The Day In Politics, 5/7

Today we learned that Americans support Bush-era harsh interrogations; the Treasury may want troubled banks to fire people; Rep. Patrick McHenry says the Reagan era is over; Sen. Arlen Specter has found a new home atop the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs, thanks to the good graces of Sen. Dick Durbin; Congress won't subpoena Manny Ramirez after his failure of an MLB drug test (Manny says a prescription medicine from a doctor was to blame); President Obama will take his time picking a Supreme Court nominee; Dr. James Dobson is disappointed in the president; big banks need a total of $75 billion to survive, with Bank of America topping the list; and Obama's new drug czar sailed through the Senate to the excitement of some drug reformists.


We ruminated on the impact of 2010 elections on Obama's post-partisan identity, the similarities between OMB Director Peter Orszag and John McCain, and the political trap that Afghanistan and Pakistan could become.

Tomorrow: The markets react to the stress test results. AG Eric Holder speaks to the American Bar Association. Major White House Correspondents Association parties begin Friday night. The President is in Washington. The Brennan Center's holding a daylong money in politics conference at the National Press Club.