Top Items:
Aaron Blake / The Hill:
Cornyn promises filibuster on Franken seating — Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) threatened Friday to filibuster any attempt to seat Democratic Minnesota Senate candidate Al Franken next week. — The newly minted National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) chairman said he had not whipped votes …
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Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:
Cornyn Uses Reid's Burris Tactics to Refuse Seating Franken — Over at Swampland, K-Tum has the inside scoop on how the Democrats plan to keep Burris from being sworn in: … Oh, snap! At Harry Reid's urging, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White is refusing to sign such a certificate.
Discussion:
TalkLeft, The Politico, AMERICAblog News, Swampland, Don Surber, Majikthise and TIME.com
Jane Hamsher / The Huffington Post:
Harry Reid, Punk'd By Blago Over Burris, Rejects The Rule Of Law
Harry Reid, Punk'd By Blago Over Burris, Rejects The Rule Of Law
George Knue / Chicago Breaking News:
Blagojevich loses classified security access
Blagojevich loses classified security access
Discussion:
Associated Press, Gawker, Washington Monthly, TIME.com, TPM Election Central, Fox News and Progress Illinois
Martin Fletcher / Times of London:
Israel set to begin ground war against Hamas in Gaza — James Hider on the Gaza border, and Sheera Frenkel in Jerusalem — Israel is poised to launch a major ground offensive into Gaza tonight after allowing hundreds of foreigners living in the devastated territory to evacuate.
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Greg Sargent / TPM Election Central:
Signing Off — Farewell, TPMers — I can't believe I'm writing this, but for the foreseeable future this is my last post at TPM. — I'm heading over to The Washington Post, where I'll be writing the lead blog on a new site that WaPo is launching. This will drive you mad with curiosity …
Discussion:
Balloon Juice, skippy the bush kangaroo, ATTACKERMAN, Michael Calderone's Blogs and Gawker
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Michael Goldfarb / Weekly Standard:
Sargent to WaPo — Greg Sargent, the prolific TPM reporter …
Sargent to WaPo — Greg Sargent, the prolific TPM reporter …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly
Lynn Bartels / Rocky Mountain News:
Sources: Bennet will be Colorado's new senator — Denver Public Schools superintendent Michael Bennet is expected to be named Saturday as the future U.S. Senate replacement for Interior Secretary nominee Ken Salazar, according to two Democratic sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
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TMZ.com:
John Travolta's Son Dies — Rand Memorial Hospital in the Bahamas tells TMZ the son of John Travolta died today. — We're told 16-year-old Jett was vacationing with Travolta and wife Kelly Preston. — There have been reports that Jett was autistic, though Travolta has denied it …
Amy Gardner / Washington Post:
9 Muslim Passengers Removed From Jet — Others on Flight Say a Remark Was ‘Suspicious’ — Officials ordered nine Muslim passengers, including three young children, off an AirTran flight headed to Orlando from Reagan National Airport yesterday afternoon after two other passengers overheard what they thought was a suspicious remark.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Jihad Watch, CNN, D-Day, At-Largely, Swampland, Preemptive Karma, Shakesville, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, bastard.logic, Macsmind, The Impolitic, Kevin Drum, JammieWearingFool, PoliBlog and Donklephant
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Chris Steller / Minnesota Independent:
Supreme Court asks to hear from Franken, counties before ruling on Coleman's suit — The Minnesota Supreme Court ordered (pdf) Friday afternoon that the campaign of Al Franken respond by 9 a.m. Saturday to U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman's Dec. 31 petition to start over on the current court-ordered effort …
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Mary Katharine Ham / Weekly Standard:
Obama: Don't Ask Me No Questions — Just for fun, a brief year in review of Obama's legendary new openness and transparency with the press corps:
Wall Street Journal:
The Senate Goes Wobbly on Card Check — It's hard to defend taking away the secret ballot. — Responsibility has a way of focusing the mind. — Take Mark Pryor, Democratic senator from Arkansas. In 2007, Mr. Pryor voted to move card check, Big Labor's No. 1 priority. And why not?
Bob Cusack / The Hill:
Palin is odds-on favorite to win 2012 GOP nomination — Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is the front-runner to win the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, according to online oddsmakers. — Despite a slew of negative press this fall about Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) running mate …
David Scheer / Bloomberg:
SEC Said to Examine More Ponzi Schemes After Madoff — A A A — Jan. 2 (Bloomberg) — U.S. regulators working to untangle Bernard Madoff's alleged $50 billion Ponzi scheme are probing other money managers suspected of using similar tactics, two people with knowledge of the inquiries said.
Jeff D. Opdyke / Wall Street Journal:
The Doomsayers Who Got It Right — More Bad News in Store for 2009? Last Year's Cassandras Are Still Gloomy — For years, they were the party poopers: financial prognosticators who, amid the ebullient stock prices and effervescent home values that defined the early 21st century, warned of trouble.
Peter Berkowitz / Wall Street Journal:
Conservatives Can Unite Around the Constitution — The coalition that supported Reagan is as viable as ever. — After their dismal performance in November, conservatives are taking stock. As they debate the causes that have driven them into the political wilderness and as they contemplate paths out, they should also take heart.
Alan K. Ota / CQ Politics:
House Rules Package Could Curb Minority's Power, End Term Limits for Chairmen — An early partisan skirmish is likely in the House next week, when Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to move a rules package that would curb the GOP's ability to derail legislation through a parliamentary maneuver it has used over the past two years.
Discussion:
Firedoglake
Carol D. Leonnig / Washington Post:
Some Conservatives Fear Obama Advisers Lean Too Far Left — To Some Conservatives, Advisers Are Alarmingly Liberal — To some staunch conservatives watching President Bush relinquish the reins of power to President-elect Barack Obama, a few too many ardent liberals are now crashing the gates.
Discussion:
Liberal Values, MoJoBlog, alicublog, Washington Monthly, AmSpecBlog, Roger Ailes, Open Left, Macsmind, AMERICAblog News, D-Day and The Debate Link
Jeremy Olshan / New York Post:
HAPPY #*%! NEW YEAR TO YOU, TOO! — COMIC KATHY LASHES OUT AT HECKLER ON CNN — Comedienne Kathy Griffin may be doomed to life on CNN's S-list after answering a heckler with a shrieking, vulgar tirade during the network's live New Year's Eve broadcast. — “Screw you,” she told the heckler.
Discussion:
Don Surber, The Moderate Voice, Tennessee Guerilla Women, Pam's House Blend, Gawker, Hot Air, NY Daily News and Gothamist
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Carl Hulse / New York Times:
Democrats Debate Methods to End Stem Cell Ban — WASHINGTON — Thwarted by President Bush in their efforts to expand federal spending on embryonic stem cell research, Democrats are now debating whether to overturn federal restrictions through executive order or by legislation when they assume full control of the government this month.
Discussion:
The Raw Story