BLACKWATER

Remember them?

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/blackwater-knocked-down-probe-by-threatening-to-kill-investigator
According to documents reviewed by The New York Times, State Department investigator had already begun probing Blackwater a short time before the infamous Nisour Square shooting in 2007. But the probe broke down when Blackwater's top guy in Iraq threatened to kill the lead investigator . . .

More: http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/06/blackwater-threatened-to-kill-us-investigator.html

http://www.vox.com/2014/6/29/5856012/blackwater-literally-threatened-to-murder-a-us-government-official-in

Yeah, right

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/goodlatte-defends-obama-lawsuit
GOP Rep. Insists Lawsuit Against Obama Not Political

More: http://politicalwire.com/archives/2014/06/30/boehner_lawsuit_months_in_planning.html
Boehner Lawsuit Months in Planning

Why Bush's signing statements are totally not like Obama's signing statements

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/06/rove-defends-bush-signing-statements

Drilling down into the Pew survey on America's two political cultures

http://www.vox.com/2014/6/27/5846456/6-charts-pew-ideology
6 charts that show Republican vs. Democrat wildly oversimplifies American politics

More: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/29/1309897/-Pew-typologies-go-much-deeper-than-liberal-and-conservative

http://www.vox.com/2014/6/27/5847190/one-graph-that-explains-the-republican-schism

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/pew-survey-finds-sharp-erosion-of-center-as-partisan-animosity-has-gotten-more-personal/2014/06/15/6f7e5fda-f499-11e3-8f20-f3a5fed7f3c4_story.html?wprss=rss_politics

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/pew-study-what-divides-the-gop-coalition/2014/06/26/6ef1a64c-fd4c-11e3-8176-f2c941cf35f1_story.html?wprss=rss_politics

http://www.vox.com/2014/6/27/5847264/left-right-foreign-policy-pew

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/12/1306488/-Pew-Everbody-loves-Social-Security

In case you missed the Sunday talk shows

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/06/29/missed-the-sunday-shows-heres-all-you-need-to-know/

Bonus item: Ann Coulter: "Any growing interest in soccer can only be a sign of the nation's moral decay."

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jun/27/world-cup-fever-america-ann-coulter-football-socialism-team-usa


***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

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.***

SOUTHERN STRATEGY

Give Richard Nixon credit for recognizing the possibility of turning the once-solidly Democratic south Republican. That transformation is virtually complete

http://www.vox.com/2014/6/28/5849678/watch-the-democrats-hold-of-the-south-fall-apart-in-one-map

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2007/08/why-did-the-south-turn-republican/45956/

http://www.counterpunch.org/2004/12/11/how-the-south-became-republican-it-s-about-race/


One of the things that most divides this country is how people think about the poor, and who they blame

http://prospect.org/article/what-americans-think-poor 

Will Thad Cochran (R-MS), saved from defeat by black voters, support a bill that will protect the rights of black voters?

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/thad-cochran-voting-rights-act-chris-mcdaniel-runoff

The IRS never investigated Chuck Grassley (R-IA). But that doesn't stop Fox World (and others) from repeating the lie

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/06/greta-van-susteren-pushes-lie-about-lerner

http://www.salon.com/2014/06/27/gops_phony_new_irs_scandal_how_chuck_grassley_became_a_target/

Three examples of on-the-air sexism

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/06/greg-kelly-ogles-co-worker-on-air.html

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/p-j-gladnick/2007/08/12/leering-chris-matthews-asks-female-cnbc-anchor-move-closer-camera

http://www.vox.com/2014/6/27/5849786/ten-times-matt-lauer-didnt-ask-male-ceos-about-their-families

The Sunday talk show line-ups

http://my.firedoglake.com/elliott/2014/06/29/sunday-talking-heads-june-29-2014/
ABC’S THIS WEEK: President Barack Obama. Then, House Counterterrorism and Intelligence Subcommittee Chair Rep. Peter King (R-NY) on Iraq and Syria threats. Roundtable: Donna Brazile, Matthew Dowd, Bill Kristol, Katrina vanden Heuvel, Terry Moran, Dahlia Lithwick, and the Judicial Crisis Network’s Carrie Severino. Sunday Spotlight: Martha Raddatz with documentary filmmaker Stanley Nelson on his new film Freedom Summer.  

