The Note’s Must-Reads for Friday, July 17, 2009
EmailThe Note’s Must-Reads are a round-up of today’s political headlines and stories from ABC News and the top U.S. newspapers. Posted Monday through Friday right here at www.abcnews.com
Compiled by ABC News’ CARRIE HALPERIN, JAYCE HENDERSON, CLAUDIA MORALES, GEORGIA DAWKINS, VALENCIA WICKER, AND KRISTEN RED-HORSE
BOOKMARKS:
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PRESIDENT OBAMA:
ABC News’ Yunji de Nies: “Should They Have Called It The ‘Stabilization’ Act?” LINK
New York Daily News’ Michael Saul: “President Obama honors civil rights pioneers with speech at NAACP centennial convention” LINK
Bloomberg’s Matthew Benjamin and Alison Sider: “Obama Stimulus Fails to Reboot Economy as No Multiplier Effect” LINK
USA Today’s Martha T. Moore: “Obama notes racial progress to NAACP” LINK
USA Today’s Ken Dilanian: “U.S. studies Afghan health successes” LINK
Newsweek’s Ron Moreau and Sami Yousafzai: “Fight Flub: Pakistan’s all –out offensive the Taliban may already have failed” LINK
Politico’s Nia-Malika Henderson: “President Obama: ‘Discrimination still felt’” LINK
Politico Staff: “Obama’s remarks at NAACP centennial” LINK
The New York Times’ Sheryl Gay Stolberg: “Obama Tells Fellow Blacks: No Excuses for Any Failure” LINK
The Washington Post’s Krissah Thompson and Cheryl W. Thompson: Obama Speaks Of Blacks’ Struggle” LINK
The Washington Post’s Keith Richburg: “Obama Praises Corzine’s Achievements” LINK
FOREIGN AFFAIRS:
ABC News’ Kristina Wong: “Clinton: I’m ‘Involved’ in Obama Foreign Policy” LINK
The Hill’s Kevin Bogardus: “Ex-Honduran leader hires an ‘ambassador’” LINK
The Los Angeles Times’ Alex Rodriguez: “Pakistani U.N. official, guard killed in camp” LINK
ABC News’ Kristina Wong: “Clinton: I’m ‘Involved’ in Obama Foreign Policy” LINK
CONGRESS:
The Hill’s Walter Alarkon: “House moves to save car dealerships” LINK
The Hill’s Molly K. Hooper and Aaron Blake: “Dispute on whipping climate bill is latest sign Rep. Castle is leaving” LINK
The Los Angeles Times’ Jim Puzzanghera: “Paulson harshly criticized by House committee for role in market meltdown” LINK
The Washington Times’ Stephen Dinan: “Battle lines form over fate of F-22 fighter” LINK
The Wall Street Journal’s Corey Boles and Josh Mitchell: “House Wants Dealerships Reinstated” LINK
The Wall Street Journal’s August Cole: “Gates and Congress Duel Over Future of Weapons Systems” LINK
Politico’s David Rogers and Jen Dimascio: “Robert Gates taunts Congress over defense cuts” LINK
ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT:
The Los Angeles Times’ Jim Tankersley: “Offshore oil leases to be auctioned despite legal uncertainty” LINK
SUPREME COURT NOMINEE SOTOMAYOR:
ABC News’ Ariane de Vogue and Theresa Cook: “Sotomayor Under Fire for Discrimination Case” LINK
Time Magazine’s Jay Newton-Small: “GOP Grilling of Sotomayor: No Hit with Hispanic Voters” LINK
The Wall Street Journal’s Naftali Bendavid and Jess Bravin: “Sotomayor Nears Confirmation After Testimony” LINK
Bloomberg’s Greg Stohr and Christopher Stern: “Sotomayor Moves Toward Approval as Republicans Soften Criticism” LINK
USA Today’s Kathy Kiely and Joan Biskupic: “Sessions expects vote on Sotomayor in August” LINK
Politico’s Josh Gerstein: “Sotomayor critics get their turn” LINK
The New York Times’ Neil Lewis: “Senate Likely to Vote on Sotomayor in August” LINK
The Washington Post’s Paul Kane, Robert Barnes and Amy Goldstein: “Senate republicans Won’t Block Vote on Sotomayor” LINK
ECONOMY:
USA Today’s Richard Wolf: “Tax rates on track to soar as proposals form” LINK
USA Today’s Anne Flaherty: “Paulson says he told BoA’s Lewis that Fed could fire him” LINK
USA Today’s Marisol Bello: “States close rest areas to save money” LINK
USA Today’s Tina Irgang: “Cuts curb pickups of trash” LINK
USA Today’s Martin Crutsinger: “Foreign demand for U.S. financial assests” LINK
Newsweek’s Nancy Cook: “What Mancession” LINK
The Washington Post’s Michael D. Shear and Alexi Mostrous: “Biden Fires Back At Stimulus Critics” LINK
HEALTH CARE:
ABC News’ Z.Byron Wolf, Jonathan Karl, and Huma Khan and Jake Tapper: “Not So Fast: GOP Sours on Obama August Health Care Deadline” LINK
ABC News’ Jake Tapper: “Snowe Dampens President Obama’s Timeline on Health Care Reform” LINK
The Washington Times’ Jennifer Haberkorn: “Health reform may increase federal cost” LINK
The Wall Street Journal’s Greg Hitt: “Budget Blow for Health Plan” LINK
The Wall Street Journal’s Corey Boles: “Senate Leaders Clash With CBO Head on Health-Care Overhaul” LINK
Bloomberg’s Kristin Jensen and James Rowley: “Health-Care Drive May Be Set Back as CBO Sees No Spending Cut” LINK
The Boston Herald Editorial Staff: “House plan’s unhealthy” LINK
Boston Herald Op-Ed by Deroy Murdock: “ObamaCare lacks dose of healthy choice” LINK
USA Today’s John Fritze: “Battle looms over funding cuts for MRIs” LINK
Politico’s Carrie Budoff Brown: “Success on health care still a long way off” LINK
The New York Times’ Mark Leibovich: “Kennedy’s Absent Voice on Health Bill Resonates” LINK
The New York Times’ Steven Greenhouse: “Democrats Drop Key Part of Bill to Assist Unions” LINK
The New York Times’ Robert Pear: “House Committee Approves Health Care Bill” LINK
The Boston Globe’s Foon Rhee: “Fate of healthcare up to Senate moderates” LINK
OTHER MUST-READS:
The Washington Times’ Jennifer Harper: “NASA mission: Restore erased moon landing footage” LINK
The Boston Herald’s Dave Wedge: “Mitt Romney outpacing Sarah Palin in fund-raising race” LINK
USA Today’s Jessie Halladay: “Nurses add detective work to job skills”
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USA Today’s Dan Vergano: “Hurricane-calming technology? Bill Gates has a plan”
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The Washington Post’s Carrie Johnson: “Conservative Group Calls For Probe of Conyers” LINK
ABC NEWS VIDEOS:
“Sotomayor Can Get By on Supreme Salary” LINK
“Senator Talks Crack Cocaine” LINK
“Jake Tapper on Obama’s Health Care Push” LINK
“Firefighter Ricci Testifies Against Sotomayor” LINK
“Obama Needs Dems United on Health Reform” LINK
“GOP Senators Praise Sotomayor” LINK
Biden Reflects on Grief, Suicidal Thoughts 
Is Congress Sounding Dumber?