PostPartisan - Quick takes by The Post's opinion writers - July 25, 2010

Rep. Weiner: Sit!

By Alexandra Petri People always say that trying to get Congress to do anything is like herding cats. But this excerpt from Rep. Anthony Weiner’s (D-N.Y.) recent rant sounds more like something you could use to train your dog. Just...

By Alexandra Petri | July 30, 2010; 2:30 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (23)
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Friday political opinions quiz: Jersey Shore edition

Okay, class. When the cast members of “Jersey Shore” are called “America’s New Icons,” you know we’re all going to hell. (Although with the heat we’ve had lately, I’d feel right at home.) So before that journey begins, take...

By Jonathan Capehart | July 30, 2010; 2:12 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
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House GOP lives up to no-earmark pledge

In March, I reported here on the decision by House Republican Leaders to demonstrate that they have given up their big-spending ways by enacting a voluntary, unilateral ban on all earmarks for the remainder of the 111th Congress. Well,...

By Marc Thiessen | July 30, 2010; 12:58 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (17)
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On immigration, Lindsey Graham abandons principle

It is stunning -- just stunning -- that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has apparently joined the movement to revoke birthright citizenship. "People come here to have babies," he says. "They come here to drop a child. It’s called 'drop...

By Michael Gerson | July 30, 2010; 12:14 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (32)
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Rangel's weakness was pride, not greed

Among the mysteries of the Charlie Rangel affair is one that is sure to confound corrupt politicians everywhere: He took almost nothing for himself. His weakness, it turns out, was not greed, it was pride. Mostly, this was little...

By Richard Cohen | July 30, 2010; 10:11 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (12)
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Right-wing propaganda revisited: A reply to readers

Well, I thought my Monday column on Shirley Sherrod, President Obama and the right-wing media might stir some interest, but I did not expect it to draw quite the response it did. Because it attracted many comments, I’d like...

By E.J. Dionne | July 29, 2010; 6:42 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (78)
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A showdown on 'extra-judicial killing' at Langley

One feather in the cap of John Bennett, the new chief of the CIA’s clandestine service, is that he pushed back hard enough to get cussed out by CIA Director Leon Panetta -- who told Bennett “f*** you” in...

By David Ignatius | July 29, 2010; 6:33 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
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Barack Obama on The View: He's that guy

By Alexandra Petri Barack Obama is that guy. You know the guy I mean. He’s the guy at the bar trying to shout substantive remarks about health-care reform over the pounding music. "This band is great!" you yell. "I think...

By Alexandra Petri | July 29, 2010; 5:29 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (18)
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How big is the gulf oil disaster? It's too early to tell.

Michael Grunwald writes in Time that government officials and the media have exaggerated the scale of the gulf oil spill. It’s bad, he writes, but not anywhere near the greatest catastrophe the Gulf of Mexico has faced. He has...

By Stephen Stromberg | July 29, 2010; 12:33 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (3)
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Annette, two mommies, and me

Annette Bening’s face says it all. Every beautiful, hard-earned wrinkle is shown in extreme close-up as she realizes that her spouse of two decades has been having an affair. Bening’s gestures are subtle; the sense of betrayal is profound....

By Eva Rodriguez | July 29, 2010; 11:03 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (12)
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The clock ticks for Rep. Charlie Rangel

Trying to elicit a modicum of sympathy as he arrived at the Capitol today, Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) invoked his storied military service. "Sixty years ago I survived a Chinese attack in North Korea, and as a result I...

By Jonathan Capehart | July 29, 2010; 11:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (6)
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First blood in the immigration battle

By Lee Hockstader It would be nice to think that Judge Susan R. Bolton’s decision to block the most noxious parts of Arizona’s immigration law from taking effect would spur Congress to fix the nation’s broken immigration system once and...

By Lee Hockstader | July 29, 2010; 10:12 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (38)
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Gov. Chris Christie speaks fiscal truth

I have to give a high-five to Gov. Chris Christie. The New Jersey Republican was on “Morning Joe” today and showed why he is not only a rising star within the GOP, but also a model of leadership for...

By Jonathan Capehart | July 28, 2010; 5:09 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (56)
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Cheesy, yet interesting, gimmick from the Dems

The clever folks over at the Democratic National Committee today issued “The Republican Tea Party Contract on America.” As gimmicks go, it’s a little cheesy. The whole allusion to the 1994 Contract With America. And the linking of the...

By Jonathan Capehart | July 28, 2010; 3:23 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (8)
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Deal or no deal with Rep. Charlie Rangel

Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) is caught between a rock and a hard place. He’s scrambling to strike a deal with the House Ethics Committee over allegations that he violated some pretty basic rules. Meanwhile, whether he settles or not,...

By Jonathan Capehart | July 28, 2010; 11:08 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (11)
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Other dads you might not want to vote for

By Alexandra Petri Jan Schill does not want you to elect her father, John Mantooth, as a judge in Oklahoma's McClain County. So she created DoNotVoteForMyDad.com. Here are a few other famous fathers who might have gotten a similar treatment....

By Alexandra Petri | July 27, 2010; 6:01 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)
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A day in the life of Tony Hayward

Some things will never change, such as the enduring appeal of shipping disgraced public figures off to the frozen north for safe keeping. Though the Soviet Union’s GULAG prison camp system hasn’t operated for decades, we learned today that...

By | July 27, 2010; 2:00 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Stromberg
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Shirley Sherrod's job offer

It’s been at least four days since we heard anything new from the wrongly-fired Shirley Sherrod. For some folks (and you know who you are), that’s just fine. They think she’s at about 14:59:59 on her 15 minutes of...

By Jonathan Capehart | July 27, 2010; 1:28 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (9)
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Chelsea Clinton's wedding is a waste of celebrity

By Alexandra Petri Chelsea Clinton is ruining my wedding. Sure, I’m not getting married yet, but I like to plan things in advance. And Chelsea's stealing my thunder. It's typical of her. Whenever I try to do anything, Chelsea Clinton...

By Alexandra Petri | July 27, 2010; 12:38 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (26)
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David Cameron panders to Turkey -- at Israel's expense

In a speech delivered in Ankara, David Cameron fdenounced European opponents of Turkey's membership in the European Union, saying they were motivated by protectionism or prejudice against Islam. But Recep Tayyip Erdogan lost interest in the EU some time ago. So Cameron embraced the Turkish leader's new favorite subject: the evils of Israel.

By | July 27, 2010; 11:14 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (100)
Categories: Diehl
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PostPartisan: July 25, 2010 - July 31, 2010