CBS’ FACE THE NATION: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) and former US ambassador to Iraq James Jeffrey. Then, CBS News State Department Correspondent Margaret Brennan and TIME Magazine’s Michael Crowley. Roundtable: Peggy Noonan, Michael Gerson, Dee Dee Myers, Todd Purdum.  

CNN’S STATE OF THE UNION: Chair of the House Oversight Committee Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) about his IRS investigation. Followed by IRS-email-misplacer Lois Lerner’s lawyer, William Taylor. Plus, Iraq with Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI). Roundtable: Stephanie Cutter, Neera Tanden, Liz Mair, Mattie Duppler.

MOYERS & COMPANY: The Lies That Lead to War. This week Bill speaks with investigative journalist Charles Lewis about why facts, logic and reason are often missing in the rush to war.  

MEET THE PRESS: Former President Bill Clinton. The, RNC Chair Reince Priebus for “the Republican response.” Roundtable: Kathy Ruemmler Former White House Counsel; Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI); Andrea Mitchell NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent; Nia-Malika Henderson National Political Reporter, The Washington Post. Also, Chuck Todd with “exclusive poll” on public perception of Hillary Clinton’s comments on wealth. And Cynthia McFadden behind the scenes with Valerie Jarrett. Plus, CGI America economic justice and inequality Roundtable: former Pres. Bill Clinton, founding chairman of the Clinton Global Initiative; Carly Fiorina, Chairman and CEO of Carly Fiorina Enterprises and Chairman of Good360; Sara Horowitz, Founder and Executive Director of the Freelancers Union; Monty Moran, co-CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill; and Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation.

Bonus item: The 100 year anniversary of World War I

http://www.vox.com/2014/6/28/5849464/the-new-york-times-thought-franz-ferdinands-assassination-was-good

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2014/06/live-broadcast-from-sarajevo.html

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/world-war-i-responsible-modern-life-we-know-it
 

***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

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.***

A HECK OF A WAY TO RUN A COUNTRY

Stunts

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/06/wingnut-rep-louie-gohmert-proposes-1
Wingnut Rep. Louie Gohmert Proposes $1 Million Bounty For Lost IRS Emails

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/06/sassy-obama-shrugs-off-boehner-stunt-lawsuit.html
Sassy Obama Shrugs Off ‘Stunt’ Lawsuit From Republicans

Impeachment! Impeachment! We gotta impeach somebody . . .  for something

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/06/foxs-krauthammer-gives-credence-gop
Fox's Krauthammer Gives Credence To GOP Wingnuts Calling For Impeachment

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/26/ted-cruz-eric-holder_n_5534661.html
Ted Cruz: Eric Holder Should Be Impeached Over IRS Scandal

More: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/27/1310001/-Wingnuts-tell-Ted-Cruz-to-stop-dragging-his-feet-after-he-tweets-Holder-impeachment-demand
Wingnuts tell Ted Cruz to stop dragging his feet after he tweets Holder impeachment demand

By the way, his colleagues in the Senate hate him - so guess who Ted likes to hang out with?

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/ted-cruz-house-republicans-and-their-many-secret-meetings 

Chris McDaniel, GOP challenger in Mississippi, claims to have found widespread evidence of voter fraud

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/27/1310080/-Chris-McDaniel-claims-staff-found-more-than-1000-invalid-votes-so-far

But: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/did-chris-mcdaniel-himself-commit-voter-fraud
Did Chris McDaniel Himself Commit Voter Fraud?

The crazy, crazy Tea Party (these are TWO different stories, by the way)

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/06/tea-party-candidate-says-rival-is-actually-dead.html
Tea Party Candidate Crazier Than Usual, Thinks Opponent Is Secretly Dead

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/06/tea-party-leader-commits-suicide-following-loss.html
Tea Party Leader Commits Suicide Following Arrest and Loss in Mississippi

Just a few weeks ago, all we were hearing about was the crisis in Ukraine and how Putin was out-manning Obama. Well, of course the media has lost interest and moved on to other things . . . but guess what?

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/putin-snarls-obama-gets-the-last-laugh
For much of the year, conservative praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin was so overwhelming, you’d think he was the frontrunner for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.  . . . But if Republicans can pull themselves away from drawing hearts around their Putin photographs, they might notice that it’s President Obama getting the last laugh as developments go the opposite of the way Russia had hoped. . . .

