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The Raw Story

FCC seeks public input on new ‘net neutrality’ rules: Federal regulators are seeking public input on what rules should apply to wireless Internet access and specialized services that arent part of the Internet but are delivered over wired broadband connections. The move by the Federal Communications Commission marks the

Hurricane Earl closes in on US East Coast: Hurricane Earl quickly closed in on a large part of the US east coast on Thursday, as tens of thousands of people fled North Carolinas barrier islands to avoid dangerous winds and surf. The strongest Atlantic storm of 2010 was

Israelis, Palestinians resume direct peace talks: Cautious US relaunches direct Israeli-Palestinian peace talks after 2 years Seeking to broker a Mideast peace agreement that has eluded U.S. presidents for decades, the Obama administration is overseeing the first direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians in nearly

Discovery Channel hostage-taker hated programming: Hostage-taker at Discovery Channel headquarters railed against programs; shot dead by police A gunman police shot to death after he took hostages at Discovery Channels headquarters said he hated the companys shows such as Kate Plus 8 because they promote

Apple unveils social network, new iPod and TV tool: Apple has launched a music-centered social network at iTunes and unveiled slick new iPod and Apple TV gadgets that promised to win the iconic company more devotees. Ping was built into iTunes 10 software made available as a free download

Number of illegal immigrants in US now declining: Study: Number of illegal immigrants in US drops to 11.1 million, first decline in 20 years The number of illegal immigrants living in the U.S. has dropped for the first time in two decades — decreasing by 8 percent since

Countdown: Olbermann, Scahill thank Bush for the ‘success’ of the Iraq war: They say that it really isnt healthy to keep things bottled up inside. On Wed. evenings MSNBCs Countdown with Keith Olbermann, the liberal host and his guest, The Nations Jeremy Scahill went the healthy route and let it rip. Discussion

‘Who is this guy?’ Blair claims confused Bush asked about Belgian PM: George had immense simplicity in how he saw the world, Blair writes British newspapers Thursday called the memoirs of former prime minister Tony Blair a good read but said they risk re-opening old wounds in his Labour party just as

Jordan unearths 3,000-year-old Iron Age temple: Archaeologists in Jordan have unearthed a 3,000-year-old Iron Age temple with a trove of figurines of ancient deities and circular clay vessels used for religious rituals, officials said Wednesday. The head of the Jordanian Antiquities Department, Ziad al-Saad, said the

Pakistani officers ditch Pentagon conference after airport detention: Travel-weary officer overheard saying I hope this is our last flight WASHINGTON — A delegation of Pakistani officers refused to attend a defense conference in the United States this week in protest over their treatment at a Washington airport, officials

German military report: Peak oil could lead to collapse of democracy: Peak oil has happened or will happen some time around this year, and its consequences could threaten the continued survival of democratic governments, says a secret Germany military report that was leaked online. According to Der Spiegel, the report from

Right-wing radio station: ‘Gun owners have to register, why not Muslims?’: A conservative talk radio station in San Diego has a pressing question to ask its listeners: Should practicing Muslims be registered on a national database during a time of war? KFMB 760 AM, the San Diego home of such right-wing

Obama opens talks as Netanyahu vows peace: WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama Wednesday opened long-odds Middle East talks, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to defy skeptics by forging a once and for all peace with the Palestinians. Obama warned Hamas meanwhile that its senseless slaughter

Departing White House economist: More spending, less taxes to fix economy: Romer: New spending can be paid for with cuts in the future Departing White House economist Christina Romer says the government has the tools for bringing down unemployment, but policymakers need to find the will and wisdom to use them.

Police: Gunman holds hostage in Discovery building: Police: At least 1 person being held hostage by gunman in Discovery TV building in Md. Police in a Washington, D.C., suburb say a gunman has taken at least one person hostage at the headquarters of Discovery Communications. Montgomery County

MSNBC host shouts down former GOP congressman over Social Security cuts: A former Republican congressman from Ohio found himself in the difficult position Tuesday of explaining the policy of not paying back Social Security funds that were used for things like tax cuts for the rich. Guest hosting MSNBCs Dylan Ratigan

Bosnia probes video of girl tossing puppies into river: Bosnian police said on Wednesday they were investigating claims by a local animals rights group that a Bosnian girl threw half a dozen puppies into a river in a video that sparked global outrage. Animals rights group Flekice (Spots) filed

Kucinich criticizes ‘privatization of war’ after Obama’s speech: A leading congressional opponent of the Iraq war welcomed the formal end of US combat operations on Tuesday but warned of the increased reliance on private mercenaries. The President is rightly celebrating that less American troops are in harms way,

Evacuations ordered as Earl bears down on US east coast: US holidaymakers Wednesday began to flee the path of Hurricane Earl, slightly weakened but still packing potentially devastating winds and rains as it sped toward the US east coast. Weather experts said the category three storm -- which once been

Conservatives bash once-respected professor for low-balling Beck crowd: Estimates of the turnout for Glenn Becks Restoring Honor rally at the Lincoln Memorial last weekend have varied widely, from a low of 87,000 to a high of one million. As a result, the already-controversial rally has sparked a secondary

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Daily Kos

Midday open thread: The Democratic generic ballot numbers may be plummeting, but Obamas are not. Its interesting. The media hyperventilates over any Gallup polling that finds the Democrats in despair. But when Gallup finds Barack Obamas approval rating jumping a net 12 percentage

McClatchy: Handful of Dems fighting to extend Bush tax cuts for wealthy: Just when you thought youve finally found an issue to rally the party around, along come a handful of Democrats trying to screw it up: WASHINGTON — Democrats in Congress are poised to play a leading role this month in

Offshore platform explosion and fire in Gulf of Mexico: Details are still emerging, but heres some of what is being reported about the explosion of an offshore platform earlier today 80 miles south of Vermilion Bay, Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico: The platform is in 340 feet of

AZ-Gov: Jan Brewer's rough debate outing: It was the first debate of the Arizona governors race, and likely the last, as theres no way incumbent Republican Gov. Jan Brewer chances another disaster like this one. It started out embarrassing enough: Brewer, who has gained national notoriety

Earl update: At 11 AM EDT Hurricane Earls track is mostly unchanged from yesterday evening. The storm has intensified slightly and is now a strong cat 4 with winds in excess of 140 mph and higher gusts.

