1.) Brave Mitch McConnell, he bravely ran away — If at first you don’t succeed, give up! Associated Press: “With compromise talks at a vituperative standstill, Senate Republicans unexpectedly offered Tuesday to hand President Barack Obama new powers to avert a first-ever government default threatened for Aug. 2. Under a proposal outlined by Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Obama could request — and likely secure — increases of up to $2.5 trillion in the government’s borrowing authority in three separate installments over the next year, as long as he simultaneously proposed spending cuts of greater size. The debt limit increases would take effect unless blocked by Congress under special rules that would require speedy action — and even then Obama could exercise his authority to veto such legislation. Significantly, the president’s spending cuts would be debated under normal procedures, with no guarantee they ever come to a final vote.” TheDC’s Amanda Carey has the latest: “Debt limit negotiations took a surprising turn Tuesday, when Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell offered a backup plan that essentially gives President Barack Obama the authority to unilaterally raise the debt limit. The move prompted a swift and furious backlash from conservative groups, politicians and commentators… For his part, McConnell defended his unusual move by saying that he has essentially become convinced that an acceptable deal on spending cuts and revenue raises cannot be reached, and that Republicans and Democrats have come to an impasse… But on Capitol Hill, McConnell’s plan sent shockwaves through conservative offices. One senior GOP staffer told The Daily Caller in an email, ‘I really could not have imagined a plan this bad.'” Hey, if a guy won’t negotiate with you and does nothing but lie and threaten and obfuscate, your only option is to give him MORE power. Otherwise, you’ll be blamed for everything by the people who will always blame you for everything anyway.
2.) Human Rights Watch still wants to get George Bush — In times of trouble, some take great comfort in nostalgia. Remember “Bush Lied, People Died” and “No Blood For Oil” and all that? Ahh, the good old days. Some people want to make that feeling last forever, as TheDC’s Amanda Seitz reports: “Human Rights Watch is pressuring President Barack Obama to investigate and criminally prosecute former President George W. Bush and former Vice President Dick Cheney. The group says there is ‘overwhelming evidence’ that the Bush administration ordered the torture and abuse of various detainees. Its allegations are contained in a 107-page report. ‘There are solid grounds to investigate Bush, Cheney, [Donald] Rumsfeld, and [CIA Director George] Tenet for authorizing torture and war crimes,’ Human Rights Watch executive director Kenneth Roth wrote in a press release. ‘President Obama has treated torture as an unfortunate policy choice rather than a crime.’ The report asks other countries to prosecute Bush and several of his top aides (if the United States does not take legal action) for violating international law. ‘The U.S. has a legal obligation to investigate these crimes,’ Roth wrote in the statement. ‘If the U.S. doesn’t act on them, other countries should.’ The report also discredits the Bush administration’s consultations with legal counsel over the permissibility of waterboarding and illegal detention, arguing that such precautions don’t lessen the severity of the crime.” Yeah, Obama will get right on that, just as soon as he’s done bragging about killing Bin Laden.
3.) Olby earns his ratings — Keith Olbermann, the Rupert Pupkin of TV news, is outraged as usual. TheDC’s Jeff Poor reports: “With his usual flair for the dramatic, Current TV’s ‘Countdown’ host Keith Olbermann advised President Barack Obama against striking a compromise with congressional Republicans on the debt ceiling. ‘I cannot forecast what will happen politically if you craft a compromise to a manufactured political crisis that includes unnecessary cuts to Social Security and raising the age for Medicare eligibility from 65 to 67,’ Olbermann said during Monday’s program, in an ostensible address to the president… ‘Any true greatness of this nation originates entirely in whatever spark of humanity and selflessness we devote to taking care of the least of us,’ Olbermann continued. ‘Any claim we have to lead, to encourage, to inspire other nations starts with whether we continue to move forward each year, each day, each minute towards a time when we have no hunger in this country, when we have no poverty in this country and we have no old people eating dog food in this country, when we have no patient in this country deciding between meals and medicines.'” With apologies to William F. Buckley: Let’s go ahead and insult Keith’s intelligence by suggesting that he really believes what he just said. Hey, do you suppose he ever has insanely expensive wine with his insanely expensive dinner? Somebody should send Susan Feinberg on a new mission…
4.) Black Eyed Peas take break from being awful — It’s the end of an error, as TheDC’s Katie McHugh reports: “The chart-topping Black Eyed Peas are on an indefinite break after releasing their latest album, The Beginning. Earlier this month, in Staffordshire, England, Stacy Ann Ferguson, better known by her stage name Fergie, told a concert crowd that it would be ‘the last time we’re going to be in England for a long time. We want you to know that we love you and thank you for the support you’ve given from the beginning.’ William James Adams, Jr., known by his stage name Will.i.am, also tried to reassure fans. On July 6, he tweeted, ‘The @Bep will take a break after the beginning … just like we did from monkey business to the e.n.d … but it doesn’t mean we stop creating.'” Hey now, there’s no need for t.h.r.e.a.t.s.
5.) New York Times mensajes traducción al español del artículo de la immigración — Ameena Schelling informes: “El New York Times ya ha atraído la atención de un artículo publicado la semana pasada por la Cueva de Damien que examinó la aparente disminución anual el número de inmigrantes ilegales, atribuyendo el patrón en parte a mejoras en la calidad de los mexicanos de la vida, pero los medios de comunicación ha prestado menos atención a la decisión del Times relativamente nueva para publicar una traducción al español del artículo de primera página en su sitio web. La versión original en Inglés fue publicada en el sitio web el miércoles, mientras que una traducción en español proporcionada por Reforma, un mexicano papel que publica regularmente traducciones al español de artículos Times, se publicó un día después debido a los retrasos de traducción. Mientras que el Times ha poco de historia de la cobertura de idiomas, Eileen Murphy, presidente de la salida del vicepresidente de comunicaciones corporativas, dijo que el documento podría ofrecer una cobertura más traducido en el futuro.” ¡Buena idea! Están agotando rápidamente de las personas que quieren leer el periódico cuando es escrito en Inglés.
6.) Today’s words of wisdom from Alec Baldwin’s Twitter feed — “Funny. If the GOP nominated Ron Paul, they might have a chance.”