Oooh boy: Bill Clinton takes on Dick Cheney

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/27/1310067/-Big-Dog-fires-back-at-Cheney

Wow, just wow

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/phillip-puckett-emails-phone-car-job-medicaid
The Democratic state senator in Virginia who recently stepped down and handed Republicans the majority was poised to get a state job with employee benefits, a cell phone and possibly a car, as well as a judgeship for his daughter . . . Virginia State Sen. Phillip Puckett (D) was supposed to go work for the Republican-led state tobacco commission. Emails between Puckett and Tim Pfohl, the panel's interim director, reveal that the two were negotiating as May 29 the terms of Puckett's exit and that Pfohl was going out of his way to avoid an appearance of impropriety or quid pro quo. Puckett would also be allowed to write his own job description, which was set to be, "Senior advisor to the Commission."  . . .

In Fox World, it is impossible to act like a real reporter

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/neil-cavuto-fox-news-hate-mail-michele-bachmann

Bonus item: More from Fox World

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/06/fox-news-dr-ablow-world-cup-conspiracy-its
Fox News' Dr. Ablow World Cup Conspiracy: It's To 'Distract People' From Obama's Problems 

[NB: And who really watches and cares about the World Cup? It's those brown-skinned people, not REAL AMERICANS who watch REAL FOOTBALL.] 

Colbert responds: http://www.salon.com/2014/06/27/stephen_colbert_demolishes_fox_business_conspiracy_theories_about_the_world_cup/

***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

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.***

NOT ON HIS WATCH

Shouldn't surprise anyone. This is as much about denying Obama the political victory as any policy disagreements

http://tinyurl.com/nzcolc4
Immigration reform effectively dead until after Obama leaves office

More: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/06/how-immigration-reform-died-108374.html
How immigration reform died

An informed electorate

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2014/06/26/most_americans_dont_know_which_party_controls_congress.html
Most Americans Don't Know Which Party Controls Congress

A sea change?

http://www.vox.com/2014/6/26/5845790/in-three-years-states-passed-more-abortion-restrictions-than-in-the
In three years, states passed more abortion restrictions than in the past three decades 

Two more Supreme Court decisions

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/26/1309729/-Supreme-Court-strikes-down-abortion-clinic-buffer-zone-law
Supreme Court strikes down abortion clinic buffer zone law 

More: http://prospect.org/article/implications-supreme-courts-abortion-clinic-buffer-zone-ruling

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/06/26/the-supreme-courts-defense-of-why-free-speech-on-sidewalks-matters-more-than-ever/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/court-strikes-down-abortion-clinic-buffer-zones/2014/06/26/99937cca-f1b4-11e3-914c-1fbd0614e2d4_story.html?wprss=rss_politics

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/the_breakfast_table/features/2014/scotus_roundup/scotus_end_of_term_massachusetts_abortion_clinic_buffer_zone_law_goes_down.html
The justices don’t like Massachusetts’ buffer zones. But they’re fine with the one around the Supreme Court. 

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/26/1309716/-Supreme-Court-effectively-kills-presidential-recess-appointments
Supreme Court effectively kills presidential recess appointments

More: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2014/06/26/scotus-deals-a-blow-to-obama/

http://www.vox.com/2014/6/26/5843366/recess-appointments-supreme-court

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/supreme-court-limits-presidential-recess-appointment-power

http://www.salon.com/2014/06/26/scotus_meaningless_ruling_why_its_limit_on_recess_appointment_powers_doesnt_really_matter_anymore/
SCOTUS’ meaningless ruling: Why its limit on recess appointment powers doesn’t really matter anymore 

Darrell Issa keeps failing to turn the IRS case into a big scandal, and keeps trying

http://www.salon.com/2014/06/26/darrell_issa_wants_to_see_every_lois_lerner_e_mail_since_1986/
Darrell Issa wants to see every Lois Lerner email since 1986 

Chris McDaniel refuses to accept his primary loss in Mississippi. Meanwhile, the national right-wing echo chamber starts gearing up the argument that there is something wrong about an election won with black voters (sound familiar?)

