Top Items:
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Wow, This is Pretty Epic — Generally, once partisan, tendentious sources leak information that turns out to be wrong, nothing's ever done about it. That's for many reasons, some good or somewhat understandable, mostly bad. But on CBS Evening News tonight, Major Garrett did something …
Discussion:
CBS News and Taking Note
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Ezra Klein / Wonkblog:
The scandals are falling apart — Things go wrong in government. Sometimes it's just bad luck. Sometimes it's rank incompetence. Sometimes it's criminal wrongdoing. Most of the time you never hear about it. Or, if you do hear about it, the media eventually gets bored talking about it (see warming, global).
Major Garrett / CBS News:
WH Benghazi emails have different quotes than earlier reported — (CBS News) WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama called Thursday for tighter security for U.S. diplomatic facilities to prevent an attack like the one in Benghazi, Libya, last year that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.
Discussion:
The Week, AMERICAblog and The Raw Story
Kevin Drum / Mother Jones:
It's Official: Those Bogus Email Leaks Came From Republicans — It's not as if we didn't know this already, but today Major Garrett made it official: last week's leaks that misquoted the Benghazi emails came directly from Republicans. Here's the report on the CBS Evening News:
Discussion:
All Things Democrat
Julian Pecquet / The Hill:
Benghazi auditors Mullen, Pickering refuse meeting with Issa
Benghazi auditors Mullen, Pickering refuse meeting with Issa
Discussion:
Politico, New York Times and Washington Monthly
Donna Cassata / Associated Press:
GOP Not Satisfied With Benghazi Email Release, Demand More From White House
GOP Not Satisfied With Benghazi Email Release, Demand More From White House
Discussion:
Associated Press and Crooks and Liars
John Parkinson / ABCNEWS:
IRS Official in Charge During Tea Party Targeting Now Runs Health Care Office — (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images) — The Internal Revenue Service official in charge of the tax-exempt organizations at the time when the unit targeted tea party groups now runs the IRS office responsible for the health care legislation.
Discussion:
The Fix, The Lonely Conservative, Scared Monkeys, Weasel Zippers, Hot Air, Politico, CNN, LifeNews.com, The Hill, Power Line, Shot in the Dark and The Right Scoop
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Townhall.com:
The Woman Behind the IRS/ObamaCare Nightmare — ABC News is reporting that the woman who was the head of the tax-exempt organizations division of the IRS during the time conservative groups were targeted is now director of the IRS' ObamaCare office. — You can't make this stuff up.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Riehl World News and The Gateway Pundit
Associated Press:
Second IRS Official To Leave After Targeting Scandal
Second IRS Official To Leave After Targeting Scandal
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, Weasel Zippers, The Impolitic and Booman Tribune
Abby D. Phillip / ABCNEWS:
Obama Names OMB Official as Acting IRS Commissioner
Obama Names OMB Official as Acting IRS Commissioner
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, Hot Air, ABCNEWS and Michelle Malkin
John Cook / Gawker:
For Sale: A Video of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford Smoking Crack Cocaine — Rob Ford, Toronto's conservative mayor, is a wild lunatic given to making bizarre racist pronouncements and randomly slapping refrigerator magnets on cars. One reason for this is that he smokes crack cocaine.
Discussion:
Boing Boing and Blazing Cat Fur
RELATED:
Toronto Star:
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford in ‘crack cocaine’ video scandal — A video that appears to show Toronto's mayor smoking crack is being shopped around by a group of Somali men involved in the drug trade. … This photo shows Toronto Mayor Rob Ford with a man who, according to a source, is fatal gunshot victim Anthony Smith.
