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Obama: ‘We Will Continue to Leverage Every Resource At Our Disposal’
President Obama delivered his weekly YouTube address from Caminada Bay in Grand Isle, Louisiana.

“So we will continue to leverage every resource at our disposal to protect coastlines, to clean up the oil, to hold BP and other companies accountable for damages, to begin to restore the bounty and beauty of this region – and to aid the hardworking people of the Gulf as they rebuild their businesses and communities,” said Obama. “And I want to urge all Americans to do what you can as well – including visiting this area. The vast majority of beaches are pristine and open for business. These are hard times in Louisiana and across the Gulf Coast, an area that has already seen more than its fair share of troubles. But what we have also seen these past few weeks is that – even in the face of adversity – the men and women of the Gulf have displayed incredible determination.”

Steele: ‘The Department of Justice Must Step In’ On Sestak And Romanoff Job Offers
In the weekly Republican address, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele called for an investigation of the White House for offering jobs to Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) and Senate candidate Andrew Romanoff (D-CO) if they were to drop their primary challenges against incumbent Senators.

“The time has come for more than just self-exonerating claims from the President’s lawyer,” said Steele. “The Department of Justice must step in and assign an impartial referee, either in the form of a special investigator or an independent counsel, who can sort out the facts and answer the burning question – what did the White House offer to Sestak and Romanoff, who authorized the offer, who else knew about it and what was the expected trade-off for accepting the offer? The President promised transparency. All we have right now is a series of transparent cover-ups. So much for “change you can believe in.”

Obama Nominates James Clapper For Intelligence Director
President Obama announced this morning that he is nominating retired Air Force Lt. Gen. James Clapper, the Pentagon’s head of intelligence, to be the new Director of National Intelligence, following the resignation of Dennis Blair. However, Clapper could face a heated confirmation process, in the face of Republican opposition and Democrats who have argued that a civilian should hold the post.

Bob Graham: Oil Spill Investigation Could Include President
Former Sen. Bob Graham (D-FL), who is co-chairing President Obama’s commission to investigate the BP oil spill, told CNN that the investigation could even potentially lead to an interview with Obama himself. “The president understands when he appointed us that we had the direction to be as hard nosed, candid, fully engaged as possible, and that’s exactly what we intend to do,” said Graham.

For Paul Family, Libertarian Ethos Began at Home
The New York Times profiles the relationship between Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) and his son, Kentucky Republican Senate nominee Rand Paul, who has always been the most politically interested of the five Paul children. Said the elder Paul: “Everyone always said, ‘If anyone runs for anything, it will be Rand.'”

Obama’s Agenda, Israel’s Ambitions Often At Odds
The Washington Post looks at the difficulties that President Obama has had dealing with Israel. “We have areas of disagreement — Jerusalem is one, and the friction around the settlements,” said Michael Oren, Israel’s ambassador to the United States. “They want us to be more flexible on the Gaza issue, and we also want to change the status quo. The fact we are having this dialogue is a sign of our shared interests.”

Gates Prods China On North Korea
Speaking at an international security summit in Singapore, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates called upon China to help take action in dealing with North Korea’s sinking of a South Korean warship. “To do nothing would set the wrong precedent,” said Gates. He also met with representatives of South Korea and Japan, and said that the United States and the two countries “have to have a united front to deter further provocation.”

Dems’ Message: It’s Not As Bad As It Used To Be
The Hill reports: “As the economy struggles to rebound from a deep recession, Democrats have settled on a campaign message for voters impatient with the slow pace of job growth: Never forget how bad it was. Reminders of the depths of the economic collapse have become a hallmark of Democratic speeches, and party officials say they will be a fixture on the stump this fall.”

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