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Judd Legum / Legum's New Line:
5 Facts About The New RNC Chairman — Former Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele was just elected chairman of the RNC. Here are five facts about the new leader of the Republican party: — 1. Steele compared stem cell research to Nazi experiments during the Holocaust.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, The Caucus, MoJoBlog, PoliticalBase.com Blog, Think Progress, The New Republic, Pam's House Blend, The Nation, Marc Ambinder and D-Day
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Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Steele Elected RNC Chair — The Republican National Committee elected Michael Steele as its first African American chairman today in Washington, a decision that came after an excruciating series of ballots that displayed a level of drama rarely seen in national politics.
Discussion:
Wonkette, The Immoral Minority, Legum's New Line, Balloon Juice, Gawker, American Street and Macsmind
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Steele's victory — Michael Steele makes history as the first black chairman of the Republican National Committee, and as a rare winner — at least in part — of an outside game in what is usually an insider's contest. He won with 91 votes, 6 more than he needed, over South Carolina GOP Chairman Katon Dawson.
Peter Hamby / CNN:
BREAKING: Steele picked to lead RNC — WASHINGTON (CNN) — Members of the Republican National Committee elected their first-ever African-American party chief on Friday, choosing former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele to chair the organization after six rounds of tumultuous balloting.
Amanda Carpenter / Townhall.com:
Clintonista Already Dishing Out Oppo Hit Pieces on Steele — Well, that didn't take long. — Hillary Clinton's former research director dished up a nasty hit-piece memo on Michael Steele hours after he was elected the GOP's first black RNC Chairman. — He cites shaky resources like Think Progress …
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo: CLARITY — So we've just had a third vote in the RNC chairmanship race.
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Affirmative action at the RNC?
Affirmative action at the RNC?
Discussion:
Colorado Independent, Wonkette, Think Progress, New York Times and The Washington Independent
Huma Khan / Political Punch:
Bumps in the Road: Obama's HHS Secretary Nominee Faces Tax Questions Over Car and Driver — ABC News has learned that the nomination of former Senator Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., to be President Obama's secretary of health and human services has hit a traffic snarl on its way through the Senate Finance Committee.
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CNN:
Angry senator wants pay cap on Wall Street ‘idiots’ — WASHINGTON (CNN) — One day after President Obama ripped Wall Street executives for their “shameful” decision to hand out $18 billion in bonuses in 2008, Congress may finally have had enough. — An angry U.S. senator introduced legislation Friday …
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CNN:
Giuliani: Corporate plums help keep NYC afloat — NEW YORK (CNN) — Bonuses for Wall Street fat cats are easy political fodder in uncertain economic times, but former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Friday cutting corporate bonuses means slashing jobs in the Big Apple.
Discussion:
MSNBC, Spin Cycle, New York Magazine, AMERICAblog News, Runnin' Scared, Talking Points Memo and Bloomberg
Ali Frick / Think Progress:
Giuliani Defends Wall Street Bonuses While Slamming Tax Cuts For The Poor
Giuliani Defends Wall Street Bonuses While Slamming Tax Cuts For The Poor
Satyam Khanna / Think Progress:
Sen. Conrad: 'I'd have a very hard time voting' for recovery package as it stands.» — Earlier today, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) said he is “undecided” on whether to support President Obama's recovery plan. Another “undecided” Democratic senator is Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND).
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Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
What “Belongs” In the Stimulus? — I saw Senator Ben Nelson …
What “Belongs” In the Stimulus? — I saw Senator Ben Nelson …
Discussion:
Ross Douthat
David Brooks / New York Times:
Cleaner and Faster — Throughout 2008, Larry Summers …
Cleaner and Faster — Throughout 2008, Larry Summers …
Discussion:
Firedoglake
Trish Turner / Fox News:
Influential Senate Dem Questions Party Support for Stimulus Bill
Influential Senate Dem Questions Party Support for Stimulus Bill
Discussion:
NewsBusters.org, TPMDC, Commentary, The Moderate Voice, Power Line, Don Surber and Hot Air
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Why Limbaugh is the new Bush — I've been hunting around for polling data to explain why Democrats are so eager to make Rush Limbaugh the face of the Republican Party, and lo, Mark Blumenthal finds some. — The numbers are pretty clear. When this poll was taken last fall …
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Brian Maloney / The Radio Equalizer:
New Anti-Limbaugh Radio Attack Ad To Air Beginning Tomorrow
New Anti-Limbaugh Radio Attack Ad To Air Beginning Tomorrow
Discussion:
Riehl World View
Joshua Rhett Miller / Fox News:
Unlike Bush's ‘Google Bomb,’ Google Quickly Defuses Obama's — It took four years for Google to address the “Google bomb” that was lobbed at former President Bush. — But it took the Internet behemoth only a few days to defuse the same attack on President Obama.
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Dems: House GOP's Stimulus Plan Would Actually Raise Taxes For Many Americans — GOP leaders — led by John Boehner and Eric Cantor — have spent days bashing the economic stimulus package being touted by President Obama and Democrats because it doesn't sufficiently cut taxes.
The Politico:
GOP fights to keep Gregg in the Senate — Republicans in Washington and New Hampshire are mounting a full-court press to keep Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) in the Senate and out of the Obama administration, aides and senators said Friday. — But if he does take the commerce secretary job …
Julianna Goldman / Bloomberg:
White House Lawyers Look to Limit Commercial Use of President — Jan. 30 (Bloomberg) — Barack Obama's popularity makes him a marketer's dream. Now, the honeymoon may be over for those trying to profit from his appeal. — White House lawyers want to control the use of the president's image …
Discussion:
The Swamp
Ryan J. Donmoyer / Bloomberg:
Richest Americans' Income Doubled as Tax Rate Slashed — Jan. 30 (Bloomberg) — The average tax rate paid by the richest 400 Americans fell by a third to 17.2 percent through the first six years of the Bush administration and their average income doubled to $263.3 million, new IRS data show.
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
Face Of The Day — An Iraqi Army soldier gestures from the top of a Humvee parked outside a polling station which will be used in tomorrow's election on January 30, 2009 in Basra, Iraq. Security in Iraq's second city is being increased with a curfew and total vehicle movement ban imposed …
Manu Raju / The Politico:
McConnell issues warning to GOP — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell issued a blunt warning to Republicans Thursday: Their party must regain lost supporters plus blacks, Hispanics and voters on both coasts — or risk becoming a permanent minority party with a limited power base.
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