Top Items:
Marc Ambinder / The Atlantic Politics Channel:
Ross Douthat's New Perch — It's one step back for the Atlantic, but an order of magnitude forward for the country: my colleagues and I learned today that senior editor Ross Douthat will, in short order, become an opinion columnist for the New York Times. — Ross is late-twenties-year-old …
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Ross Douthat:
The Times and Me — As Marc is reporting (amid many undeserved compliments), I'll be leaving the Atlantic to join the New York Times next month. I'll have more to say on this front soon, but for now the only thing to say is thanks - to the Atlantic, for everything and then some …
Bill Sammon / Fox News:
Flashback: Carville Wanted Bush to Fail — The press never reported that Democratic strategist James Carville said he wanted President Bush to fail before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But a feeding frenzy ensued when radio host Rush Limbaugh recently said he wanted President Obama to fail.
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Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
CARVILLE THEN, LIMBAUGH NOW.... Fox News' Bill Sammon has an interesting piece today that some on the right are excited about. I don't think they've thought this one through. (thanks to reader D.D. for the tip) … Some conservatives are already pointing to a possible double-standard.
Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Flashback: Minutes before 9/11 attacks, Carville said he hoped Bush wouldn't succeed
Flashback: Minutes before 9/11 attacks, Carville said he hoped Bush wouldn't succeed
Discussion:
Moe_Lane's blog
Muriel Kane / The Raw Story:
Hersh: ‘Executive assassination ring’ reported directly to Cheney — Investigative reporter Seymour Hersh dropped a bombshell on Tuesday when he told an audience at the University of Minnesota that the military was running an “executive assassination ring” throughout the Bush years …
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Eric Black / MinnPost:
Investigative reporter Seymour Hersh describes ‘executive assassination ring’ — Journalist Seymour Hersh speaking in Doha at an Al Jazeera forum on the media in 2007. — At a “Great Conversations” event at the University of Minnesota last night, legendary investigative reporter Seymour Hersh …
Discussion:
Emptywheel
Roll Call:
Heard on the Hill: Vitter Goes From Hookergate to Gate-Crashing — Among Members of Congress, there's a long-standing, proud tradition of the Airport Freakout. Add to the list of those who've indulged in meltdowns and temper tantrums while traveling one Sen. David Vitter …
Discussion:
Hotline On Call, Michael Calderone's Blog, The Swamp, Political Machine, FishBowlDC and TPMDC
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The Times-Picayune / New Orleans Times-Picayune:
Sen. David Vitter says airport gate incident overstated
Sen. David Vitter says airport gate incident overstated
John Byrne / The Raw Story:
GOP senator flips out at airline, sets off security alarm
GOP senator flips out at airline, sets off security alarm
Discussion:
The Huffington Post
Democracy Corps:
Rush Limbaugh Weighs Down Heavily on Republicans — Read the full memo: — Overview — With a national debate raging over the place of radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh in the Republican Party, a new national survey from Democracy Corps and Greenberg Quinlan Rosner finds that Limbaugh weighs …
RADAR:
BRISTOL PALIN & LEVI JOHNSTON BREAK OFF ENGAGEMENT — Sarah Palin's 18-year-old daughter Bristol has reportedly broken off her engagement with Levi Johnston, the father of her 2-month-old son Tripp. It's surprising because in an interview just last month with FOX's Gretta Van Susteren …
Stephen Labaton / New York Times:
Some Banks, Feeling Chained, Want to Return Bailout Money — WASHINGTON — The list of demands keeps getting longer. — Financial institutions that are getting government bailout funds have been told to put off evictions and modify mortgages for distressed homeowners.
Discussion:
The New Republic, MoJo Blog Posts, Dealbreaker, Reason, ProPublica, Daily Kos, Portfolio and The Liberty Papers
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Michael Calderone / Michael Calderone's Blog:
NYT's Baquet defends handling of Freeman — For nearly three weeks, the nomination of Chas Freeman as chairman of the National Intelligence Council has been a hot-button issue among bloggers. — That's included those holding strong foreign policy positions—especially relating to Israel and China …
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Lisa Belkin / New York Times:
Motherlode: Obama's Council on Women — President Obama has just signed an executive order establishing the “White House Council on Women and Girls.” The purpose of the new group “is to ensure that American women and girls are treated fairly in all matters of public policy,” he said at the signing.
