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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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Washington Monthly, RedState, Gateway Pundit, Daily Kos, Raw Story, The Powers That Be, TVNewser and Hot Air
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Obama To Fox News And Tea Baggers: 'Let's Not Play Games' — President Obama spent part of the 100th day of his presidency today in Arnold, Missouri where he hosted a town hall meeting with local residents. During the town hall, Obama recognized criticism he's been receiving from the far right.
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The Huffington Post


We Didn't Have to Lose Arlen Specter — IT is disheartening and disconcerting, at the very least, that here we are today — almost exactly eight years after Senator Jim Jeffords left the Republican Party — witnessing the departure of my good friend and fellow moderate Republican …
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The Politico, Think Progress, Political Punch, Power Line, The New Republic, Boston Globe, Crooks and Liars, Matthew Yglesias, Washington Post, Capitol Briefing, Little Green Footballs, MSNBC, The Corner, Wall Street Journal, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, McClatchy Washington Bureau, Commentary, CBS News, DownWithTyranny!, Hot Air, Taegan Goddard's …, D-Day, Raw Story, Democratic Strategist, Eye on 2010, The Note, progressiverepublican.info, The Washington Independent, About.com US Liberal Politics, The Huffington Post, The Hill, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, The Atlantic Politics Channel, TPMDC, BitsBlog and Balloon Juice
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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 …


Specter defection highlights GOP divide in South Carolina — WASHINGTON (CNN) - In the wake of Arlen Specter's defection to the Democratic caucus, Republicans are primed for yet another round of soul-searching and intra-party sniping about the GOP's future.
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The Huffington Post, The Politico, Matthew Yglesias, The Swamp, TPMDC, Guardian, MoJo Blog Posts, Democratic Strategist and Philly.com

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.

Senator Snowe Laments Senator Specter's Party Switch
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Hot Air


Would YOU step up to help a progressive challenger to Specter?
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Crooks and Liars, Right Wing News, Hullabaloo, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room and The Bilerico Project

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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JustOneMinute, The Hill, Matthew Yglesias, The Daily Dish, DISSENTING JUSTICE, Townhall.com and The Washington Independent
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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.
Discussion:
The Field on the Narcosphere

Investigative Reporter Byron York Exposes Black Support for Democratic President — Byron York engages in a perennial conservative media stunt — breaking down poll numbers between blacks and whites to make the point that Democrats wouldn't be so popular if it wasn't for the 14th Amendment.
Discussion:
Obsidian Wings


Shorter Byron York … - If I ignore the fact that black people really like Obama, I can make a case that he hasn't been a very popular president so far. And hey, if I just kick it old skewl and restrict Obama's popularity ratings to those of white male property owners, then I can make the case that …

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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AMERICAblog News, The Sleuth, Colorado Independent, The Moderate Voice, Pam's House Blend, First Draft, Congress Matters and D-Day
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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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Congress passes $3.5T budget plan — Split badly along party lines, Congress approved a five-year budget plan Wednesday that gives President Barack Obama a big leg up toward health care reform but could severely crimp the rest of his domestic agenda unless new savings and revenues are found.
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Townhall.com
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New Hampshire Senate Votes to Legalize Gay Marriage — The Democratic controlled New Hampshire Senate passed an amended version of the controversial measure to legalize gay marriage today. The vote was 13-11 in favor of the measure. — The House passed a similar measure last month by a 186-179 vote.
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WMUR
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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 …


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 …
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The Huffington Post, Associated Press, BBC, New York Times, Liberal Values, The Moderate Voice, Pajamas Media and Effect Measure
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Very Good News For The GOP, And Why President Obama Had Better Worry About Not Becoming Another Arnold — Here's the latest polling on the public's reaction to the massive tax hikes imposed on California by the Dems, Arnold and a handful of tax-loving Republicans led by State Senator Abel Maldonado:
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Field Poll: California voters oppose five of six May 19 ballot measures
Discussion:
Hot Air


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 …

EXCLUSIVE: Steele may lose purse strings — A battle over control of the party's purse strings has erupted at the troubled Republican National Committee, with defenders of Chairman Michael S. Steele accusing dissident RNC members of trying to “embarrass and neuter” the party's new leader.
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Senate Guru, Think Progress, Philly.com, Salon, AMERICAblog News, Politics Daily, The New Republic and Washington Monthly


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 …