LESS THAN A FIFTH

Lois Lerner, the feckless, math-challenged IRS supervisor who took the Fifth before Congress yesterday, may have blown it by giving a long disclaimer first

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/issa-lerner-waived-fifth-amendment-right
Issa: Lerner Waived Fifth Amendment Right

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/05/22/did-lois-lerner-waive-her-right-to-invoke-the-fifth-amendment/
Did Lois Lerner waive her right to invoke the Fifth Amendment?

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/05/lerner-gowdy-waive-right-5th-amendment-irs.html
Expert: Lois Lerner Didn’t Waive Her Right to Plead the Fifth

The consensus is in: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/05/22/lois-lerner-has-to-go/
Lois Lerner has to go

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2013/05/she_has_to_go.php
She Has To Go

http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/time-bring-ax-down-irs-official-lois-lerner
It's Time For IRS Official Lois Lerner To Resign

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/05/22/yes-heads-should-roll-at-the-irs
Yes, heads should roll at the IRS

Rush Limbaugh takes the high road

http://mediamatters.org/video/2013/05/22/limbaugh-on-irs-lois-lerner-im-telling-you-i-ca/194183
"I'm Telling You, I Can See Her With Whips And Chains"

Obama admin will finally explain what we've been doing in counterterrorism

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/05/obama-admits-to-killing-americans-with-drones.html
Obama Administration Admits to Killing Americans in Drone Strikes Everyone Already Knows About

http://www.emptywheel.net/2013/05/22/at-the-highest-levels-of-the-u-s-government-like-the-president
“At the Highest Levels of the U.S. Government”

More: http://dissenter.firedoglake.com/2013/05/22/obama-admits-4-us-citizens-killed-by-drones-doesnt-explain-circumstances-around-those-not-targeted/
Deaths of Those Not Targeted Left Unexplained

http://prospect.org/article/three-questions-obama-needs-answer-tomorrows-speech
On Thursday, President Obama will be giving a major address on counterterrorism policy. Here are three major questions Obama needs to adequately address . . .

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke tells Congress to quit screwing around

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/05/22/bernanke-to-congress-seriously-guys-what-are-you-doing/

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/05/22/18427153-bernanke-urges-congress-to-get-smarter-on-economic-policy

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/05/22/1210987/-Bernanke-to-Congress-Enough-with-the-austerity-already

Harry Reid jacks up the rhetoric on filibuster reform. Is he really going to do something this time?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/05/22/harry-reid-escalates-nuclear-threat/
Harry Reid escalates 'nuclear' threat

More: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2013_05/on_the_road_to_war_over_the_fi044890.php

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/05/22/what-todays-nuclear-option-fight-means-for-filibuster-reform/

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/05/22/1210953/-Filibuster-fireworks-likely-for-nbsp-July

Mitch McConnell's got a meme, and he's riding it as hard as he can

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/05/mitch-mcconnell-harry-reid-filibuster-nuclear-option.php
“These continued threats to use the nuclear option point to the majority’s own culture of intimidation here in the Senate,” McConnell said, making a case that Republicans are using the filibuster responsibly. “Their view is that you had better confirm the people we want, when we want them, or we’ll break the rules of the Senate to change the rules so you can’t stop us. So much for respecting the rights of the minority.”

McConnell’s public indignation suggests that he takes Reid’s threats seriously. . . .

 

More: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/mitch-mcconnell-irs-scandal-91737.html

“I think what we know for sure is that there is a culture of intimidation across this administration — the president demonizing his enemies, attempting to shut people up. There is certainly a culture of intimidation,” McConnell said on Fox News. . . 

E.W. Jackson seems to have mastered the art of saying things that most people would decry as an outrage if a white person said it

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/05/ew-jackson-three-fifths-clause-slavery.php 
The Republican nominee for lieutenant governor in Virginia has called the Constitution’s original clause to count blacks as three-fifths of a person an “anti-slavery amendment.” . . .  [read on]

Bonus item: The military's struggle to combat sexual harassment is running into some serious problems . . .

