Top Items:
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
King may switch sides and join the Republicans after midterms — Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), who caucuses with the Democrats, will decide after the midterm elections whether to switch sides and join the Republicans. — He is leaving open the possibility of aligning himself with the GOP if control of the upper chamber changes hands.
Discussion:
National Review, Outside the Beltway, Hot Air and ABC News
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Molly Ball / The Atlantic Online:
Can Clever Campaigns Save the Democrats in 2014? — Recently I attended a briefing at the Democratic National Committee intended to impress reporters with the newfangled technology the party plans to use to change the midterm-election landscape. Staffers pulled up a slide cheekily showing …
Discussion:
Democratic Strategist
Amy Harder / Wall Street Journal:
Eleven Democrats Push Obama to Approve Keystone
Eleven Democrats Push Obama to Approve Keystone
Discussion:
ABC News, Capitol Report and The PJ Tatler
Tal Kopan / Politico:
Eric Holder strays from planned remarks — Attorney General Eric Holder strayed from prepared remarks to slam the way he was “treated” by a House committee the day before, calling it evidence of “ugly and divisive” civil rights challenges facing him and President Barack Obama
Discussion:
The Hill, Taylor Marsh, Mediaite and Weekly Standard
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New York Times:
The Truth About the Pay Gap — Women are the primary or co-breadwinner in 6 out of 10 American families. That makes the economic imperative of addressing the wage gap between women and men important, as is every step President Obama can take in that direction.
Discussion:
She The People
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David S. Joachim / New York Times:
Senate Republicans Block Bill on Equal Pay
Senate Republicans Block Bill on Equal Pay
Discussion:
Colorlines, The Daily Beast and The PJ Tatler
Katie Pavlich / Townhall.com:
BREAKING: Emails Show Lois Lerner Fed True the Vote Tax Information to Democrat Elijah Cummings … New IRS emails released by the House Oversight Committee show staff working for Democratic Ranking Member Elijah Cummings communicated with the IRS multiple times between 2012 and 2013 about voter fraud prevention group True the Vote.
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Elianayjohnson / National Review:
Issa Accuses Cummings of Colluding with the IRS
Issa Accuses Cummings of Colluding with the IRS
Discussion:
Politico, The Other McCain, Hot Air and The Gateway Pundit
Katie Pavlich / Townhall.com:
BREAKING: House Ways and Means Committee Votes to Refer Lois Lerner For Criminal Charges
BREAKING: House Ways and Means Committee Votes to Refer Lois Lerner For Criminal Charges
Discussion:
protein wisdom, American Glob and The Right Scoop
The Hill:
Budget vote goes down to the wire — House Republican leaders expressed confidence on the eve of Thursday's vote on Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-Wis.) budget, even as they made last-minute moves to prevent an embarrassing defeat. — “I feel comfortable about where the budget is,” GOP Chief Deputy Whip Peter Roskam (Ill.) said.
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Andrew Taylor / Associated Press:
House Set for Vote on Ryan Budget With Big Cuts
Andrew Taylor / Associated Press:
House Defeats Bipartisan Fix to ‘Obamacare’
House Defeats Bipartisan Fix to ‘Obamacare’
Discussion:
Politico and The Reaction
James Taranto / Wall Street Journal:
ObamaCare's Missing 3.2 Million — A mixed verdict from the Rand Corp. — The Rand Corp. is out with a new study titled “Changes in Health Insurance Enrollment Since 2013,” and ObamaCare cheerleaders like Michael Hiltzik of the Los Angeles Times are dancing for joy.