"Guiding assumptions" of American governance: Im not trying to be naturally contrarian, here -- really. But in a back-and-forth argument with Digby over a review of Markos new book, the American Prospect reviewer dropped this nugget of wisdom: Granted, hyperbole and distortion has helped the

NH-Sen: Report: Ayotte shares blame in Ponzi oversight failure: The FRM Ponzi scheme may have been the first significant sign of trouble for former Attorney General Kelly Ayotte in the New Hampshire Senate race. Which means that two weeks before the primary, with the states biggest paper endorsing another

The deficit commission's conservative bias: TPMs Brian Beutler profiles each of the 18 members of the deficit commission, and finds it a bit stacked to the right. Comprised of nine tax-averse Republicans and nine Democrats, many of whom have expressed support for Social Security changes

Life support: It was just about a year ago that we were hearing stories about President Obamas intention to escalate the war in Afghanistan. Again. The presidents most ardent defenders insisted that we shouldnt listen to unnamed and anonymous sources, and should

Cheers and Jeers: Thursday: From the GREAT STATE OF MAINE... Dumb: Fred Barnes on Fox News Special Report Monday: If Jewish terrorists, in the name of their religion or some perverted version of it, had attacked the World Trade Center, then you couldnt build

Abbreviated pundit round-up: Your one stop pundit shop. Gail Collins: Sarah Palin is going to Iowa to be the headliner at a Republican fund-raiser. In the state that will be the first to hold a contest in the 2012 presidential campaign, even if

Open thread for night owls: The job's not done: The same wave-length? President Barack Obama said: Our most urgent task is to restore our economy, and put the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs back to work. To strengthen our middle class, we must give all our

Open Thread and Diary Rescue: Tonights Rescue Rangers are ybruti, grog, HoosierDeb, vcmvo2, rexymeteorite, and dopper0189, with Alfonso Nevarez editing. Im not much of a pitch man, but there are some really awesome diaries below. Its one of the best crops Ive seen. Please take

Polling and Political Wrap, 9/1/10: On this, the first day of September, a surprisingly quiet day on the campaign trail. Rasmussen surprises with some Alaska data, but returns to form in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, great news for the Democrats from a data standpoint in

How Bush supported the troops: In speaking of Iraq, President Obama was gracious to his predecessor: Yet no one could doubt President Bushs support for our troops, or his love of country and commitment to our security. Meteor Blades addressed the duplicity, cruelty, and inhumanity

The wealthy vs. everyone else: Where's the priority?: Via Ezra, heres another must-see graphic from the CBPP. They write: By far the most important fiscal decision that Congress will face between now and the end of 2010 is whether

Is the White House really debating tax cuts vs. jobs?: The WSJ says so: The presidents economic team has met frequently in recent days to list ways to bolster the struggling recovery, according to government officials. On the list of possible actions: additional tax cuts for small businesses beyond those

AK-Sen: New polls, Murkowski mum: Rasmussen is moving Alaska from solid GOP to lean GOP following Joe Millers primary defeat of Sen. Lisa Murkowski. Their first poll in the Alaska Senate race (grain of salt as usual) has Miller with just a 6 point lead

Pawlenty: No money from feds unless it's not "stupid": Policy coherence isnt necessarily Pawlentys strong suit. As he issued an executive order preventing the state from applying for any of the grants available in the new health care law, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty signaled that he would accept $263

Late afternoon/early evening open thread: Sam Seder talks to actual people about Social Security and tax cuts for the rich.

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Think Progress

Pawlenty Likens Federal Gov To A Drug Dealer, Implies Minnesota Towns, Businesses Are Addicts: Outgoing Minnesota governor and potential Republican presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty appeared on Fox News and Fox Business last night to defend his recent executive order prohibiting the state from applying for grants provided by the new health care law. Pawlenty’s

DOJ Sues Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio For Refusing To Cooperate With Civil Rights Probe: Today, the Department of Justice (DOJ) sued Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, accusing his office of refusing to turn over records since the DOJ opened its investigation into allegations of racial

Jan Brewer Struggles To Recall Her Accomplishments: Last night was the first, and possibly only, debate between candidates for Arizona governor, and it got off to a rough start for Gov. Jan Brewer (R), who struggled twice to remember her accomplishments during her opening statement. Politico writes:Brewer,

One Day Before Its Gulf Oil Rig Exploded, Mariner Energy Said Obama ‘Is Trying To Break Us’(...): The U.S. Coast Guard said this morning that a natural gas and oil drilling platform exploded 80 miles off the coast of Louisiana. A Coast Guard spokesperson said the platform, Vermilion Oil Rig 360, is an oil and gas platform

Barbour To GOP: ‘Quit Acting’ Like We Can Deport All Undocumented, Search For ‘Common Sen(...): As the election approaches, immigrants have become convenient political targets for a whole host of politicians on the right. Fear-mongering about “anchor babies” has become a common tactic, with leading Republicans like Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) even advocating for amending

Wisconsin GOP Blasts Dem Candidate For Holding A ‘Super-Secret Fundraiser’ With Pelosi That(...): Last month, CQ reported that Republican strategists are advising their candidates “to target Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)” as a midterm election strategy. Indeed, Republican candidates across the country are heeding

Jan Brewer Pulls Campaign Ads Off Network That Investigated Her Ties To Prison Lobbyists: Last month, ThinkProgress noted that a local Arizona TV news station discovered that Gov. Jan Brewer (R-AZ), who is running for re-election, may have a conflict of interest in her support of Arizona’s immigration law. CBS5’s KPHO TV found that

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Little Green Footballs

Tech Note: Twitter OAuth Test: So, without telling anybody, Twitter suddenly changed their remote login system to use OAuth instead of Basic Authentication, and my code to do Twitter updates automatically when I post to LGF stopped working.What? They did tell everyone, repeatedly, for months,

Another Oil Platform Explodes in the Gulf: Another oil drilling platform has exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, but luckily no workers were killed. The latest reports say that officials dont know whether oil is leaking from the well; but it was not producing oil and gas

The Jan Brewer Train Wreck: An awesome train wreck of an opening statement from Jan Brewer, in Arizonas gubernatorial debate. One of the most embarrassing political performances ever captured on video.And then, after the debate, Brewer refused to answer questions about her claim that there

Not a Dry Run: That suspected terrorist dry run on a United flight was a false alarm.Video

Signs Banned at Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer's Hate Rally: Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer are taking a page from the Glenn Beck playbook, and banning all signs at their upcoming shameless attempt to capitalize on Americas memories of 9/11 to demonize Muslims. Instead theyre

Palin, Translated: If you can make neither heads nor tails out of @SarahPalinUSAs stream of consciousness Twitterspeak, follow @palinslation to find out what shes saying in English. Sort of.

