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Sanford met in Atlanta after returning from South America — Governor says he never hiked Appalachian Trail; says he cruised along the coast of Buenos Aires to unwind after stressful legislative session — ATLANTA — Gov. Mark Sanford arrived in the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport this morning …
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Gov. Sanford Admits Affair and Explains Disappearance — COLUMBIA, S.C. — Mark Sanford, the governor of South Carolina, said he had conducted an extra-marital affair with a woman in Argentina, ending a mystery over his week-long disappearance that had infuriated lawmakers and seemed to put his rising political career in jeopardy.


Exclusive: E-mails between Sanford, woman — Woman in affair declines interview — Below are excerpts of e-mails, obtained by The State newspaper in December, between Gov. Mark Sanford's personal e-mail account and Maria, a woman in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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The Fix, The New Republic, Ben Smith's Blog, Achenblog, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Hot Air, Salon, TPMMuckraker, Raw Story and Dependable Renegade


On Fox, Mark Sanford “(D)” holds press conference — Previously: — Media outlets - including Fox - misidentify as Democrats several Republicans facing scandal, poor poll numbers — EXPAND ALL EXPAND 1ST LEVEL COLLAPSE ALL
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Gawker, Pam's House Blend, Fox News, Raw Story, Don Surber, AMERICAblog News, Brilliant at Breakfast, #gay and Indecision Forever

Bastard — It's the only fitting word for a man who abandons his wife and four sons on Father's Day weekend to indulge his “overdrive” on an Argentinian fling. — Mark Sanford: Bastard. — If you missed Sanford's rambling, surreal disaster of a press conference, consider yourself lucky.
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Reuters, The Fix, The Campaign Spot, AmSpecBlog, Blue Gal, Crooks and Liars, Conservatives4Palin.com and Gawker


Will Republicans ‘Ask Questions’ Of Sanford, Rather Than ‘Circle The Wagons For One Of Our Tribe’? — After days of speculation and misinformation, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) today admitted that he had spent the past week in Argentina — not on the Appalachian trail …


First on the CNN Ticker: Barbour to head RGA — WASHINGTON (CNN) — Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour has assumed the chairmanship of the Republican Governors Association, CNN has learned. — Barbour immediately takes over as head of the national Republican campaign organization following South Carolina …

Two Reasons Why Mark Sanford's Political Career Is Now Dead — The announcement by South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford that the “mystery” about his whereabouts stemmed from him being in Argentina conducting an extramarital affair will likely end his political career — and not just because he had an affair.


So Long Sanford, We Hardly Knew Ya
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Think Progress, The Daily Dish, The Atlantic Politics Channel, MoJo Blog Posts and Vanity Fair

Sanford Was in Argentina — Not Appalachian Trail
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The Swamp, Ben Smith's Blog, TPMMuckraker, The Politico, The New Republic and Matthew Yglesias

Sanford's presser: A viewer's guide
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The Huffington Post, CNN, Outside The Beltway, FP Passport, Right Wing News, TVNewser and Ben Smith's Blog

Transcript: Excerpts of June 4 Sanford Interview Recalling President …
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Pam's House Blend

Officials: President Obama reconsidering July 4th invitations to Iran — WASHINGTON (CNN) - The Obama administration is seriously considering not extending invitations to Iranian diplomats for July 4 celebrations overseas, senior administration officials tell CNN.
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EXCLUSIVE: U.S. contacted Iran's ayatollah before election — Administration overture to Khamenei ridiculed in sermon — Prior to this month's disputed presidential election in Iran, the Obama administration sent a letter to the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei …

WH rescinds July 4 invites to Iranians
Discussion:
Weekly Standard


Unimaginable Horror In Tehran Today — Iran has executed its Tiananmen Square. Baharestan Square has become synonymous with barbarity, cruelty, massacre and inhumanity. — An Iranian blogger (whose URL I will not publish) live blogging from Baharestan Square in central Tehran today captures …
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CRACKDOWN IN BAHARESTAN SQUARE!... 3 People Shot— Police Will Not Allow Protesters to Assist Them ...Update: 1 Woman Dead ...Update: Several Dead — CRACKDOWN IN TEHRAN— A wounded woman is treated at Baharestan Square in Tehran. (Al-Arabiya) — VIDEO— POLICE BEATING PROTESTERS INCLUDING WOMEN:


Stay Tuned for More of ‘The Obama Show’ — In his first daytime news conference yesterday, President Obama preempted “All My Children,” “Days of Our Lives” and “The Young and the Restless.” But the soap viewers shouldn't have been disappointed: The president had arranged some prepackaged entertainment for them.
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Emptywheel, The New Republic, CBS News, The Huffington Post, Media Matters for America, Ezra Klein, Townhall.com, Democracy in America, News Desk, The Hill, Chicago Sun Times, Samizdata.net, White House Watch, RIGHTWINGSPARKLE, Get Energy Smart!, NewsBusters.org, Newsweek Blogs, Wake up America, Wizbang, RedState and Taylor Marsh
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The Crucifixion of Nico Pitney
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Salon, theblogprof, First Draft, The Daily Dish, Don Surber and Personal Democracy Forum blogs

IT'S ALWAYS GOOD NEWS FOR REPUBLICANS.... The lead story on the Politico today ponders the likelihood of a “Republican comeback.” … The Politico's Jim VandeHei and Jonathan Martin concede this “sounds absurd,” but proceed to spend another 2,000+ words exploring why a Republican comeback is …
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Romney's Image Improves; Palin Well Regarded by Republican Base — Favorability of Leading Republicans — Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has seen his favorability ratings improve and now enjoys a positive balance of opinion among the general public: 40% rate him favorably, 28% unfavorably.

Grassley: In Order For Health Care To Be 'Bipartisan, ‘We Need To Make Sure There Is No Public Option’ — On MSNBC this morning, Norah O'Donnell asked Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, “what needs to be in” a health care reform bill “for it to be bipartisan.”
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The Huffington Post, Washington Monthly, TPMDC, Associated Press, Wonk Room and Campaign Silo
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Dem Senators: White House Open To Dropping Public Option
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Bloomberg, The Caucus, Wonk Room, Daily Kos, Open Congress, Roll Call and Brilliant at Breakfast

Soltan family ‘forced out of home’ — Parents of young woman shot dead near protests are banned from mourning and funeral is cancelled, neighbours say — The Iranian authorities have ordered the family of Neda Agha Soltan out of their Tehran home after shocking images of her death were circulated around the world.
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The Huffington Post, Townhall.com, On Deadline, Fausta's Blog, Atlas Shrugs, News: News blog, Aljazeera and Jeff Weintraub


Iran uncovers plots in presidential election — Iran's Intelligence Ministry has uncovered ‘terrorist’ plots targeting the country's security and stability during the presidential election. — “The ministry has dismantled the groups involved in such activities and has arrested almost …
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Jules Crittenden