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Onset of Woes Casts Pall Over Obama's Policy Aspirations — WASHINGTON — Thwarted on Capitol Hill, stymied in the Middle East and now beset by scandal, President Obama has reached a point just six months after a heady re-election where the second term he had hoped for has collided with the second term he actually has.
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Obama tries to stop the bleeding — In recent days, Democratic strategists have all but begged President Barack Obama to take control of a deepening public relations disaster that threatens to derail his second-term agenda. — On Wednesday evening, Obama did just that.

Benghazi Emails Directly Contradict White House Claims — The White House on Wednesday released 94 pages of emails between top administration and intelligence officials who helped shape the talking points about the attacks in Benghazi, Libya, that the CIA would provide to policymakers in both the legislative and executive branches.

Benghazi auditors Mullen, Pickering refuse meeting with Issa — The co-leaders of the independent audit into the Benghazi attack have categorically refused to meet with Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) for a private interview. — Thomas Pickering and Michael Mullen called the proposed closed-door proceeding …


Obama's Katrina Moment
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice and The Hinterland Gazette

First on CNN: Pickering, Mullen challenge Issa to let them testify in public
Discussion:
Little Green Footballs, PoliticusUSA, First Read, ThinkProgress and Daily Kos

Some question whether AP leak on al-Qaeda plot put U.S. at risk
Discussion:
Hot Air, Open Channel, The Right Sphere, emptywheel, The Huffington Post, Poynter and Politico, more at Mediagazer »

Barbara Boxer's claim that GOP budgets hampered Benghazi security
Discussion:
Yahoo! News


Boston bombings suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev left note in boat he hid in, sources say — (CBS News) Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev left claiming responsibility for the April 13 attack on the Boston Marathon, reports CBS News senior correspondent John Miller.


Democrats' Best Friends In The IRS Scandal — After a pretty crappy few days, Democrats awoke to the nice surprise that Mitch McConnell would join Michele Bachmann at a press conference today, along with some tea partiers who were targeted (we are to believe inappropriately) by the IRS. — Why?
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Scandal Is Not an Agenda — It says something about the kind of fortnight the president has been having that the controversies facing his administration can be divided into tiers. — The Benghazi debacle and the IRS's targeting of conservative groups are, as it were, “tier one” scandals …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, The Week, msnbc.com, The Daily Caller and Althouse

Data Doesn't Support IRS Explanation for Scandal
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Hit & Run, Hot Air, Yourish.com, americanthinker.com, The Dish and Yahoo! News

Tim Carney: The IRS is deeply political — and very Democratic
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, americanthinker.com, Betsy's Page, Samizdata, New York Post, CNN, US News and Hot Air


Obama eyes Gov. Deval Patrick to replace Eric Holder at Justice — Tipsville . . . Sneed is told that Attorney General Eric “Fast and Furious” Holder's days are numbered. — Sneed hears President Barack Obama, who is this/close to Holder, has set his sights on Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick …
Discussion:
The Hinterland Gazette
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Liberal talk radio host Bill Press calls for Holder to be fired — Talk radio host and former chairman of the California Democratic Party Bill Press said Thursday that Attorney General Eric Holder should be fired over the subpoena of reporter phone records.
Discussion:
CANNONFIRE, The PJ Tatler, emptywheel and Hot Air, more at Mediagazer »

Eric Holder's abdication
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The Daily Beast, Hot Air, Power Line, Conservatives4Palin, The FAS Blog and The Huffington Post

Bill Press: Fire Eric Holder
Discussion:
The Hill, The PJ Tatler and Weasel Zippers


First on CNN: Witness Protection Program lost two ‘known or suspected terrorists’ — This report has been updated. — The U.S. Marshals Service lost two former participants in the federal Witness Security Program “identified as known or suspected terrorists,” states the public summary …
Discussion:
Hot Air, Weekly Standard, The Daily Caller, National Review and CNN
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Senate panel OKs Perez nomination for Labor Secretary
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CNN, Daily Kos and americanthinker.com

In IRS and AP scandals, a frighteningly impotent government
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Right Turn, Hot Air, The Dish, Prairie Weather, Washington Wire and Balkinization


Men who are physically strong are more likely to have right wing political views — Men who are physically strong are more likely to take a right wing political stance, while weaker men are inclined to support the welfare state, according to a new study. — Researchers discovered political …
Discussion:
protein wisdom, National Review, Right Wing News, The Jawa Report, Sense of Events, The PJ Tatler and American Spectator


Seven Howlers from Michael Kinsley's Very Misguided War Against Paul Krugman — Why oh why can't we have a better press corps? — Michael Kinsley is really confused: … Ummm... If you Google “first use of austerian” Google tells you about first uses of “Australian”.
Discussion:
Economist's View
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Paul Krugman's Misguided Moral Crusade Against Austerity
Discussion:
Daniel W. Drezner, Balloon Juice and Lawyers, Guns & Money


New Poll Shows Good News For Democrats In Massachusetts Senate Race — Democrats have put the tough Senate primary behind them, a new PPP poll finds. Ed Markey's up seven over Gabriel Gomez, according to the poll sponsored by the League of Conservation Voters. — Via: Elise Amendola / AP
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Taegan Goddard's …
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Televangelist Claims It's The Wife's Job To Keep Men Faithful — Pat Robertson has many opinions on subjects including homosexuality, politics and the coming of the Mark of the Beast, but it was the famous televangelist's opinion on marriage that took center stage during Wednesday's episode …
Discussion:
Addicting Info and The Hinterland Gazette
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Theater Night: Vigilantes 1, Vulgarians 0 — I had a genuinely new experience at the theater tonight: I was thrown out. — The show was Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, which was quite good and which I recommend. The audience, on the other hand, was horrible — talking …
Discussion:
FishbowlDC, Outside the Beltway, Washington Free Beacon, ThinkProgress, alicublog, Gawker, Gothamist and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Release Detail — May 16, 2013 - Dem Inches Ahead In Virginian Governor's Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Hillary Clinton, Sen. Warner Run Well In 2016 Pres Race — Democrat Terry McAuliffe has opened up a slight 43 - 38 percent lead over Republican Ken Cuccinelli in the race …
Discussion:
Firedoglake, American Prospect, Ballot Box, Politico, First Read, CNN, Taylor Marsh, The Hill and Weekly Standard


Kansas Elected Official Stands By Using Racial Slur ‘100 Percent’ — Kansas Board of Education member Steve Roberts (R) — Kansas Board of Education member Steve Roberts (R), an elected official representing one-tenth of the state, defended on Tuesday his use of a racial epithet …
Discussion:
Esquire, Washington Monthly and Topeka Capital-Journal


A fascinating map of the world's most and least racially tolerant countries — When two Swedish economists set out to examine whether economic freedom made people any more or less racist, they knew how they would gauge economic freedom, but they needed to find a way to measure a country's level of racial tolerance.
Discussion:
The Dish, Telegraph, Foreign Policy and normblog