Afternoon Reads

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–New York Times boss Bill Keller goes long on the paper of record’s interactions with Julian Assange.

–Centuries of legal precedent be damned, Republican state legislators in Idaho have introduced a “nullification” bill as part of a plan to fight the PPACA on states-rights grounds. More states are mulling similar measures.

–Writing at Greg Sargent’s Plum Line, Jonathan Bernstein makes a good argument that one of the keys to the 112th Congress is “whether Speaker John Boehner and incumbent Republicans in general can keep conservative activists happy with feel-good symbolic votes, given that Republicans can’t actually do most of the things that those activists say they want.”

–A new study finds that members of Congress take more cues from their constituents than from lobbyists. It’s fair to wonder, however, whether the survey’s respondents — congressional staffers — aren’t assessing their bosses through rose-colored glasses.

–Someone forgot to send GOP Rep. Paul Broun the comity memo.

Dennis Kucinich sues companies operating a House cafeteria, claiming damages from a dangerous sandwich he ate nearly three years ago.

–And a bonus potpourri item: The Atlantic’s James Parker deconstructs SportsCenter.