Top Items:
Lee Fang / Think Progress:
Limbaugh Defends Jindal, Warns Conservatives They Are ‘Making A Real Mistake If They Go After’ Him — The response across the political spectrum to Gov. Bobby Jindal's (R-LA) speech last night has been overwhelmingly negative. Even the most enthusiastic conservative talkers had harsh words …
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Michael Gerson / Washington Post:
The Jindal Phenomenon — Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal — selected to deliver the Republicans' Fat Tuesday response to President Obama — might also be voted the man least likely to let the good times roll. Slight, earnest, deeply religious and supremely wonkish, Jindal resembles neither …
Paul Krugman:
What should government do? A Jindal meditation — What is the appropriate role of government? — Traditionally, the division between conservatives and liberals has been over the role and size of the welfare state: liberals think that the government should play a large role in sanding off …
Ace / Ace of Spades HQ:
Jindal's Response... Awful. He walked out like an earnest dork and has a weird inflection, trying to sound upbeat and sunny when it's clearly not his natural metier. It sounds false, and he looks false. — I don't care how much of a star Jindal is, America doesn't elect somewhat-off dorks as president.
Discussion:
The New Republic, The Poor Man Institute, Your Right Hand Thief, Gawker, TBogg and The Daily Dish
Sandra Sobieraj Westfall / People.com:
Michelle Obama: White House Dog Coming Soon! — Michelle and Barack Obama with daughters Malia, left, and Sasha — The whole world, it seems, wants to know: What kind of dog are the Obamas getting and, for goodness sake, when? — Speaking to PEOPLE at the White House recently …
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Fox News:
Obama Family Picks Their Dog Breed, But Clash on Name — The Obamas are getting their new dog in a matter of weeks. And they have come to some important decisions. — First off, the breed. — First Lady Michelle Obama told People Magazine that the the family wants to find a rescue Portuguese Water dog.
Discussion:
Moonbattery
John Bresnahan / The Politico:
Byrd: Obama in power grab — Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), the longest serving Democratic senator, is criticizing President Obama's appointment of White House “czars” to oversee federal policy, saying these executive positions amount to a power grab by the executive branch.
Discussion:
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The Huffington Post:
Reid: Congressional Budget Increased To Pay GOP Staffers — A ten percent increase in the budget for Congressional operations was needed because Senate Republicans wanted to retain previous staff levels despite having lost roughly 20 percent of their ranks in the 2008 elections, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said Wednesday.
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Byron York / Beltway Confidential:
“A Major Doctrinal Shift for Republicans” — Chief Political Correspondent — I just got off the phone with a very plugged-in Republican strategist who told me that Republican reaction to President Obama's speech, which the party will roll out in the next few days, will mark the beginning …
Discussion:
The New Republic, Political Byline, The Daily Dish, Hot Air, Riehl World View and Little Green Footballs
Andrea Thompson / Yahoo! News:
Gov. Jindal Follow-up: What Is ‘Volcano Monitoring’? — After President Obama's speech on the economy last night, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal criticized government spending in the stimulus bill, citing examples including “$140 million for something called ‘volcano monitoring.’”
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Luke Baker / Reuters:
Exclusive: Lawyer says Guantanamo abuse worse since Obama — LONDON (Reuters) - Abuse of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay has worsened sharply since President Barack Obama took office as prison guards “get their kicks in” before the camp is closed, according to a lawyer who represents detainees.
M Peretz / The New Republic:
Chas Freeman Is Bigoted And Out Of Touch — Here is the most stunning prospective appointment of the Obama administration as yet. Not stunning as in “spectacular” or “distinguished” but stunning as in bigoted and completely out of synch with the deepest convictions of the American people.
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Brian Montopoli / CBS News:
Poll: Positive Reception For Obama Address — UPDATED WITH FINAL RESULTS CBS News and Knowledge Networks held a nationally representative poll of 534 people who watched President Obama give his address to Congress to gauge their reaction in the minutes after the president's speech.
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Conor Clarke / The Atlantic Politics Channel:
America invented everything — Two of Obama's claims from the SOTU: … and … After a period of prolonged study and meditation (ie, I consulted Wikipedia for 45 minutes after the speech), I have concluded that these claims are questionable at best and false at worst.