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/mcdaniel-campaign-lives-on

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2014_06/mcdaniel_goes_over_the_brink050943.php

Rush: http://crooksandliars.com/2014/06/rush-limbaugh-uncle-toms-thad-black-uncle

Who's paying for GOP primaries?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/06/27/the-massive-outside-investment-in-the-republican-primaries-in-1-amazing-chart/

Bonus item: Just askin'

http://www.salon.com/2014/06/26/is_veganism_child_abuse/
Is veganism child abuse?

***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

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.***

OFF THE DEEP END

Michele Bachmann is too crazy even for Fox World

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/06/cavuto-gets-shouting-match-bachmann-over
"You're being silly!" 

What has Bachmann all excited: John Boehner wants to sue Obama. For what? He hasn't decided yet

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dana-milbank-john-boehner-wants-to-sue-president-obama/2014/06/25/fc1e93e0-fc9d-11e3-932c-0a55b81f48ce_story.html?wprss=rss_politics
Even some conservative scholars argue that lawmakers probably don’t have a legal standing for such a suit. If Republicans persuade the courts to grant them standing, the case could take years to work its way through the system, at which point Obama will be gone. Adding to the charade, the taxpayer-funded legal fight would be waged under the authority of the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group, which is known by the acronym “BLAG” and is bipartisan only in name because it is controlled by the House majority. . . .

More: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/06/25/why-john-boehner-is-really-suing-barack-obama/

http://prospect.org/article/dramatic-pointless-gesture-boehner-sue-obama

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/25/1309467/-Boehner-says-he-plans-to-come-up-with-a-reason-to-file-lawsuit-against-Obama
So he's decided to sue the lawbreaker Obama. But he hasn't decided yet what laws Obama has broken. . . 

And the other one . . .

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/06/sarah-palin-tells-chris-mcdaniel
Sarah Palin Tells Chris McDaniel To Investigate 'Illegal' Voter Irregularities
 

You would almost think he looks forward to it

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/06/25/dick-cheney-predicts-attack-this-decade-far-deadlier-than-911/
Dick Cheney predicts attack this decade ‘far deadlier’ than 9/11

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/cheney-public-be-afraid-be-very-afraid
It's easy to lose sight of just how important fear has been to Cheney whenever he's tried to persuade the public about his preferred agenda.

More: http://www.salon.com/2014/06/25/the_ghoulish_trollery_of_dick_cheney/

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/06/darth-cheney-and-sean-hannity-scare-nuke

Two Supreme Court decisions

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/25/1309452/-Supreme-Court-protects-your-smart-phone-from-the-police
Supreme Court protects your smartphone from the police

More: http://www.vox.com/2014/6/25/5841936/supreme-court-cell-phone-privacy-wurie-riley-roberts-decision-nsa

http://www.vox.com/2014/6/26/5843586/the-most-important-sentence-in-wednesdays-cell-phone-privacy-ruling

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/06/aereo-meets-its-maker.html
Supreme Court Rules Against Aereo Streaming Service

More: http://www.vox.com/2014/6/25/5841820/the-supreme-courts-aereo-decision-could-endanger-cloud-storage

http://www.salon.com/2014/06/25/decoding_the_supreme_courths_aereo_decision_the_future_looks_hazy_for_cloud_computing/

Black voters helped Republican Thad Cochran keep his Senate seat. Now it's payback time

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2014/06/26/naacp_wants_reciprocity_from_cochran.html

Bonus item: The "Poor-Off." You know, people don't really mind voting for candidates with money

http://www.salon.com/2014/06/25/must_see_morning_clip_hillary_clinton_and_joe_biden_are_having_a_poor_off/


***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

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.***

THE BIG MUDDY

In a hard-fought primary, incumbent Mississippi Republican Senator Thad Cochran narrowly defeated his Tea Party challenger, Chris McDaniel, by appealing to black voters to switch over from the Democratic side to support him. 

It worked -- and the Tea Party is furious

http://www.vox.com/2014/6/24/5840226/cochran-defeats-mcdaniel

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/24/1309376/-Thad-Cochran-survives-thanks-to-Democrats

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/25/thad-cochran-wins-one-for-sanity-over-tea-partier-chris-mcdaniel.html

No, not happy: http://crooksandliars.com/2014/06/chris-mcdaniel-hasnt-conceded-says-well
Chris McDaniel Hasn't Conceded

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/06/25/voters-in-mississippi-react-to-senator-thad-cochrans-runoff-victory-on-twitter/?_php=true&_type=blogs&partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0

http://www.salon.com/2014/06/25/tea_partys_scary_new_rise_inside_the_movements_terrifying_revitalization/

https://twitter.com/AmyKremer/status/481621162481311744
"If Cochran wins this #mssen race, the GOP is done. They teamed up with Dems to steal a race. Kiss the base goodbye."

