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Romney's Tax Confusion — The candidate's response on the ObamaCare mandate reveals larger campaign problems. — If Mitt Romney loses his run for the White House, a turning point will have been his decision Monday to absolve President Obama of raising taxes on the middle class.
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Washington Post, Guardian, No More Mister Nice Blog, CBS News, Talking Points Memo, The Caucus, Washington Wire, CNN, Mediaite, New York Magazine, Business Insider, American Prospect, Washington Examiner, ABCNEWS, The Hill, Washington Monthly, Connecting.the.Dots, theGrio, Politico, Hot Air, Daily Kos, Politics News, Taylor Marsh, BuzzFeed, The Daily Dish, TheBlaze.com and Paul Krugman
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Dukakis, Kerry ... Romney? — Remember Michael Dukakis (1988) and John Kerry (2004)? It's possible to lose a winnable presidential election to a vulnerable incumbent in the White House (or in the case of 1988, a sitting vice president). So, speaking of losing candidates from Massachusetts …
Discussion:
National Review, Swampland, Washington Post, Ricochet Conversations Feed, Taylor Marsh and Daily Kos

Romney's changes on health care law irk conservatives — Penalty-vs.-tax episode exposes Romney's fatal flaw: Conservatives simply don't trust him... Romney's verbal gymnastics... Will tomorrow finally allow Romney to change the subject to the economy after three weeks when it hasn't been the dominant issue? …
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The Maddow Blog, Reuters, PoliticusUSA, NewsBusters.org and Liberal Values

China to face accusation of unfair trade
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BuzzFeed, Politico, ABCNEWS and aflcio.org

Ann Romney: Obama's whole campaign strategy is “let's kill this guy” — (CBS News) On a mission to shatter the image of her husband as rigid and unrelatable, Ann Romney told CBS News she worries that President Obama's entire campaign strategy is “kill Romney.”
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Crooks and Liars, Sister Toldjah, Hot Air, Wonkette, The Daily Dish, The Raw Story, Washington Post, Althouse, The Daily Caller, Rumproast and Freedom's Lighthouse
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Romney: Roberts' health care ruling “not accurate” — PLAY CBS NEWS VIDEO — (CBS News) WOLFEBORO, N.H — Mitt Romney says Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts erred in his conclusions in upholding the individual mandate in President Obama's signature health care reform law.
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Washington Post, Firedoglake, msnbc.com, New York Times, Guardian, Wake up America, Swampland, New York Magazine and Business Insider

Romney, Family in Tow, Steals the Show at the Wolfeboro Parade
Discussion:
Real Clear Politics, TheBlaze.com and New York Magazine


San Diego fireworks show exploded in 15 seconds, ruining show [Video] — One of the largest Fourth of July fireworks shows in the nation was ruined in San Diego Wednesday after a glitch caused all the pyrotechnics to ignite all at once. — About five minutes before the Port …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Outside the Beltway and The Raw Story
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San Diego fireworks suffer “premature ignition”
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New York Magazine, Associated Press and L.A. NOW

Fireworks Shot Off Early in Bay
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msnbc.com, The Atlantic Wire, Ricochet Conversations Feed, Ed Driscoll, Gawker, Guardian, Stinque and Towleroad News #gay

Judge: George Zimmerman's new bond $1 million — A Sanford judge today ordered George Zimmerman, the Neighborhood Watch volunteer who shot and killed Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old, released on $1 million bail. — It was not immediately clear how long it would take the 28-year-old Zimmerman to arrange his release.
Discussion:
JustOneMinute, Daily Kos, ThinkProgress, Mediaite and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion
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Curbing the cost of health care — Many liberals believe that the Affordable Care Act — Obamacare — is unpopular only because most Americans don't understand it. There is some truth to this: Studies show that the core provisions of the bill are more popular than the bill itself.
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Daily Kos
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Kryptonite — I'll just say it: I don't think the political pundit class understands just how toxic the Swiss/Caymans/Bermuda accounts issue is for Romney. Not that they don't know it's a liability at all. But I don't think they realize the extent of it.
Discussion:
ABCNEWS and Balloon Juice


