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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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The Washington Independent
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Mark Murray / MSNBC:
FIRST THOUGHTS: THIS JUDD'S (NOT) FOR YOU — From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro — *** This Judd's (not) for you: Just when you thought the news was getting a bit stale — after the deal on the stimulus — came the latest twist and turn on the Obama White House's four-week-old rollercoaster ride.
Jeff Zeleny / New York Times:
Gregg Ends Bid for Commerce Job
Gregg Ends Bid for Commerce Job
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Buffalo News:
49 KILLED AS PLANE CRASHES INTO HOME IN CLARENCE CENTER — Forty-nine people died when a Continental Connection airplane crashed into a house in Clarence Center shortly after 10:15 p.m. Thursday, setting off a huge fire that could be seen miles away. — The dead included 44 passengers, four crew members and a person on the ground.
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On Deadline, Mudville Gazette, TVNewser, Scared Monkeys, JammieWearingFool and protein wisdom
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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 …
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Greg Miller / Los Angeles Times:
Feinstein comment on U.S. drones likely to embarrass Pakistan
Feinstein comment on U.S. drones likely to embarrass Pakistan
Discussion:
The Swamp
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 …
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
Failure to Rise — By any normal political standards, this week's Congressional agreement on an economic stimulus package was a great victory for President Obama. He got more or less what he asked for: almost $800 billion to rescue the economy, with most of the money allocated to spending rather than tax cuts.
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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Matthew Yglesias
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Dan / Riehl World View:
Will The Media Stoop To Lying To Protect Obama? — It seems this nonsense from Sullivan about a GOP war on Obama is gaining traction. I've even read some media outlets that are beginning to sniff around it. Why not? It stinks! — Evidently they must come up with something as their newly crowned …
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Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
The GOP Has Declared War On Obama
The GOP Has Declared War On Obama
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Sarah Pulliam / Christianity Today:
Phrase ‘Religious Right’ Misused, Conservatives Say — The term “Religious Right” pops up every election cycle, but leaders often identified with the political movement say that while their constituencies remain strong, the catchphrase deserves a proper burial.
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Jared Allen / The Hill:
Conference tactics leave deep House resentment — Leading House Democrats were smiling on Thursday, but some of them are furious with the Senate on its handling of the economic stimulus bill. — Even though House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid …
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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 …
Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
High-Speed Rail in the Stimulus — Good news for people who like fast trains as it seems a significant amount of high speed rail funds made it into the stimulus: … I'm glad to see this happen, though it's still the case that my first, second, and third preferences for transportation funding …
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New York Times
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New York Times:
Judges Plead Guilty in Payoffs for Jailing Youths — At worst, Hillary Transue thought she might get a stern lecture when she appeared before a judge for building a spoof MySpace page mocking the assistant principal at her high school in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. She was a stellar student who had never …
Timothy J. Burger / Bloomberg:
California's Napolitano Makes $220,000 From 1998 Campaign Loan — Feb. 13 (Bloomberg) — During a decade in Congress, California Representative Grace Napolitano has pocketed more than $200,000 of political contributions by charging as much as 18 percent interest on money she loaned to her own campaign.
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 …
Mike Allen / The Politico:
Presented by Starbucks — Day 25: A tougher Obama plans huge agenda after stimulus fight — No dialing back, in a town as divided as ever — EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans are banding together once again and leaders now expect to lose at most 8 members on the final stimulus bill, after losing 0 the first time.
Discussion:
Think Progress
Steve Lohr / New York Times:
Large Banks on the Edge of Insolvency — Some of the nation's large banks, according to economists and other finance experts, are like dead men walking. — A sober assessment of the growing mountain of losses from bad bets, measured in today's marketplace, would overwhelm the value of the banks' assets, they say.
Discussion:
The Takeaway …, MyDD, The Corner, Talking Points Memo, American Street and The Democratic Daily