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/soldier-charged-with-secretly-videotaping-women.php

Soldier Charged With Secretly Videotaping Women

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL: http://pbd.blogspot.com

To get PBD by email: https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en&fromgroups#!forum/todays-news

I don’t get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don’t run ads, etc.). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a “mission,” it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

ON MARS

In yet another example of the ongoing dilemma for the Repubs, the overheated rhetoric they need to use to keep their extremist wing motivated drives away everybody else. As a result, their chance to use the recent "scandals" against Obama seems to be drifting away

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/05/21/1210698/-GOP-aide-on-Benghazi-theater-You-ve-got-to-be-on-Mars-to-come-up-with-some-of-this-stuff
GOP aide on Benghazi theater: 'You’ve got to be on Mars to come up with some of this stuff'

More: http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/05/21/18402653-youve-got-to-be-on-mars-to-come-up-with-some-of-this-stuff 

Drifting away. . .

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/05/21/hatred-of-obama-could-lead-to-gop-overreach/
Hatred of Obama could lead to GOP overreach 

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/05/are-republicans-getting-ready-shoot-themselves-foot
Are Republicans Getting Ready to Shoot Themselves in the Foot?

More: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2013_05/more_evidence_the_narrative_ha044854.php

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/05/21/1210694/-As-scandalgate-fizzles-the-village-talks-overreach 

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/05/22/1210641/-Abbreviated-Pundit-Round-up-No-political-blood-in-the-water 

Unerringly wrong-footed instincts 

http://keller.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/21/bring-back-ken-starr
Bring Back Ken Starr 

They've found the main culprit behind the Benghazi talking points, and the Republicans won't be happy 

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/05/looking-benghazi-talking-points-villain-it-was-david-petraeus-not-barack-obama 

More: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/petraeuss-role-in-drafting-benghazi-talking-points-raises-questions/2013/05/21/db19f352-c165-11e2-ab60-67bba7be7813_story.html 

And the main culprit behind the IRS story is taking the Fifth 

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/irs-official-lois-lerner-will-plead-5th-amendment
“She has not committed any crime or made any misrepresentation but under the circumstances she has no choice but to take this course,” an attorney for Lois Lerner told committee Chairman Darrell Issa . . . [read on] 

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/05/pleading-the-fifth-lois-lerner-irs.html
Pleading the Fifth Doesn’t Make You Guilty

The real story behind the story: http://crooksandliars.com/dave-johnson/latest-lie-irs-targeted-conservatives
The corporate media is blasting out the story that the IRS "targeted conservative groups." Some in the media say there was "IRS harassment of conservative groups." Some of the media are going so far as claiming that conservative groups were "audited."

This story that is being repeated and treated as "true" is just not what happened at all. It is one more right-wing victimization fable, repeated endlessly until the public has no choice except to believe it. . . [read on]

Here come the lawsuits: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/05/21/conservative-group-true-the-vote-sues-irs-over-being-subject-to-heightened-scrutiny/

Yesterday I mistyped the name of the Fox News reporter who had his emails subpoenaed by the Obama admin: his name is James Rosen. But the other reporter, James Risen of the New York Times, introduces an interesting element to the story

http://www.vanityfair.com/online/eichenwald/2013/05/republicans-obama-fox-news-bush

Why Are Republicans So Riled Up About Obama’s Justice Department Reading a Reporter’s E-mails When They Cheered the Bush Administration For Doing the Same Thing?

More: http://www.salon.com/2011/06/23/risen_3/

http://blogs.reuters.com/jackshafer/2013/05/20/what-was-james-rosen-thinking/

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2013/05/at_the_risk_of_drawing.php

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/05/how-worlds-dullest-story-became-target-massive-leak-investigation

How the World's Dullest Story Became the Target of a Massive Leak Investigation

Some perspective on the inevitable tension between press freedom and national security

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/fine-print-the-press-and-national-security/2013/05/20/04553d22-be3b-11e2-97d4-a479289a31f9_story.html

[Walter Pincus] There is a natural tension between journalists and the government over national security. There are many examples of administrations misusing secrecy to hide failures or promote successes. And there may be as many times when bad stories hurt clandestine operations. . . . [read on!]