Discovery Gunman: Just Nuts: It would be nice if everyone could just agree that James Jay Lee, the hostage taker killed today in a standoff at the offices of the Discovery Channel, was deranged. And leave it at that. But of course, were already

NY Teenagers Charged with Shooting at Mosque, Trying to Run Over Worshippers: Another hate crime that Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer and the anti-Muslim Bigot Brigade can claim they have nothing to do with:Teenagers Charged in Harassment at Mosque.A group of teenagers in western New York has been accused of harassing members

Breaking: Hostages Taken at Discovery Building in Silver Spring: SWAT teams have apparently just entered the offices of the Discovery Channel in Silver Spring, Maryland, where a gunman has apparently taken hostages: Reported standoff at Discovery Channel building in Silver Spring.The hostage taker has apparently posted his demands online

New Apple Product Announcements, Streaming Live: Steve Jobs is hosting an Apple special event to announce some cool new stuff, including iOS 4.1, which will feature automatic High Dynamic Range photography for the iPhone 4 (I cant wait to try this). The event is streaming live

Wingnut Morons Get Their Smear On: This is the kind of stuff right wing morons do if you get them mad at you; someone is using my name with a link to my website to post disgusting comments at this popular business and finance blog: 99er

Live Video: Obama Speaks on Iraq: President Obamas speech on the drawdown of US troops in Iraq is about to start; Sarah Palin started attacking it before it began, with a hilariously illiterate reference to George Orwell: Sarah Palin.When asked, Which

Seattle Man Charged in Hate Assault: 'You're Not American, You're Al Qaeda': Heres another anti-Muslim hate crime that Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer and the anti-Muslim Bigot Brigade can claim they have nothing to do with: Charge: Seattle man attacked shopkeeper, calls victim a terrorist.A 35-year-old Seattle man is facing assault and

'Burn a Koran Day' Pastors Let the N Word Flow: Pastors Terry Jones and Wayne Sapp of the Dove World Outreach Center, sponsors of Burn a Koran Day, let it all hang out. You wont believe this one.Warning: this insane video is absolutely not safe for work, and possibly not

Video: Inside the Violent World of the English Defense League: Pamela Shrieking Harpy Geller thinks Newsweek is out to get her, of course, and she doubles down on her support for the far right thugs of the English Defense League -- and announces that shes bringing them to the US

Newsweek: Geller Defends British Thugs Who Attacked Police, Blames Muslims: Mark Hosenball notes anti-Muslim blogger Pamela Gellers support for the thuggish English Defense League: N.Y. Anti-Mosque Leader Defends Group That Clashed With British Police.A leader in the movement protesting plans to build an Islamic cultural

When Proven Liars Attack: Video fraud perpetrator Andrew Breitbarts getting frisky:Ibrahim Hooper on LGF: vicious, anti-Muslim hate site. Antonia Zerbisias described LGF: virulently anti-Muslim/Arab website. @lizardoidMy reply:@andrewbreitbart Hope you realize that many of the now-banned LGF commenters responsible for those remarks are now bloggers

Anti-Mosque Bigots Are Helping America's Enemies: Pamela Geller, Robert Spencer, and the anti-mosque movement are the Talibans best friends.Taliban officials know it’s sacrilegious to hope a mosque will not be built, but that’s exactly what they’re wishing for: the success of the fiery campaign to block

Pajamas Media Hits Bottom, Digs: Imagine the reaction if Pajamas Media started making videos titled Does Christianity suck? or Does Judaism suck?The ignorance and outright bigotry of this video is really quite amazing. Why would anyone be phobic about Islamics, those lovable rapscallions? Andrew Klavan

Video: Interviews with the Beck Fans: Interviews with participants of Glenn Becks Restoring Honor rally. Good grief.

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Crooks and Liars

Jan Brewer refuses to answer questions about 'headless bodies' -- even after the debate to reporters: Click here to view this media We pointed out awhile back that Gov. Jan Brewers fearmongering about immigration in Arizona -- painting the state as the nations kidnapping

Boxer on Fiorina: She fights for billionaires and corporations that outsource jobs: Click here to view this media (h/t Heather)The first (and likely only) debate between Barbara Boxer and Carly Fiorina took place tonight. From the first

Help Support Scott McAdams for Alaska-Sen: Click here to view this media The surprising ascendance of Alaska-Sen to a real race this year seems to have caught everyone off-guard. With Teabagger Joe Millers upset win in the

BREAKING: Another rig catches fire in the Gulf: Oh lovely:An offshore oil platform exploded and was burning Thursday in the Gulf of Mexico about 80 miles south of Vermilion Bay, with some workers reported in the water.The explosion aboard the platform, owned by Mariner Energy, occurred west of

Critiquing President Obama's Iraq Speech: Theres some confusion about how the president is ending combat operations in Iraq if there are still U.S. combat troops in Iraq. His speech on Tuesday outlined his argument that the withdrawal of combat brigades is a significant milestone in

'I Had A Dream' : Picture Stephen Colbert, Speaking To The Nation At 'Restoring Truthiness' Rally: enlargeWhat if Stephen Colbert led a movement to Restore Truthiness? (credit)I found this post by Mrs. Ammerica on Reddit the other day and I thought it was sheer genius -- and if nothing else,

Alan Simpson, Deficit Commission Court Jester: I really dont have an explanation for why Alan Simpson is one of the co-chairs of President Obamas deficit commission, beyond this: Every time the man opens his mouth, he makes the right wing look stupider than they did the

Olbermann and Scahill Share Their 'Thanks' to President Bush: Click here to view this media Keith Olbermann and The Nations Jeremy Scahill respond to the revisionist historian, credit where credits due right wingers who are demanding that

Mike's Blog Roundup: Et tu, Mr. Destructo?: White Americas Inconvenience Tantrum, Part V: We Start the Pogrom at Ground Zero The Next Web: Clash of the blogosphere titans (h/t Vagabond Scholar) Lawyers, Guns & Money: This why I support majoritarian rule Consortiumblog: How

Open Thread: enlargeCredit: Fried Green Al QaedasFried Green Al Qaedas reviews the happenings at Beckapolooza; the rest is here. And not to contradict Quitty McQuitter, but the National Park Service no longer provides audience

C&L's Late Night Music Club With XTC: Genre: XTCTitle: Dear GodMy brother sent me an email yesterday telling me that LNMC needed some XTC. He was right. This track is off 1986s Skylarking, which was produced by Todd Rundgren and ranked as the 48th best album of

Koch Industries Slaps Health Care Law With One Hand While Holding the Other Hand Out: Koch Industries has been at the helm of all opposition and lies around the Affordable Care Act. Koch Industries pushed back against the claims in Jane Mayers article with a fact-check on their positions. One section, entitled Government-Run Healthcare, states

Chris Matthews Revises History on His Opposition to the Iraq Invasion During his 'Let Me Finish(...): Click here to view this media Chris Matthews apparently thinks that no one is going to go back and look at the things he actually said when

Murkowski's concession to Miller reveals the nasty Tea Party rift that Republicans don't want t(...): Click here to view this media As the news was breaking last night that Lisa Murkowski was conceding to Joe Miller in their fight over the GOPs Senate slot

Maddow blasts Obama's praise for Bush: Click here to view this media In an Oval Office speech to the nation, President Barack Obama officially declared an end to US combat operations in Iraq

Glenn Beck, Your Summer of Rage is Here: To dismiss Whitestock as more religious than political is to forget that for Glenn Becks audience, politics are never separate from religion. Interviews with his audience members confirm what Ive said for a long time now: conservative

Help Boxer Counter Fiorina's Big Bucks: We have a couple failed CEOs running around pretending to be moderates out here in California. You cant go far without stumbling across a Fiorina or Whitman ad. Retail politics doesnt really work here, because the state is too huge.