Highlights from a long New Yorker profile of Ted Cruz (Yes, he's every bit as creepy as you thought)

http://www.salon.com/2014/06/24/here_are_the_best_parts_of_the_new_yorkers_long_ted_cruz_profile/

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2014_06/an_agenda_for_forever050913.php

Your daily Christie: ANOTHER bridge scandal!

http://news.firedoglake.com/2014/06/24/chris-christie-administration-facing-inquiry-over-actions-on-second-bridge/

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/chris-christie-faces-yet-another-port-authority-scandal

More: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/25/who-isn-t-investigating-chris-christie.html

Legal rationales for targeted assassination refer to "imminent threats." But what does that mean?

http://www.emptywheel.net/2014/06/24/the-delayed-imminence-of-anwar-al-awlakis-killing/

Voter fraud is an outrage and somebody should do something about it!

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/06/scott-walker-fan-indicted-massive-voter

What is the MATTER with these people?

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/arkansas-gop-hillary-shot-out-of-context
Arkansas GOPer: Saying Hillary Would 'Get Shot' Wasn't Meant As A Threat

Bonus item: Atrios, one of our fellow bloggers, likes to nominate a "Worst Person in the World" from time to time. As far as I'm concerned, they should just engrave this guy's name on the award and retire it forever:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/24/1309183/-Jon-Stewart-on-Dick-Cheney-s-hypocrisy 

More: http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/06/dick-cheney-far-deadlier-attack-is-likely.html

Extra bonus item: Seemed like a good idea at the time - to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, getting the Congressional leaders of both parties to join hands and sing "We Shall Overcome." Err. . . . uh. . . . not a good idea:

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2014/06/we-shall-overcome-when-hell-freezes-over.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

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.***

FAMILY POLITICS

Who really is pro-family? Obama's big push for family leave benefits

http://tinyurl.com/n74lh55

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/23/1308952/-White-House-makes-push-on-working-families-issues-with-U-S-continuing-to-lag-badly

More: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/06/23/why-obama-is-having-so-much-trouble-helping-americas-new-moms/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/06/23/that-one-time-america-almost-got-universal-child-care/ 

Can the US execute a US citizen overseas for terrorist activities? The long-awaited release of the al-Awlaki memo

http://www.salon.com/2014/06/23/drone_memo_allowing_killing_of_u_s_citizen_released_to_public/

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2014/06/awlaki-assassination-memo-finally-released

http://dissenter.firedoglake.com/2014/06/23/release-of-legal-memo-justifying-anwar-al-awlakis-killing-paves-way-for-disclosure-of-more-records/

Analysis: http://www.vox.com/2014/6/23/5835602/anwar-al-awlaki-memo
The memo spends a lot of time arguing that the US didn't commit murder . . . 

http://www.emptywheel.net/2014/06/23/the-cias-redacted-operations/ 

http://www.emptywheel.net/2014/06/23/working-thread-the-awlaki-memo/ 

The first of several big Supreme Court decisions this week gives the EPA a partial victory on regulating emissions 

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/23/1308992/-In-a-split-Supreme-Court-decision-on-curbing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-the-EPA-mostly-wins

http://www.vox.com/2014/6/23/5834810/the-supreme-court-just-made-it-a-little-harder-for-the-epa-to-fight

More: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/epa-claims-victory-supreme-court-climate-change  
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2014/06/supreme-court-strikes-down-epa-interpretation-clean-air-act

http://prospect.org/article/supreme-court-hampers-epa-greenhouse-gases-it-could-have-been-worse

http://www.slate.com/articles/business/the_juice/2014/06/utility_air_regulatory_group_v_epa_we_re_winning_the_war_on_carbon_emissions.html

Next up: the Court's Hobby Lobby decision

http://www.salon.com/2014/06/23/scotus_upcoming_hobby_lobby_decision_what_you_need_to_know/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/awaiting-supreme-courts-hobby-lobby-ruling-public-favors-contraception-mandate/2014/06/23/af6ff752-fade-11e3-9f27-09f20b8bfd1a_story.html

Ths missing IRS emails

http://www.vox.com/2014/6/23/5834518/irs-lois-lerner-missing-emails
Didn't the IRS back up its email? 
It did — but only for six months. After that, the backup tapes were taped over "for cost-efficiency," the agency wrote. (They've since changed their policy.) As mentioned, Lerner's computer crashed nearly two years before the scandal broke, so those backups would have been long gone by then. IRS employees are also supposed to keep hard copies of some important emails, but, as Philip Bump of the Washington Post explains here, the policy is vague and it's not clear whether Lerner saved any.  . . . 