More: http://www.emptywheel.net/2013/05/21/the-laughable-currently-operative-ap-pushback-story/

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2013/05/calibrating_the_outrage-o-meter.php

More fights between the GOP crazies and the few remaining party pols who have some notion of actually, you know, governing

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/05/mccain-collins-slam-republicans-for-budget-hypocrisy.php

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2013/05/first_divide_then_conquer.php

Hell yeah!

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/05/21/1210753/-Teachers-as-first-responders-as-protectors-and-as-heroes
Teachers as first responders, as protectors, and as heroes

Remember: http://dianeravitch.net/2012/12/17/the-hero-teachers-of-newtown/
 

I guess Tom Coburn (R-OK) doesn't want to be senator any more

http://americablog.com/2013/05/oklahoma-senator-coburn-says-no-tornado-aid-unless-cost-is-offset.html
Oklah. GOP Senator takes own constituents hostage, demands budget cuts or no tornado aid

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/05/21/18396506-oklahomas-coburn-stakes-out-controversial-position-on-federal-aid

I guess not! http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/oklahoma-gop-sen-tom-coburn-will-seek-to

Coburn, who intends to retire in 2016 . . .

More: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/conservative-okla-lawmakers-face-dilemma-will-they-support-tornado-relief-funding/2013/05/21/e47b0468-c22d-11e2-9fe2-6ee52d0eb7c1_story.html

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/05/ok-senators-opposed-sandy-aid-want-tornado-aid.html

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/theres-hypocrisy-and-then-theres-inhofe.html
There's hypocrisy ... and then there's James Inhofe

African American candidate for Virginia Lt. Governor, E.W. Jackson, has an interesting background

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/05/virginia-lt-gov-candidate-fought-against-desegregation-efforts.php
E.W. Jackson, the Virginia GOP’s nominee for lieutenant governor, began his career as a minister and attorney in Boston. While there, he lent his support to a high-profile 1988 fight against a plan to desegregate public housing developments in the neighborhood of South Boston. . . .

Local news station WGBH filmed Jackson giving a speech at a July 1988 community meeting in South Boston hosted by opponents of the mayor’s desegregation plan. According to WGBH, at the event Jackson dismissed the desegregation plan as “social engineering.” In his remarks, Jackson characterized the matter as a question of freedom of choice.

“I am so tired of hearing the people of South Boston dumped on by the saviors of mankind that it makes me nauseous,” Jackson said of desegregation advocates. “I can understand the reaction of the people of South Boston apart from the racial issue because I don’t like being told by some bureaucrat how I’m going to live my life either.” . . .

The reporter who interviewed him also asked Jackson, who is African-American, if he felt as though he was being “used” by white politicians who opposed the desegregation plan. His response made it clear he fully supported their efforts.

“Well, the scripture says it’s a good thing to be used in a good cause,” Jackson said. [read on]

More: http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/05/21/18399281-why-virginia-republicans-are-panicking
Why Virginia Republicans are 'panicking'

The NRA goes into the movie review business

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2013/05/nra_embraces_hollywood.php
Fresh off blaming Hollywood and the video gaming industry for extreme gun violence, the NRA is out with its top ten list of “coolest gun movies.” . . .

Bonus item: Everything you ever wanted to know about tornadoes

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/05/21/a-short-history-of-violent-tornadoes-in-the-united-states

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/05/21/why-are-tornadoes-so-hard-to-predict/

Extra bonus item: The video that is sweeping the Internet (don't miss it!)

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/05/21/1210658/-Woman-finds-her-dog-in-the-rubble-during-live-TV-interview

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL: http://pbd.blogspot.com

To get PBD by email: https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en&fromgroups#!forum/todays-news

I don’t get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don’t run ads, etc.). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a “mission,” it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

POLL WATCHERS

(It's not part of our concern here, but our hearts go out to the victims of the massive tornado in Oklahoma City.)

