Top Items:
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Harry Reid escalates nuclear threat in a big way — An important moment on the Senate floor just now: Harry Reid said he would be filing cloture today on a whole bunch of executive nominations, and challenged Republicans to act on them — a major escalation of the threat to change the Senate rules …
Discussion:
The Hill, msnbc.com, Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos, Booman Tribune, Lawyers, Guns & Money and People For the American Way
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Ezra Klein / Wonkblog:
Mitch McConnell's problem: How can he threaten to obstruct the Senate even more? — There's a reason the Senate majority rarely goes through with filibuster reform: The minority can make the aftermath hellish. — Will Harry Reid actually change the rules? (Michael Reynolds/EPA)
Discussion:
The World's Greatest …
Sahil Kapur / Talking Points Memo:
Reid: McConnell Broke His Word On Filibuster, So The Nuclear Option Is On The Table — Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) launched a barn-burner of a speech Thursday on the Senate floor, excoriating Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) for continued obstruction when it comes to presidential nominees.
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, Daily Kos and Yahoo! News
Ezra Klein / Wonkblog:
One Senate staffer's theory: Mitch McConnell actually wants to get nuked
One Senate staffer's theory: Mitch McConnell actually wants to get nuked
Discussion:
A plain blog about politics and Daily Kos
Ramsey Cox / The Hill:
McConnell: Reid will be ‘worst’ Senate leader in history if he goes nuclear
McConnell: Reid will be ‘worst’ Senate leader in history if he goes nuclear
Discussion:
CNN
Jeremy W. Peters / New York Times:
Democrats Poised to Limit Filibusters, Angering G.O.P.
Democrats Poised to Limit Filibusters, Angering G.O.P.
Discussion:
Senator Harry Reid, The Hill, ACS Blog, The Huffington Post, Yahoo! News, Washington Monthly, The Impolitic and Salon
Ian Swanson / The Hill:
House approves farm bill in big win for Boehner, GOP leaders — The House approved a stripped-down farm bill Thursday in a tight 216-208 vote, giving a huge boost to Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and other Republican leaders after the embarrassing failure of an earlier bill last month.
Discussion:
Daily Kos and Yahoo! News
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Brad Plumer / Wonkblog:
House Republicans finally pass a farm bill — with no money for food stamps — After a failed attempt earlier, the House GOP has finally passed legislation to fund U.S. farm policy for the next five years. The only catch? This new legislation is missing the $743 billion for food stamps that had been in previous bills.
Discussion:
Post Politics, Balloon Juice, In These Times and The Fix
New York Times:
House Republicans Push Through Farm Bill, Without Food Stamps
House Republicans Push Through Farm Bill, Without Food Stamps
Discussion:
A plain blog about politics, addictinginfo.org, CNN and The Hill
Charles Abbott / Reuters:
White House threatens veto of farm bill that drops food stamps
White House threatens veto of farm bill that drops food stamps
Discussion:
The Hill, USA Today, msnbc.com, Shakesville, Hot Air, The Heritage Foundation and Politico
Ed O'Keefe / Post Politics:
Farm Bill passes in House, without food stamp funding
Farm Bill passes in House, without food stamp funding
Discussion:
aflcio.org, Daily Kos, The Lonely Conservative, Wonkblog and The Hill
David Edwards / The Raw Story:
Gohmert repeatedly shouts ‘Objection!’ to silence claims food stamp cuts hurt hungry families
Mary Clare Jalonick / Associated Press:
House Passes Farm Bill, Now Without Food Stamp Cuts
House Passes Farm Bill, Now Without Food Stamp Cuts
Discussion:
Washington Monthly and Associated Press
Guardian:
Revealed: how Microsoft handed the NSA access to encrypted messages — • Secret files show scale of Silicon Valley co-operation on Prism — • Outlook.com encryption unlocked even before official launch — • Skype worked to enable Prism collection of video calls
CNN:
Jay-Z says he texts with Obama — (CNN) - It's no secret that Jay-Z is close with President Barack Obama. The hip hop artist held big fundraisers for the president, and his megastar wife, Beyoncé, performed at Obama's second inauguration. — But Jay-Z said this week their friendship …
Discussion:
Politico
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NME:
Jay-Z: ‘I get texts from President Obama, of course’