Uh, yep

http://www.salon.com/2014/06/23/6_worst_right_wing_moments_of_the_week_%E2%80%94%C2%A0dick_cheney_is_the_worlds_biggest_liar_partner/
Dick Cheney is the world’s biggest liar  

Dr. Oz and his magic beans

http://www.vox.com/2014/6/23/5834160/watch-john-oliver-pull-back-the-curtain-on-dr-oz-and-the-fda

p.s. "All natural" doesn't mean anything: http://www.vox.com/2014/6/23/5827850/those-all-natural-labels-on-food-are-totally-meaningless

George Will's column gets dropped from the St Louis Dispatch

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/06/st-louis-dispatch-editor-axing-george-will
Tony Messenger, the editorial page editor of the St. Louis Dispatch, told CNN's Brian Stelter why he dropped George Will's column from his paper after Will's highly controversial editorial on sexual assault. Messenger said he was sorry that they even published it in the first place . . .

Bonus item: We could send humans to Mars within 10-12 years. But should we WANT to?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/18/1307848/-Elon-Musk-Man-on-Mars-in-10-12-years

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop/wp/2014/06/23/mitch-daniels-to-promote-men-on-mars/ 

***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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ELDER STATESMAN

Shameless -- literally

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2014/06/put-fork-in-him.html
Here's more Cheney from This Week, this morning, when asked what he would do in Iraq today:      

CHENEY: Well, first of all, Jon, I’d recognize that Iraq is not the whole problem. . . .

KARL: But — but…  

CHENEY: But what I think we need is a broad strategy that lets us address this whole range of issues. And that involves reversing a number of the policies of…  

KARL: But…  

CHENEY: — the Obama administration.  

KARL: But let me — let me ask you specifically on Iraq, because that — that’s the crisis confronting us right at this moment.  Would you in — would you take war — you know, air strikes against ISIS?  Would you move Special Forces into Iraq?  What would you do in Iraq?  

CHENEY: Well, I — what we should have done in Iraq was…  

KARL: No, no, what would you do now?  

CHENEY: — leave behind a force — well, what I would do now, John, is, among other things, be realistic about the nature of the threat.  . . .

But I think at this point, there are no good, easy answers in Iraq. . . . [read on]

More from Cheney: http://crooksandliars.com/2014/06/dick-cheney-its-waste-time-complain-about

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2014/06/never-mind-about-past.html

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/06/cheney-i-didnt-intend-any-disrespect-when

Grab the popcorn!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/06/22/dick-cheney-and-rand-paul-clash-over-iraq/
Dick Cheney and Rand Paul clash over Iraq

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/06/dick-cheney-blasts-isolationist-rand-paul.html

http://crooksandliars.com/cltv/2014/06/rand-paul-blames-dick-cheney-iraq

More popcorn! Thad Cochran (R-MS), is in danger of losing his Senate seat to a Tea Party challenger, Chris McDaniel. Desperate, he appeals to BLACK voters on the Democratic side to cross over and vote for him. Predictable hilarity ensues

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/cue-up-the-band

A "rebellion" within the GOP? (thanks to DR for the link)

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/06/22/louisiana-gov-jindal-claims-rebellion-brewing-against-washington/

In Fox World, anti-Muslim hatred gets out of hand

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/06/foxs-tamara-holder-blasts-brigitte-gabriel

In case you missed the Sunday talk shows

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/06/22/missed-the-sunday-shows-watch-these-four-videos-and-get-caught-up-2/

Bonus item: Marx 2.0

http://www.salon.com/2014/06/22/believe_it_or_not_karl_marx_is_making_a_comeback/

http://my.firedoglake.com/cassiodorus/2014/06/22/capitalism-will-last-forever-or-maybe-not/




***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

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.***