John Stossel Panhandles To Prove 'You Really Shouldn't Give To These Street People' — Fox Business Network host John Stossel appeared on Fox & Friends on Thursday to promote an upcoming segment on his program where he dresses like a homeless man and panhandles on the streets of New York.
Discussion:
The Raw Story


The Pauls' New Crusade: “Internet Freedom” — Defending the Internet — and the corporations that invest in it — from government regulation is the new “End the Fed,” Paul advisors tell BuzzFeed exclusively. A new Paul manifesto: “This is our revolution.”
Discussion:
Little Green Footballs


Alabama Pastor Holds ‘Whites Only’ Conference — All loving Christians are invited to celebrate the word of God at Rev. William Collier's annual conference — that is, as long and they are white. — Collier's Alabama town is outraged over the flyer for his pastors' conference, which specifies “All White Christians Invited.”
Discussion:
WECT-TV, Firedoglake, Crooks and Liars, WSFA-TV, theGrio, Wonkette and Wake up America


Corzine is having no fun in the shun — How the mighty have fallen. — It seems like only yesterday that Jon Corzine was the life of the party, holding court on the Hamptons political circuit, raising money for Barack Obama. — Now, Corzine — just months removed from a humiliating financial scandal …
Discussion:
Jammie Wearing Fools and DealBook


France: Ready to jump ship — Growing anxiety at moves to raise taxes on the rich reflects divisions over the Socialists' response to the crisis — Roger, a senior expatriate executive working for an international company in Paris, is thinking seriously of taking a walk down David Cameron's “red carpet”.
Discussion:
Maggie's Farm, Reuters, Hot Air and National Review

In California, immigration bill designed as the “anti-Arizona” — (Reuters) - While America's debate over immigration has been dominated recently by crackdowns in states like Arizona and Alabama, California legislators are trying to turn that tide with a bill to protect illegal immigrants that they dub the “anti-Arizona.”
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers

What This Higgs Boson Thing Really Means — As you may have heard, there is now strong evidence that a particle called the Higgs boson, whose existence has long been predicted on theoretical grounds, actually exists. — Let me explain to you what the Higgs boson is. — Just kidding!
Discussion:
National Review, Reuters, Althouse, New York Times and Ideas Market

Marine Corps band plays Romney song on White House lawn — A subset of the Marine Corps band struck up one of Mitt Romney's walkout songs while President Obama was greeting visitors at the White House Independence Day celebration. — A White House pool report said the band struck up Rodney Atkins's …
Discussion:
Mediaite, Weasel Zippers and iOwnTheWorld.com

The Other Big Case the Supreme Court Got Right — “It is not our job to protect the people from the consequences of their political choices,” wrote U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts, making pretty clear what he thinks about Obamacare even as he supplied the crucial fifth vote to uphold it.
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway

Adults Aged 26 to 64 Lose Employer Healthcare; Young Gain It — Government-based insurance up among both age groups — WASHINGTON, D.C. — Fewer U.S. adults aged 26 to 64 are getting health insurance from an employer in 2012, continuing a downward trend that began in 2008.
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Reuters and ThinkProgress

TV pilot an outlet for Rep. McCotter — Lowbrow project was a way to deal with his failed presidential bid — As U.S. Rep. Thad McCotter's short-lived presidential run fizzled last year, the Livonia Republican turned to another aspiration: writing a TV show.
Discussion:
ABCNEWS, The Hill, Mediaite, TheBlaze.com, Politico and Hotline On Call

Office says Rep. Jackson being treated for ‘physical and emotional ailments’ … Staff report — A week after U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. announced he was taking a leave of absence, his office released a statement today saying his condition is “more serious than initially believed” and he is being treated in an “in-patient facility.”
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's …