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Frank Newport / Gallup:
Obama Has Upper Hand in Stimulus Fight — Obama's 67% approval rating on the stimulus is more than twice that of Republicans — USA - Congress - Democrats - Government and Politics - Leadership - Republicans - The Presidency - Americas - Northern America
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's …, The Fix, Washington Wire, The Washington Independent, TPMDC, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Daily Kos, Eunomia, Real Time Economics, Hot Air, MSNBC, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, White House Watch, The Plum Line, Boston Globe, Spin Cycle, Swampland, Kevin Drum, Craig Crawford's Trail Mix, The Swamp, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, Cafe Talk Aggregator and Salon
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Washington Post:
Republicans See Long-Term Victory in Defeat on Stimulus Plan — Three months after their Election Day drubbing, Republican leaders see glimmers of rebirth in the party's liberation from an unpopular president, its selection of its first African American chairman and, most of all …
CNN:
Obama's approval is high — but the stimulus isn't as popular — WASHINGTON (CNN) — A new national poll suggests that three out of four Americans approve of the job Barack Obama's doing as President — but the economic stimulus package he's trying to push through Congress is not nearly as popular.
Ross Douthat:
The Trouble With Centrism — The liberals are angry, and not without reason. You can imagine a world in which “centrist” Senators used their awesome deal-making powers to forge compromises that incorporate ideas from the left and right alike. A world in which moderate “gangs,” …
Discussion:
Megan McArdle, The New Republic, Marginal Revolution, TalkLeft, Hot Air, Newshoggers.com and Democratic Strategist
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Arlen Specter / Washington Post:
Why I Support the Stimulus — I am supporting the economic stimulus package for one simple reason: The country cannot afford not to take action. — The unemployment figures announced Friday, the latest earnings reports and the continuing crisis in banking make it clear that failure to act …
Huma Khan / Political Punch:
Obama Administration Maintains Bush Position on ‘Extraordinary Rendition’ Lawsuit — From Jake Tapper and Ariane de Vogue: — The Obama Administration today announced that it would keep the same position as the Bush Administration in the lawsuit Mohamed et al v Jeppesen Dataplan, Inc.
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blogs
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The Huffington Post:
Leahy: Investigate Bush Now — Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy insisted on Monday in firm and passionate terms that a comprehensive investigation be launched into the conduct of the Bush administration, saying anything less would prevent the country from moving forward.
Bloomberg:
U.S. Taxpayers Risk $9.7 Trillion on Bailouts as Senate Votes — Feb. 9 (Bloomberg) — The stimulus package the U.S. Congress is completing would raise the government's commitment to solving the financial crisis to $9.7 trillion, enough to pay off more than 90 percent of the nation's home mortgages.
Peter Baker / New York Times:
Obama Stumps for Stimulus in a City Hit Hard by Downturn — ELKHART, Ind. — President Obama took his case for an $800 billion economic recovery package to one of the most distressed places in America on Monday as he opened a series of campaign-style events intended to press Congress to approve the plan by week's end.
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Mimi Hall / USA Today:
Obama to visit job-starved Elkhart, Indiana
Obama to visit job-starved Elkhart, Indiana
Discussion:
Hot Air, White House Watch, The Moderate Voice, New York Times, Associated Press and Indianapolis Star
Wall Street Journal:
Amazon Raises an E-Book Specter — Amazon.com Inc. is announcing a new version of its Kindle e-book reader on Monday. And, in a sign that the electronic book is gaining clout in the publishing world, Amazon is also expected to say it has acquired a new work by best-selling novelist Stephen King …
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Richard Pérez-Peña / New York Times:
Newsweek Plans Makeover to Fit a Smaller Audience — When US Airways Flight 1549 glided safely onto the Hudson River last month, Newsweek did what news organizations have done for more than a century — it sent reporters and photographers to the scene. Considerable effort yielded …
Ali Frick / Think Progress:
Obama's Unscreened Town Hall Audience Is Clean Break From Bush's Supporters-Only Public Events — Today, President Obama hosted a town hall meeting in Elkhart, IN — which faces the nation's fastest-rising unemployment rate — to promote his recovery and reinvestment plan.
