Top Items:
The Politico:
GOP defies Obama overtures — House Republicans have proposed an alternative that leaders say would create 6.2 million jobs for only $478 billion. — “What Member can't go back his or her District and explain: Rather than voting for a bloated bill, ... I voted for an alternative …
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Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
HALPERIN BLAMES OBAMA.... President Obama went to great lengths to reach out to House Republicans, trying to get them to support an economic stimulus in the midst of an economic crisis. The president not only offered them more tax cuts than seemed necessary, he also acted swiftly …
Mark Murray / MSNBC:
FIRST THOUGHTS: THE BIG, FAT “O” — From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro — *** The big, fat “O”: Despite Obama traveling to Capitol Hill to meet with them in private, despite including one of their former members (Ray LaHood) in his cabinet, and despite inviting their leaders …
Discussion:
Marc Ambinder, The Moderate Voice, The Fix, Liberal Values, Political Machine and Capital Journal
David Weigel / The Washington Independent:
1993 All Over Again? — One of the goals of the unanimous Republican “no” vote on the stimulus package Wednesday was producing news analyses like this one, from The New York Times. … And we all know what happened in 1994. Still, I don't think the analogy holds up. — 1. The Obama stimulus package is popular.
Discussion:
Weekly Standard, FiveThirtyEight.com, Gallup, New York Times, Outside The Beltway, Swampland, AmSpecBlog, Eunomia and Matthew Yglesias
Ian Swanson / The Hill:
Dems: GOP will pay political price for stimulus vote
Dems: GOP will pay political price for stimulus vote
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland
Naftali Bendavid / Wall Street Journal:
Missing in Stimulus: Bipartisanship
Missing in Stimulus: Bipartisanship
Discussion:
CBS News, Donklephant, Boston Globe, Power Line, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, The Caucus and Washington Post
Americans United / americansunitedforchange.org:
NEW ADS TARGET REPUBLICAN SENATORS ON RECOVERY BILL
NEW ADS TARGET REPUBLICAN SENATORS ON RECOVERY BILL
Rush Limbaugh / Wall Street Journal:
My Bipartisan Stimulus — Let's cut taxes, as I want, and spend more, as Obama would like. — There's a serious debate in this country as to how best to end the recession. The average recession will last five to 11 months; the average recovery will last six years.
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Lawrence B. Lindsey / Wall Street Journal:
How About a Payroll Tax Stimulus? — For a similar amount of money, we could give workers $1,500. — Congress and the Obama administration seem near to deciding the details of an economic stimulus package. Unlike the efforts of President Ronald Reagan and President George W. Bush …
Rasmussen Reports:
Public Support for Economic Recovery Plan Slips to 42% — Public support for the economic recovery plan crafted by President Obama and congressional Democrats has slipped a bit over the past week. At the same time, expectations that the plan will quickly become law have increased.
Discussion:
NewMajority.Com Scroll, The Strata-Sphere, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room and Weekly Standard
Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:
White House Unbuttons Formal Dress Code — WASHINGTON — The capital flew into a bit of a tizzy when, on his first full day in the White House, President Obama was photographed in the Oval Office without his suit jacket. There was, however, a logical explanation: Mr. Obama, who hates the cold, had cranked up the thermostat.
Discussion:
Power Line, Hot Air, Weekly Standard, Michelle Malkin, The Swamp, JustOneMinute, Sweetness & Light, A Blog For All, marbury, Gawker, The Huffington Post, Argghhh!, Moonbattery, Lost in Transition, Wonkette, The BLT, Booman Tribune, TIME.com, Rising Hegemon, Green Inc., Mudville Gazette, Riehl World View and Althouse
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Karl Rove / Wall Street Journal:
The Obama White House May Be a Crowded Mess — There will be four people in my old office. — On the campaign trail, Barack Obama criticized Washington for being “obsessed with the perpetual campaign.” As president he is the first occupant of the Oval Office to give his director of political affairs …
Washington Post:
Obama Signs First Piece of Legislation Into Law — Lilly Ledbetter Act Makes It Easier for Workers to Sue for Pay Discrimination — President Obama this morning signed a law that expanded the time frame in which workers can sue for discrimination they have experienced based on gender, race, national origin or religion.