Media Matters / Media Matters for America:
Will's “final thought” on Obama speech: “I don't know when men started to hug each other, but hug they do, and look at that”
Discussion:
The New Republic
David Stout / New York Times:
Justices Rule Sect Cannot Force Placing of Monument — WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Wednesday, in one of the most closely watched free speech decisions in years, that a tiny religious sect could not force a Utah city to let it erect a monument to its faith in a public park.
Lane Hudson / The Huffington Post:
United Pilot Insults Sully — I just flew on United Airlines Flight 918 from Dulles to Heathrow. Once we reached cruising altitude, the pilot interrupted the display of airspeed, altitude, and temperature on the backs of the seat in front of passengers. What I expected to be the usual welcome …
Discussion:
Political Byline
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Coming back to Romney — The Republican Party is, understandably, extremely eager to put forward a new, new face, and so maybe it's no coincidence that of the three who have come to the fore post-election — Sarah Palin, Michael Steele, and Bobby Jindal, none are white men.
Minneapolis Star Tribune:
Setbacks for Coleman grow at Senate recount trial — Attorneys for Norm Coleman conferred Tuesday during the recount trial in St. Paul. Tony Trimble is at left, Ben Ginsberg is at right and Joe Friedberg has his back to the camera. — Judges allowed marks to be removed and heard other ballots were properly rejected.
Maureen Dowd / New York Times:
I Ponied Up for Sheryl Crow? — Talk about being teed off. — The economy is croaking and bankers are still partying at a golf tournament here on our dime. — It's a good argument for nationalization, or better yet, internationalization. Outsource the jobs of these perfidious …
Mark Silva / The Swamp:
Joe Biden's number: 'I'm embarrassed' — The president may be a BlackBerry fanatic, but the vice president is having a little trouble with his Web-sites - the one, indeed, which the president set up to track all the stimulus spending. — And Vice President Joe Biden is the one charged …
Lynnley Browning / New York Times:
Group of Rich Americans Sues UBS to Keep Names Secret in Tax Case — UBS was sued on Tuesday in a Swiss federal court by wealthy American clients seeking to prevent the disclosure of their identities as part of a tax-evasion investigation by the United States Justice Department.
Marianne Lavelle / The Center for Public Integrity:
The Climate Change Lobby Explosion — WILL THOUSANDS OF LOBBYISTS IMPERIL ACTION ON GLOBAL WARMING? — In his address to a joint session of Congress, President Barack Obama pledged nothing less than a transformation in the way America uses energy in order to “save our planet from the ravages …
Discussion:
The Atlantic Politics Channel
Reid Wilson / The Hill:
Democratic governor may reject stimulus funding — Phil Bredesen may become the first Democratic governor to reject some funding earmarked for his state in the stimulus package. — Tennessee Gov. Bredesen, who is reported to be on the shortlist to take over the Department of Health and Human Services …
Discussion:
The Swamp
Joel Kotkin / Newgeography.com:
The Decline of Los Angeles — Next week, Antonio Villaraigosa will be overwhelmingly re-elected mayor of Los Angeles. Do not, however, take the size of his margin - he faces no significant opposition - as evidence that all is well in the city of angels. — Whatever His Honor says to the media …
Discussion:
Kausfiles
Spectator:
The Age Of Obama — WASHINGTON - FEBRUARY 24: U.S. President Barack Obama addresses a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress February 24, 2009 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images. — And so it begins. The contrast between Barack Obama last night and George W Bush was striking.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Political Machine, Washington Monthly, Matthew Yglesias, The New Republic and The Opinionator
Wall Street Journal:
Bank Stress Test Details Unveiled — WASHINGTON — U.S. officials unveiled details Wednesday of how they plan to convert preferred shares the U.S. Treasury holds in hundreds of financial institutions into common stock that would help banks survive an even worse-than-projected economic downturn.
Discussion:
Indecision
Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:
Reporter Loses Job Over Altered Video Of Fox's Gibson — A Baltimore television reporter has lost his job after acknowledging that he doctored a video to make it appear that Fox News Radio host John Gibson had made a racial slur. — In the bogus video, which was picked up across the Internet …
Discussion:
Hot Air
Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
DC Statehood — Ryan Avent writes about the country's abhorrent treatment of residents of the capital: … A few points about this. To actually admit DC as a state of the union would only require a majority vote in both houses of congress. To meet the constitutional requirements …