BREAKING: Gunman holding hostages in Discovery Communications headquarters: A heavily armed gunman entered the Discovery TV building with an explosive device strapped to his body, and is reportedly holding a security guard and possibly more people hostage.Via MSNBC: SILVER SPRING, Md. — A gunman with an explosive device

Constitution Party Candidate Indicted On Sex Charges With A Minor: Click here to view this media A Tea Party favorite for the U.S. Senate in Ohio has just been indicted by a

Mr. Humble n' Pious: My big rally was a historic event like the end of slavery: Click here to view this media The mark of the truly fanatical propagandist is their fervent insistence on hyperinflating

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Common Dreams

National Security Experts Grim on Terror War: National Security Experts Grim on Terror War

Study: Prison Population on the Rise: Study: Prison Population on the Rise

Lebanon Slides Towards Civil War as Anniversary of Hariri's Murder Looms: Lebanon Slides Towards Civil War as Anniversary of Hariris Murder Looms

Britain and US: Worst of Wealthy Nations for Children: Britain and US: Worst of Wealthy Nations for Children

US Briefing on Iran Discredits the Official Line: US Briefing on Iran Discredits the Official Line

Doubts Raised on Linking of Iran to US Deaths in Iraq: Doubts Raised on Linking of Iran to US Deaths in Iraq

Korea Deal Marks Big Victory for Realists: Korea Deal Marks Big Victory for Realists

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Michelle Malkin

Feds Sue Sheriff Arpaio, Investigate Chuck E. Cheese — Border Secure!: **Written by Doug Powers By now you can probably read all about this in a revised report to the UN’s Human Rights Council that the Obama administration couldn’t wait to file like a nine year old tattling to momma after

Shallow water rig explosion in Gulf of Mexico: New Orleans TV station WDSU is reporting on a new mishap off the Louisiana coast involving a shallow water rig. One person is missing after a rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico, about 80 miles south of Vermilion Bay,

The Deval Made Him Say It: Glenn Beck’s Rally is the Downside of Freedom: **Written by Doug Powers Every now and then, a politician goofs and reveals more than he or she intended, providing a window into the true motives or beliefs. Michigan’s John Dingell claiming that Obamacare is a peachy way to “control

Sigh: DHS posts signs to deter illegal aliens: In Invasion, published eight years ago, I pointed out that the Bush administration’s lame immigration enforcement measures included orange rubber cones and useless “No Entry” signs posted at the border. Well, file this under “The more things change.” The Washington

Speaking truth to race-hustlers: Right on: (h/t Sissy Willis via F.A.M.) And right on again, from Jerome Hudson via Human Events: Like most Americans, I’ve had enough with this administration’s policies. I was fed up and fired up. I am even more so in

Wyden: For imposing the Obamacare individual health mandate before he was against it: Far Left Democrat Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon championed a federal individual health care mandate, wrote it into his own legislation, and voted it into law. Now, he’s not so sure he wants to impose it on his own constituents

Hostage situation at Discovery Channel: There’s been a breaking hostage situation at the Discovery Channel office in Silver Spring, MD all morning. The alleged gunman reportedly has explosives strapped to his body and there have been reports of at least one hostage. The office has

Another rejection: Judge rejects Obama drilling ban again: Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and the Obama job-killing machine get kicked in the ass one more time. They wanted federal judge Martin Feldman to dismiss the drillers’ lawsuit challenging their original moratorium. No dice. Via Reuters: A federal judge in

Which party is the fatcat party?: The Hill reports on how the wealthiest members of Congress fared over the past year. Can you guess who tops the Capitol Hill 50 wealthiest list? And can you guess which party outnumbers the other on the list? Hint: Think

California plastic bag ban goes down: Finally, California shows some sense. Lawmakers trashed an onerous, ill-timed, empty-gesture plastic bag ban pushed by radical greens this week: California lawmakers have rejected a bill seeking to ban plastic shopping bags after a contentious debate over whether the state

Obama jobs death toll: private sector jobs, growth forecasts down: Automatic Data Processing is a payroll giant that cuts checks to employees. The company publishes a national employment report with Macroeconomic Advisers. Its latest stats show that the nation lost 10,000 private sector jobs last month. It’s not what economists

Arizona vs. the U.N. human rights police: Arizona vs. the U.N. human rights police by Michelle Malkin Creators Syndicate Copyright 2010 An indignant President Obama complained last week, “I can’t spend all of my time with my birth certificate plastered on my forehead.” Fine. How about plastering

Alaska surprise: Another GOP incumbent goes down: Entrenched GOP incumbent Bob Bennett of Utah — ousted in May by a grass-roots revolt against big government Republicanism — has company. Voters have retired GOP incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. She is reportedly conceding tonight to upstart Joe

Video – Caution: Big Labor hypocrisy at work: From my friends at CEI, a new video capturing Big Labor hypocrisy at work: Should labor unions pay their protestors the wages and benefits that the unions demand of other employers? CEI labor policy attorney Vincent Vernuccio crashed a union

First Rule of Obamacare Club Is: You Do Not Talk About Obamacare Club: **Written by Doug Powers First they had to pass it so we could find out what’s in it, and now they know what’s in it but they can’t talk about it: The progressive coalition Health Care for America Now fought

N.C.-07 and N.C.-02 GOP: Ilario Pantano and Renee Elmers for Congress: Longtime readers of this blog and Hot Air know the extraordinary story of Ilario Pantano’s heroism. He’s the Marine sniper-turned-Wall Street trader who rejoined the military after 9/11, faced the death penalty for killing two Iraqi insurgents in the heat

Terrific: Bankrupt Freddie Mac hires “diversity officer”: Taxpayer-supported mortgage behemoth Freddie Mac — yes, the same government-sponsored entity that is sucking $64 billion of your money to stay afloat — is proud to announce that it is squandering more of your bucks on a “diversity officer:” Freddie

Barack Obama on Iraq: Then and now: Barack Obama, 2002: What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war. What I am opposed to is the cynical attempt by Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz and other armchair, weekend

Great News! More Economic Stimulus on the Way: **Written by Doug Powers If you’re selling US economy stock short, now is the time to get aggressive: WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)–President Barack Obama on Monday said his economic team is working to identify new measures to stimulate U.S. growth as

Boot Barney Frank: Support GOP challenger Sean Bielat: Spread the word and send your money. Corruptocrat Barney Frank has a strong GOP challenger who needs your help in advance of the September 14 primary. His name is Sean Bielat. He’s a businessman. He’s a Marine. He’s a young

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The Washington Monthly

House GOP leader goes off-message, praises stimulus: HOUSE GOP LEADER GOES OFF-MESSAGE, PRAISES STIMULUS.... Almost immediately after the stimulus became law last year, congressional Republicans have run into some rhetorical trouble -- theres a consistency problem with their message. On the one hand, the GOP insists that...

