Supreme Court Puts American Politics Out of its Misery
They clearly just realized it was screwed anyway, what with all the bizarre levers of power. So today the front pages are dominated by their ruling that corporations can weigh into elections with tons of special-interest money. Great.
The other big story, somewhat paradoxically, is Obama's attempts to curb banks. Who will now be able to fund his opponents if they don't like what he does. The tabloids go with much more straightforward and less headache-inducing tales of infidelity — John Edwards and Charles E. Phillips.
Other events that have occurred in the world:
- The New York Fire Department has been told to hire 293 blacks and Latinos.
- The Washington Post follows Scott Brown on his first day in DC.
- And the Los Angeles Times has a great feature on North Korea.
Disclosure: I freelance write and report for newspapers that are included in this roundup. Where there is a direct conflict of interest I will make it clear.
The New York Times: leads with the campaign finance story, pointing out that the conservative justices all voted for the rejection. They also have a pretty strong headline on the analysis piece — that is depressingly accurate. Obama is taking on banks, while he still can, while simultaneously crossing his fingers that lawmakers figure out how to pass healthcare. The New York Fire Department has been told to hire 293 blacks and Latinos, perhaps just to give Rush Limbaugh something contentious to talk about. And Alessandra Stanley weighs in to the late night wars.
The Washington Post: also have the Obama bank-curbing / Supreme Court ruins politics combination. They save their analysis for the former. The paper also report that 50 Guantanamo detainees have been recommended for indefinite detention. It's a big day for truth and justice. There's also a feature on new Massachusetts senator, naked man Scott Brown.
The LA Times: goes with campaign finance too, and reports a new safety recall by Toyota. The weather in the state is still front-page news too. The (excellent) feature is about North Korea, and the LAT is the only broadsheet to go with an actual Haiti story on the front today.
The Wall Street Journal: leads, perhaps unsurprisingly, with the impact Obama's bank plan had on stocks. They also cover the Supreme Court decision, have a great look at al-Qaeda in Yemen and analyze Conan's non-disparagement clause.
The New York Post: goes with the bizarre jilted mistress billboard story.
The Daily News: decide it's worth condemning John Edwards on the front page.
The News and Observer: even local papers are done with John Edwards.
Kleine Zeitung (Austria): to end on a up note, here's a cute doggy.
