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, DealBook, New York Magazine, Greg's Opinion, The New Republic, The Moderate Voice and TVNewser
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SteveK / TVNewser:
MSNBC Producers Asked Not To Highlight Cramer/Stewart — A TVNewser tipster tells us MSNBC producers were asked not to incorporate the Jim Cramer/Jon Stewart interview into their shows today. In fact, the only time it came up on MSNBC was during the White House briefing …
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.
Discussion:
Eunomia
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, Lynn Sweet, 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).
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
Megan McArdle:
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.
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 Corner, The Opinionator, The Caucus, Clusterstock, The Daily Dish, The Assimilated Negro, The Nation, Globe and Mail, Guardian, Reuters, Mondoweiss, Hot Air, Firedoglake, Daily Finance, National Review, Political Punch, Your Right Hand Thief, Taylor Marsh and Crooks and Liars
Nedra Pickler / Associated Press:
Obama admin. to end use of term ‘enemy combatant’ — Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition — WASHINGTON - The Obama administration said Friday that it is abandoning one of President George W. Bush's key phrases in the war on terrorism: enemy combatant.
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Adam Serwer / American Prospect:
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION ASSERTS BROAD DETENTION AUTHORITY. — In a filing to a Distict Circuit Court in Washington DC today, the Obama administration declared that they will no longer define detainees at Guantanamo Bay prison as “enemy combatants.” Although the filing affirms the armed forces authority …
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, PoliGazette, The Huffington Post and Matthew Yglesias
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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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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 …
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars
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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.
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Ann Scott Tyson / Washington Post:
Destroyer to Protect Ship Near China
Destroyer to Protect Ship Near China
Discussion:
Shadow Government
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.
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.
Marc Ambinder / The Atlantic Politics Channel:
On AfPak, The Riedel Review Nears Completion — A review of American policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan is nearly finished, according to officials and published reports, and internal drafts should begin to circulate among policymakers as early as next week.
David Brooks / New York Times:
‘No Picnic for Me Either’ — In his education speech this week, Barack Obama retold a by-now familiar story. When he was a boy, his mother would wake him up at 4:30 to tutor him for a few hours before he went off to school. When young Barry complained about getting up so early …
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
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