The top of Pence's priority list: THE TOP OF PENCES PRIORITY LIST.... We dont know if or when congressional Republicans will release an actual policy agenda. For that matter, we dont know just how successful Republicans will be in the midterm elections. We do know, however,...

Not ready for primetime: NOT READY FOR PRIMETIME.... We talked earlier Arizona Gov. Jan Brewers (R) remarkable opening statement in a gubernatorial debate last night, in which the far-right incumbent appeared deeply confused about what she was trying to say. In the minute-long opening...

Vote first, answer questions later: VOTE FIRST, ANSWER QUESTIONS LATER.... The most common phenomenon in American politics is Republican candidates promising to cut spending. As a matter of economics, its a dubious idea -- when an economy is struggling, deliberately taking money out of the...

Thursday's campaign round-up: THURSDAYS CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP.... Todays installment of campaign-related news items that wouldnt generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers. * As was rumored yesterday, Bud Chiles ended his independent gubernatorial campaign in Florida today,...

Brewer's painfully long pauses: BREWERS PAINFULLY LONG PAUSES.... Ive seen politicians freeze on the air when confronted with a tough question for which theyre unprepared, but going blank during a debates opening statement? This is a new one. Ben Smith reported, Arizona Governor Jan...

Barbour explains the South with baseless, revisionist history: BARBOUR EXPLAINS THE SOUTH WITH BASELESS, REVISIONIST HISTORY.... For much of the 20th century, Americas Southeast, now the Republicans strongest region, was closely aligned with Democratic politics. The shift began quickly after the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act,...

Mark Kirk syndrome spreads to other GOP candidates: MARK KIRK SYNDROME SPREADS TO OTHER GOP CANDIDATES.... When it comes to candidates with an almost pathological tendency to exaggerate their backgrounds, Illinois Senate candidate Mark Kirk (R) is obviously in a league of his own. But there are others...

The wisdom of a liberated republican, cont'd: THE WISDOM OF A LIBERATED REPUBLICAN, CONTD.... This week, congressional Republican leaders did their best to downplay the end of combat operations in Iraq, insisting President Obama was wrong and that President Bush deserves credit for recent progress. It was,...

George Will's bad habit: GEORGE WILLS BAD HABIT.... Over the last several months, George Will has written a series of columns about some of the most extreme politicians in Republican politics. In each instance, he seems to go out of his way to ignore...

ADL steps away from mess it helped create: ADL STEPS AWAY FROM MESS IT HELPED CREATE.... The controversy surrounding the Park51 project in lower Manhattan has been disheartening, but perhaps no moment was as disappointing as the Anti-Defamation Leagues statement in late July. The organization committed to combating...

Wednesday's Mini-Report: WEDNESDAYS MINI-REPORT.... Todays edition of quick hits: * The first peace talks in nearly two years: President Obama on Wednesday began the arduous process of coaxing and pressing the main Middle East participants to define and embrace a comprehensive peace...

There's no point in advertising an unpopular agenda: THERES NO POINT IN ADVERTISING AN UNPOPULAR AGENDA.... A couple of months ago, Jonah Goldberg argued that its time for the GOP to go beyond the party of no approach, and call Obamas bluff and offer a real choice. James...

Comparing costs: COMPARING COSTS.... In his Oval Office address last night, President Obama explained, Unfortunately, over the last decade, weve not done whats necessary to shore up the foundations of our own prosperity. We spent a trillion dollars at war, often financed...

Degrees of accuracy, degrees of error: DEGREES OF ACCURACY, DEGREES OF ERROR.... The debate over the efficacy of last years stimulus doesnt produce two clear camps: supporters and critics. Paul Krugman and John Boehner may both offer scathing criticism of the Recovery Act, but for very...

Selective opposition to 'demonizing': SELECTIVE OPPOSITION TO DEMONIZING.... The party that apologized to BP after its oil spill disaster still believes those mean ol Democrats should leave the oil industry alone. President Obama and Democrats in Congress should stop demonizing the oil industry, a...

Birthers pick up a crazed retired general: BIRTHERS PICK UP A CRAZED RETIRED GENERAL.... Dave Weigel has one of the days more head-shaking stories. I try to ignore the birther movement unless it inducts someone important -- a congressman, for example. The (sigh) American Patriot Foundations announcement...

They're in no position to boast: THEYRE IN NO POSITION TO BOAST.... With President Obama ending combat operations in Iraq, the Republicans who got every aspect of this conflict wrong from the start have decided that we owe them our thanks. Indeed, GOP leaders and neocon...

Wednesday's campaign round-up: WEDNESDAYS CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP.... Todays installment of campaign-related news items that wouldnt generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers. * Floridas competitive gubernatorial race will apparently drop from three candidates to two when Bud...

Dobson's group: anti-bullying programs part of elaborate plot: DOBSONS GROUP: ANTI-BULLYING PROGRAMS PART OF ELABORATE PLOT.... If a group is committed to focusing on families, it stands to reason it would support school efforts to combat bullying. Regrettably, Focus on the Family, religious right pioneer James Dobsons conservative...

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Talking Points Memo

The Latest Spill: Im seeing a lot of chatter citing the explosion on the Mariner Energy, Inc. rig as good evidence of the need for a moratorium on deep water drilling. But based on the initial reports we know two things that make

Trainwreck Alert: The evil part of me is enjoying the schadenfreude of watching Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) totally botch her opening statement in last nights gubernatorial debate:The charitable side of me knows the terror of completely losing your train of thought

Too Late?: Christina Romer, the outgoing chair of President Obamas Council of Economic Advisers, calls for more stimulus: The only surefire ways for policymakers to substantially increase aggregate demand in the short run are for the government to spend more and tax

Drama Queens?: Corporate Tea Party-backer FreedomWorks made a very big deal last week about having to move its DC headquarters to a different, more secure building because of all of the threats its received from liberals. But we looked into it a

Don't Try This At Your Own Hooka Bar: Would be hate crime ends poorly for the assailant. Hate crime - Race-Ethnic-Religious Relations -

NRA Has Sense Of Humor?: Chuck Norris makes a cameo in a new video produced by the NRA that actually made me chuckle.

