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Anthony Weiner and Huma Abedin's Post-Scandal Playbook — One day in early February, I met Anthony Weiner and Huma Abedin for breakfast at the Gramercy Park Hotel, one of their regular joints, just a few blocks from their apartment on Park Avenue South. The first thing Weiner said when I sat …
Discussion:
BuzzFeed, Right Turn, Yahoo! News, The Other McCain, Gothamist, Mediaite, americanthinker.com, Politico, NewsBusters blogs, Guardian, She The People, Metropolis, CNN, FishbowlDC, First Read, The Daily Caller, The Week, msnbc.com, Shakesville, Hot Air, Post Politics, Balloon Juice, TheBlaze.com, The Mental Recession, Gawker, Business Insider, Joe. My. God., The Fix, Althouse and New York Magazine
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Anthony Weiner Is Weighing a Run for Mayor
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's …, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Guardian


Senators unveil deal on background checks — Sens. Joe Manchin and Pat Toomey unveiled a bipartisan deal to expand background checks for commercial gun purchases — including those at gun shows and online — Wednesday morning, opening a pathway for the biggest change in U.S. gun laws in nearly two decades.
Discussion:
CNN, Hit & Run, ABCNEWS, JustOneMinute, The Spectacle Blog, Taylor Marsh and New Republic
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In Blow To NRA, Senators Reach Bipartisan Agreement Expanding Background Checks — A bipartisan duo of senators with A ratings from the National Rifle Associated have reached a deal to expand background checks to private gun purchases that occur in commercial settings.
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars and p m carpenter's commentary


NRA Says Background Check Compromise Won't Work — Sen. Manchin's office said Wednesday morning that the gun lobby was “neutral” on their bill. But an NRA statement released on the heels of a Manchin press conference says background checks don't work. [Updated] — Senator Joe Manchin (D-WVA)
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon, Weasel Zippers and The Hinterland Gazette


Toomey Refused to Have Schumer at Gun Deal Presser — Four senators may have signed on to a gun background check deal Wednesday, but only two showed up for the news conference — in part because Pennsylvania GOP Sen. Patrick J. Toomey's public support for the bill hinged on not having …
Discussion:
The Plum Line, Hot Air and Prairie Weather

Bloomberg Group Hits Rubio: His ‘Presidential Ambitions Make Florida Less Safe’
Discussion:
Babalú Blog, Weasel Zippers and Politico


Obama to unveil $3.77 trillion spending plan — President Obama plans Wednesday to unveil a $3.77 trillion spending plan that proposes modest new investments in infrastructure and education, major new taxes for the wealthy and significant reforms aimed at reducing the cost of Social Security and Medicare.
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Wall Street Journal, Post Politics, Hullabaloo, Politico, The Fix, Wonkblog, Right Turn, Crooks and Liars, Federal Eye, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Gateway Pundit, Hot Air, msnbc.com, Right Wing News, Patterico's Pontifications, The Hinterland Gazette, Ballot Box, Questions and Observations, Shakesville and The Reaction
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Grover Norquist: Chained CPI Violates Taxpayer Protection Pledge — WASHINGTON — Members of Congress who have pledged never to raise taxes will be breaking their promise if they support changing how the government measures inflation for Social Security and tax purposes.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Hullabaloo and National Review


President Obama's budget targets smokers, wealthy
Discussion:
CNN, The Other McCain, Taylor Marsh and The Huffington Post

Obama's New Budget: A Final Gesture Of Good Faith To GOP
Discussion:
The Plum Line and Prairie Weather


Howard Students Didn't Totally Hate Rand Paul — Paul's speech at the historically black college didn't get a lot of converts, but the students were glad to listen. — Image by Aron Heller, FILE / AP — WASHINGTON — Senator Rand Paul's speech at Howard University certainly didn't recruit a lot of new Republicans.
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Washington Wire
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Rand Paul: 'I've Never Been Against The Civil Rights Act. Ever.' — Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), a proponent of civil liberties, told a professor on Wednesday that he never opposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. — “I've never been against the Civil Rights Act.
Discussion:
Little Green Footballs, ThinkProgress and Esquire

The Republican Party and the African-American Vote
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Mother Jones, Washington Monthly, No More Mister Nice Blog, alicublog and Hit & Run


The GOP's Gun Control Misfire — The filibuster threat is giving political cover to Senate Democrats. — 'This is about these families and families all across the country who are saying, 'Let's make it a little harder for our kids to get gunned down,'" President Obama declared Monday …
Discussion:
CNN, The Moderate Voice, Mediaite, Roll Call, The Raw Story, The Huffington Post, Betsy's Page, National Review, TheBlaze.com and msnbc.com
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Who likes taxes? Democrats, and no one else. — A clear majority of Americans have an unfavorable view of the federal income tax system, according to new Washington Post-ABC News polling. But, in a somewhat remarkable finding, a majority of Democrats view the tax system in a positive light …
Discussion:
Reuters, USA Today, The Hill, Weekly Standard, Business Insider and Ballot Box


Republican Congressman Cites Biblical Great Flood To Say Climate Change Isn't Man-Made — “If you believe in the Bible, one would have to say the Great Flood is an example of climate change. That certainly wasn't because man had overdeveloped hydrocarbon energy.” — View Video ›
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's …, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, AMERICAblog, Booman Tribune and p m carpenter's commentary


Photos: Bachmann aides hustle her out of Medicaid press conference — Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and State Senator Sean Nienow (R-Cambridge) held a joing news conference to discuss problems with Medicaid reimbursement rates paid to doctors in Minnesota. Both are introducing legislation increasing accountability and transparency.
Discussion:
The Raw Story
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Bachmann Hustled Out Of Press Conference When Asked About Ethics Problems — At a joint press conference Tuesday with a Republican state senator from Minnesota, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) was rushed out of the room by aides and shielded from reporters as soon as she was questioned …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and FishbowlDC


Cheney to GOP leaders: 'We're in deep doo doo' on North Korea — (CNN) - Republican leaders in Congress received a dire warning on Tuesday from former Vice President Dick Cheney on the ongoing crisis in North Korea. — “We're in deep doo doo,” Cheney told lawmakers, according to a GOP leadership aide.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Global Public Square, The Hill and Alan Colmes' Liberaland
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South Korea and U.S. Gird for Missile Test by North Korea
Discussion:
BuzzFeed and americanthinker.com


RNC Resolution Against Same-Sex Marriage Relies On Junk Science And Heterosexual Superiority — The Republican National Committee is set to consider a new resolution condemning same-sex marriage at its spring strategy session. What is most compelling about the resolution is not the text itself …
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Was the Iraq Invasion Worthwhile? Ask an Iraqi — In a recent interview with the New York Times, the writer Toni Morrison said, “I dare you to tell me a sane reason we went to Iraq.” — Her request is not unreasonable. We've heard similar arguments a lot over the past few weeks, as we marked the 10th anniversary of the war.
Discussion:
TalkLeft


Mitch McConnell aide: ‘Gestapo’ tactics — Sen. Mitch McConnell's campaign manager charged Wednesday that whoever obtained audio of the Kentucky Republican's strategists discussing opposition research on Ashley Judd was engaging in “Gestapo kind of scare tactics.”
Discussion:
First Read, Daily Kos, Post Politics and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »

Mark Levin goes NUCLEAR: An up and down vote on the 2nd amendment is UNCONSTITUTIONAL! — Mark Levin says that on Thursday the Senate intends to vote to change the 2nd amendment without any pretense of going through the amendment process, on a bill that hasn't even been written yet.
Discussion:
protein wisdom, National Review and Doug Ross