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pick withdraws — Charles Freeman, the Obama administration's choice to head the National Intelligence Council, has withdrawn from consideration after facing strong opposition from Senate Republicans.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 …
RELATED:
Laura Rozen / The Cable:
Freeman speaks out on his exit — Retired Amb. Chas Freeman, who said today that he no longer accepts an offer to chair the National Intelligence Council, has just sent this message: … More to come.
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 …
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.
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:
Associated Press, Boston Globe, RedState, In From the Cold, Outside The Beltway and QandO
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Freeman's withdrawal — My first take, with Rep. Mark Kirk and Ambassador Nicholas Veliotes weighing in:
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
Charles Freeman fails the loyalty test — (updated below - Update II - Update III - Update IV) — Obviously, John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt are rabid, hateful paranoids — total bigots and anti-Semites — for having suggested that there are powerful domestic political forces in the U.S …
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, MyDD, Business Week, Open Congress, The Moderate Voice, Daily Kos, Hot Air, neo-neocon, Democracy in America, Taylor Marsh, Open Left and FAIR Blog
RELATED:
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, TPMDC, The Huffington Post, Brian Beutler, George's Bottom Line and SEIU
Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:Citi Downgrades Stock Rating on Wal-Mart, Panics Market Over Employee Free Choice
Discussion:
American Prospect, Talking Points Memo, The Caucus, ATTACKERMAN, MarketWatch, The Plum Line, Hullabaloo, Washington Monthly and Club for Growth
Jonathan Tasini / The Huffington Post:Democratic Senators: Mess With EFCA, Face A Primary
Discussion:
Riehl World View
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.
RELATED:
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.
RELATED:
Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:The Chamber Mobilizes — I'm probably not breaking any news …
Discussion:
Washington Post
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
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 …
RELATED:
Justin Elliott / TPMMuckraker:Exclusive: Inside The Pentagon's Idea Factory
Discussion:
Danger Room
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 …
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
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.
RELATED:
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 …
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
RELATED:
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:Yes We Can! — My friend Jazz Shaw has an, er, interesting …
Discussion:
Riehl World View
Reid Wilson / The Hill:
S.C. Rep. Brown to get big-name primary challenger — Rep. Henry Brown Jr. (R-S.C.) will face one of his state's biggest family names in next year's Republican primary — an announcement that came just months after Brown's surprisingly narrow win over a tough Democratic challenger.
Discussion:
Scorecard's Blogs
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.
The Huffington Post:
LaHood Hits Back Hard Against Charges Of “Socialism,” “Obama Recession” — Secretary of Transportation Ray Lahood hit back hard on Monday to charges from White House critics that President Barack Obama's economic policies — focused on leveraging government spending to stimulate demand …
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.
Senior Data Journalist, NY — 
Manager - Publishing Editorial, Manila — 
Oil Reporter, Singapore — 
Newsperson - State Govt. & Politics, CA — 
Business Reporter, SC — 
State Government Reporter, WA — 
Climate Crisis Columnist — 
Multimedia Journalist, CA — 
Community Engagement Mgr., DC — 
Senior California Politics Reporter, CA — 
Staff Writer - Business, NY — 
Team Editor - Opinion, ON — 
Assistant Correspondent, DC — 
Climate & Weather Reporter, MN — 
Senior Tech Editor, Remote US — 
Lead Business Reporter, TN — 
Managing Editor, WA — 
Private Credit Reporter, NY — 
Trending News Reporter, TX — 
City Correspondent, London — 
Legislative Reporter, CA — 
Reporter, PA — 
Visual Editor, Remote — 
Staff Writer, MI — 
Senior Political Reporter, DC — 
California Playbook Writer, CA — 
National Investigative Reporter, NY — 
Business & Gaming Reporter, NV — 
Coastal Climate Reporter, SC — 
Environment & Energy Reporter, CT — 
Coordinating Editor, OR — 
Editor, Remote US — 
Business Reporter, WA — 
Editor-in-Chief, AZ — 