Frank Newport / Gallup:
Americans' Attention to IRS, Benghazi Stories Below Average — Most Americans, however, say both deserve continuing investigation — PRINCETON, NJ — Slim majorities of Americans are very or somewhat closely following the situations involving the Internal Revenue Service (54%) …
Discussion:
The Hill, Taegan Goddard's … and Weasel Zippers
New York Times:
Russia Sends More Advanced Missiles to Aid Assad in Syria — WASHINGTON — Russia has shipped an advanced antiship cruise missile to Syria, a move that illustrates the depth of its support for the Syrian government led by President Bashar al-Assad, American officials said on Thursday.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, BBC, IHT Rendezvous, Israel Matzav, Business Insider and NPR
Peggy Noonan / Wall Street Journal:
This Is No Ordinary Scandal — Political abuse of the IRS threatens the basic integrity of our government. — We are in the midst of the worst Washington scandal since Watergate. The reputation of the Obama White House has, among conservatives, gone from sketchy to sinister, and, among liberals, from unsatisfying to dangerous.
Discussion:
Sky Dancing, Hullabaloo, The Dish and Doug Ross
Andrew Ramonas / The BLT:
At D.C. Circuit, Contractor Case Merits Take Backseat — Lawyers for the Federal Election Commission and government contractors on Thursday argued in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit over a law that forbids the contract holders from making federal campaign donations.
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Tal Kopan / Politico:
Second appeals court invalidates Obama's NLRB recess appointments
Second appeals court invalidates Obama's NLRB recess appointments
Discussion:
Hot Air, Washington Free Beacon and ThinkProgress
Washington Post:
FBI seeks source of prostitution, corruption allegations against Sen. Robert Menendez — A pair of FBI agents met on a recent weekday morning with brothers Alfonso “Alfy” and Jose “Pepe” Fanjul in the Palm Beach headquarters of their sugar and real estate empire.
Wall Street Journal:
To Buy Bonds or Not to Buy: Fed Hawks, Doves Air Views — Federal Reserve officials are deeply engaged in debating when to begin dialing back an $85 billion-a-month bond buying program, but don't appear near consensus on when to pull the trigger. — The presidents of the Dallas …
Discussion:
Calculated Risk
Politico:
Why the GOP thinks it could blow it — Republicans are worried one thing could screw up the political gift of three Obama administration controversies at once: fellow Republicans. — Top GOP leaders are privately warning members to put a sock in it when it comes to silly calls for impeachment …
Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:
G.O.P., Energized, Weighs How Far to Take Inquiries — WASHINGTON — The investigations ensnaring the White House have unified the Republican Party, energized a political base shattered by election losses and given common purpose to lawmakers divided over a legislative agenda.
Jeremy W. Peters / New York Times:
Fight Over Obama Appointees May Spur Senate Rule Change — Washington — The escalating Senate fight over President Obama's cabinet appointments moved closer to a showdown on Thursday as two nominees headed to the floor with no Republican support. — Gina McCarthy, Mr. Obama's choice …
Discussion:
The Caucus and The Plum Line
Melissa Russo / nbcnewyork.com:
Exclusive: Anthony Weiner Spotted Shooting Campaign-Style Video at Childhood Home — Anthony Weiner was spotted shooting a campaign-style video on the stoop of his childhood home in Brooklyn Thursday as he weighs whether to run for mayor, NBC 4 New York reports exclusively.
Discussion:
Politico, Yahoo! News, Post Politics, Gothamist and New York Times
Snejana Farberov / Daily Mail:
‘Dumb’ house burglar shot after locking homeowner inside his own GUN CLOSET — The victim of an armed home invasion in Houston has turned the tables on the brazen intruders after they stuffed him into a closet that turned out to be the place where he stores his gun.
Discussion:
Riehl World News and The Right Scoop
Emma Innes / Daily Mail:
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 …
The Huffington Post:
NRCC Blog Post On IRS Scandal Includes Lawmakers No Longer In Office, Mayor Of Colombian City — WASHINGTON — An attempt by the National Republican Congressional Committee to embarrass Democrats went awry on Thursday, when the group published a blog post riddled with errors.
Discussion:
The Political Carnival and Daily Kos