Face-To-Face: Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will begin direct negotiations today at the State Department.

Quote Of The Day: If you dont hold us accountable, well do some real bad things in Washington, D.C. --Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), speaking about ... the economy

Washington's Fave Parlor Game: Will she or wont she? Elizabeth Warren makes last-minute change to her Harvard Law teaching schedule.

Not Pretty: What would it look like if a Republican-controlled Congress followed through on threat to shutdown the government rather than fund the new health care law? Brian Beutler talks to experts like Donna Shalala and Robert Reich who experienced the 1995-96

Some Good News: Over the weekend we brought you the news of the apparent arson attack at the construction site of the future Islamic Center of Murfreesboro, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The day after the incident, members of the congregations board went to inspect

Fists Fly at the Hookah Bar: As weve been reporting, there have been a flurry of incidents around the country in recent weeks in which people have tried to intimidate or attack American Muslims or people they believed to be Muslims. But along with these ugly

Why The Discovery Channel?: The gunman who allegedly took hostages at the Discovery channels headquarters in suburban Washington, D.C., has been shot dead by police and the hostages rescued.

For Apple Aficionados: Gizmodo runs down the list of new products that Apple unveiled today. Apple - Macintosh

Who's Who In Peace Talks: The White House gives the readout on the afternoons multilateral meetings on day one of the Middle East peace talks in Washington:After a one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Obama went one-on-one with President Abbas. Then Obama and Abbas

Is It Gov. Christie Big Fibbin?: Gov. Christie (R-NJ) fired Ed Commissioner and former GOP rising star Brett Schundler and publicly accused Schundler of lying. Now Schundlers has come forward with the email evidence. And its not looking good for Christie.

Venn Diagram: Im curious to see how many Dems that could only have gotten elected in 2006 and 2008 are going to go down to Republicans who could only get elected in 2010.

Campaign Trail Innovations: Making up stories about your time in the military when you never served is getting pretty old hat these days in political circles. Like tired late 70s arena rock, its a form that has been crying out for innovation or

D'oh (Wisconsin Politics Edition): Rule of Campaign politics #641.Dont run an ad where you say youre coming after your opponent with boxing gloves if he was the victim of a violent felony assault just last year.

Gunman At Discovery Channel HQ: About an hour ago, an apparent gunman allegedly entered the headquarters of the Discovery channel in Silver Spring, MD, which is suburban DC. TPM Reader AR works just down the street from the Discovery building and sends in this photo

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Power Line

The Israeli-Palestinian talks -- why the first hurdle ought to be insurmountable: As Middle East talks commence here in Washington, President Obama is no doubt pressing Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to renew the West Bank building freeze that is set to expire on September 26. Indeed, Eli Lake of the Washington Times

Obama the two-faced: Some folks are defending President Obamas decision not to say anything positive about the substance of the Iraq war in his Tuesday speech on the grounds that Obama simply doesnt believe any good came out of the project. And, although

It's Miller time: The emergence of Joe Miller as the Republican senatorial candidate in Alaska is one of the most surprising results so far in an already surprising year. Millers defeat of incumbent Senator Lisa Murkowski in the Republican primary must be attributable

Give hudna a chance: The Wall Street Journal editorial staff dug up some New York Times letters to the editor by the imam behind the Ground Zero Mosque. The Journal editorial reports:In a letter published on November 27, 1977, Mr. Rauf commented on Egyptian

Our shrinking president: I didnt watch any of the TV commentary on President Obamas speech last night. But J.E. Dyer at Contentions informs us that the TV commentariat rose up to advance the narrative that Obama had no obligation to acknowledge Bushs surge

Predicting the future is difficult; telling the truth about the past should not be: I expect November 2, 2010 to be a very good night for Republicans. But for me, it wont be a fully satisfactory night unless Sen. Barbara Boxer goes down to defeat.To understand why, consider Sen. Boxers exchange with then-Secretary of

They're Missing Him In Ohio: This poll finding is not just stunning, but important: if you run a presidential race between Barack Obama and George W. Bush in Ohio, its Bush by 50-42:Well start rolling out our Ohio poll results tomorrow but theres one finding

This Fish Needs A History Lesson: It is remarkable how little it takes, on the Left, to earn a reputation for intellectual acuity. Stanley Fish is an academic of some renown, although Im vague as to what he has actually written or accomplished. Now he has

Concurrent or consecutive sentences?: As I see it, the nations current economic woes translate, under normal political practice, into a net gain of roughly 50 House seats for the out-of-power party. The perception that President Obama won the presidency on false pretenses, is governing

A classless, limp and boring speech: President Obamas Oval Office speech on the termination of combat operations in Iraq was so half-hearted and detached, it was a little hard to discern its true meaning. I dont think anyone has captured the nature of Obamas discussion of

Uncommon Knowledge with Haley Barbour: Haley Barbour is the Governor of Mississippi, now serving his second (and final) term in office. Governor Barbour distinguished himself for his leadership in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Earlier this week, Ellen Ratner saluted Governor Barbour as one of

Turn it up!: Yesterday Van Morrison -- singer, songwriter and world class artist -- celebrated his sixty-fifth birthday. Van is an artist who has absorbed all the strains of American popular music and recapitulated them in his own unique voice. As such, he

A limp and boring speech: President Obamas speech from the oval office, only the second of his presidency, was surprisingly limp. With three momentous subjects to cover - Iraq, Afghanistan, and the U.S. economy - Obama struggled to say anything new or interesting. It isnt

Sometimes the past really is a foreign country: Many people view Republicans and especially their leaders as being fixated on the past, and that perception is not entirely unjustified. Just last week, at the Lincoln Memorial, Sarah Palin spoke of the need to restore America rather than to

Dead Heat: We have been reporting on the Minnesota Governor Race among Tom Emmer, a solid conservative; Mark Dayton, a deeply flawed and wackily liberal Democrat; and tax-raiser Tom Horner playing the traditional spoilers role as the representative of the Independence Party.

Sarah celebrates shabbat: Sarah Palin celebrated the Jewish sabbath among friends Friday night before her appearance at the Restore Honor rally on the Washington mall on Saturday. Benyamin Korn reports:By evening, the halls of the Hershey Lodge were filled with the aroma of

Meet Ignat Solzhenitsyn: Last year I went to New York to take my daughter to see Steely Dan perform The Royal Scam and selected favorites at the Beacon Theater.

