark Tank