Top Items:
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.
RELATED:
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 …
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pick withdraws — Charles Freeman, the Obama administration's choice to head the National Intelligence Council, has withdrawn from consideration after facing strong opposition from Senate Republicans.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, The Politico, Ben Smith's Blogs, The Strata-Sphere, War in Context, Newshoggers.com and Michelle Malkin
Ben Smith / The Politico:
Freeman hits ‘Israel lobby’ on way out — President Barack Obama's controversial pick for a top intelligence post blasted the “Israel lobby” on his way out the door Tuesday, intensifying a debate on the role Israel's allies played in the latest failed Obama appointment.
Discussion:
The Daily Dish, Boston Globe, The Volokh Conspiracy, RedState, In From the Cold, Outside The Beltway and QandO
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 / 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 — 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. which enforce Israel-centric orthodoxies …
Siobhan Gorman / Wall Street Journal:Intelligence Pick Derailed by Critics
Discussion:
Gates of Vienna
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
RELATED:
Judicial Watch:
Judicial Watch Uncovers Documents Detailing Pelosi's Repeated Requests for Military Travel — House Speaker Issued Unprecedented Demands for Military Aircraft and Wasted Taxpayer Resources with Last Minute Cancellations — Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates …
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 …
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:
Ali Frick / Think Progress:Specter on Steele: 'I wouldn't pay a whole lot of attention to him.'
Discussion:
Salon
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.
RELATED:
The Huffington Post:Ben Nelson Opposes Employee Free Choice Act
Discussion:
George's Bottom Line, Firedoglake, The Huffington Post, TPMDC, Think Progress, CBS News, Brian Beutler and SEIU
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
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 …
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
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 …
Will Collier:
Tea Party Conservatives vs. Dinner Party Conservatives — Forget the “liberalterian” or “moderates vs. conservatives” manamana being bantered about recently. What we have today is a scism, and it's between the Tea Party Conservatives and Dinner Party Conservatives.
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.
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
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 …
Rasmussen Reports:
53% Say It's Likely the U.S. Will Enter a Depression Similar to 1930's — Most Americans (53%) now think the United States is at least somewhat likely to enter a 1930's-like depression within the next few years. — The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 39% think this outcome is unlikely.
Discussion:
Pajamas Media
Robert Ballinger / Maryland Department …:
The Maryland Department of the Evironment Continues to Investigate Fly Ash Spill to North Branch Potomac River In West Virginia — MDE Monitoring Clean up and Repair Activities, Investigation is Ongoing — On March 9, 2009, New Page Corp. at the pulp and paper mill located in the Town of Luke …
Conor Clarke / The Atlantic Business Channel:
Politico owner on Moody's default risk list — These small changes are, in... I'll have more on this report later today, but I notice that one of the companies that has been added to Moody's big default risk list (subscription required) is the owner of the Politico: Allbritton Communications Company....
Howard Fineman / Newsweek:
A Turning Tide? — Obama still has the approval of the people, but the establishment is beginning to mumble that the president may not have what it takes. — Surfer that he is, President Obama should know a riptide when he's in one. The center usually is the safest, most productive place in politics …
Discussion:
Firedoglake
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