Top Items:
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.
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Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:
Citi Downgrades Stock Rating on Wal-Mart, Panics Market Over Employee Free Choice — Who owns you, Blanche? — Today Citigroup lowered its rating on Wal-Mart from a buy to a hold because of the Employee Free Choice Act, “citing concern that legislation intended to make it easier for employees …
Kevin Bogardus / The Hill:
Democrats introduce card-check, vow to move it — Democrats on Tuesday introduced controversial labor legislation making it easier for workers to organize, formally kicking off the biggest lobbying fight between business and labor in decades. — The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) …
Discussion:
The Swamp
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
MAYBE THEY WEREN'T PAYING ATTENTION.... I can appreciate why the right is angry that President Obama disagrees with conservative activists about culture-war issues. What I don't understand is why they're so surprised. … Fidelis president Brian Burch said, “It has really been a disappointment.”
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Carrie Budoff Brown / The Politico:
Stem cell decision ignites right's ire
Stem cell decision ignites right's ire
Discussion:
Top of the Ticket
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Chas Freeman On Verge Of Make Or Break Moment — We really are on the verge of a make or break moment for Chas Freeman, Obama's pick to head the National Intelligence Council, who the pro-Israel lobby and the neocons are trying to take down over his Israel views and foreign ties.
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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, USA Today, Associated Press, Washington Post, Agence France Presse and Lance Mannion
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Jonathan Martin / The Politico:
Obama takes on teachers' unions
Obama takes on teachers' unions
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, The Foundry, The Corner, Associated Press, Political Machine and MSNBC
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
New U.N. human rights report and America's lectures to other countries — (updated below - Update II) — The Washington Post's Fred Hiatt today condemns the Obama administration generally and Hillary Clinton specifically for “continu[ing] to devalue and undermine the U.S. diplomatic tradition of human rights advocacy.”
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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.
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
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 …
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 …
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Manu Raju / The Politico:
Franken: ‘Light at end of the tunnel’ — Al Franken dropped by a Senate Democratic lunch Tuesday to claim “there is light at the end of the tunnel” in his ongoing Minnesota Senate race, but he ruled out being seated until pending court challenges are resolved.
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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.
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.
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
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Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Yes We Can! — My friend Jazz Shaw has an, er, interesting …
Yes We Can! — My friend Jazz Shaw has an, er, interesting …
Discussion:
Riehl World View
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 …
David Brooks / New York Times:
Taking a Depression Seriously — The Democratic response to the economic crisis has its problems, but let's face it, the current Republican response is totally misguided. The House minority leader, John Boehner, has called for a federal spending freeze for the rest of the year.
Discussion:
WillCollier.com, Washington Monthly, Prairie Weather, The Sundries Shack, LewRockwell.com Blog, MyDD, Economist's View and TPMDC
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.
Discussion:
Matthew Yglesias
CNN:
House votes to create panel to plan Reagan centennial — WASHINGTON (CNN) - The House voted Monday night to approve the creation of a panel to plan a celebration of the centennial of Ronald Reagan's birth in February of 2011. — Earmark opponent Jeff Flake and former presidential candidate Ron Paul …