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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 …
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Washington Monthly, Think Progress, MSNBC, Shakesville, NewsBusters.org, Dependable Renegade and Booman Tribune
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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
The Politico:
Big stimulus risks for both sides — In the gauzy days of bipartisan good feeling before his Inauguration, there was talk of President Barack Obama linking arms with Republicans to pass a massive stimulus bill, with a big bipartisan Senate majority as proof the parties could come together in a time of national distress.
Discussion:
TIME.com
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
The Destructive Center — What do you call someone who eliminates hundreds of thousands of American jobs, deprives millions of adequate health care and nutrition, undermines schools, but offers a $15,000 bonus to affluent people who flip their houses? — A proud centrist.
Toby Harnden / Telegraph:
Barack Obama is a novice - and it shows — After a rocky start, the new President knows he has to seize back the political agenda, says Toby Harnden. — During last year's epic election campaign, Hillary Clinton said that in the White House “there is no time for on-the-job training”.
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RedState
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Jeff Zeleny / New York Times:
Already Back on the Trail, Now to Sell a Stimulus Plan — WASHINGTON — The presidential campaign trail often loved Barack Obama more than he loved it back. When he was sworn in last month, he told friends he was eager to tackle the rigors of the Oval Office without the drudgery of shuttling …
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MSNBC, The Politico, Time, American Street, TIME.com, Taegan Goddard's … and Washington Post
Will Higgins / Indianapolis Star:
Hard-hit Elkhart eager for aid from Obama, stimulus plan
Hard-hit Elkhart eager for aid from Obama, stimulus plan
Discussion:
USA Today
Barbara Starr / CNN:
Sources: Iraq, Afghanistan troop moves delayed — WASHINGTON (CNN) — Decisions about withdrawing troops from Iraq and sending more troops to Afghanistan have been delayed until the Pentagon provides President Barack Obama with more detail about the risks and implications of the issues confronting him …
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Craig Whitlock / Washington Post:
U.S. Officials Offer Dismal Review of War in Afghanistan
U.S. Officials Offer Dismal Review of War in Afghanistan
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, New York Times, NION, Political Punch, Associated Press, BBC and The Moderate Voice
Joseph Curl / Washington Times:
‘Doom’ talk scored as ‘not presidential’ — Poses risk for ‘Yes, we can’ candidate — From crisis to catastrophe. Off a cliff. Dark, darker, darkest. Mortal danger of absolute collapse. Armageddon. — President Obama and top Democrats on Capitol Hill are deploying …
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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 …
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Glenn Thrush's Blogs
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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.
Byron York / www.dcexaminer.com:
The Happy Party — (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) They took a beating in November, but now, in the stimulus fight, Republicans are smiling again. — You see it all over Capitol Hill, in the hallways, the hearing rooms, the gathering spots. Republicans, coming off a devastating, across-the-board electoral defeat, are ... happy.
Directorblue / Doug Ross:
Smoking gun: caller explains Stimulus as Obama plan to fund permanent Democratic patronage system — “Chicago Bob”, calling into a radio talk show, explains the need to rush on the Stimulus package before anyone gets a good chance to review its sordid details. The transcript:
Silla Brush / The Hill:
Sanders backs Dean for HHS post — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is the latest lawmaker to back Howard Dean, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, for secretary of Health and Human Services. — In a letter to President Obama that was released on Sunday, Sanders backed Dean …
Discussion:
DownWithTyranny!
The Politico:
Obama wields the Oval invite — With Arlen Specter, the president was “crisp” and “professional” and threw in some talk about judges. — With Olympia Snowe, he was more casual, warming up with memories of the late Paul Simon, a mutual friend. — With Ben Nelson — a conservative Democrat …
Thomas E. Ricks / Washington Post:
A Military Tactician's Political Strategy — In Defending the Troop Increase, Commander Paved Way for a ‘Long War’ — As Gen. David H. Petraeus flew into Baghdad in February 2007, preparing to take command of U.S. forces in Iraq, Col. Peter R. Mansoor, his executive officer, knelt alongside his seat.
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abu muqawama
Richard Pérez-Peña / New York Times:
Resilient Strategy for Times Despite Toll of a Recession — In a conference call with analysts late last month, Janet L. Robinson, the president and chief executive of The New York Times Company, laid out a vision of how the company would survive the downturn that is crippling the newspaper industry.
Discussion:
Pajamas Media
Tom Goldstein / SCOTUSblog:
Linked Retirements and the Summer of 2009 — On hearing that Justice Ginsburg had undergone surgery for treatment of pancreatic cancer, I wrote my optimistic view that the Justice would recover and continue her service on the Court. The early discovery of the cancer (illustrated by the fact …
Discussion:
The Volokh Conspiracy