Inside the Orlando mosque: The video below is an investigative report on the the June 2009 fundraiser for Hamas held at Masjid Al-Rahman mosque in Orlando, Florida. Featuring that tool George Galloway, the fundraiser was intended to raise money for Galloways Viva Palestina, then

Wallowing in Katrina: Like most nostalgia, the excessive coverage this weekend of the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina signified a yearning for happier days from the past. In this case, it was the yearning of the MSM and President Obama for the happy

Glenn Beck nails it: As John has noted, America remains unclear about President Obamas religious affiliation. Thus, in a Pew Research survey, a 43 percent (a plurality) said they dont know which religion Obama practices.John has offered some good explanations for this uncertainty, especially

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Eschaton

The Unbearable Burden Of Walking: Like Amanda, I find the aversion to walking to be interesting. Its familiar to me as I once lived that way, but Im still a bit shocked when occasionally visitors to the urban hellhole perceive a 3 walk block to

Because Parking Is Actually Most Of The Problem: I think the reason parking requirements and mandatory free parking are getting more attention now is because more and more people are understanding that this rather simple policy choice is what has led to pedestrian-friendly development being illegal in most

Maybe These Idiots Don't Know What They're Doing: Labor Day is almost here. Time for some new product? Maybe?

Lunch Thread: enjoy

Destroy It: And justifiably argue self defense.**No I am not a lawyer so do not listen to me.

Goodbye New York: People finally wise up.

Neo-Isolationism: Most Very Serious People still think that unless were hanging around blowing shit up we arent involved and it therefore isnt real.

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THREE HEADED MONSTER

Gerald Ford 1913-2006: Former President Gerald Ford passed away on December 26, 2006. We would like to take the time to reflect on this man who had

The First 100 Hours: Democratic leaders in the House have promised to pass several items on their legislative agenda in their first 100 hours in power. Potential items

Will Frederick Kagan's December 14, 2006, "Choosing Victory: A Plan for Success in Iraq" be the(...): Will Frederick Kagans December 14, 2006, Choosing Victory: A Plan for Success in Iraq be the option that President Bush pursues? If so, should

Are the Holocaust deniers something we should be concerned with?: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has convened approximately 70 researchers such as ex-Klansman David Duke to discuss their doubts about the extent of the Holocaust,

Where do we stand now with regard to Iraq?: There has been a flurry of diplomatic efforts in recent weeks to end the violence in Iraq. With the naming of a new defense

Dear Mahmoud,: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent a letter to the American people. Here is your chance to respond.MRB:Dear President Ahmadinejad and Noble Iranians,Thank you for

Are Republicans happy or disappointed that Rep. Pelosi decided Rep. Hastings would not be Chair(...): Even before the election results were final, Republicans began voicing their outrage at the possibility that Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., might become Chairman of

What role should Iran and Syria play in a post war Iraq ?: With the Bush administration being pushed toward a regional resolution to the war in Iraq, the question becomes what role, if any, should Iran

What should US economic policy be toward Asia?: With President Bush wrapping up his latest Asian tour, should any changes be made to US economic policy in regard to Asia, or are

What do we do about Iran's impending nuclear capability ?: President Bush has mainly been talking about economic and diplomatic isolation, however, the administration is also leaving open the option of military action. The

Can Lady Liberty's message be the same in an age of Islamic extremists ?: Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless,

Is Europe lost already?: With a history of lax immigration policies and emphasis on tolerance, has Europe already been lost to radical Islam? Is the United States headed

Which Presidential hopefuls are in the best position for 2008? Which ones are not ?: With the midterm elections behind us now, which candidates are best positioned for a Presidential run in 2008, and whose Presidential aspirations may have

2006 Election Post Mortem: The real question today is not just who won which race, but what the election results mean for each one of us and the

Exercise your right to vote !: Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a

Time to predict the outcome of the November 2006 election: Each of us will now set forth our respective predictions of the final overall outcome of tomorrows election. We will also predict the specific

Is going Negative a Positive ?: In the last few days before the election it seems like there are no political campaigns left that have not gone negative. The research

Can Barack Obama be elected President ?: In his victory speech, Senator Barack Obama said regarding his long shot candidacy... (When I announced my campaign) at the time, as many of

Should Iraq be Partitioned ?: President Bushs position is that partition as a solution in Iraq is a non-starter. Nevertheless, the idea of partition being part of the solution

Kerry gaffe: November gift ?: You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be

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AMERICAblog

How's that post-partisan thing working out?: From Huff Post Hill:Getting a jump on those articles of impeachment, author David Limbaugh is scorching his way up the Amazon rankings with his latest book, Crimes Against Liberty: An Indictment of President Barack Obama. Its number seven now and

Coast Guard responds to oil rig fire 80 miles off Louisiana coast: The early reports say no oil was being drilled yet which should be positive news. CNN:An oil rig has exploded 80 miles off the coast of Louisiana, with 13 people overboard, including one injured, the Coast Guard said Thursday morning.The

Words fail Arizona's Governor Jan Brewer at debate: Yesterday, Arizonans saw the first and probably only debate between the incumbent Governor, Republican Jan Brewer, and her Democratic opponent, Terry Goddard. So, this is important. Youd think the candidates would be prepped and ready. But, Jan Brewer couldnt even

Glenn Beck argues for making conservatives permanent victims: If Democrats dont have a worldview to offer, this is what fills the void.

Newsweek: Why the 44th president is no FDR—and the economy is still in the doldrums: Michael Hirsh writes a powerful essay in Newsweek explaining how Wall Street didnt, and wont, have to face real reform because of Geithner and Summers having rolled the President. But Hirsh doesnt give the President a pass.Obama can hardly take

Lehman's ex CEO requests more socialism for CEOs: Shouldnt he have thought about the consequences of gambling before they required a bailout? Fuld has never offered to pay back the bonus money that he raked in during the peak bubble years so why is now complaining about not

Thursday Morning Open Thread: Good morning.The President had a busy day of foreign policy yesterday. Today, he doesnt have any events on his public schedule, but does have a meeting with his national security team. Meanwhile, Secretary Clinton will be hosting the direct talks

Why is 'halal' food so dangerous?: When its available, I buy kosher for certain foods and travel across Paris to my favorite butcher who sells halal products. I know some people who choose kosher meals on flights because they believe that its going to be better

Facebook data center to be powered by coal: Theres progress for you. Would it really be so hard to find a modern power source? Whats silly about this is that the data center machines will be very energy efficient, which is great. If they want to be the

Dry summer in England reveals ancient history: Theres definitely lots of upside to having an especially dry summer from time to time. Archeologists are having their best year in decades.From Roman forts to Neolithic settlements and military remains dating to World War Two, English Heritage has been

Texting while cat

Credit card issuers getting around new law: They will never learn. Well done by Schumer for calling out the banks but who has much faith in Bernanke to do anything, let alone the right thing?Senator Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, asked the Federal Reserve to look

