Top Items:

TRENDING: First on CNN: GOP prepares tough anti-abortion platform — Tampa, Florida (CNN) - The Republican Party is once again set to enshrine into its official platform support for “a human life amendment” to the Constitution that would outlaw abortion without making explicit exemptions for rape or incest …
Discussion:
Politico, American Prospect, ABCNEWS, ThinkProgress, First Read, Religion Dispatches, Agence France Presse, Booman Tribune, theGrio, Little Green Footballs, Daily Kos, Taylor Marsh, The Raw Story, The Huffington Post, Firedoglake, Talking Points Memo, WMUR, Election 2012, Boston Globe and BuzzFeed
RELATED:

Akin 44 McCaskill 43 — Missouri voters strongly disagree with the comments Todd Akin made about abortion over the weekend, but it hasn't moved the numbers a whole lot in the Senate race. Akin leads Claire McCaskill by a single point, 44-43. That's basically identical to our last poll …
Discussion:
Firedoglake, New York Magazine, The Huffington Post, Hot Air, blogs.telegraph.co.uk, Talking Points Memo, Althouse, Politico, Outside the Beltway, The Raw Story, Newsy, Business Insider, Balloon Juice, Ballot Box, rubber hose, Taegan Goddard's …, The Daily Dish, Daily Kos, Midwest Democracy, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, No More Mister Nice Blog, Election 2012, The New Civil Rights Movement, The Spectacle Blog, Towleroad News #gay, CANNONFIRE, American Power and Washington Post, more at Mediagazer »


Exclusive: Akin ad asks for ‘forgiveness’ — Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin has recorded a television ad asking for “forgiveness” from the voters of his state and acknowledging that he used “the wrong words in the wrong way” when he suggested last weekend that rape rarely leads to pregnancy.
Discussion:
Power Line, ABCNEWS, Daily Kos, Media Decoder, Mediaite, Wonkette, The PJ Tatler, The Maddow Blog, Washington Examiner, National Review, Scared Monkeys, The Hinterland Gazette, Questions and Observations, Outside the Beltway, New York Times, CNN, Talking Points Memo, RealClearPolitics Video Log, The Huffington Post and Shakesville, more at Mediagazer »


The Pro-Life Movement Must Disavow Akin Comment — Rep. Todd Akin has, unwittingly to be sure, harmed the pro-life movement, his senatorial race in Missouri, the Republican Party, and therefore quite possibly the nation. — Every person who speaks or writes for the public will make an occasional faux pas …
Discussion:
Taylor Marsh and Washington Examiner


In Missouri: 54% Call For Akin to Quit Bid for U.S. Senate; 76% Do Not Share His Views on Rape and Abortion — By 5:3, Missourians say Congressman Todd Akin, a Republican running for U.S. Senate against incumbent Democrat Claire McCaskill, should drop out of the race …


Could Akin Damage the Top of the GOP Ticket? — Democrats could suggest Ryan and, by proxy, Romney share many of the congressman's views on abortion rights. — Isolated comments from a political candidate — even remarks as incendiary as Todd Akin — 's suggestion that “legitimate rape” …
Discussion:
protein wisdom, Daily Pundit, 2012 Decoded, The New Republic, Taegan Goddard's …, ABCNEWS, ThinkProgress and Newsy


Clock ticking for Akin as GOP urges him to withdraw after rape comment
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, RedState, National Review, FOX2now.com, This Just In, Balloon Juice and New York Times

NRSC sends out list of conservative pundits calling for Akin to step down
Discussion:
Washington Post, GOP 12, Mediaite, Daily Kos and Los Angeles Times

Embattled Rep. Akin apologizes again in new TV ad
Discussion:
The Agonist

Kirk Cameron defends Todd Akin
Discussion:
Daily Kos and The Hinterland Gazette

IF AKIN LOVES HIS COUNTRY, HE WILL STEP ASIDE
Discussion:
Politico, Conservatives4Palin, The Other McCain, Hot Air, Mediaite, About.com Conservative …, National Review and UrbanGrounds

Piers Morgan puts up empty chair after Akin cancels appearance
Discussion:
Gothamist, New York Times, FOX2now.com, Poynter and Politico, more at Mediagazer »