I wonder how they keep their heads from exploding: Republicans try to wrap their minds around that fact that despite THREE scandals that are WORSE than Watergate and a totally CORRUPT administration that is like NIXON, or even more, like HITLER, Obama's popularity has gone . . . . UP while theirs has gone . . . . DOWN

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/05/20/1210510/-GOP-scandal-mongering-making-Obama-more-popular-GOP-much-less-so 

More: http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/05/20/18376466-obamas-support-steady-during-firestorm

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/05/obama-scandals-approval-rating.php

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/05/20/cnn-poll-likability-helps-obama-survive-brutal-week/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/05/20/heres-why-the-scandals-arent-affecting-obamas-poll-numbers
Here’s why the ‘scandals’ aren’t affecting Obama’s poll numbers

Backlash? GOP starts to wonder if they've gone too far in their IRS conspiracy claims

http://prospect.org/article/conservatives-shift-gears-irs

More: http://prospect.org/article/irs-scandal-turning-out-be-less-dastardly-conservatives-think
IRS "Scandal" Turning Out to be Less Dastardly than Conservatives Think

Heh

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/05/21/obama-the-uniter-not-really/
Americans are deeply divided over President Obama’s ability to bring the country together . . .

The White House targets another reporter for going after classified leaks, this time James Risen from Fox News

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/a-rare-peek-into-a-justice-department-leak-probe/2013/05/19/0bc473de-be5e-11e2-97d4-a479289a31f9_story.html

More: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/21/us/politics/white-house-defends-tracking-fox-reporter.html

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/05/20/18378135-a-different-leak-a-different-probe-a-familiar-problem

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/war_stories/2013/05/james_rosen_named_a_co_conspirator_why_is_barack_obama_s_justice_department.html

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2013/05/tradecraft_it_aint.php

http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/eric-holders-over-top-attack-journalism

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/05/obama-administration-read-fox-news-e-mails.html

http://www.emptywheel.net/2013/05/20/first-they-came-for-james-risen/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/05/20/leak-investigations-are-indeed-having-a-chilling-effect/

I always have to ask myself what sort of African American willingly chooses to affiliate with the Republican party: Herman Cain, Allen West, and now ladies and gentlemen the worst of them all . . . E.W. Jackson

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/05/new-crazy-black-republican-crazier-than-ever.html 

http://americablog.com/2013/05/e-w-jackson-virginia-gays-kkk-planned-parenthood-muslim.html

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/05/20/18375923-getting-to-know-ew-jackson 

More: http://prospect.org/article/virginia-gop-says-yolo-nominates-most-conservative-ticket-ever

More from Virginia

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/va-gops-attorney-general-nominee-wanted-women-to
VA GOP’s Attorney General Nominee Wanted Women To Report Miscarriages To Police Or Face Jail Time

The Secret Service wants to talk to the hate-radio DJ who wants to "shoot Hillary Clinton in the vagina"

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/05/secret-service-looking-into-radio-host-after-graphic-violent-comments-about-obama-hillary-clinton.php

Bonus item: How the Koch Bros tried to bully public television

http://occupyamerica.crooksandliars.com/diane-sweet/public-tv-tried-placate-david-koch

More: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2013/05/27/130527fa_fact_mayer

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL: http://pbd.blogspot.com

To get PBD by email: https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en&fromgroups#!forum/todays-news

I don’t get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don’t run ads, etc.). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a “mission,” it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

BELT TIGHTENING

Paul Krugman demolishes austerity economics

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2013/jun/06/how-case-austerity-has-crumbled/

More: http://firedoglake.com/2013/05/19/government-by-platitude/ 

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2013_05/qotd_if_austerity_was_a_clinic044827.php 

Darrell Issa (R-CA) is a really, really bad guy

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/05/19/1209858/-Welcome-to-the-Darrell-Issa-Hall-of-Shame

