Top Items:
Eric Lach / Talking Points Memo:
IRS Official Lois Lerner Called Lawyer To Plant Targeting Question — The veteran tax lawyer whose pre-arranged question to an IRS official at a panel last week prompted the admission that the agency had targeted conservative groups said in a written statement on Friday that she did not know what the answer to the question would be.
Discussion:
Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion
RELATED:
Bernie Becker / The Hill:
Question that revealed IRS scandal was planted, chief admits — Steven Miller, the acting IRS commissioner, said Friday that last week's revelation that the IRS gave special scrutiny to Tea Party groups came from a planted question. — Lois Lerner, an IRS official with oversight of tax-exempt groups …
Discussion:
Politico, The Week and Riehl World News
Yahoo! News:
IRS asked anti-abortion group about content of public prayers
IRS asked anti-abortion group about content of public prayers
Discussion:
National Review and Outside the Beltway
Garance Franke-Ruta / The Atlantic Online:
There Was No Surge in IRS Tax-Exempt Applications in 2010
There Was No Surge in IRS Tax-Exempt Applications in 2010
Jim Geraghty / National Review:
IRS: ‘Please Detail the Content of Your Members’ Prayers.'
IRS: ‘Please Detail the Content of Your Members’ Prayers.'
Discussion:
WXIX-TV, The Right Scoop, Yahoo! News and The PJ Tatler
CJ Ciaramella / Washington Free Beacon:
Cover Up — The Internal Revenue Service denied the existence …
Cover Up — The Internal Revenue Service denied the existence …
Discussion:
American Thinker, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Weasel Zippers, The Right Scoop and Hot Air
Sarah Palin / Facebook:
Sarah Palin · 3,548,133 like this — Mr. President, when it rains it pours, but most Americans hold their own umbrellas. Today in the Rose Garden you dismissed the idea of a Special Counsel to investigate the IRS scandal. With that, your galling political hubris shined bright in the midst of today's dark clouds.
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Twitchy and The Right Scoop
Jonathan Martin / Politico:
Bobby Jindal: IRS officials deserve prison time — Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal will use a Saturday speech to Virginia Republicans to suggest the IRS officials who targeted conservative political organizations for scrutiny be sent to prison. — “You cannot take the freedom of law-abiding Americans …
Discussion:
Reuters
New York Times:
White House Sharpens Focus on Path Forward After Troubles — BALTIMORE — President Obama, struggling to find his footing after one of his most turbulent weeks in office, will try to push past the moment's political furor with a focus on the few pieces of legislation he believes have a chance …
Discussion:
National Review
RELATED:
Jennifer Steinhauer / New York Times:
Reporter Turned White House Spokesman Enjoys the Hot Seat
Reporter Turned White House Spokesman Enjoys the Hot Seat
Discussion:
Hot Air, The Huffington Post and msnbc.com
Rebecca Leber / ThinkProgress:
GOP Sources Altered Benghazi E-Mails To Suggest A Cover-Up, Reporter Confirms
GOP Sources Altered Benghazi E-Mails To Suggest A Cover-Up, Reporter Confirms
Discussion:
Washington Times, Liberal Values, The Impolitic, Right Wing Watch and Yahoo! News
Miranda Blue / Right Wing Watch:
Radio Host Frequented By Gun Activists Calls For Shooting of Bush Family & Obama, Sexual Violence Against Hillary Clinton — Pete Santilli is the kind of person we normally wouldn't cover here - an unhinged Internet ranter who exists somewhere to the crazier side of Alex Jones.
Discussion:
Little Green Footballs
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Harry Reid eyeing July for the ‘nuclear option’ — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is increasingly focused on the month of July as the time to exercise the so-called “nuclear option” and revisit filibuster reform, and he has privately told top advisers that he's all but certain to take action …
Ian Austen / New York Times:
Mountain of Petroleum Coke From Oil Sands Rises in Detroit — WINDSOR, Ontario — Assumption Park gives residents of this city lovely views of the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit skyline. Lately they've been treated to another sight: a three-story pile of petroleum coke covering …
Discussion:
Prairie Weather
Washington Post:
At Cincinnati IRS office, surprise over claims of partisan villainy — CINCINNATI — The fog of scandal hangs over a boxy, modernist, 10-story building that looks like a monument to paperwork. Shrubs and chain smokers flank its front entrance here on Main Street, in the heart of downtown.
Discussion:
The Daily Caller and The Spectacle Blog
James Kirkup / Telegraph:
PM's ally: our party activists are ‘loons’ — Grassroots Conservative activists are “mad swivel-eyed loons” who are forcing Tory MPs to take extremist positions opposing gay marriage and Europe, one of David Cameron's closest allies has said. — The comments, from a member …
Discussion:
Mirror.co.uk, BBC and Spectator
Portuguese American Journal:
LGBT: Portuguese parliament approves right to adoption - Portugal — Portuguese parliament has approved Friday a bill that will allow same-sex married couples to adopt their partner's bilological or adopted children. The bill was approved with 99 votes in favor, 94 votes against, and 9 abstentions.
Discussion:
The Reaction, ThinkProgress and Advocate
Tara Culp-Ressler / ThinkProgress:
Federal Judge Blocks Arkansas' Stringent 12-Week Abortion Ban From Taking Effect — Earlier this year, Arkansas Republicans overrode their governor to enact one of the harshest abortion restrictions in the nation, a 12-week ban that would criminalize one out of every 10 abortions in the state.
Discussion:
bigstory.ap.org and LifeNews.com
Brett Barrouquere / Associated Press:
Court: Law applying crack sentences retroactive — LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — People convicted of crack cocaine offenses have a right to resentencing hearings under a 2010 law that lessened penalties for possession and dealing, the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress and The Raw Story
Julian Pecquet / The Hill:
Rep. Issa subpoenas Benghazi auditor Thomas Pickering — The lawmaker leading the charge to investigate the Benghazi terror attack on Friday subpoenaed the co-author of a report that slammed the State Department but didn't interview Hillary Clinton. — House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa …
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Politico and CNN
Jenn Taylor / Twitchy:
‘Best rant ever!’ Huge applause after Rep. Mike Kelly nails acting IRS chief [video] — GOP Rep. Mike Kelly was a huge hit at Friday's House hearing on IRS harassment of conservative groups as he skewered acting IRS commissioner Steven Miller. — Some tasty highlights from his fiery rant:
Discussion:
Michelle Malkin, The Gateway Pundit, Weekly Standard and Jammie Wearing Fools
John Cook / Gawker:
(Update) We Are Raising $200,000 to Buy and Publish the Rob Ford Crack Tape — As you may have heard, Rob Ford, the mayor of Toronto, smokes crack cocaine. We've seen a video of him smoking crack cocaine, and the people who have the video would like to sell it. Through the miracle of crowdfunding, you can help.
Jack Shafer:
Why the underwear-bomber leak infuriated the Obama administration — Journalists gasp and growl whenever prosecutors issue lawful subpoenas ordering them to divulge their confidential sources or to turn over potential evidence, such as notes, video outtakes or other records.
Discussion:
Mother Jones, Los Angeles Times, Yahoo! News and protein wisdom
Ed Kilgore / Washington Monthly:
Under-Rehearsed Flash Mob — So a day after reports that it was stalemated, the House “Gang of Eight” working on immigration reform legislation announced an agreement today—or rather announced an agreement had been reached, since no details were released. It seems, according to various sources …
Discussion:
The Plum Line, The Maddow Blog and The Hill