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7:15 PM ET, March 10, 2009

Top Items:

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Controversial intelligence pick withdraws — Charles Freeman, the Obama administration's choice to head the National Intelligence Council, has withdrawn from consideration after facing strong opposition from Senate Republicans. — Freeman is the latest in a string of Obama administration appointees …

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Michelle Malkin, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, The Strata-Sphere, Wall Street Journal and Newshoggers.com

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:

Freeman's withdrawal — My first take, with Rep. Mark Kirk and Ambassador Nicholas Veliotes weighing in:

Discussion: Mondoweiss

Ben Smith / The Politico:

Chas Freeman pulls out — The controversial appointee to chair President Barack Obama's National Intelligence Council walked away from the job Tuesday as criticism on Capitol Hill escalated. — Charles W. Freeman Jr., the former ambassador to Saudi Arabia, had been praised by allies …

Discussion: Boston Globe, Outside The Beltway, Associated Press and QandO

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:

Schumer Takes Credit For Getting Chas Freeman Ousted — Chuck Schumer's office sends over a statement from the Senator himself, saying he's the one who got Chas Freeman dumped from the post of National Intelligence Council chief: … As I reported the other day, Schumer had privately communicated …

Discussion: The Washington Independent and Brian Beutler

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:

The Freeman Precedent — There are a couple of things worth noting about this minor, yet major, Washington spat. The first is that the MSM has barely covered it as a news story, and the entire debate occurred in the blogosphere. I don't know why. But that would be a very useful line of inquiry for a media journalist.

Spencer Ackerman / The Washington Independent:
Chas Freeman's Out — Just released from Director …

Discussion: Think Progress, JTA, The Cable, Commentary, Democracy in America, Weekly Standard, Matthew Yglesias and Wonk Room

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
Charles Freeman fails the loyalty test

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blogs, Mondoweiss, The Daily Dish and Blogs and Stories

Michael Goldfarb / Weekly Standard:
The Most Dishonest Freeman Defense

Discussion: Washington Post, Pajamas Media, Commentary, The Raw Story and The Corner

Ira Forman / The Huffington Post:
Questioning the Patriotism of Freeman's Critics

Discussion: The New Republic and AMERICAblog News

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Chas Freeman On Verge Of Make Or Break Moment

Discussion: Weekly Standard and Mondoweiss

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Freeman's out — A statement from ODNI just now:

Discussion: Hot Air and Yourish.com

Wall Street Journal:

Labor Bill Faces Threat in Senate — WASHINGTON — Key Senate Democrats are wavering in their support of legislation that would give more power to labor unions, dealing a setback to labor's top priority as businesses warn of the damage the bill would cause.

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, Business Week, The Moderate Voice, Open Congress, Daily Kos, Hot Air, Taylor Marsh, neo-neocon, Democracy in America, FAIR Blog, Open Left and Sister Toldjah

The Huffington Post:

Ben Nelson Opposes Employee Free Choice Act — Ben Nelson will once again be playing a key role in Senate negotiations over a major legislative drive. The centrist Nebraska Democrat told reporters Tuesday afternoon that he does not currently support the Employee Free Choice Act —

Discussion: Firedoglake, CBS News, Think Progress, The Huffington Post, TPMDC, George's Bottom Line, Brian Beutler and SEIU

Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:
Citi Downgrades Stock Rating on Wal-Mart, Panics Market Over Employee Free Choice

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, ATTACKERMAN, The Plum Line and Club for Growth

Holly Rosenkrantz / Bloomberg:
Wal-Mart May Win Democrats Unions Need on Card-Check

Discussion: DownWithTyranny!, Commentary and Congress Matters

Jonathan Tasini / The Huffington Post: Democratic Senators: Mess With EFCA, Face A Primary

Steven Greenhouse / The Caucus:
Union Legislation Drive Begins in Congress

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Washington Whispers and The Atlantic Politics Channel

Kevin Bogardus / The Hill:
Democrats introduce card-check, vow to move it

Discussion: The Swamp

The Hill:
A Vote for Cloture is a vote against the Secret Ballot

Discussion: The Politico

Wade Henderson / American Prospect:
THE EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE WARS BEGIN.

Discussion: MarketWatch, Hullabaloo and The Huffington Post

Paul Krugman:

Can America be saved? — So I read this: … and I wonder if this country can handle the crisis we're in. Remember, John Boehner is, in effect, the second-most influential member of the GDP (after Rush Limbaugh). And while Democrats hold a majority, it's not enough of a majority to make the minority party irrelevant.

Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
The Chamber Mobilizes — I'm probably not breaking any news …

Discussion: Washington Post

William Saletan / Slate:

You just won the stem-cell war. Don't lose your soul. — Today, President Obama lifted the ban on federal funding of stem-cell research using destroyed human embryos. If you support this research, congratulations: You won. Now for your next challenge: Don't lose your soul.

