memeorandum: Senate panel asks Clinton library to turn over documents on Elena Kagan (Richard A. Serrano/Los Angeles Times)

6:20 PM ET, May 20, 2010

Top Items:

David Weigel / Right Now:

Rand Paul, telling the truth — If we use “gaffe” in its proper, Kinsleyan form, that's what U.S. Senate candidate Rand Paul issued to NPR yesterday, and that's what he defended on Rachel Maddow's show last night. He told the truth about his stance on the Civil Rights Act.

Ezra Klein:

Rand Paul may not be a racist, but he is an extremist — Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy — It's safe to say Rand Paul's first few days as the Republican nominee for the open Senate seat in Kentucky are not going well.

Discussion: Politics Daily, The Atlantic Online, American Prospect, Townhall.com, The Moderate Voice, Matthew Yglesias, United States of Jamerica, American Power, Washington Wire, The Impolitic, FrumForum, Right Now, Newsweek Blogs, pandagon.net, The New Republic, Vanity Fair and Hit & Run

The Huffington Post:

Rand Paul On Civil Rights Controversy: I Shouldn't Have Talked To Rachel Maddow [UPDATED] — See new updates below. — The morning after he declined to endorse the totality of the Civil Rights Act in his much-discussed appearance on the Rachel Maddow Show, Dr. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) …

Discussion: The Politico, Ben Smith's Blog, The Moderate Voice, Raw Story, TPMDC, The Corner on National …, Balkinization, Newsweek Blogs, Beltway Confidential, Swampland and Pam's House Blend

Lee Fang / Think Progress:

Exclusive: DeMint Says He Disagrees With Rand Paul On Civil Rights, Needs To ‘Talk To Rand About His Positions’ — Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) endorsed anti-government extremist Rand Paul (R-KY) in the Kentucky US Senate primary, funneling money and resources for his successful campaign.

Discussion: Right Now, Washington Monthly, Althouse, The Hill, Hot Air, TPMDC, Page One, Confederate Yankee, Shakesville, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Barefoot and Progressive, Ben Smith's Blog and The Talking Dog

Mike Memoli / Real Clear Politics:

Paul: I Support the Civil Rights Act — Reacting to an avalanche of criticism over his perceived views of the Civil Rights Act, Rand Paul's campaign issues this statement today: … Sphere It!

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, The Politico, Think Progress, MyDD, Below The Beltway, TPMDC, The Reaction, The Rachel Maddow Show, Daily Kos, Outside The Beltway and bastard.logic

Jake / Page One:

Rand Paul Made Same Racial Comments in 2002 — Rand Paul's appearance last evening on Rachel Maddow wasn't the first time he made comments about racial discrimination. — In a May 30, 2002 letter to the editor of the Bowling Green Daily News about the Federal Fair Housing Act …

Discussion: CNN, The Hill, Little Green Footballs, Right Now and TPMDC

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:

Paul blames ‘loony left’ for civil rights focus — Rand Paul lashed out at the “loony left” for pressing him on his view of the 1964 Civil Rights Act in an interview with Laura Ingraham this morning. — “I've never really favored any change in the Civil Rights Act,” he said.

Discussion: Page One, Newsweek Blogs, Firedoglake, The Moderate Voice, TPMDC, Barefoot and Progressive and No More Mister Nice Blog

David Weigel / Right Now:

Rand Paul in '02: I may not like it, but ‘a free society’ will allow ‘hate-filled groups to exclude people based on the color of their skin’ — Here's another wrinkle in the controversy over U.S. Senate candidate Rand Paul's arguments, made Wednesday to NPR and Rachel Maddow …

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, The Plum Line, MyDD and New York Times

Daniel Foster / The Corner on National Review Online:

Paul Calls Maddow Appearance ‘Mistake,’ Civil Rights ‘Settled’ — By: Daniel Foster — AUDIO BELOW — Appearing on Laura Ingraham's radio show this morning, Rand Paul said he regretted his Wednesday appearance with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, in which Paul appeared to waver on whether he thought …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Little Green Footballs, Newsweek Blogs and alicublog

Bruce Bartlett / Capital Gains and Games blogs:

Rand Paul is No Barry Goldwater on Civil Rights — Rand Paul, son of legendary libertarian Congressman Ron Paul, for whom I worked in the 1970s, is now the official Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate from Kentucky. Perhaps unfortunately for him, he did not get a great deal …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Erick's blog, Newsweek Blogs, Washington Monthly, Page One, Facing South, Cato @ Liberty, Right Now, Mother Jones and The American Conservative

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:

Paul won't back repeal of 1964 act — Rand Paul just put out a long statement that seeks to put to rest the controversy over the 1964 Civil Rights Act, but it continues to avoid discussing his central complaint with the bill, the way in which it regulates private businesses:

Discussion: The Politico, CNN, DISSENTING JUSTICE and TPM LiveWire

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
In Defense Of Rand Paul (Kinda)

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Washington Monthly, Outside The Beltway, The Note, No More Mister Nice Blog and The Other McCain

Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
Freedom as White Supremacy

Discussion: Think Progress and No More Mister Nice Blog

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Rand Paul spox: Fed gov't should bar businesses from discriminating

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Washington Post, Ben Smith's Blog and TPMDC

Adam Nagourney / The Caucus:
Paul's Views on Civil Rights Cause a Stir

Discussion: Gothamist, TPMDC, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES and New York Times

Joan Walsh / Salon:
Rachel Maddow demolishes Rand Paul

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, FiveThirtyEight, Democratic Strategist, Politics Daily, Guardian, Crooks and Liars, Firedoglake, Moonbattery and Washington Monthly

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
What do Rand Paul's patrons think of Civil Rights talk?

Discussion: The Swamp, TPMMuckraker, The Rachel Maddow Show and TPMDC

Ezra Klein:
Area politician has some explaining to do

Discussion: USA Today

Howard Fineman / Newsweek Blogs:
Rand Paul and D. W. Griffith

Discussion: NPR Topics and NewsBusters.org

Jordy Yager / The Hill:

GOP lawmaker blasts Mexican pres. comments as inappropriate — Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) blasted Mexican President Felipe Calderon on Thursday, calling the visiting dignitary's remarks on Arizona's recently implemented immigration law “inappropriate.” — Earlier Thursday …

Discussion: The Note, Hot Air, Weasel Zippers and The Corner on National …

Rasmussen Reports:
71% in Arizona Now Support State's New Immigration Law

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Liberty Pundits Blog and National Review

Donald Duck / Breitbart.tv:
CALDERON GETS STANDING OVATION FROM DEMS FOR CRITICIZING AZ IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN

Discussion: Associated Press, No Sheeples Here, Scared Monkeys, Gateway Pundit and LewRockwell.com Blog

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Mexican president condemns Ariz. immigration law before Congress

Discussion: Sister Toldjah, Liberty Pundits Blog and Rasmussen Reports

Jake Tapper / Political Punch:

Exclusive: President Obama To Replace Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair — ABC News has learned that President Obama will replace the Director of National Intelligence, Admiral Dennis Blair (ret.) His resignation will come as soon as tomorrow, sources tell ABC News.

Discussion: Hot Air, The Corner on National … and The Washington Independent

Neil Vigdor / Stamford Advocate:

Critics weigh Blumenthal's words — “I wore the uniform in Vietnam and many came back & to all kinds of disrespect. Whatever we think of war, we owe the men and women of the armed forces our unconditional support.” — The occasion was the Stamford Veterans Days parade: Nov. 9, 2008.

