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Palin tried to play POTUS... and then WaPo posted this pic 154 recs : By bigtree

Wow, This is Pretty Epic (Republicans manufactured evidence on Benghazi) 108 recs : By ProSense

Pic Of The Moment: GOP Busted On Benghazi Emails 100 recs : By EarlG

George Takei Responds To "Traditional" Marriage Fans 98 recs : By LadyHawkAZ

Make no bones about it, the anti-choice movement created this monster: 91 recs : By MrScorpio

The Left Column

SHRED

Republicans Altered Benghazi Emails, CBS News Report Claims

(HuffPo) One day after The White House released 100 pages of Benghazi emails, a report has surfaced alleging that Republicans released a set with altered text.

CBS News reported Thursday that leaked versions sent out by the GOP last Friday had visible differences than Wednesday's official batch. Two correspondences that were singled out in the report came from National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes and State Department Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.

Bill USA

Ezra Klein: The scandals are falling apart

(WaPo) The crucial ingredient for a scandal is the prospect of high-level White House involvement and wide political repercussions. Government wrongdoing is boring. Scandals can bring down presidents, decide elections and revive down-and-out political parties. Scandals can dominate American politics for months at a time.

On Tuesday, it looked like we had three possible political scandals brewing. Two days later, with much more evidence available, it doesn’t look like any of them will pan out. There’ll be more hearings, and more bad press for the Obama administration, and more demands for documents. But — and this is a key qualification — absent more revelations, the scandals that could reach high don’t seem to include any real wrongdoing, whereas the ones that include real wrongdoing don’t reach high enough. Let’s go through them.

Galraedia

Another Obama ‘Scandal’? Nope… GOP Rep Claims Responsibility For AP Surveillance

(Addicting Info) Just when you thought another event was about to be added to the growing list of Obama ‘scandals’ – what with the Benghazi ‘cover-up’ (debunked by a single e-mail), the IRS surveillance of Tea Party-supporting groups (which flame-throwers like Allen West attempted to conflate into ‘conspiracies’ with no success), and the continuing heat on the military for its policies on sexual abuse – the Department of Justice investigation of Associated Press telephone records, widely expected to be another partisan blowtorch, has just been defended by a Republican congressman who claims it was the Republicans themselves who demanded the investigation last year.

Representative Trey Gowdy (R-SC) spoke to Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren about the issue, one libertarians, journalists, and freedom of information advocates all believe demands review and reform, and instead of using it to bludgeon the administration for overstepping (which most of his party, the media, and even the President’s own party are doing), he instead claimed it was the natural evolution of a GOP demand for a probe. From Think Progress:

“Think back a year ago. We had the attorney general and other Department of Justice employees, and we grilled them over national security leaks. And here they are doing what we asked them to do, investigate the leak.”

alp227

FBI seeks source of prostitution, corruption allegations against Sen. Robert Menendez

(WaPo) Months after the FBI began probing allegations against Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), investigators are now looking at whether someone set out to smear him while he was running for re-election last year and then ascending to his new post as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, according to four people briefed on the inquiry.

The scene of federal agents interviewing two of the world’s wealthiest sugar barons, whose business holdings include Domino Sugar, underscores the unusual twists of the saga centered on Menendez, who has been battling allegations that he did special favors for a major campaign donor.

marmar

Elizabeth Warren slams pro-Wall Street bill

(HuffPo) Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said Thursday that she will fight legislation in the Senate that would roll back key parts of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law, just a week after the package made it out of the House Financial Services Committee with support from fellow Democrats.

"Wall Street’s aggressive determination paid off last week when the House Financial Services Committee reported out several bills to roll back reforms to the derivatives markets included in the Dodd-Frank Act," Warren said in a statement. “I strongly agree with Treasury Secretary Lew’s opposition to the bills. The Dodd-Frank Act put in place a variety of measures that work together as a system to protect consumers, hold big banks accountable, and reduce the risk of future crises. It is dangerous for Congress to amend the derivatives provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act without at the same time taking accompanying steps to strengthen reform and maintain the law’s equilibrium."

ProSense

LOL: White House Mocks GOP’s Obamacare Hashtag (PHOTO)

When Republicans on Thursday sought to highlight their latest repeal effort by encouraging Twitter followers to describe "Obamacare" in three words, the White House decided to get in on the action.