Discussion: neo-neocon and Crunchy Con

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
MAYBE THEY WEREN'T PAYING ATTENTION.... I can appreciate …

Discussion: Comments from Left Field and The Mahablog

Carrie Budoff Brown / The Politico:
Stem cell decision ignites right's ire

Discussion: Top of the Ticket

New York Times:

Obama Calls for Changes to the Education System — WASHINGTON — President Obama called for sweeping changes in American education on Tuesday, urging states to lift limits on charter schools and exhorting teachers, parents and students to embrace a renewed commitment to learning from grade school through adulthood.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The New Republic, The Politico, Washington Post, USA Today, Associated Press, Agence France Presse and Lance Mannion

CNN:
Obama makes call for sweeping education reform

Discussion: Reuters, Los Angeles Times and Stop The ACLU

Fox News:

Pelosi Made Repeated Requests for Military Aircraft, Documents Show — Representatives for Judicial Watch, which obtained e-mails and other documents showing the requests, say House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has treated the Air Force as her “personal airline.” — FOXNews.com

Discussion: Townhall.com and WillCollier.com

Ben Smith / The Politico:

The new left-wing conspiracy — The vast new left-wing conspiracy sets its tone every morning at 8:45 a.m., when officials from more than 20 labor, environmental and other Democratic-leaning groups dial into a private conference call hosted by two left-leaning Washington organizations.

Discussion: Commentary, Wizbang, Hot Air, Patterico's Pontifications and Taegan Goddard's …

Michael Calderone / The Politico:

Ann Coulter and Bill Maher spar at Radio City Politico - 1 hour, 52 minutes ago — Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition — NEW YORK — Bill Maher couldn't have asked for a better act to follow. — Maher took the stage at the Radio City Music Hall Monday after Ann Coulter …

Discussion: New York Post

Steve Holland / Reuters:

Vaunted Obama message machine is off-key — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When billionaire investor Warren Buffett says President Barack Obama's economic message is muddled and undermining public confidence, it's worth listening. — Halfway through his first 100 days in office …

Discussion: The Hill's Pundits Blog, Wizbang and Commentary

Bob McCarty Writes:
Heroic Name Given to Photo of President Obama

Discussion: PoliBlog, Outside The Beltway, Michelle Malkin and The Impolitic

The Huffington Post:

McCain Prepping ‘Contract With America’ Style Economic Plan — Sen. John McCain is putting together a major economic plan that will be structured, in some ways, off of Newt Gingrich's famous Contract With America. — In an email obtained by the Huffington Post, the Arizona Republican's chief of staff …

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …, Hullabaloo, Wonkette and PoliticalBase.com Blog

Molly K. Hooper / The Hill:

Cantor: Obama losing focus on economy — House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) seized on the opportunity to criticize the president Tuesday for over-reaching in his first 50 days on the job. — Following the GOP's weekly conference meeting, the second-ranking House Republican told reporters …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, TPMDC, Washington Monthly and AMERICAblog News

Josh Rogin / CQ Politics:

Obama Seeks to Delay Tanker, Cancel Bomber — The White House has given the Pentagon guidance to delay procurement of aerial refueling tankers by five years and cancel plans for a new long-range bomber, according to three sources close to the discussions. — No final decisions have been made …

Discussion: Defense Tech, Weekly Standard, MSNBC, Danger Room, RedState and DoD Buzz

Michael Spencer / Christian Science Monitor:

The coming evangelical collapse — An anti-Christian chapter in Western history is about to begin. But out of the ruins, a new vitality and integrity will rise. — ONEIDA, KY. - — We are on the verge - within 10 years - of a major collapse of evangelical Christianity.

Discussion: The Daily Dish, CNN, Pharyngula, The Mahatma X Files, The League of Ordinary …, Outside The Beltway, Macsmind, American Power, Crunchy Con and insert clever s.logan here

Christopher Keating / Capitol Watch:

Catholic Church Hearing Canceled Wednesday — Following the biggest political firestorm of the 2009 legislative session, a public hearing scheduled for Wednesday on the financial and administrative management of the Catholic Church has been canceled. The bill is dead for the rest of the legislative session.

Discussion: Hot Air

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Yes We Can! — My friend Jazz Shaw has an, er, interesting …

Discussion: Riehl World View

Walter Alarkon / The Hill:

Conrad: Obama budget lacks votes — Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) said Tuesday that President Obama's budget plan doesn't have enough support from lawmakers right now to win approval. — Conrad said that he has spoken to enough colleagues with reservations …

Discussion: Michelle Malkin

Roger Kimball / Pajamas Media:

The Idiot's Guide to Destroying the Economy: a 12-Step Program — Think destroying the mighty economy of the United States is too big a job for you? Relax. Anyone can do it. A friend sent me a handy-dandy no-fuss 12-step program for wreaking financial havoc among even the world's most advanced economies.