Jonathan Karl, ABC News, won't out the Republican(s) who fed him doctored emails

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/maddow-fair-game-disclose-names-republican

More: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2013/05/the_latest_turn_of_the_screw.php

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/what-do-jonathan-karl-and-james-okeefe.html

With a straight face, David Gregory asks Donald Rumsfeld about accountability

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/gregory-asks-war-criminal-rumsfeld-thought

In case you missed the Sunday talk shows

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/19/sunday-morning-liveblog_n_3300771.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/05/19/sunday-show-roundup-pfeiffer-defends-obama-as-gop-criticism-continues/

Bonus item: How stupid and anti-science are the theocrats? The Bible tells them that the moon emits light (and doesn't just reflect the sun, as every grade schooler knows). Don't miss this one!

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/next-theyll-be-telling-its-not-made-out.html

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL: http://pbd.blogspot.com

To get PBD by email: https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en&fromgroups#!forum/todays-news

I don’t get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don’t run ads, etc.). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a “mission,” it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

WORSE THAN WATERGATE?

Google "worse than Watergate" and you'll find the many, many Republicans over many, many issues who have tried to crank up the rhetorical scandal factor "to 11." Now we're in the middle of another "worse than Watergate" frenzy. Jon Stewart does the rest

http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/wed-may-8-2013-carey-mulligan 

Worse, huh? http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/media/news/2013/05/16/63625/worse-than-watergate/

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/scandal-history-101.html 

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/maher-if-you-think-benghazi-worst-scandal 

Kids killed by guns 

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/05/gun-deaths-children-newtown-caroline-sparks-crickett-firearms

At Least 71 Kids Have Been Killed by Guns Since Newtown
 
More: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/04/11/guns-child-deaths-more-than-cancer/2073259/
Guns kill twice as many kids as cancer does

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130423161907.htm

The kind of people they are

http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/radio-host-says-he-wants-shoot-hillary-clin
Radio Host Says He "Wants To Shoot Hillary Clinton In The Vagina"

More! http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2013_05/rightwing_talk_radio_sinks_to044817.php

"The toxic politics of science"

http://my.firedoglake.com/elliott/2013/05/18/bill-moyers-and-the-toxic-politics-of-science/ 

More: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/05/18/scientists-agree-on-climate-change-so-why-doesnt-everyone-else/

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/19/opinion/sunday/climate-warnings-growing-louder.html

I wondered how long it would take someone to realize this (Google sees everything you see?)

http://my.firedoglake.com/consumerwatchdog/2013/05/17/bipartisan-privacy-caucus-asks-important-privacy-questions-about-google-glass/
Bipartisan Privacy Caucus Asks Important Privacy Questions About Google Glass

Sunday sermon

http://firedoglake.com/2013/05/18/come-saturday-morning-the-conservative-crack-up-2013-minnesota-marriage-equality-edition/

The Sunday talk show line-ups

http://firedoglake.com/2013/05/19/sunday-talking-heads-may-19-2013/
ABC’S THIS WEEK:  White House Senior Advisor Dan Pfeiffer.  Then, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), Rep. Tom Price (R-GA), and Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY).  Roundtable: George Will; Ron Fournier; American Urban Radio Networks White House Correspondent April Ryan; Katrina vanden Heuvel; Jeff Zeleny.

CBS’ FACE THE NATION:   White House Senior Advisor Dan Pfeiffer.  Then, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT). Plus, the President and CEO of the Associated Press Gary Pruitt.  Roundtable: David Sanger, Lois Romano, Dan Balz, John Dickerson.

CNN’S STATE OF THE UNION:  White House Senior Advisor Dan Pfeiffer.  Then, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY).  Roundtable: Susan Page, Donna Brazile, Ana Navarro, Jessica Yellin.