With the GOP-promoted hashtag included, the White House's official Twitter account posted a reminder that the Affordable Care Act still carries the force of law:

ProSense

Obama: ‘I Have Complete Confidence In Eric Holder’

(TPM) President Barack Obama on Thursday gave a firm vote of confidence to embattled Attorney General Eric Holder.

"I have complete confidence in Eric Holder as attorney general," Obama said at a joint afternoon press conference with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "He does his job with integrity and I expect he will continue to do so."

DonViejo

Obama: ‘No Apologies’ For Investigating Leaks Of Classified Information

(TPM) Asked to address the controversial seizure of phone logs from Associated Press journalists by the Department of Justice, President Barack Obama on Thursday said he had no regrets for prosecuting individuals responsible for leaking classified information because they placed the country at risk.

"I make no apologies and I don't think the American people would expect me as commander-in-chief not to be concerned about information that might compromise their missions or might get them killed," he said, standing alongside Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the White House Rose Garden.

Robb

Maryland governor signs nation's most comprehensive firearm legislation. NRA backs down.

(Baltimore Sun) Gov. Martin O'Malley on Thursday signed a gun-control bill that is among the country's most sweeping legislative responses to the December mass shooting in Newtown, Conn.

The law bans the sale of assault-style rifles, including the AR-15 used in the Newtown killing of six educators and 20 first- and second-graders. The law limits gun ownership for people with mental illness, outlaws the sale of high-capacity magazines and establishes the nation's first new handgun licensing scheme in two decades.

Maryland will join five other states in requiring such licenses, a move that O'Malley said "will substantially lower gun deaths."

babylonsister

Pat Robertson Says Wife of Cheating Husband Should be Grateful

(Political Wire) Responding to a question from a viewer concerned about her cheating husband, Pat Robertson said that married men "have a tendency to wander" and it is the spurned wife's job "to focus on the positive and make sure the home is so enticing, he doesn't want to stray," the Huffington Post reports.

Said Robertson: "Does he provide a home for you to live in. Does he provide food for you to eat? Does he provide clothes for you to wear? Is he nice to the children... Is he handsome?"

Cool

All Alone in the Night - Time-lapse footage of the Earth as seen from the ISS Science : By dipsydoodle

Mesmerizing Photographs Of Soldiers' Faces Before And After A War Veterans : By Scuba

Impossible nail-through-wood trick The DU Lounge : By MrScorpio

‘Brave’ creator blasts Disney for ‘blatant sexism’ in princess makeover Feminists : By LadyHawkAZ

Well played, Google Maps The DU Lounge : By HarveyDarkey

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Latest Breaking News

France gay marriage: Hollande signs bill into law

5 hrs ago - France's president has signed into law a controversial bill making the country the eighth in Europe, and 14th globally, to legalise gay marriage. On Friday, the Constitutional Council rejected a challenge by the right-wing opposition, clearing the w ... (BBC)

Colorado Woman, Dies After Assault Rifle Accidentally Discharges

6 hrs ago - A Denver-area woman died Tuesday night after an assault rifle she was handling accidentally fired and shot her in the head. Witnesses told ABC Denver affiliate KMGH that Anastasia Adair, 22, was passing an AK-47-style assault rifle to her husband, ... (Huffington Post)

Harry Reid Focuses On July For The 'Nuclear Option'

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Texas Judge Forbids Lesbian Woman From Living With Her Partner

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Rising consumer demands aids organic industry sway

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Record Powerball jackpot inspires office pools

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Hall of Famer Ken Venturi, 82, dies

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Colorado GOPer Accused Of Storming Away From Aurora Victim’s Dad

10 hrs ago - Alex Sullivan, 27, was one of the young men killed last year in the Aurora, Colo. movie theater shooting, and his father wanted a high-ranking Republican lawmaker to know what gun violence had taken away from him. So this week, Tom Sullivan went to ... (Talking Points Memo)

Injuries Reported as Conn. Commuter Trains Collide (50 Injuries, 4 Serious)

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Conservative Advice To GOP: Don't Legislate, Focus On Scandals

11 hrs ago - Heritage Action, the political activist offshoot of the conservative Heritage Foundation, has some advice for House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor: focus on the scandals plaguing the Obama administration and stay away from legis ... (NPR)

More news...

