Top Items:
Byron York / www.dcexaminer.com:
Why Gregg Bailed — When he took the job, Republicans searched for a diplomatic way to ask: Are you crazy? — After 16 years as a Republican senator from New Hampshire, Judd Gregg has a lot of friends among GOP lawmakers, and in the past two weeks, many of them — perhaps most of them …
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A.L. / The Anonymous Liberal:
The Notion of a “Bipartisan Cabinet” Has Always Been a Stupid One
The Notion of a “Bipartisan Cabinet” Has Always Been a Stupid One
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
WaPo: Obama administration “peeved and churlish” over Gregg
WaPo: Obama administration “peeved and churlish” over Gregg
Discussion:
Commentary
Washington Post:
‘My Mistake’ — Commerce secretary? Never mind.
‘My Mistake’ — Commerce secretary? Never mind.
Discussion:
Commentary, Lynn Sweet, Federal Eye, Balloon Juice, Hot Air, Fausta's Blog and Pajamas Media
David Stout / New York Times:
Stimulus Bill Passes in the House With No G.O.P. Support — WASHINGTON — The House approved a $787 billion economic stimulus package Friday afternoon, with Democrats successfully promoting it as a boost for middle-class Americans and Republicans countering in vain that it will only stimulate wasteful government spending.
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The Politico:
Hardened Obama plans new fights — Emboldened by his victory on the stimulus package — but chastened by the pothole-pocked road that got him there —President Barack Obama and his aides are plunging ahead on a large and expensive agenda that virtually assures 2009 will be marked …
Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:
House Passes Stimulus Package-and Oh, By the Way, Bipartisanship is Dead — digg it — The House just passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. It now goes to the Senate for a final vote, which is expected to take place tonight. People will be looking over the text of the bill to figure out what it is that passed.
Jared Allen / The Hill:
Conference tactics leave deep House resentment
Conference tactics leave deep House resentment
Discussion:
The Swamp, The Politico, RedState, George's Bottom Line, New York Times, Hot Air, Kausfiles and Political Machine
Greg Miller / Chicago Tribune:
Predator drones flown from base in Pakistan, U.S. lawmaker says — Sen. Feinstein's surprise disclosure likely to complicate joint campaign against Taliban militants — WASHINGTON, D.C. - A senior U.S. lawmaker said Thursday that unmanned CIA Predator aircraft operating in Pakistan are flown …
Discussion:
Weekly Standard, Neptunus Lex, protein wisdom, Indecision, Wizbang and The Strata-Sphere
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Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Friday Senate Line: Gregg Adds to GOP Pain — The withdrawal of Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) as President Obama's commerce secretary nominee on Thursday was initially greeted with relief by Senate Republicans who believed that the incumbent might now stay on and seek reelection in 2010.
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John B. Judis / The New Republic:
End The Honeymoon — Why the left is to blame for the lackluster stimulus and bank bailout. — There are many good things to say about the stimulus bill. But all in all, it wasn't as good as it could be: It's probably too small and too skewed toward tax cuts, and particularly cuts …
Discussion:
Democratic Strategist, Booman Tribune, Open Left, Prairie Weather, Corrente and Matthew Yglesias
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Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
Obama and liberals: a counter-productive relationship
Obama and liberals: a counter-productive relationship
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Open Left, New York Times, Booman Tribune, The Impolitic, TalkLeft and Political Machine
Gene Warner / Buffalo News:
Prominent Orchard Park man charged with beheading his wife — Orchard Park police are investigating a particularly gruesome killing, the beheading of a woman, after her husband — an influential member of the local Muslim community — reported her death to police Thursday.
Kevin G. Hall / McClatchy Washington Bureau:
Will the stimulus actually stimulate? Economists say no — WASHINGTON — The compromise economic stimulus plan agreed to by negotiators from the House of Representatives and the Senate is short on incentives to get consumers spending again and long on social goals that won't stimulate economic activity …
Discussion:
AmSpecBlog, The Reaction, Stop The ACLU, SENATUS, Sister Toldjah, Neptunus Lex, Dean's World and Jules Crittenden
Rasmussen Reports:
Specter Vote For Stimulus Hurts Him Back Home — Senator Arlen Specter is one of only three Republicans to support the economic stimulus bill in Congress, and the latest Rasmussen Reports survey in Pennsylvania shows that his position is costing him support back home.
Discussion:
FiveThirtyEight.com, Hot Air, Power Line, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, TPMDC and Real Clear Politics
Jonathan Chait / The New Republic:
Senate Moderates Wrong, Experts Agree — The White House keeps boasting about the 3.5 million jobs its stimulus bill will create. But that's an outdated number based on its original plan. The new number, thanks largely to the oh-so-helpful intervention of Senators Nelson, Collins, Snowe and Specter, is probably under 2.5 million.
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Lori Montgomery / Washington Post:
Trim to Stimulus Carves Into Goals For Job Creation
Trim to Stimulus Carves Into Goals For Job Creation
Discussion:
Think Progress
CNSNews:
Democratic Senator Predicts None of His Colleagues ‘Will Have the Chance’ to Read Final Stimulus Bill Before Vote — (CNSNews.com) - Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) predicted on Thursday that none of his Senate colleagues would “have the chance” to read the entire final version …
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ProPublica:
The Stimulus Plan: A Detailed List of Spending — Congress released its compromise of the economic stimulus plan at 11 p.m. Thursday. Debate began in the House at 9 a.m., with voting set for 1 p.m. Want to know what's in it? You could read the 1,071-page gorilla they've posted.
Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
The Audacity of Audaciousness — It takes a certain amount of nerve to have an event at the National Press Club and then ban the press from covering it. — It takes another level of chutzpah entirely to admit members of the general public to your event at the National Press Club …
CNN:
Dems target right-wing talk radio — WASHINGTON (CNN) — More and More Democrats in Congress are calling for action that Republicans warn could muzzle right-wing talk radio. — Representative Maurice Hinchey, a Democrat from New York is the latest to say he wants to bring back the …
Kyle / Right Wing Watch:
The Religious Right's New Demand: Stop Calling Us the Religious Right — It seems that leaders of the Religious Right are tired of being associated with the Religious Right because nobody likes the Religious Right. Unfortunately for them, they are the Religious Right and that is what we …
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Chuck Todd / MSNBC:
THE WHITE HOUSE BUBBLE — From NBC's Chuck Todd — Obviously, I'm one of the newbies here in the White House press corps, so maybe I'm unfamiliar with the ways of how this place works. I have to say, nothing is more frustrating than covering an actual event here at the White House …
John Byrne / The Raw Story:
Unrest in Tennessee: House GOP chairman joins suit to overturn Obama's presidency — Democrats say GOP congressman joining suit is ‘from Mars’ — A Supreme Court decision apparently isn't enough for Tennessee lawmakers in the House. — Despite the fact that the Court rejected an effort …
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
If The Right Were Intellectually Honest ... This Manzi post would be their argument going forward. Here's why they are not being intellectually honest, and Manzi's post includes the relevant facts. The GOP has passed what amounts to a spending and tax-cutting and borrowing stimulus package …
Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
The Ever-Bolder GOP — It seems that Republicans are feeling pretty good about themselves these days: … This reminds me of what Eve Fairbanks wrote back on February 9 when she observed that they are “completely obsessed with winning the media “cycle” and getting the sexiest …
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Washington Times, The Politico, Hullabaloo, American Power, TalkLeft, The Swamp, Daily Kos and Democracy in America