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Philip Elliott / Associated Press:
Obama signs bill making equal-pay lawsuits easier
Obama signs bill making equal-pay lawsuits easier
Discussion:
ONTD: Politics
Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
With Al Due Respect, We're Doomed — The lawmakers gazed in awe at the figure before them. The Goracle had seen the future, and he had come to tell them about it. — What the Goracle saw in the future was not good: temperature changes that “would bring a screeching halt to human civilization …
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New York Times:
Obama Seeks Accord With Military on Iraq — WASHINGTON — As President Obama moves to redefine the nation's mission in Iraq, he faces a difficult choice: Is he willing to abandon a campaign promise or risk a rupture with the military? Or can he finesse the difference?
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Marc Lynch:
Obama vs Odierno — The institutional pushback against Obama's attempt to change Iraq policy is unfolding as predicted. After a steady stream of Washington Post and Wall Street Journal editorials warning against withdrawing troops from Iraq, the New York Times today reports on the jockeying between …
Bloomberg:
Obama's Open Records Pledge Tested Over Citigroup Guarantees — Jan. 29 (Bloomberg) — U.S. government guarantees on securities totaling $419 billion for bank bailouts provide an early test of President Barack Obama's pledge to be open with taxpayers about what they have at risk in the credit crisis.
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Abdon M. Pallasch / Chicago Sun Times:
Quinn: ‘I will be ready’ — The Bible is ready. The oath has been prepared. The lieutenant governor and his family are on their way to Springfield. And the current governor's belongings are boxed up and waiting to be picked up at the Executive Mansion.
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Newsdesk / Clout St:
Closing arguments under way at Blagojevich's impeachment trial
Closing arguments under way at Blagojevich's impeachment trial
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times
Jonathan Martin / The Politico:
Palin, Obama to share stage — In what could be a preview of the 2012 presidential race, Sarah Palin and Barack Obama will share a stage together this Saturday night in Washington, D.C., Politico has learned. — The Alaska governor and former GOP vice presidential nominee …
Andie Coller / The Politico:
The power of Obama's hand — Joe Lieberman has felt it. So has Joe the Plumber. — It's the Obama Touch — the squeeze on the biceps, the pat on the shoulder or the tap on the back that signals the displeasure of the commander in chief. Let others turn on the deep freeze or lose their cool when they're annoyed.
Edward Cody / Washington Post:
Bush War on Roquefort Raises a Stink in France — ROQUEFORT-SUR-SOULZON This seems an unlikely spot to fight a trade war. — A village of 600 souls in a remote part of southern France, Roquefort clings precariously to the side of Combalou Rock, a promontory overlooking a deep valley …
Discussion:
FP Passport
John Yoo / Wall Street Journal:
Obama Made a Rash Decision on Gitmo — The president will soon realize that governing involves hard choices. — During his first week as commander in chief, President Barack Obama ordered the closure of Guantanamo Bay and terminated the CIA's special authority to interrogate terrorists.
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
Would I Have Voted No? — That's a good question. It's also a silly one, since the odds of my being a Republican Congressman as a married man are nil (they only want you to have a stable family life if you're straight). I'm not an economist and so it's very hard for me to judge how big …
Discussion:
TalkLeft
Anthony Faiola / Washington Post:
‘Buy American’ Rider Sparks Trade Debate — The stimulus bill passed by the House last night contains a controversial provision that would mostly bar foreign steel and iron from the infrastructure projects laid out by the $819 billion economic package. — A Senate version, yet to be acted upon …
Barry Ritholtz / The Big Picture:
The Moral Hazard of the “Bad Bank” — I've been closely following the various (new & improved!) bailout plans for the big banks — from the modified TARP to the recapitalizations to the “bad bank” plan. — I've noticed something I find a bit disturbing about our new Treasury Secretary …