Washington, D.C. Insider Says Senator John Sampson Covered-Up Court Corruption

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Consumer Sentiment Index in U.S. Rose to 83.7 in May

12 hrs ago - Americans’ confidence in the economy climbed in May to the highest level in almost six years as rising real estate values and record stock prices boosted household wealth. The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary index of consumer sent ... (Bloomberg)

Appeals court rules Fair Sentencing Act applies retroactively to crack offenses

12 hrs ago - A federal appeals court ruled on Friday that a 2010 law mandating less-stringent penalties on drug-related offenses can be retroactively applied to jail sentences involving crack cocaine. The Associated Press reported that the decision by the U.S. 6 ... (Raw Story)

OAS study says countries should consider decriminalizing drug use

12 hrs ago - OAS study says countries should consider decriminalizing drug use By Chris Kraul May 17, 2013, 2:30 p.m. BOGOTA, Colombia — The Organization of American States said Friday that countries should consider decriminalizing drug use, a shift backed by s ... (Los Angeles Times)

Judge grants injunction in Ark. abortion ban case

13 hrs ago - LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A federal judge granted a request Friday to temporarily block enforcement of a new Arkansas law that bans most abortions 12 weeks into a pregnancy. U.S. District Judge Susan Webber Wright granted a motion for preliminary inj ... (AP)

U.S. Seizes Operator Accounts Of Major Japanese Bitcoin Exchange

14 hrs ago - US authorities seized the accounts of a Bitcoin digital currency exchange operator, claiming it was functioning as an “unlicensed money service business,” court documents showed Friday. A warrant revealed by the Department of Homeland Security showe ... (Agence France-Presse)

Michelle Obama at Bowie State: Too many fantasize about being ‘a baller or a rapper’

14 hrs ago - Michelle Obama encouraged the graduates of Bowie State University on Friday morning to live up to the legacy of their university’s founders and the leaders of the civil rights movement by promoting the importance of education in the black community. ... (Washington Post)

CBO: Obama Budget Would Cut 10-year Deficits by $1.1 Trillion

15 hrs ago - CBO: Obama budget would cut 10-year deficits by $1.1 trillion By Lori Montgomery, Published: FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2:39 PM ET President Obama’s budget request would raise taxes by nearly $1 trillion compared with current law and cut spending by ne ... (Washington Post)

Illinois Senate Approves Medical Marijuana Use; Gov. Expected to Sign into Law

15 hrs ago - @Reuters: RT @ReutersUS: Illinois senate approves medical marijuana use; governor expected to sign into law #breaking Illinois Senate approves medical marijuana bill By Monique Garcia Clout Street 1:12 p.m. CDT, May 17, 2013 SPRINGFIELD --- The Se ... (Chicago Tribune)

Invasion of Crazy Ants Maddening For Southern U.S.

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Int’l Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia observed around the globe

17 hrs ago - LGBT rights advocates and allies will observe the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (or IDAHO) in more than 100 countries around the world on Friday. First recognized in 2004, IDAHO commemorates the May 17, 1990 decision by the Wo ... (LGBTQNATION)

Venezuelan opposition leader sued in Colombia

17 hrs ago - Venezuelan opposition leader sued in Colombia posted by Adriaan Alsema May 16, 2013 Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles and Colombian former President Alvaro Uribe have been sued for trying to disrupt exports to Venezuela and destabi ... (Colombia Reports)

Payrolls Increased in 30 U.S. States in April, while the unemployment rate dropped in 40

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French Gay Marriage Law Gets Constitutional All-Clear

18 hrs ago - @Reuters: RT @mathieuvonrohr: Breaking: French constitutional council validates gay marriage. French gay marriage law gets constitutional all-clear Fri May 17, 2013 11:27am EDT PARIS (Reuters) - France's Constitutional Council cleared the way on F ... (Reuters / France 24)

Argentina's Former Military Dictator Videla Dies in Jail at 87

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John Paul Stevens: Bush v. Gore Decision Rationale Was 'Unacceptable'

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(Toronto Mayor) Rob Ford in 'crack cocaine' video scandal

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EU survey reveals many gays live in fear

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At least 32 killed by blasts outside Sunni mosque in Iraq's Baquba

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CIA chief John Brennan makes surprise Israel visit for Syria talks

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