Top Items:
Alessandra Stanley / New York Times:
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:
Whiskey Fire, The New Republic, DealBook, New York Magazine, Greg's Opinion, The Moderate Voice, TVNewser and Freakonomics
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Eric March / Indecision Forever:
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.
Discussion:
Portfolio, Econ4U.org, The Huffington Post, Show Tracker, MyDD, BuzzFlash.org, Tower Ticker and MoJo Blog Posts
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
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).
Capital Commerce:
Why Jon Stewart Really Attacked Jim Cramer — There was a lively exchange last night on The Daily Show between Jon Stewart and CNBC's Jim Cramer, in which Stewart hammered Cramer and the network for being subservient to Wall Street and not alerting viewers to the coming meltdown.
Amanda Terkel / Think Progress:
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.
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
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.
Discussion:
TheZoo
James Fallows:
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” …
Discussion:
Business Week, Law Blog, The Opinionator, The Corner, The Daily Dish, Mondoweiss, The Caucus, The Nation, Hot Air, Clusterstock, The Assimilated Negro, Guardian, Globe and Mail, Reuters, Firedoglake, Daily Finance, Crooks and Liars, National Review, Taylor Marsh, Your Right Hand Thief, Political Punch, Balkinization and BAGnewsNotes
Washington Wire:
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.
Discussion:
Brian Beutler, Washington Monthly, Think Progress, Wonkette, Shakesville, The Impolitic, PoliGazette, The Huffington Post and Matthew Yglesias
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Philly.com:Memo to McCain: There are no saints in America, not even St. Ronnie
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Associated Press
Jennifer Parker / George's Bottom Line:“Twitterview” With Sen. John McCain Tuesday
Discussion:
New York Magazine
Nedra Pickler / Associated Press:
Obama admin. to end use of term ‘enemy combatant’ — WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is abandoning one of President George W. Bush's key phrases in the war on terrorism: enemy combatant. In court filings Friday, the Justice Department said it will no longer use the term to justify holding prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.
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US Department of Justice:
Department of Justice Withdraws “Enemy Combatant” Definition for Guantanamo Detainees — In a filing today with the federal District Court for the District of Columbia, the Department of Justice submitted a new standard for the government's authority to hold detainees at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility.
Washington Post:
Obama Administration Abandons Use of Term ‘Enemy Combatant’ — The Obama Administration today dropped the term “enemy combatant” to describe those held at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and increased the legal threshold needed to detain them.
Wall Street Journal:
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.
Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
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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Mike Allen / The Politico:
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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Portfolio:
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.
Manu Raju / The Politico:
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 …
David Rogers / The Politico:
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.
Martin Kady II / The Politico:
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.
Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:
Obama's ‘Science’ Fiction — Last week, the White House invited me to a signing ceremony overturning the Bush (43) executive order on stem cell research. I assume this was because I have long argued in these columns and during my five years on the President's Council on Bioethics that …
Associated Press:
Wen Voices Concern Over China's U.S. Treasurys — BEIJING — Premier Wen Jiabao voiced confidence in China's economy, saying his government's finances give it room to spend even more to support growth if needed, but expressed concern about the outlook for the U.S. and the safety of its Treasury bonds.
Associated Press:
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.
Discussion:
The Hill's Blog Briefing Room
David Weigel / The Washington Independent:
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.
Ali Frick / Think Progress:
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 …
James Traub / New York Times:
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
Leslie H. Gelb / New York Times:
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, New York Times, ATTACKERMAN, Swampland, The Nation, Defense Tech, The Washington Note, The Washington Independent and Commentary
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