Top Items:
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 …
Karl Rove / The Huffington Post:
Rahm: Obama Lost Control Of Stimulus Debate — The Wall Street Journal reports: … According to Emanuel, the White House “lost” control of the message for four days. He suggested that the president decided to change his tone after the House vote, when not a single Republican voted for the bill.
Mary Katharine Ham / Weekly Standard:
Caterpillar Workers Oppose Stimulus, Despite Obama's Visit, Implausible Promises
Caterpillar Workers Oppose Stimulus, Despite Obama's Visit, Implausible Promises
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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CNN:
Gregg to vote against stimulus bill — WASHINGTON (CNN) - Republican Sen. Judd Gregg is putting a final exclamation point on his withdrawal as Barack Obama's designee for Commerce Secretary with a promise to vote against the president's economic stimulus package. — Gregg's office confirmed the decision Friday.
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
WaPo: Obama administration “peeved and churlish” over Gregg
WaPo: Obama administration “peeved and churlish” over Gregg
Discussion:
Commentary
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.
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Greg Mitchell / Editor and Publisher:
Buffalo Man Who Launched TV Network to Show Muslims in Positive …
Buffalo Man Who Launched TV Network to Show Muslims in Positive …
Discussion:
NewsBusters.org
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 …
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Paul Krugman / New York Times:
Failure to Rise — By any normal political standards …
Failure to Rise — By any normal political standards …
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Washington Monthly, The Reaction, The Curious Capitalist, EconLog, Vox Popoli and Balloon Juice
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.
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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 …
Ross Douthat:
Authoritarianism Just Around the Corner — It's possible you've also already been following the debate prompted by Damon Linker's attack on Andrew Bacevich's vision of conservatism; if not, go here and here and here; here for Linker's response to his critics; and here and here for more.
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Damon Linker / The New Republic:
Lessons in Blogging — I avoided blogging for a long time.
Lessons in Blogging — I avoided blogging for a long time.
Discussion:
Upturned Earth
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.
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, Politics Nation and TalkLeft
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:
Hot Air, Weekly Standard, protein wisdom, Danger Room, Neptunus Lex, Indecision, BLACKFIVE and Wizbang
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 …
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.
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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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.
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, United States Senator, Stop The ACLU, SENATUS and Sister Toldjah
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 …
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.
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 …
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 …
Discussion:
Drudge Report, AmericaSpeakOn.org, The New Editor, Think Progress, Babalu Blog, The Corner, Outside The Beltway, Gateway Pundit and The Foundry