Top Items:
New York Times:
The Travails of Tom Daschle — When President Obama nominated former Senator Tom Daschle to be his secretary of health and human services, it seemed to be a good choice. Mr. Daschle, as the co-author of a book on health care reform, knew a lot about one of the president's signature issues.
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Associated Press:
Obama performance chief Killefer out, citing taxes — Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition — WASHINGTON - Nancy Killefer withdrew her candidacy to be the first chief performance officer for the federal government on Tuesday, saying she didn't want her bungling …
Mark Murray / MSNBC:
ANOTHER TAX PROBLEM FOR OBAMA? — From NBC's Lisa Myers, Chuck Todd, Savannah Guthrie, and Ken Strickland — NBC News has learned that the president's choice for “chief performance officer” — technically a deputy OMB director post — could end up having to withdraw over a number of issues, including tax problems.
Discussion:
Power Line, Weekly Standard, Pajamas Media, Think Progress, Riehl World View, Political Machine, Emptywheel, Say Anything and PoliBlog
MSNBC:
Daschle withdraws Obama nomination — He follows withdrawal earlier Tuesday of chief performance nominee — Former Senate Majority leader Tom Daschle has withdrawn his nomination to be secretary of Health and Human Services. — Killefer withdraws — Feb. 3: Nancy Killefer withdrew …
Fox News:
Daschle Withdraws Nomination for Health and Human Services Secretary — Tom Daschle has withdrawn his nomination for health and human services secretary, and President Obama has accepted. — FOXNews.com — Tom Daschle has withdrawn his nomination for health and human services secretary …
Discussion:
Townhall.com, Runnin' Scared, Booker Rising, protein wisdom, JammieWearingFool and The Sundries Shack
Peter Baker / New York Times:
Obama's Pledge to Reform Ethics Faces an Early Test — WASHINGTON — During almost two years on the campaign trail, Barack Obama vowed to slay the demons of Washington, bar lobbyists from his administration and usher in what he would later call in his Inaugural Address a “new era of responsibility.”
Discussion:
MSNBC, JustOneMinute, Washington Post, Boston Globe, TalkLeft, Associated Press, The Caucus, USA Today, Betsy's Page and TIME.com
The Politico:
Daschle pushed Hindery for Obama job — Tom Daschle backed the patron who paid him a million-dollar salary and supplied him with a free car and driver for a job inside the Obama administration, two Democrats said Monday. — Leo Hindery, whose InterMedia Partners employed the former Senate majority leader …
George Packer In / New Yorker:
OBAMA CAN'T AFFORD HYPOCRISY — It's more than a little disappointing that, just two weeks into President Obama's “new era of responsibility,” a second major cabinet appointee turns out to have underpaid his taxes by tens of thousands of dollars. Maybe a better word for it is “cheated.”
Discussion:
marbury
Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
How Killefer Hurts Daschle
How Killefer Hurts Daschle
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Atlantic Business Channel, USA Today, TIME.com and DownWithTyranny!
The Politico:
Daschle: ‘I ... will not be a distraction’ — President Barack Obama's written statement:
Daschle: ‘I ... will not be a distraction’ — President Barack Obama's written statement:
Jeff Zeleny / The Caucus:
Tom Daschle Withdraws As Health Nominee
Tom Daschle Withdraws As Health Nominee
Discussion:
Townhall.com, CBS News, Democracy in America, Political Machine, No More Mister Nice Blog and TaxProf Blog
Associated Press:
Daschle withdraws as nominee for HHS secretary
Daschle withdraws as nominee for HHS secretary
Discussion:
Hot Air, The Politico, Weekly Standard, Outside The Beltway, Reuters, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion and AmSpecBlog
Tony Halpin / Times of London:
Passengers stop flight after ‘drunk’ pilot sparks panic — It is normally a moment of cheery reassurance when an airline pilot greets passengers during preparations for take-off. But Alexander Cheplevsky sparked panic on flight Aeroflot 315 when he began to speak.
Wall Street Journal:
Daniel Pearl and the Normalization of Evil — When will our luminaries stop making excuses for terror? — This week marks the seventh anniversary of the murder of our son, former Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. My wife Ruth and I wonder: Would Danny have believed that today's world emerged after his tragedy?
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
JOE THE REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST.... Once in a while, I get the sense Republicans on Capitol Hill want to be made fun of. … This is what it's come to for Republican staffers in Congress. In the midst of an economic crisis, and after balking at a stimulus package, the GOP is turning …
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Jonathan Allen / CQ Politics:
Gregg Voted to Kill Commerce Before He Agreed to Lead It — President Obama's new candidate to run the Commerce Department voted in favor of abolishing the agency as a member of the Budget Committee and on the Senate floor in 1995. — Sen. Judd Gregg , R-N.H., whose nomination was expected …
Discussion:
Associated Press, Open Left, Washington Monthly, BBC, The Nation, MoJoBlog, BuzzFlash.org, The Atlantic Online, Think Progress, MSNBC, Weekly Standard, USA Today and Hot Air
David Brooks / New York Times:
Ward Three Morality — I've become increasingly concerned about the rising number of rich people who are being caught unawares by shifts in the sumptuary code. First, there were those auto executives who didn't realize that it is no longer socially acceptable to use private jets for lobbying trips to Washington.
John Distaso / UnionLeader.com:
In 2010, Rep. Hodes will run for U.S. Senate — CONCORD - Democratic U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes will announce his candidacy for the U.S. Senate “within the week,” a source close to Hodes told UnionLeader.com this morning shortly before Judd Gregg's nomination as commerce secretary became official.
Discussion:
The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, Swing State Project, TPMDC, Scorecard's Blogs and Daily Kos
Jared Allen / The Hill:
Dems warn leaders to resume regular order — A group of more than 50 House Democrats has penned a letter to Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) imploring him to “restore this institution” and see that the House returns to a “regular order” process of legislating.
Andrew Taylor / Associated Press:
Senate Republicans extra $25B in stimulus package — Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition — WASHINGTON - Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked Democrats from adding $25 billion for highways, mass transit, and water projects to President Barack Obama's economic recovery program.
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David S. Cloud / The Politico:
Secret report urges new Afghan plan — The Pentagon's top military officers are recommending to President Barack Obama that he shift U.S. strategy in Afghanistan — to focus on ensuring regional stability and eliminating Taliban and Al Qaida safe havens in Pakistan, rather …
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
The “defense cut” falsehood from The Washington Post and Robert Kagan — (updated below - Update II - Update III) — Even for the standard-less Washington Post Op-Ed page, which will publish any version of neocon claptrap regardless of how factually false it is, this is rather striking:
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The Washington Independent
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Robert Kagan / Washington Post:
No Time To Cut Defense — Pentagon officials have leaked word …
No Time To Cut Defense — Pentagon officials have leaked word …
Discussion:
ATTACKERMAN
David Neiwert / Crooks and Liars:
O'Reilly declares war on New York Times after it calls him out on immigration — Bill O'Reilly is outraged, outraged we tell you, over Sunday's superb New York Times editorial calling out Republicans — and particularly movement conservatives who have thoroughly embraced the nativist wing of the party …
Frank Newport / Gallup:
Americans Support Stimulus, but Many Want Major Changes — Most say plan will not have major impact this year — USA - Business and Economy - Congress - Credit Crisis - Personal Finances - Taxes - Americas - Northern America — PRINCETON, NJ — A strong majority of Americans (75%) …