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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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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:
The Fix, Washington Wire, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Swamp, Washington Post, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, The Plum Line, Swampland, Washington Monthly, Kevin Drum, Spin Cycle, Boston Globe, Ben Smith's Blogs, Taegan Goddard's …, Salon, Hullabaloo, Cafe Talk Aggregator, Daily Kos, TPMDC, TalkLeft, Macsmind and Donklephant
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.
Joe Sudbay / AMERICAblog News:
On handling the stimulus: 67% approval vs. 31% approval
On handling the stimulus: 67% approval vs. 31% approval
Discussion:
Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog!
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, TalkLeft, The New Republic, Hot Air, Newshoggers.com, Democratic Strategist and Brian Beutler
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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 …
Discussion:
Scorecard's Blogs, Washington Monthly, The Politico, The Huffington Post, DownWithTyranny!, The Corner, The Sundries Shack, Boston Globe, TPMDC, Chicago Tribune, Wall Street Journal, Commentary, Booman Tribune, NO QUARTER, The Caucus, Blog entry, Riehl World View, Glenn Thrush's Blogs and Reason
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.
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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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.
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”.
Discussion:
RedState
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Ann Althouse / Althouse:
“When the novelty of the first African American president wears off …
“When the novelty of the first African American president wears off …
Discussion:
Right Wing News
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 …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Democracy in America, The Politico, American Power and The Campaign Spot
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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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.
Henri E. Cauvin / Washington Post:
Steele Defends Payment to Sister — RNC Chairman Says Campaign Costs Were Legitimate and Documented — Michael S. Steele, the new chairman of the Republican National Committee, said yesterday that there was nothing improper in a payment of more than $37,000 to his sister's company for work …
Discussion:
MSNBC
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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.
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
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 …
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.
Megan McArdle:
Starbucks tries to scoot downmarket — One of the first things you encounter when you read personal finance gurus like Dave Ramsey or Suze Orman is the concept of the “latte factor”—the surprising way that little luxury purchases add up. A Starbucks latte a day is well over $1000 a year …
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
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 …
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.
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 …
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.