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Reid's Specter deal stirs senior Dems' anger — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) deal to allow Sen. Arlen Specter to retain his seniority after he switches to the Democratic Conference has not been received well by senior senators in the party. — Several Democrats are furious …
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John Cornyn: What the Specter Switch Means — Senator John Cornyn of Texas wrote these observations on the significance of Arlen Specter's defection for Power Line: … Senator Cornyn is Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

G.O.P. Debate: A Broader Party or a Purer One? — WASHINGTON — A fundamental debate broke out among Republicans on Wednesday over how to rebuild the party in the wake of Senator Arlen Specter's departure: Should it purge moderate voices like Mr. Specter and embrace its conservative roots …
Discussion:
Power Line


Specter defection highlights GOP divide in South Carolina
Discussion:
The Swamp, The Politico, Democratic Strategist, Matthew Yglesias, Guardian, MoJo Blog Posts, TPMDC and Philly.com

Will GOP Sleep Through Wake-Up Call?
Discussion:
Capitol Briefing, CBS News, Climate Progress, Wall Street Journal, AMERICAblog News, Taegan Goddard's …, MSNBC and The Fix

Inhofe: Specter switch foreshadows 2010 GOP landslide


The black-white divide in Obama's popularity — On his 100th day in office, Barack Obama enjoys high job approval ratings, no matter what poll you consult. But if a new survey by the New York Times is accurate, the president and some of his policies are significantly less popular …
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‘ACTUALLY’.... I've read quite a few columns from Byron York over the years, first during his tenure at the National Review, and more recently as the chief political correspondent for the Washington Examiner. I've seen plenty of commentary I strongly disagree with, but none has offended me quite as much as his latest column.

Investigative Reporter Byron York Exposes Black Support for Democratic President
Discussion:
Obsidian Wings


Obama targets tea bags at town hall — At his 100th-day town hall meeting in St. Louis Wednesday, President Barack Obama took direct aim at the anti-tax “tea party” demonstrations that have cropped up over the last month and took a veiled shot at the Fox News Channel, the cable news network closely associated with the protests.
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Obama To Fox News And Tea Baggers: 'Let's Not Play Games'
Discussion:
The Huffington Post

Rep. Virginia Foxx Called Matthew Shepard Hate Crime “A Hoax” … Matthew Shepard's Death Was A Hate Crime, Not Simply A Robbery — Rep. Foxx: “The bill was named after a very unfortunate incident that happened, where a young man was killed, but we know that that young man was killed in the commitment of robbery.
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Exclusive: Utah's Republican Governor Warns GOP Leaders, “You Can't Just Say No” — It's Time for Party to Advance Workable Alternatives Rather Than Block the Door, Gov. Says — With the party reeling from Sen. Arlen Specter's defection, a prominent moderate Republican governor is warning …
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Pelosi tells Republicans to ‘take back their party’ — WASHINGTON (CNN) - Speaker Nancy Pelosi marked President Obama's 100 days in office with some unsolicited advice to Republican voters: “take back your party.” — The California Democrat offered her own analysis of the political environment …
Discussion:
Hot Air

GOP set to launch rebranding effort — WASHINGTON (CNN) - Coming soon to a battleground state near you: a new effort to revive the image of the Republican Party and to counter President Obama's characterization of Republicans as “the party of ‘no.’” — CNN has learned that the new initiative …


FACT CHECK: Obama disowns deficit he helped shape — WASHINGTON - “That wasn't me,” President Barack Obama said on his 100th day in office, disclaiming responsibility for the huge budget deficit waiting for him on Day One. It actually was him — and the other Democrats controlling Congress …


President Obama's 100th-Day Press Briefing — Following is a transcript of President Obama's press briefing as he marks his 100th day in office, as transcribed by Federal News Service. — PRESIDENT OBAMA: Before we begin to tonight, I just want to provide everyone with a few brief updates …

CNN Story On Obama's “Swagga” The Most Embarrassing Ever? (VIDEO) — We all expect a bit of fluff from cable news considering they have 24 hours a day to fill and there are only so many events to be “rocked” by, but when we hit a point at which CNN is spending Obama's 100th day in office “assessing his swagga” something is amiss.


Field Poll: California voters oppose five of six May 19 ballot measures — Voters strongly oppose five special election measures being sold as a budget-reform elixir for California's burgeoning $40 billion deficit. — But voters in a new Field Poll overwhelmingly support a measure …
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Only 7 swine flu deaths, not 152, says WHO — A member of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has dismissed claims that more than 150 people have died from swine flu, saying it has officially recorded only seven deaths around the world. — Vivienne Allan, from WHO's patient safety program …
Discussion:
BBC, Liberal Values, The Huffington Post, The Moderate Voice, Pajamas Media, New York Times, Effect Measure and Associated Press
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After the Great Recession — On April 14, President Obama gave a speech at Georgetown University, trying to explain why he was taking on so many economic issues so early in his administration. He argued that the country needed to break its bubble-and-bust cycle and cited the New Testament …

N.H. Senate Passes Gay Marriage Bill — CONCORD, N.H. — The New Hampshire Senate voted narrowly on Wednesday to legalize same-sex marriage, paving the way for the state to potentiallybecome the fifth in the nation — and the third this month — to allow gay couples to wed.
Discussion:
The Volokh Conspiracy, Lean Left, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room and Lawyers, Guns and Money
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The Incredible Shrinking GOP: Only 20 Percent Self-Identify As Republican — Okay, this is striking. Earlier this week a Washington Post poll made a big splash because it found that only 21 percent self-identify as Republicans. The abysmally low number got pundits and reporters talking …

Historian Michele Bachmann Blames FDR's “Hoot-Smalley” Tariffs For Great Depression — Make no mistake: When it comes to economics, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) knows her history — even if that history is from another planet. — On Monday night, our friends at Dump Bachmann reported …
Discussion:
Daily Kos, DownWithTyranny!, Indecision Forever, Balloon Juice, Hullabaloo, City Pages and Matthew Yglesias

Sources: Chrysler Bankruptcy Plan Would Oust CEO, Install Fiat Management — Chrysler chief executive Robert Nardelli would be replaced by the management of Italian automaker Fiat under a bankruptcy plan that the United States is preparing for the storied automaker, sources familiar with the matter said.