Top Items:
New York Post:
IT'S THE BLOOMY-'BAMA SHOW — Mayor Bloomberg made a surprise announcement last night that he will introduce Barack Obama when the Illinois senator makes a campaign speech today at Cooper Union. — The mayor's office took the highly unusual step of releasing information about the event late last night.
Discussion:
The Daily Politics, Comments from Left Field, Hot Air, A Blog For All, Gothamist and TPM Election Central
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Marc Ambinder:
Obama: Bloomberg Is “Extraordinary” — Here's the first paragraph from Barack Obama's speech this a.m. in New York: … The First Read gang is all a-buzz at the Obama-Needs-A-Jew-On-The-Ticket- Angle, but I think the best way to look at an Obama-Bloomberg ticket is by noticing their complimentary traits.
Discussion:
Connecting.the.Dots
New York Times:
How Not to Prevent Foreclosures — With foreclosures surging, the last thing the nation needs is another government-hosted meeting where mortgage lenders pledge once again to do their utmost to help distressed borrowers stay in their homes — and then go back to the business of foreclosure.
Patrick Cockburn / The Independent:
Iraq implodes as Shia fights Shia — Another tragedy as the Shia majority turn on each other — A new civil war is threatening to explode in Iraq as American-backed Iraqi government forces fight Shia militiamen for control of Basra and parts of Baghdad. — Heavy fighting engulfed Iraq's …
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Dean Godson / Times of London:
Crude oil surges after Basra pipeline bombing
Crude oil surges after Basra pipeline bombing
Discussion:
Outside The Beltway, The Carpetbagger Report, The Glittering Eye, VetVoice and Balloon Juice
New York Post:
AND THERE HE HO'S AGAIN — ‘WICKED’ SPITZER LINKED TO BUSTY BUSTED MADAM'S BIZ — Disgraced former Gov. Eliot Spitzer has been identified as a long-standing client of a second high-priced call-girl ring, The Post has learned. — The ex-governor regularly patronized Wicked Models …
Discussion:
The Jawa Report, NY Daily News, michellemalkin.com, New York Times and JammieWearingFool
John Shiffman / Philly.com:
PR governor, four Philadelphians charged — Puerto Rico's governor and four Philadelphians, including prominent fund-raiser Robert M. Feldman, were charged this morning in San Juan with federal campaign-finance related crimes. — The investigation of Gov. Anibal Acevedo-Vila …
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C. J. Chivers / New York Times:
Supplier Under Scrutiny on Aging Arms for Afghans — Since 2006, when the insurgency in Afghanistan sharply intensified, the Afghan government has been dependent on American logistics and military support in the war against Al Qaeda and the Taliban. — But to arm the Afghan forces …
Discussion:
The Swamp, MoJoBlog, TPMMuckraker, Blue Girl, Red State, First Draft, On Deadline, The Washington Independent, Hog On Ice, At-Largely and abu muqawama
Vikas Bajaj / New York Times:
Equity Loans as Next Round in Credit Crisis — Little by little, millions of Americans surrendered equity in their homes in recent years. Lulled by good times, they borrowed — sometimes heavily — against the roofs over their heads. — Now the bill is coming due.
Brian Stelter / New York Times:
Finding Political News Online, the Young Pass It On — Senator Barack Obama's videotaped response to President Bush's final State of the Union address — almost five minutes of Mr. Obama talking directly to the camera — elicited little attention from newspaper and television reporters in January.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, The Politico, Personal Democracy Forum, BuzzMachine, Ground Game, American Power and The Huffington Post
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Bob Barr thinking ‘very serious’ thoughts about a presidential race, Iraq, and torture — On an Internet site called Anti-War Radio, former Georgia congressman Bob Barr confirmed on Wednesday that he's “very seriously” looking at joining the race for the White House as a Libertarian …
John Whitesides / Reuters:
Clinton backers warn Pelosi on superdelegate rift — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A group of prominent Hillary Clinton donors sent a letter to House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday asking her to retract her comments on superdelegates and stay out of the Democratic fight over their role in the presidential race.
Joe Klein / Time:
Silly Season — Unlike Barack Obama, Bill Clinton does not believe in “the fierce urgency of now.” The former President has an exquisitely languid sense of how political time unfurls. He understands that those moments the political community, especially the media, considers urgent usually aren't.