KORNACKI: The nature of scandals, the IRS, workers’ rights. Margie Omero, democratic pollster, managing director, Purple Strategies (@margieomero) Alan Abramowitz, political science professor, Emory University Rick Hertzberg, writer, The New Yorker (@rickhertzberg) Liz Kennedy, counsel, Demos Mark Elias, attorney, Perkins Coie and chairman of the firm’s political law practice. Kim Barker, reporter, ProPublica (@kim_barker) Chaumtoli Huq, professor, New York Law School, with expertise in labor, employment and human rights (@lawatmargins)

MOYERS & COMPANY:   The Toxic Politics of Science.  Bill explores why lead and other toxins continue to threaten America. Also, how money still secretly rules Washington.

NBC’S MEET THE PRESS:  Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY).  Donald Rumsfeld, book hawker.  White House Senior Advisor Dan Pfeiffer.   Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI).  Roundtable:  Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI), Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Peggy Noonan, Bob Woodward. 

Bonus item: Dumb headline awards (mixed metaphor dept)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/president-obama-exercises-a-fluid-grip-on-the-levers-of-power/2013/05/18/d2ef3cce-bf02-11e2-9b09-1638acc3942e_story.html
President Obama exercises a fluid grip on the levers of power

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/18/us/politics/obama-vows-to-focus-on-governing.html
White House Sharpens Focus on Path Forward After Troubles

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REUNITED

Heritage gives the game away: debating issues and passing laws divides the GOP, but hatred of Obama unifies them. Therefore. . . .

http://thegrio.com/2013/05/16/heritage-to-republicans-dont-legislate-just-scandalize-obama/
Heritage letter to Republicans on Capitol Hill: Don’t legislate, just scandalize Obama

More: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/05/16/1209669/-Heritage-Letter-to-Congressional-GOP-Don-t-Legislate-Focus-on-Scandals

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/05/17/scandals-are-no-substitute-for-an-agenda/

Why aren't Dems howling bloody murder over the GOP-fabricated "emails" that helped juice the Benghazi story? What would we be seeing if the parties were reversed?

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2013/05/why_are_they_so_bad_at_this_game.php

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2013/05/why_no_dem_freak-out_over_the_doctored_emails.php

More: http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/05/17/18319321-there-were-meaningful-benghazi-lies-after-all

How it's done: a sampling of GOP meltdowns

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2013_05/your_hardworking_congress044813.php

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/15/louie-gohmert-eric-holder_n_3280953.html

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2013/05/casting_a_wide_net.php

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/05/aurora-colorado-father.php

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/triple-irony-alert-tim-griffin-edition.html

Pssst . . . hey, no one wants to say it but . . .. those 501(c)(4) organizations REALLY DO need investigating

http://video.msnbc.msn.com/now-with-alex-wagner/51918373#51918373

More: http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/david/rangel-irs-official-citizens-united-was-invi

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/odonnell-reminds-congress-real-irs-scandal

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/05/17/the-impossibly-complex-world-of-campaign-finance-in-1-chart/

Wonderful piece of historical perspective: how Medicare was received when it was first approved

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/05/17/when-medicare-launched-nobody-had-any-clue-whether-it-would-work/

Public radio interview exposes Donald Rumsfeld

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/05/17/18325317-did-you-ever-think-about-apologizing
'Did you ever think about apologizing?'

More: http://americablog.com/2013/05/donald-rumsfeld-interview-npr-book-rules.htm 

Bryan Fischer says the outbreak of sexual assaults in the military is. . . . the fault of teh gays

http://crooksandliars.com/blue-texan/stupid-right-wing-tweets-bryan-fischer-

More: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/05/17/1209655/-American-Family-Association-accuses-AARP-of-promoting-homosexual-agenda-Wait-what

Bonus item: The latest Outrageous Abuse of Power by the Arrogant Imperial Obama Administration

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/05/17/even-obamas-umbrellas-are-a-scandal-now/

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2013_05/the_marine_umbrella_scandal044803.php

Back in the good old days, Presidents took care of this themselves. . . (thanks to AG)

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL: http://pbd.blogspot.com

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