Top Items:
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
DAVID BROOKS GETS SHRILL.... Just yesterday I argued that respectable figures of the political establishment are reluctant to call obvious stupidity “stupid,” especially when it comes to truly painful ideas like a spending freeze in the midst of the economic crisis.
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Ryan Powers / Think Progress:
Brooks: Boehner's spending freeze would be ‘insane,’ GOP is ‘stuck with Reagan.’ — This morning on ABC's This Week, conservative columnist David Brooks addressed House Minority Leader John Boehner's recent call for a “freeze on government spending” in response to the quickly worsening economic conditions.
NY Daily News:
Spitzer choked her during sex, says call girl — His political rivals used to accuse Eliot Spitzer of going for the jugular. Now a new call girl is claiming the former governor literally went for hers — claiming he wrapped his fingers around her neck during some kinky role-playing.
New York Times:
G.O.P. Senators Say Some Big Banks Can Be Allowed to Fail — John McCain and Richard C. Shelby, two high-profile Republican senators, said on Sunday that the government should allow a number of the biggest American banks to fail. — “Close them down, get them out of business,” Mr. Shelby …
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Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
OY — If nothing else is clear in our current crisis, it is that the only thing more bankrupt than the big banks is the debate over whether or not to nationalize them. On This Week this morning, Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) said he opposed nationalization but thought insolvent banks should be closed down.
Patterico's Pontifications:
Democrats Have No Right To Be Snooty About Rush Not Wanting the President to Succeed — Let's put aside arguments about Rush Limbaugh for the time being and recognize that he's undeniably right about this: … I think we all know the answer to that — but here's some hard proof.
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Frank Schaeffer / The Huffington Post:
Open Letter to the Republican Traitors (From a Former Republican) — Dear Republican Leaders: The Republican Party has become the party dedicated to sabotaging the American future. Check out the sermon I just delivered about the Republican Party on CNN when being interviewed by D.L. Hughley — and/or read on.
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars
Greyhawk / Mudville Gazette:
Diversions (III) — Remember the Iraq drawdown you heard about last month? The one where a Brigade originally scheduled for Iraq was going to Afghanistan instead? Well, a funny thing about that... Last weekend we noted this obscure bit of news from ABC:
Discussion:
BLACKFIVE
Thomas L. Friedman / New York Times:
The Inflection Is Near? — Sometimes the satirical newspaper The Onion is so right on, I can't resist quoting from it. Consider this faux article from June 2005 about America's addiction to Chinese exports: … Let's today step out of the normal boundaries of analysis of our economic crisis …
Reuters:
Iran test-fires new missile - media — TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran has test-fired a new air-to-surface missile, Iranian media reported on Sunday, in the Islamic Republic's latest display of its military capability. — The missile test was carried out despite the offer by the administration …
Discussion:
Don Surber
David G. Savage / Los Angeles Times:
Clarence Thomas, Supreme Court liberal? — In a decision last week against the drug company Wyeth, it was the court's most conservative justice who most harshly criticized a Bush administration legal policy. — Reporting from Washington — The Supreme Court opinion that drew the most praise …
Discussion:
The Swamp
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Edmund L. Andrews / New York Times:
World Bank Says Global Economy Will Shrink in '09 — WASHINGTON — The economic crisis that started with junk mortgages in the United States is causing havoc for poorer countries around the world, not only stifling their growth but choking off their access to credit as well, the World Bank said on Sunday.
Tom Blumer / NewsBusters.org:
Tea Parties? What Tea Parties? Predictably, Established Media Coverage of Tea Party Protests Is Sparse — Coverage of “tea party” protests in various cities around the country (this March 4 Pajamas Media press release, HT to FreeRepublic, cited 22 locations on February 27 and seven this weekend) …
John Amato / Crooks and Liars:
Chris Wallace and Hume on Wall Street: “Is this an ‘Obama bear market?’ — John Amato's virtual online magazine...OK, It's a blog! — Home- Archives — Tags Directory — Contact Us- Donate- FAQ — Advertising- Commenting- General Problems- Media Problems- Supported Browsers- User Registration
Scott / Power Line:
WHAT PRICE CHURCHILL? — Ted Bromund notes that upon entering office President Obama returned a bronze bust of Winston Churchill that had been on loan as a symbol of the Special Relationship from the British Government to the United States since 9/11. According to Newsweek's report …
Gene Weingarten / Washington Post:
Fatal Distraction — Forgetting a child in the back seat of a hot, parked car is a horrifying, inexcusable mistake. But is it a crime? — The defendant was an immense man, well over 300 pounds, but in the gravity of his sorrow and shame he seemed larger still.
Discussion:
Majikthise
Lindsey Baguio / Orange County Register:
Thousands join talk show hosts in tax protest — Officials estimate more than 8,000 people showed up in downtown Fullerton to protest tax hikes in budget deal. — Recommend — FULLERTON - They're revolting. Families with children, bikers, seniors, pirates - by the thousands descended …
Washington Post:
The Next Hit: Quick Defaults — More FHA-Backed Mortgages Go Bad Without a Single Payment — The last time the housing market was this bad, Congress set up the Federal Housing Administration to insure Depression-era mortgages that lenders wouldn't otherwise make.