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, The Incidental Economist, The PJ Tatler and New York Times
New York Times:
Russia Didn't Share All Details on Boston Bombing Suspect, Report Says — WASHINGTON — The Russian government declined to provide the F.B.I. with information about one of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects that would most likely have led to more extensive scrutiny of him at least two years …
Discussion:
Liberaland, Hot Air, The Week and National Review
Tim Alberta / NationalJournal.com:
House Conservatives Plot to Oust Boehner, Put Scare Into Cantor — One plan: Force the speaker to step aside before the new year. — Several dozen frustrated House conservatives are scheming to infiltrate the GOP leadership next year—possibly by forcing Speaker John Boehner …
Discussion:
Political Insider blog
Rebecca Shabad / The Hill:
Watchdog finds IRS employees promoted Obama in 2012 — Internal Revenue Service employees encouraged taxpayers to vote for President Obama during his 2012 reelection campaign and disparaged Republicans, a federal ethics watchdog said Wednesday. — One IRS customer representative urged people calling …
Discussion:
CNN, Politico and Main Justice
Pew Research Center for the People and the Press:
More Republicans See Health Care Stance as ‘Very Important’ to Midterm Vote — Views of ACA Little Changed Following Enrollment Surge — In looking ahead to this fall's elections, Republicans are more likely than Democrats to view a candidate's position on the Affordable Care Act as very important to their vote.
Discussion:
The Plum Line and Right Wing News
Wall Street Journal:
IRS at the Crossroads — New evidence that Lois Lerner targeted conservative groups. — Congress's investigation into IRS political targeting accelerated Wednesday, with a referral for the criminal prosecution of a former Treasury official and new evidence to back it up.
Discussion:
Right Turn
Dylan Scott / Talking Points Memo:
Why GOP Wins In 2014 Could Mean A Democratic President In 2016 — This fall, in a strange aligning of the electoral stars, Republicans will defend governorships in several key presidential swing states: Florida, Iowa, Nevada and Ohio. Pennsylvania and Wisconsin could also be added to that list …
Clare Sestanovich / The Atlantic Online:
Black Culture and Progressivism — What started as a discussion of Paul Ryan's comments by has turned into a revealing debate on the nature of liberal politics in the United States. — Some pieces of news precipitate a kind of journalistic pile-on. This can be unfortunate …
Discussion:
Althouse and Washington Monthly
William Kristol / Weekly Standard:
Ayaan Hirsi Ali Speaks — Ayaan Hirsi Ali has just released this statement in response to Brandeis University's decision to rescind her invitation to receive an honorary degree: — “Yesterday Brandeis University decided to withdraw an honorary degree they were to confer upon me next month during their Commencement exercises.
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John Podhoretz / Commentary Magazine:
The Shame of Brandeis
The Shame of Brandeis
Discussion:
Mediaite and Weekly Standard
Tom Kludt / Talking Points Memo:
Huckabee: Men Hunt Together, Women Go To The Restroom Together — Mike Huckabee played up gender stereotypes in a speech delivered Tuesday night in Iowa. — As she live-tweeted the former Arkansas governor's speech at a fundraiser for Iowa's Faith and Freedom Coalition on Tuesday in Waukee …
Discussion:
Shakesville, Hinterland Gazette, Des Moines Register, PoliticusUSA and Politico
Politico:
Vance McAllister's new problem: His own party — Republicans are beginning to nudge GOP Rep. Vance McAllister out of Congress. — Just two days after video footage of him in a romantic encounter with a staffer became public, the state Republican chairman has tried unsuccessfully …
Discussion:
The Raw Story, Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos and CNN
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Daniel Strauss / Talking Points Memo:
Iowa Senate Candidate Will Use His Glock ‘To Blow Your Balls Off’ (VIDEO) — Iowa Independent Senate candidate Bob Quast has a new ad out in which he waves around a Glock gun and threatens to “blow your balls off.” — The ad, tuned to cheery music, is called “#GotBalls Vote for Bob Quast” …
Discussion:
Latest from Crooks and Liars
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Jennifer Jacobs / Des Moines Register:
Long-shot Iowa U.S. Senate candidate flashes gun and knife in ad meant to have ‘sense of humor’
Long-shot Iowa U.S. Senate candidate flashes gun and knife in ad meant to have ‘sense of humor’
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Firedoglake, Hot Air and The Raw Story