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Alan Greenspan / Wall Street Journal:
The Fed Didn't Cause the Housing Bubble — Any new regulations should help direct savings toward productive investments. — We are in the midst of a global crisis that will unquestionably rank as the most virulent since the 1930s. It will eventually subside and pass into history.
Discussion:
Matthew Yglesias, QandO, The Big Picture, At-Largely, The Swamp, Michael Barone and Economist's View
Washington Post:
Obama Signs Spending Bill, Calls for Earmark Guidelines — President Obama today signed what he called an “imperfect” spending bill to keep the government running even though it contains thousands of lawmakers' pet projects, but he called for more rigorous review of future projects …
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John Aravosis / AMERICAblog News:
GOP chair Steele appears to disparage Republicans on Hill as “scurrying mice” — The Republican civil war continues. — Very weird quote from chairman of the Republican National Committee Michael Steele. … Sounds like stage two of a two-stage process to get himself fired.
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Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:
Approval of Congress Hits Four-Year High, Fueled by Dems — PRINCETON, NJ — Americans' job approval rating of Congress is up an additional 8 points this month, after a 12-point increase last month, and now stands at 39% — the most positive assessment of Congress since February 2005.
Neil Cavuto / Fox News:
Rep. Ron Paul Defends His Earmarks in Spending Bill — This is a rush transcript from “Your World With Neil Cavuto,” March 10, 2009. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated. — NEIL CAVUTO, HOST: Speaking of a lot of money, the battle about the money they're spending …
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Michael Kranish / Boston Globe:
Now-needy FDIC collected little in premiums — With fund going strong, banks didn't pay for decade — WASHINGTON - The federal agency that insures bank deposits, which is asking for emergency powers to borrow up to $500 billion to take over failed banks, is facing a potential major shortfall …
Aaron Blake / The Hill:
Coleman supporters' private info likely breached — Norm Coleman's Senate campaign said Wednesday that the private information of its supporters has probably been breached and is encouraging them to cancel their credit cards. — Coleman backers began receiving e-mails Tuesday night …
Andrew S. Grove / Washington Post:
Mr. President, Time to Rein In The Chaos — There is nothing more difficult . . . than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. — Machiavelli's 500-year-old warning notwithstanding, we elected a president who is committed to “change.”
Joe Conason / New York Times:
Dumbest Proposal Ever? — If President Barack Obama's response to the economic crisis is imperfect, as he acknowledges, and if the Congressional Democrats leave much to be desired as well, then Americans can at least be thankful that the nation's fate has not been consigned to the frozen minds on the other side of the aisle.
Discussion:
Hullabaloo
Thomas L. Friedman / New York Times:
This Is Not a Test. This Is Not a Test. — It's always great to see the stock market come back from the dead. But I am deeply worried that our political system doesn't grasp how much our financial crisis can still undermine everything we want to be as a country. Friends, this is not a test.
Discussion:
Think Progress, Brian Beutler, Democracy in America, The Independent, Brilliant at Breakfast, NewsBusters.org and Corrente
Ron Kampeas / JTA:
Ex-AIPACer Rosen suing former employer for defamation — WASHINGTON (JTA) — Steve Rosen, the former AIPAC foreign policy chief charged with receiving classified information, is suing his former employer for defamation, JTA has learned. — Rosen filed a civil action March 2 in the District …
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog
James Fallows / The Atlantic Online:
China's Way Forward — OUR APARTMENT IN Beijing overlooks one of the city's long-distance bus terminals, where people arrive from the countryside to find work or sell wares, and depart for visits or permanent returns to their home villages. Early last summer, the terminal was jammed, and most of the passengers were leaving town.
Discussion:
The Peking Duck
Barbara Barrett / Raleigh News & Observer:
Edwards talks about poverty, stays silent on paternity — PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Former U.S. Sen. John Edwards took another tentative step into the public spotlight tonight, speaking at Brown University about extreme poverty around the world and urging Americans to get involved in what he called a “fundamental moral issue.”
Geoff Earle / New York Post:
REVEALED: PELOSI'S ‘AIR RAGE’ — WASHINGTON - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has gone from frequent flier to jet-aircraft connoisseur, with aides berating military officials to get the best planes, e-mails revealed yesterday. — Pelosi, who clashed with the military to get nonstop service …