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Daily Mail:
High-ranking Foreign Office diplomat arrested over anti-Semitic gym tirade … A high-ranking diplomat at the Foreign Office has been arrested after allegations that he launched a foul-mouthed anti-Semitic tirade. — Middle East expert Rowan Laxton, 47, was watching TV reports of the Israeli attack …
New York Post:
IT'S A RECESSION NOT A ‘CATASTROPHE’ — PRESIDENT Obama, writing in The Washington Post, said, “By now, it's clear to everyone that we have inherited an economic crisis as deep and dire as any since the days of the Great Depression.” But how would we know if and when this crisis is really more “deep and dire” than others?
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John B. Taylor / Wall Street Journal:
How Government Created the Financial Crisis — Research shows the failure to rescue Lehman did not trigger the fall panic. — Many are calling for a 9/11-type commission to investigate the financial crisis. Any such investigation should not rule out government itself as a major culprit.
Discussion:
JustOneMinute
John Feehery / The Politico:
A letter to Rush Limbaugh — Congratulations! You have been selected by the Obama administration, the mainstream media and 20 million of your most passionate followers to be the new head of the Republican Party. — As such, you are given all the rights and responsibilities that come with being a true political leader.
Eric Ostermeier / Smart Politics:
Coleman Says ‘God Wants Me to Serve’ — While Al Franken remains fairly elusive, Norm Coleman is keeping a high profile these days as his court challenge of the Minnesota U.S. Senate recount plods along. — Coleman is adept, somewhat too adept, his critics might say …
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland
Glenn Thrush / Glenn Thrush's Blogs:
Steele calls for “Bling, Bling"-free stimulus — Just ran into new RNC Chairman Michael Steele who watched President Obama's town hall in Indiana and wasn't impressed. — The Obama-backed stimulus, he said, “is just a wish list from a lot of people who have been on the sidelines for years.. to get a little bling, bling.”
Max Blumenthal / Blogs and Stories:
Porn Star for Senate — An Interview with the Porn Star Running Against Sen. David Vitter by Max Blumenthal — Blogs and Stories — Sen. David Vitter's phone number was found in the records of the notorious D.C. madam. Now he faces re-election (and massive karmic payback) against a sultry adult entertainer named Stormy.
Discussion:
The Raw Story
Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
People Hate Republicans — It seems that conservative legislators are really excited about their efforts to block efforts at an economic recovery package: … The public is less entranced by this behavior: — I'm not surprised to see most Republican legislators acting this way.
Mickey Kaus / Kausfiles:
kf Goes In the Tank — I saw my friend and Slate contributor Tom Geoghegan speak in L.A. at a fundraiser for his Congressional run. ** He wasn't as good as I expected. He was much better. The joy of Geoghegan is that he usually has a big interesting new theory, often a (dare I say it) contrarian one.
Chicago Tribune:
Roland Burris received about $1.2 million in loans from businessman during gubernatorial bid — Illinois senator repaid only about $6,000 to businessman Joseph Stroud, state records show — Roland Burris, Illinois' newest senator, likes to talk about his years of service to the people …
Discussion:
JammieWearingFool
Eric Boehlert / Media Matters:
Does CNN's John King think construction work is done pro bono? — Apparently. Because asking questions about the stimulus bill, King, perfectly echoing GOP talking points, wonders if a construction project one mayor is proposing (a community wave pool) will actually create jobs.
Jerry Seper / Washington Times:
16 illegals sue Arizona rancher — Claim violation of rights as they crossed his land — An Arizona man who has waged a 10-year campaign to stop a flood of illegal immigrants from crossing his property is being sued by 16 Mexican nationals who accuse him of conspiring to violate …
Ann Althouse / Althouse:
Obama's insipid emails are annoying Leon Wieseltier. — I was going to do a blog post a week or so ago titled Barack Obama is spamming me — you could sing it to this tune — but it was clear enough on the face of the email that a simple click would unsubscribe me from his email list …
Shane Goldmacher / Sacramento Bee:
Whitman boots up campaign for governor — Former eBay chief executive Meg Whitman officially submitted her bid to explore a run for governor on Monday. — The move by the billionaire businesswoman sets up what's expected to be an expensive, 17-month auction between herself …
Mary Katharine Ham / Weekly Standard:
Activists Left Hoping for Change at Obama's Stimulus Parties — When Obama supporters gathered this weekend to build support for the first major legislation of the new president's tenure, those who had campaigned for change found themselves talking about something unexpected— politics as usual.
Discussion:
Mercury News