Discussion: The Plum Line, Hot Air, The Day newspaper, Outside The Beltway, Washington Post, Beltway Confidential, Daily Ructions, The Daily Caller, Liberty Pundits Blog, Weasel Zippers, JONATHAN TURLEY, Colin McEnroe, Ben Smith's Blog, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Moonbattery, Taylor Marsh and Weekly Standard

Ann Coulter / Human Events: Republicans on Track to Snatch Defeat From Jaws of Victory

Jason Horowitz / Washington Post:

Democratic New York senator Chuck Schumer is poised to become majority leader — On Mother's Day, Chuck Schumer delivered two commencement speeches upstate, flew back to Brooklyn to eat dinner with his wife, mother and daughters and at 7:38 p.m. toted a briefcase into his midtown office …

Discussion: Washington Times, Hot Air and The Note

David M. Herszenhorn / New York Times:
Bill to Overhaul Financial Rules Clears Hurdle in Senate Vote

Discussion: Ezra Klein, Washington Monthly, Gawker and Washington Post

CNN:
Senate Democrats predict financial regulations victory

Discussion: The Politico and The Note

Justin Gillis / New York Times:

Scientists Fault Lack of Studies Over Gulf Oil Spill — Tensions between the Obama administration and the scientific community over the gulf oil spill are escalating, with prominent oceanographers accusing the government of failing to conduct an adequate scientific analysis of the damage …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Mediaite, McClatchy Washington Bureau, The Huffington Post, Wonk Room, The Moderate Voice, naked capitalism, Liberty Pundits Blog, Politics Daily, Left Coast Rebel, Corrente, Raw Story and Global Guerrillas

Juliet Eilperin / Washington Post:
EPA demands less toxic dispersant

Discussion: WDSU-TV, Firedoglake, Crooks and Liars, Associated Press, Recent Updates …, The Huffington Post, Emptywheel, Mother Jones and Climate Progress

Online NewsHour:
BP Official: Leaking Gulf Oil Well to Be Shut ‘Hopefully Within a Week’

Discussion: CNN and Scott Rosenberg's Wordyard

Zombie / Pajamas Media:

The New Free Speech Movement — Today is Everybody Draw Mohammed Day, a completely made-up satirical “holiday” dedicated to the concept of drawing Mohammed cartoons, as a way of making a statement about freedom of speech. — Not everyone agrees with this idea, however.

Discussion: Big Hollywood, Telegraph, The Jawa Report and Hot Air

Mark Steyn / The Corner on National Review Online:
Everybody Draws Mohammed Day — By: Mark Steyn

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, RedState, Liberty Pundits Blog, The Jawa Report, Don Surber, The Daily Caller, Gateway Pundit, Hit & Run and Blazing Cat Fur

PPIC:

Stunning Drop in Whitman's Support Transforms GOP Race for Governor — Fiorina, Campbell in Dead Heat While DeVore's Support Doubles — Support for Meg Whitman has plummeted 23 points since March, and she is now in a far closer race with Steve Poizner to become the Republican nominee for governor.

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, FiveThirtyEight, Ballot Box and Real Clear Politics

Ed Kilgore / FiveThirtyEight:
The Whitman-Poizner Slugfest Gets Serious

Discussion: Mercury News, The Daily Dish and Democratic Strategist

Jake Tapper / Political Punch:

Salahis Stopped by Secret Service Near White House Last Night — The Salahis were stopped by the U.S. Secret Service last night at around 8 p.m. ET during the State Dinner for Mexican President Felipe Calderon as their stretch limousine ran a red light and seemed to be trying to turn …

Discussion: Newsweek Blogs, Swampland, Gothamist, Pundit & Pundette and AMERICAblog News

Ed O'Keefe / Federal Eye:

Mother of student who questioned Michelle Obama will not face action — Your Browser DoesNot Support IFrames. — The mother of a Maryland second-grader who questioned First Lady Michelle Obama about the Obama administration's immigration policy will not be deported, federal officials said Thursday.

Discussion: Politics Daily, Washington Post and Gothamist