Pawn in Their Game
by Dave Zirin
Los Angeles, a town built on artifice and home to hordes of performance-enhanced entertainers, not to mention led by a performance-enhanced governor, now demands purity of its athletes.

Torture Advocates will Set the Military Back for Generations

by Brandon Friedman

Not only does torture not work, but it directly endangers our troops fighting now.

Libertarian Vacation Zone!

Those Brand-New Humble Republicans
By Joe Conason —
Hoping to re-brand their declining party, a group of prominent Republicans recently launched a national “listening tour,” presumably as an exercise in market research. They would like to know why voters—and especially younger voters—increasingly reject the GOP.
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Jeffrey Rosen, TNR and the anonymous smears against Sonia Sotomayor
The gossipy hit piece aimed at a potential Supreme Court nominee illustrates how toxic is anonymity-based "journalism."
by Glenn Greenwald
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Bristol Palin’s New Gig
by Gail Collins
Making Gov. Sarah Palin’s daughter a teen ambassador for abstinence is a terrible idea. In terms of combating teen pregnancy, the Palin family has done enough damage already.

Keep on whining, Republicans

The more the GOP complains, the better Obama looks.
By Gene Lyons

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

How Character Corrodes

by Maureen Dowd
The Republicans’ newfound concern about checks and balances is touching, given what the Bush administration did to undermine the process.

Jack Kemp, 73, Dies; Sports and G.O.P. Star
By ADAM CLYMER
Mr. Kemp was a football star turned congressman and the Republican vice-presidential nominee in 1996, but his greatest legacy may stem from his calls for sharp tax cuts.

The Supreme Court justice of Obama's dreams
By Joe Conason

Inside Obama's Court Deliberations

Still Singing
by Peter Rothberg:

As Pete Seeger turns 90, give the man a hand for the power of his music and the changes he's helped effect.

Out of Touch
by Bob Herbert
The Republicans have spent years trying to fool everybody with dime-store philosophies; now the party is trapped in the patently pathetic phase of fooling itself.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

The Next War Over the Courts
by Doug Kendall and Simon Lazarus
Conservatives are geared up to push back against even the most moderate judicial nominations. In order to win this fight, Obama must successfully frame it.

Combating Epidemic Ignorance

By Joe Conason —
Some on the right are blaming immigrants for swine flu in the U.S. Actually, the outbreak had nothing to do with immigrants and everything to do with ordinary travel and commerce.

Souter Said to Be Leaving Court in June
Retirement Offers Obama First Chance to Nominate Justice
By PETER BAKER and JEFF ZELENY
Justice David H. Souter has grown increasingly sour on Washington and intends to return to his home state at the end of the Supreme Court’s term, according to people briefed on his plans.

Obama's Supreme Court wish list
The president talks about what he wants in a replacement for Souter: "A sharp and independent mind" who understands that justice is "about how our laws affect the daily realities of people's lives"
By Alex Koppelman
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Exit Justice Souter
by John Nichols:
As David Souter leaves the bench and Obama puts his first stamp on the high court, a female justice is a likely choice.
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