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Jon Stewart and Jim Cramer: The Extended Daily Show Interview — Jim Cramer and Jon Stewart went toe-to-toe last night. It was just like Ali-Foreman, only with more head trauma. But you didn't see everything. Much of the interview had to be cut for time. But this is the internet, where all we have is time.
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Portfolio, Econ4U.org, The Huffington Post, Show Tracker, MyDD, BuzzFlash.org, Tower Ticker and MoJo Blog Posts
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Economic Meltdown Not a Laughing Matter — It wasn't a “Brawl Street,” or a thrilla in vanilla. It wasn't a “Daily Show” friendly feud or even much of a discussion. Mostly, the much-hyped Thursday night showdown between Jon Stewart and Jim Cramer, the mercurial host of “Mad Money” on CNBC, felt like a Senate subcommittee hearing.
Discussion:
TVNewser, The New Republic, The Moderate Voice, New York Magazine, DealBook, Greg's Opinion, Freakonomics and Balloon Juice

There's nothing unique about Jim Cramer — Jon Stewart is being widely celebrated today and Jim Cramer/CNBC widely mocked — both rightfully so — for Stewart's devastatingly adversarial interview of Cramer (who, just by the way, is a Marty Peretz creation).

It's true: Jon Stewart has become Edward R. Murrow (updated) — Through karmic guidance, I sprang awake at the exact moment Jon Stewart was beginning his [merciless demolition of] interview with Jim Cramer of CNBC's “Mad Money.” — Yes, it is cliched to praise Stewart as the “true” …

After Being Eviscerated By Jon Stewart, Cramer Skips Morning Show Appearance — Last night, CNBC's Jim Cramer had a brutal face-off with The Daily Show's Jon Stewart. “I understand that you want to make finance entertaining, but it's not a f*cking game,” Stewart told Cramer.

To Catch A Predator — I watched the Daily Show with growing shock last night. Did you expect that? I expected a jolly and ultimately congenial discussion, after some banter. What Cramer walked into was an ambush of anger. He crumbled from the beginning.
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TheZoo

Cramer v. Stewart — The buzz today is Cramer's appearance on Jon Stewart's show. I've been of two minds about this whole fooforaw, which is why I haven't blogged about it. On the one hand, I am not a fan of financial cable news (Bloomberg usually excepted). I think Jim Cramer should be illegal.

Fight Night: Cramer vs. Stewart
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The Assimilated Negro, Firedoglake, Crooks and Liars, Daily Finance, Hullabaloo, The Reaction and AMERICAblog News

White House: Greed will help — The nation's economy used to have too much greed and not enough fear of the future, but now has too much fear and could use a little more “greed” - spending. — Lawrence H. Summers, the White House economic adviser, calls it “the paradox at the heart of the financial crisis. ”
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McCain Threatens to Oppose Interior Nominee Over Reagan Remark — Stephen Power reports on politics. — Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain today denounced as “highly offensive” remarks about Ronald Reagan made by President Barack Obama's nominee for the number two spot at the Department of the Interior.
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Memo to McCain: There are no saints in America, not even St. Ronnie
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Associated Press

“Twitterview” With Sen. John McCain Tuesday
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New York Magazine


Obama's Poll Numbers Are Falling to Earth — It is simply wrong for commentators to continue to focus on President Barack Obama's high levels of popularity, and to conclude that these are indicative of high levels of public confidence in the work of his administration.

Beck: People ‘Pushed To The Wall’ By ‘Political Correctness’ Launch Spree Killings — There was a remarkable segment on Glen Beck's show yesterday, thankfully captured by Matt Corley in which Beck was basically outlining his view that the reason you see spree killings like the one in Alabama …
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How to Leave Afghanistan — ONLY if our troop levels hit 100,000 and fighting floods over into Taliban havens in Pakistan will Washington be likely to look hard at the alternative policy for Afghanistan — withdrawing most American forces and refocusing our power on containing …
Discussion:
Weekly Standard, MyDD, Swampland, ATTACKERMAN, The Nation, Defense Tech, The Washington Independent, The Washington Note and Commentary
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Ann Coulter's Book Sales Head South — Though never exactly shy, Ann Coulter has been especially noisy in her self-promotion lately, inventing a beef with NBC News, arguing with Keith Olbermann over the meaning of a Cornell degree and taking her act on the road with Bill Maher as foil.
Discussion:
Outside The Beltway, The Raw Story, Democracy in America, The Daily Dish and Liberal Values


Coleman v. Franken — The Senate's top Republican Friday urged Norm Coleman to take his fight against Al Franken all the way to the Supreme Court “until we know who won.” — Franken holds a 225-vote lead after a hand recount of ballots cast in November. But Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell …


Ginsburg: Possible court opening soon — Justice tells students there will surely be a photo with new member soon — Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg speaks to students at New England Law School in Boston Friday, saying advice and camaraderie from her fellow justices have helped her in her fight against pancreatic cancer.
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The Hill's Blog Briefing Room

Ya can't make it up: House praises pi — With the world swirling about it, the House took a moment Thursday to honor pi, the Greek letter symbolizing that great constant in mathematics representing the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter.

SC student Ty'Sheoma Bethea's hopes dashed by Sanford's decision to reject $500m in education funds. — Yesterday, ThinkProgress reported that Gov. Mark Sanford's (R-SC) decision to reject $700 million of stimulus funds could result in the firing of up to 7,500 teachers across the state …


Conservative Think Tank Adjusts to Tough Times — Clockwise from bottom-left: Michael Ledeen, Joshua Muravchik and The American magazine — The buzz at this year's American Enterprise Institute gala was, ironically enough, about how much easier it was to get inside.


The Academic Freedom Agenda — WHEN A MARINE HELICOPTER bore George W. Bush away from the Capitol the afternoon of Jan. 20, the American people turned their attention, and desperate hopes, to his successor. Bush, meanwhile, moved into a new home in Dallas and took up the work of his post-presidency.
Discussion:
Prairie Weather

Waters fights back — Rep. Maxine Waters, under fire for a potential conflict of interest involving a bank in which she has a financial interest, is pushing back hard on the allegations with a long, unapologetic statement justifying her advocacy for minority owned banks.


There's No Pill for This Kind of Depression — Six months after the collapse, a “pandemic of fear.” — It is six months since Lehman fell and the crash (or the great recession, or the collapse—it's time it got its name) began. An aspect of the story given less attention than it is due …

Forget Britney; Media Outrage Hits Big Spenders — It could be called “To Catch a Rich Guy.” — The celebrity Web site TMZ and TV shows like “Extra” and “Inside Edition” are expanding their coverage of starlets and Hollywood break-ups to include billion-dollar business scandals and the economic collapse.