memeorandum: No Funds in Bush Budget For Troop-Benefits Plan (Washington Post)

1:15 PM ET, February 9, 2008

Top Items:

Ann Althouse / Althouse:

NBC wimped out over “pimped out.” — David Shuster said — about Chelsea Clinton — “Doesn't it seem like she's being pimped out in some weird sort of way?” — Now, MSNBC has suspended him, after pressure from the Clinton campaign: … Really, how bad is it to say “pimped out”?

Discussion: SFGate and skippy the bush kangaroo

Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:

Chelsea Remark Earns MSNBC Correspondent A Suspension — In case there was any doubt, using a prostitution metaphor for the daughter of a presidential candidate is not a good career move. — MSNBC suspended correspondent David Shuster yesterday for an undetermined period for making a disparaging on-air remark about Chelsea Clinton.

Discussion: Outside The Beltway, Captain's Quarters, TPM Election Central and Hullabaloo

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
HE'S OUTTA HERE — We now know that MSNBC's David Shuster …

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias, Lawyers, Guns and Money, MyDD and Eschaton

Michael Calderone / The Politico:
Reporter initially defended Chelsea comment

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, PERRspectives Blog, Scared Monkeys, Neptunus Lex, FishBowlDC, TVNewser, The Page, Gateway Pundit, Attytood, Daily Kos, Media Matters for America and Associated Press

Ariel Alexovich / The Caucus:

Paul Concedes Race, Sort Of — In a message to supporters sent just before 11 p.m. Friday night, Representative Ron Paul, a long-shot G.O.P. candidate from Texas, basically conceded that he's not going to win the party's nomination. — That said, he's scaling back his campaign — but not entirely.

Discussion: DownWithTyranny!, The Moderate Voice, The Carpetbagger Report, A Blog For All and Don Surber

Ron Paul 2008:

Message from Ron — Whoa! What a year this has been. And what achievements we have had. If I may quote Trotsky of all people, this Revolution is permanent. It will not end at the Republican convention. It will not end in November. It will not end until we have won the great battle on which we have embarked.

Discussion: Reason Magazine

Jonathan Martin / The Politico: Ron Paul appears to have Kucinich moment

Brian Braiker / Newsweek:

McCain romps while the Dems divide in the NEWSWEEK poll. — Mr. Electable? McCain is the man to beat on the GOP side — Sen. John McCain, whose campaign to win the Republican Party's presidential nomination was all but declared dead last summer, has cemented a commanding lead …

Discussion: Pajamas Media

Jonathan Martin / Jonathan Martin's Blogs:
At CPAC, Huck embraces new role

Discussion: The Page

Mark Silva / The Swamp: Huckabee-McCain: A ticket made in marriage

Jill Miller Zimon / The Moderate Voice:

Superdelegate Issue Produces Threats of Quitting Democratic Party — Donna Brazile was quoted as saying, “If 795 of my colleagues decide this election, I will quit the Democratic Party. I feel very strongly about this,” Brazile said. — And Chris Bowers of Open Left wrote this post …

Discussion: Open Left and QandO

Associated Press:
Michigan Dems allocate delegates to Clinton, uncommitted

Discussion: The Caucus, Open Left and Taylor Marsh

Jim Acosta / CNN:
Democrats dreading a drawn-out, costly battle for nomination

Discussion: michellemalkin.com, Viking Pundit, You Decide 08! and ABCNEWS

Serge F. Kovaleski / New York Times:

Friends Say Drugs Played Only Bit Part for Obama — Nearly three decades ago, Barack Obama stood out on the small campus of Occidental College in Los Angeles for his eloquence, intellect and activism against apartheid in South Africa. But Mr. Obama, then known as Barry, also joined in the party scene.

Discussion: the talking dog, Ben Smith's Blogs, The Carpetbagger Report, The Reaction, MSNBC and Reason Magazine

Jc Reindl / Toledo Blade:

Mayor to Marines: Leave downtown — He says urban exercises scare people — A company of Marine Corps Reservists received a cold send-off from downtown Toledo yesterday by order of Mayor Carty Finkbeiner. — The 200 members of Company A, 1st Battalion, 24th Marines, based in Grand Rapids …

Discussion: Pajamas Media, BLACKFIVE, The Corner, The Strata-Sphere, BizzyBlog, Atlas Shrugs, Little Green Footballs and Instapundit.com

Michelle Malkin:

Fred Thompson says fall in line — As expected, Fred Thompson has endorsed his friend John McCain. He's telling conservatives to fall in line. … Sorry, I'm not ready yet to submit just yet. — Endorsements are all well and good, but personnel is policy.

Discussion: The Jawa Report and Hot Air

Michael D. Shear / The Trail:
Fred Thompson Backs McCain

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, Sister Toldjah, Fausta's blog, Flopping Aces, Outside The Beltway, American Spectator, Hotline On Call, Hot Air, Pajamas Media, SunHerald.com, Wake up America, Macsmind and The Huffington Post

Amanda Carpenter / Townhall.com:

Coulter Speaks to CPAC — Best-selling author and columnist Ann Coulter elaborated to Conservative Political Action Conference participants why she said she would campaign for Democrat Hillary Clinton for president over Republican John McCain. — “She won't want to be the first girl President …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Libby Spencer / The Newshoggers:

When — not if — martial law is declared — I've taken a lot of criticism over the last year about my speculation that our government is preparing to declare martial law. Unfortunately, it looks like I'll get the last laugh, only it's no laughing matter and it's a lot bigger than just Blackwater.

AJStrata / The Strata-Sphere:

Hannity's Afternoon Meltdown — Boy, oh boy. Something is happening with the ‘true’ conservatives on AM Talk Radio. I tuned into Hannity see what had happened today and the guy just went off on what can only be described as a lick-spittle tirade! Apparently Rich Galen wrote a piece today …

Discussion: RADAMISTO, News Hounds and Middle Earth Journal

Rich Galen / Townhall.com: Rush, Sean, and Laura

Washington Post:

No Funds in Bush Budget For Troop-Benefits Plan — President Bush drew great applause during his State of the Union address last month when he called on Congress to allow U.S. troops to transfer their unused education benefits to family members. “Our military families serve our nation …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars and The Carpetbagger Report

Michelle Malkin:

“I have a plan to destroy America” — by Richard D. Lamm — Dick Lamm (left); Mike McGarry of the Colorado Alliance for Immigration Reform (center) and me, Jan. 8, 2003, Denver, Colorado. — I have had the pleasure of speaking and debating alongside former Colorado Gov. Dick Lamm.

Discussion: Cold Fury

Colin Powell / CNN:

Colin Powell may support Democrat or Independent in '08 — WASHINGTON (CNN) - Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, a Republican who served under President Bush, said Friday he may not back the GOP presidential nominee in November, telling CNN that “I am keeping my options open at the moment.”

Discussion: The Swamp and Los Angeles Times

William Kristol / Weekly Standard:

Good News for Conservatives — We have a great opportunity in 2008. — What a moment! Having learned nothing from the left's Bush Derangement Syndrome, the conservative movement's big talkers spent the days before Super Tuesday indulging in a fiery display of McCain Derangement Syndrome.

Discussion: The Corner