Akin TV Spot: ‘I Ask For Your Forgiveness’
Discussion:
Reclusive Leftist, Washington Monthly, BuzzFeed, rightwingwatch.org, American Power, Shakesville and Michelle Malkin

Late Night: On Legitimacy, Or Why Akin's Comments Weren't (Just) About Rape

RNC Chair wants Akin to ‘step aside’ and not come to convention
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, Scared Monkeys and The Gateway Pundit

Family Research Council head defends Akin
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, US Politics, Talking Points Memo, Stinque, The Raw Story, CNN, rightwingwatch.org, Midwest Democracy, Firedoglake and First Read

Todd Akin Launches 'I'm Not Quitting' Ad Campaign
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns & Money, Mediaite, Hot Air, BuzzFeed, Show Me Progress and The Fix

Piers Morgan calls Todd Akin ‘gutless little twerp’
Discussion:
Daily Kos, The Hill, New York Magazine, CNN, The Moderate Voice, The Reaction and Pirate's Cove


Romney Gains Huge Cash Advantage Over Obama — Mitt Romney's cash advantage over President Obama and the Democrats more than doubled in July, as intense Republican fund-raising and heavy spending by Mr. Obama and his allies left Mr. Romney and the Republican National Committee with $62 million …
Discussion:
Wake up America, Politico, Election 2012, New York Magazine, Outside the Beltway, Prairie Weather, USA Today and Reuters
RELATED:

RNC ad: Obama ‘ignores the truth’ over ‘felon’ comment — The Republican National Committee released a new web ad Tuesday slamming President Obama for his suggestion at a White House press conference on Monday that “nobody accused Mr. Romney of being a felon.”
Discussion:
The Rightnewz

Romney grows cash advantage on Obama
Discussion:
Power Line, Hot Air and The Lonely Conservative

Here's Your Beltway Pundit Constituency — As part of a series of Pre-Convention Front-Pagers based on a new WaPo-Kaiser Family Foundation survey, Jon Cohen and Dan Balz deliver a solid assessment of political independents that is most impressive for its succinctness. Here's all you really need to know from the piece:
Discussion:
Eschaton
RELATED:

GOP Votes Down Civil Unions In Platform — A social conservative hard line in Tampa. — TAMPA, Florida — The GOP platform committee overwhelmingly voted down an effort to include recognitions of civil unions in the party's manifesto. — The measure, offered by Rhode Island delegate Barbara Fenton …


Mitt Romney: Honor Students Do It All Themselves — In his town hall appearance in New Hampshire this morning, Mitt Romney celebrated the individual, who clearly needs no support system to succeed in RepublicanLand. — Speaking to a crowd of FreedomWorks devotees and other New Hampshire residents, he said this:
Discussion:
ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, Living in Dialogue, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Balloon Juice


The Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy Is on Your Screen — Two decades ago, conservative anger against popular culture burned so intensely that it seemed at the time that Hollywood had come to fill the space in the right-wing fear center vacated by the end of Communism. The anger came out in an endless series of skirmishes.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Moe Lane and American Prospect


FBI Probing Rep. Michael Grimm, Not Skinny-Dipping — The FBI is indeed interested in a trip that House Republicans made to Israel last summer. But it's not because Kansas Republican Rep. Kevin Yoder took his pants off and jumped into the Sea of Galilee after a night of drinking.
Discussion:
Valley Fever, Washington Wire, Hotline On Call, Staten Island Advance, New York Magazine, The Maddow Blog, The Daily Dish and Hot Air


Paul Ryan Sticks to Fitness Routine on Road — PITTSBURGH-Rep. Paul Ryan, renowned fitness devotee, doesn't want the presidential campaign to wreck havoc on his exercise routine. — Mitt Romney's running mate is trying to continue doing the grueling P90X routine he has practiced for years …
Discussion:
Election 2012


Condi Rice's Membership at Augusta National Is Nothing to Celebrate — In a week where the phrase “legitimate rape” became part of the American political discourse, it's understandable that anyone who believes in women's liberation would be scavenging for some good news.
Discussion:
protein wisdom, Hit & Run, NewsBusters.org and NewsBusters.org blogs