Obama & the Embeds (DOJ edition): This is another case, unfortunately, of a self-inflicted Embed, or perhaps something worse. The trail starts with this recent item at Scott Hortons No Comment blog, entitled Obamas War on Whistleblowers: As a young lawyer, Obama represented a whistleblower; as

If conservatives act like morons on camera, why does it matter if a liberal is holding the camera?: The Daily Caller has a post up about our good friends at New Left Media who do all the great video documentaries of Sarah Palins book signings, Glenn Becks rallies, and the Teabagger conferences. Putting aside the fact, for a

Rachel Maddow on Obama ending Bush's war: The Obama Iraq–pullout speech received mixed reviews. Martin Wolf called it too cautious in the Financial Times. The NY Times editors were more positive (There was no victory to declare last night, and Mr. Obama was right not to try)

FBI (that would be Obama's FBI) concludes not a hate crime for two Marines to knock a gay guy u(...): Apparently the injury wasnt serious enough, the FBI and local police concluded. Mind you, they hit him in the head and knocked him unconscious. Not a serious injury.

Roubini: 'No Chance of a V-Shaped Recovery': And in fun with economics news, this from Nouriel Roubini. My headline is his headline. Some selections (emphasis mine; see below for links): The curtain has opened on Act Two of our “Year of Two Halves”—RGE’s theme since the end

Orrin Hatch comes out in favor of not-a-mosque that isn't at Ground Zero: Via Huff Post Hill:In an interview with Salt Lake Citys Fox 13 News, the Utah senator expressed his unequivocal support for the planned community center several blocks from Ground Zero. And theres a huge, I think, lack of support throughout

In 2009, it paid to fire large numbers of American workers: Its good to be da king. And to think the poor little lambs are being asked to provide more pay transparency that can easily be generated with a simple Excel spreadsheet in minutes.As U.S. companies shed millions of workers during

And yet another mosque attack that involved a gun: Should this really be a surprise considering the constant stream of attacks by the Teabaggers?A group of teenagers in western New York has been accused of harassing members of a mosque by yelling obscenities and insults during evening prayers for

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TPMCafe

Hilarious: Official Israeli Video On Why It Must Hold On To Every Inch: The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, which is distributing this video, is the think-tank closely associated with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his top advisers. It is led by Dory Gold, a former Israeli diplomat. Other Jerusalem Center honchos include

"Last Train Home" Is a Stunning Film: The crazy thing about the culture of movies nowadays is that as the export platform called Hollywood bloats beyond all proportions, the long tail is longer and no less vigorous than ever. If you live in a major American city,

Guns, Religion and the Glen Beck Rally: I hope that David Frum is right and that the Tea Party movement, which is growing in numbers and ferocity, will hit its limit, experience an Icarus moment, and plunge back into the fringe of American politics where pugnacious, jingoistic,

Hypocrisy: US Condemns Killing of Israelis But Almost Never Of Palestinians: The first statement to come out of the meeting between President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu was Obamas strong condemnation of the horrific killing of four Israeli settlers on the West Bank. These were civilians who were simply driving in

Bolder Initiatives Needed on Pakistan Floods: Angelina Jolie has traveled to Pakistan in her role as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, donated $100,000 for flood victim relief and issued this public service annoucement (at the break on the next page). I strongly support what she and others

Israeli Universities Under Attack: Most of us who make our livings at universities take it for granted (and try not to talk about this too much) that our colleagues on the faculty are liberals. They, we, tend to put a great deal of emphasis

Since It Was So Much Fun the First Time: Heres our new FAQ with answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the new login system.

Reality Check: Which Politician is Talking About the Real World?: So Im listening to Minority Leader Boehner this afternoon and President Obama tonight, trying to put my finger on the essential difference in approach. Here it is. One doesnt think Americans even need to ask what victory means in a

Senator Simpson's Quick Budget Quiz: President Obama is apparently content to have an abrasive and abusive senators son sit as co-chairman of his deficit commission. We can assume that these traits were a direct result of Sen. Alan Simpsons privileged upbringing and he is not

Why A Civil Society Extends Unemployment Benefits: I have the questionable distinction of appearing on Larry Kudlows CNBC program several times a week, arguing with people whose positions under normal circumstances would get no serious attention, and defending policies I would have thought so clearly and obviously

Warning: Why Cheaper Money Won't Mean More Jobs: Can the Fed rescue the economy by making money even cheaper than it already is? A debate is being played out in the Fed about whether it should return to so-called quantitative easing - buying more mortgage-backed securities, Treasury bills,

Crazy Illogic From Israel's Ambassador To United States: The New York Times on Monday features a pretty good piece on the upcoming Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.But it includes one jarring, even nutty, note.Israels ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, says that if Iran gets the bomb, the peace

US Strategic Opportunity in Pakistan Flooding Relief: George Soros is working hard behind the scenes to help the Obama administration realize that a billion dollars spent now, carefully, and in a structure that could create a systemic improvement in Indus River water management helping India and Pakistan

Future of Reader Blogging: Greetings folks. Most people seem to have been able to login with the new system and also reclaim their existing TPM username and avatar for commenting. We know a number of you have had problems either logging in and/or reclaiming

Not Far Enough from Ground Zero: Fifty years ago, they burned crosses in Tennessee. Now its the construction equipment at the site of the projected site of the mosque in Murfreesboro.I know its not the identical they. But theyre kissing cousins, restoring America. (H/t: Siva Vaidhynathan,

Brilliant Op-ed in Times On Why Mideast Talks Without Hamas Are A Farce: Ali Abunimah has a terrific op-ed in the New York Times today on why the upcoming Israeli-Fatah negotiations are doomed to fail. Actually, the very fact that a piece like this would appear in the Sunday Times is news in

Future of Reader Blogging: Greetings folks. Most people seem to have been able to login with the new system and also reclaim their existing TPM username and avatar for commenting. We know a number of you have had problems either logging in and/or reclaiming

Not Far Enough from Ground Zero: Fifty years ago, they burned crosses in Tennessee. Now its the construction equipment at the site of the projected site of the mosque in Murfreesboro.I know its not the identical they. But theyre kissing cousins, restoring America. (H/t: Siva Vaidhynathan,

Brilliant Op-ed in Times On Why Mideast Talks Without Hamas Are A Farce: Ali Abunimah has a terrific op-ed in the New York Times today on why the upcoming Israeli-Fatah negotiations are doomed to fail. Actually, the very fact that a piece like this would appear in the Sunday Times is news in

Obscene: That is the best word to describe todays gathering on the Mall. I am not referring to the displays of patriotism, honoring the military, or praising the Lord. You could argue that the troops were exploited, that the fund-raising was

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