Jay-Z: ‘I get texts from President Obama, of course’
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, The Reliable Source, The Hill, Politico and The Daily Caller
Russell Berman / The Hill:
Boehner: House to vote next week on delaying ObamaCare mandates
Boehner: House to vote next week on delaying ObamaCare mandates
Discussion:
Politico, Yahoo! News and Washington Post
Maggie Haberman / Politico:
Eliot Spitzer submits signatures in NYC race — Eliot Spitzer submitted 27,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot in the Democratic primary for New York City comptroller tonight, an effort completed less than four days after a rocky start. — Spitzer delivered the signatures …
Discussion:
CNN
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CBS News:
Could “North Colorado” be America's 51st state? — PLAY CBS NEWS VIDEO — There's a growing effort to create a 51st state out of parts of northeast Colorado and southwestern Nebraska. — Ten counties started talking about seceding last month. Now some people in Lincoln and Cheyenne counties …
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog, Taking Note and Lawyers, Guns & Money
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Brian Beutler / Talking Points Memo:
Pelosi Draws Her Bright Lines On Immigration Reform — After a two-hour meeting Wednesday in the Capitol basement, House Republicans were no closer to an immigration reform consensus other than that they don't like the Senate bill, they don't like big bills, and they don't like a …
Discussion:
The Monkey Cage, Hot Air, National Review, Balloon Juice, Goppers, Politico, The Hill, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and New York Times
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Dr. Milton R. Wolf / Washington Times:
Obamacare's panicked Democrats
Obamacare's panicked Democrats
Discussion:
Megan McArdle and Power Line
Elizabeth Harrington / CNSNews:
Pelosi: The Employer Mandate ‘Was Not Delayed’
Pelosi: The Employer Mandate ‘Was Not Delayed’
Discussion:
Politico, Washington Examiner, Weasel Zippers, Power Line, Michelle Malkin, National Review and The PJ Tatler
Sabato's Crystal Ball:
Is Doubling Down on White Voters a Viable Strategy for the Republican Party? — Alan I. Abramowitz and Ruy Teixeira, Guest Columnists July 11th, 2013 — Perhaps the key question in American presidential politics is how the growing and overwhelmingly Democratic nonwhite vote will affect future elections.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, ThinkProgress and Booman Tribune
Emily Swanson / The Huffington Post:
Abortion Poll Finds Support For 20-Week Ban — Most Americans would favor sweeping new national restrictions on abortion after the 20th week of pregnancy, according to a new HuffPost/YouGov poll. But the poll also shows many Americans remain conflicted in their views on abortion.
Discussion:
The Hill, Weasel Zippers, Hot Air, LifeNews.com and Washington Free Beacon
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life:
Public Esteem for Military Still High — Clergy in the Middle, Lawyers at the Bottom — Navigate this page: — Americans continue to hold the military in high regard, with more than three-quarters of U.S. adults (78%) saying that members of the armed services contribute “a lot” to society's well-being.
Discussion:
Hot Air, Yahoo! News and Poynter, more at Mediagazer »
Sheelah Kolhatkar / Businessweek:
Hedge Funds Are for Suckers — At the height of the financial crisis in 2008, a group of famous hedge fund managers was made to stand before Congress like thieves in a stockade and defend their existence to an angry public. The gilded five included George Soros, co-founder of the Quantum Fund …
Discussion:
USA Today, Firedoglake, The Week, Mashable, Althouse and The Big Picture
Brian Tashman / Right Wing Watch:
Robertson: ‘We Are Not Anti-Gay’ Since Gays Are Just Confused Straight People — Pat Robertson is disturbed that people, for whatever reason, might believe that he is somehow anti-gay. After all, how could blaming gays for 9/11, warning that gay rights will destroy America, using anti-gay slurs …
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's …, AMERICAblog, Mediaite, The Raw Story and Taylor Marsh
Tony Perry / Los Angeles Times:
San Diego Mayor Bob Filner apologizes, admits ‘I need help’ — SAN DIEGO — Facing calls for his resignation amid sex harassment claims, San Diego Mayor Bob Filner issued an apology Thursday for his treatment of women and vowed to change his behavior, admitting “I need help.”
Discussion:
Yahoo! News