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
SilentPatriot / Crooks and Liars: Judd Gregg explains his withdrawal as Commerce Sec nominee, sorta kinda
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.
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Washington Post, Indecision, No More Mister Nice Blog and Democracy in America
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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 …
Mark Silva / The Swamp:
Economic stimulus vote: ‘Present’ — Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) was the only one in the House who voted simply “present” in the House's 246-183 vote for passage of the $787-billion economic stimulus bill today. Seven Democrats voted no, and no Republicans voted for it. Lipinski stood neutral.
Jared Allen / The Hill:
Conference tactics leave deep House resentment
Conference tactics leave deep House resentment
Discussion:
The Politico, The Swamp, RedState, George's Bottom Line, New York Times, Hot Air and Kausfiles
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, BLACKFIVE, 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.
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.
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, Matthew Yglesias and TalkLeft
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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 and TalkLeft
Mike Baker / Associated Press:
APNewsBreak: Blackwater dumps tarnished brand name — RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Blackwater Worldwide is abandoning its tarnished brand name as it tries to shake a reputation battered by oft-criticized work in Iraq, renaming its family of two dozen businesses under the name Xe.
Discussion:
TPMMuckraker
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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.
Discussion:
The Atlantic Politics Channel, SENATUS, Hot Air, D-Day, ProPublica, TalkLeft, Politics Nation and Sunlight Foundation
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 …
Ali Frick / Think Progress:
Bush Aide: Leahy Truth Commission Is ‘Terribly Dangerous’ Idea, Possibly ‘Deadly’ — Last night on The O'Reilly Factor, Bill O'Reilly showed a clip of a Fox News producer ambushing Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) to accuse him of political hypocrisy for urging an investigation into Bush crimes after he had opposed the Clinton impeachment.
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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Jonathan Godfrey / The United States House …:
Judiciary Committee Members Call for Investigation of Sheriff Arpaio's Disregard for Rights of Hispanic Residents — WASHINGTON - House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.), and Immigration Subcommittee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), Constitution Subcommittee Chairman Jerrold Nadler …
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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:
Townhall.com, AmSpecBlog, The Reaction, Stop The ACLU, SENATUS, Sister Toldjah, Dean's World and Neptunus Lex
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 …
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 …
San Francisco Chronicle:
Addicted to fake outrage — I'm not sure if it's because we're strung out on “Lost” episodes, or if it's because we're still suffering from a post-9/11 stress disorder that makes us crave “breaking news” alerts, or if it's because the economy has turned us into distraction junkies.
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, TPMDC, Power Line, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room and Real Clear Politics
Sarah Abruzzese / The Politico:
WH flies senator from wake to vote — Sarah Abruzzese reports: — A government plane will ferry Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) back to Washington from his mother's wake in Ohio in time to vote tonight, courtesy of the White House. — Brown won't even be leaving until viewing hours end …