Top Items:
Maureen Dowd / New York Times:
Well, That Certainly Didn't Take Long — On 9/11, President Bush learned of disaster while reading “The Pet Goat” to grade-school kids. On Tuesday, President Obama escaped from disaster by reading “The Moon Over Star” to grade-school kids. — “We were just tired of being in the White House …
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Andrew Malcolm / Top of the Ticket:
The wondrous ways Obama's Washington works—and doesn't get it — The night in 1865 that John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Lincoln in downtown Washington not far off the recent inaugural parade route for the man who used the same red Bible for his 2009 presidential oath …
Discussion:
Soccer Dad
Ben Feller / Associated Press:
On a tough day, Obama escapes for a while — WASHINGTON (AP) - On the rockiest day of his young administration, President Barack Obama did what surely made him happy for a while. — He left. — With little notice, the president and first lady Michelle Obama bolted the gated compound …
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, theheretik.us, The Strata-Sphere, Tammy Bruce, Little Green Footballs and NewsBusters.org
New York Times:
U.S. Plans $500,000 Cap on Executive Pay in Bailouts — WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is expected to impose a cap of $500,000 for top executives at companies that receive large amounts of bailout money, according to people familiar with the plan. — Executives would also be prohibited …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Matthew Yglesias, Wall Street Journal, Political Punch, Obsidian Wings, D-Day, Free exchange, Newshoggers.com, The Note, DownWithTyranny!, AMERICAblog News, JammieWearingFool, BloggingStocks, naked capitalism, About.com US Politics, Shakesville, Vox Popoli, The Field on the Narcosphere, The Atlantic Business Channel, JustOneMinute, Michelle Malkin, The Corner, Buck Naked Politics and Open Congress
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US News:
Stimulus Debate: Democrats “Do Not Have The Votes” — Media reports suggest Senate Republicans have become a key focus of stimulus talks, an acknowledgement that they appear to hold the balance of power in that chamber despite having only 41 seats to the Democrats' 58.
Discussion:
Government Bytes, the talking dog, Washington Post, On Deadline, Associated Press and Financial Times
Washington Post:
Senate Lacks Votes to Pass Stimulus — Democrats Trying to Trim $900 Billion Plan to Gain GOP Support — Senate Democratic leaders conceded yesterday that they do not have the votes to pass the stimulus bill as currently written and said that to gain bipartisan support …
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Reid Wilson / The Hill:
Republicans staking early claim in 2010 Senate cycle — Following two cycles in which the party found itself perpetually on defense, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) is giving early indications it intends to lambaste Democrats in a much more aggressive fashion in the 2010 cycle.
Discussion:
Senate Guru
The Politico:
Cheney warns of new attacks — Former Vice President Dick Cheney warned that there is a “high probability” that terrorists will attempt a catastrophic nuclear or biological attack in coming years, and said he fears the Obama administration's policies will make it more likely the attempt will succeed.
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Spencer Ackerman / ATTACKERMAN:
Someone Is Lying — Barely two weeks out of office and Dick Cheney …
Someone Is Lying — Barely two weeks out of office and Dick Cheney …
Discussion:
Dependable Renegade
Victor Davis Hanson / The Corner:
The Impending Obama Meltdown — Some of us have been warning that it was not healthy for the U.S. media to have deified rather than questioned Obama, especially given that they tore apart Bush, ridiculed Palin, and caricatured Hillary. And now we can see the results of their two years of advocacy rather than scrutiny.
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Ezra Klein / American Prospect:
WHAT CHANGE LOOKS LIKE. — My reporting has been similar to that of Jon Cohn. Everyone I've spoken to in the administration has expressed total shock over Daschle's withdrawal. As recently as last night, they were counting votes and felt certain the nomination was on track for a bumpy but comfortable confirmation.
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Glenn Thrush / Glenn Thrush's Blogs:
Cooper: Obama staff encouraged defiance of Pelosi — Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN) — one of the lead Blue Dogs — made a startling admission to lefty Liberadio on Sunday, suggesting the White House quietly encouraged him to buck House leadership on the stimulus. — Cooper was one of 11 Dems to vote no — joining every GOP House member.
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Owen Thomas / Gawker:
Rahm Emanuel's Illegal D.C. Basement Rental — He's the cheapskate of staff. Rahm Emanuel, Barack Obama's right-hand man, lives in a basement apartment on Capitol Hill rented to him by Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro. Just one problem: He's not allowed to live there.
Paul McDougall / InformationWeek:
IBM Offers To Move Laid Off Workers To India — Big Blue wants to help redundant U.S. employees relocate to developing markets, according to an internal document. — The climate is warm, there's no shortage of exotic food, and the cost of living is rock bottom.
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Jim Tankersley / Los Angeles Times:
California farms, vineyards in peril from warming, U.S. energy secretary warns — 'We're looking at a scenario where there's no more agriculture in California,' Steven Chu says. He sees education as a means to combat threat. — Reporting from Washington — California's farms and vineyards …
Discussion:
Townhall.com, Liberal Values, JammieWearingFool, Riehl World View and The Coalition of the Swilling
Steven Leser / OpEdNews.Com Progressive, Tough Liberal:
Mark Halperin, Chris Matthews and Anderson Cooper Skew Obama Ratings … It all started with Mark Halperin's brief note in Time Magazine, http://thepage.time.com/2009/02/03/ poll-obama-approval-rating-drops/ , which stated “Poll: Obama Approval Rating Drops”.
William Kristol / Weekly Standard:
Kristol: New Poll Shows Stimulus Support Sags — THE WEEKLY STANDARD has learned that later this morning Rasmussen Reports will release new survey data showing that a plurality of Americans now oppose the stimulus package (37-43%); two weeks ago, support for the legislation stood at 45-34%.
New York Times:
In Attack on Kennedy, Echo of a Spitzer Tactic — ALBANY — An administration leaks damaging information about a political figure. The leak is denounced by the governor, who says that he had nothing to do with it. — This is what happened during the tenure of Gov. Eliot Spitzer …
Financial Times:
India warns Obama over Kashmir — India has warned US President Barack Obama that he risks “barking up the wrong tree” if he seeks to broker a settlement between Pakistan and India over the disputed territory of Kashmir. — MK Narayanan, India's national security advisor …
Barbara Slavin / Washington Times:
EXCLUSIVE: Obama backs out on Iraq appointment — The Obama administration asked retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni to be U.S. ambassador to Iraq but abruptly withdrew the appointment without explanation, Gen. Zinni said Tuesday. — Gen. Zinni, a former commander of Central Command …
Peter J. Parisi / Washington Times:
Democrats' call for civility 8 years late — ANALYSIS/OPINION: — The day before Barack Obama's inauguration as president, “Purple Nation” columnist Lanny Davis pleaded on this page for a return to civility in our nation's politics. — Mr. Davis, a proudly self-professed liberal Democrat …
Alan S. Blinder / Wall Street Journal:
My Economic Wish List — The House plan doesn't spend fast enough. — While wiping my desk lamp the other day, a genie appeared, offering me — you guessed it — three wishes. I first asked him to restore my portfolio to its former glory. He demurred: “No, I only grant wishes for the national economy.
Discussion:
LewRockwell.com Blog
Yves Smith / naked capitalism:
The Bad Bank Assets Proposal: Even Worse Than You Imagined — Dear God, let's just kiss the US economy goodbye. It may take a few years before the loyalists and permabulls throw in the towel, but the handwriting is on the wall. — The Obama Administration, if the Washington Post's latest report …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Marginal Revolution, Firedoglake, EconLog and The Moderate Voice