Top Items:
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
WHY IT'S CUTTING — Like you, I've been watching this AIG bonus story unfold over the weekend. And though I did not see it at first, I think it may prove to be a turning point, both for AIG and the government. — I don't believe the bonuses themselves are the heart of the matter …
Discussion:
The Impolitic, The Mahablog, PBD, Obsidian Wings, AMERICAblog News, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Reaction, Firedoglake, Washington Wire and TIME.com
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Adam Nagourney / New York Times:
Obama Braces for a Backlash Over Wall Street Bailouts — WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is increasingly concerned about a populist backlash against banks and Wall Street, worried that anger at financial institutions could also end up being directed at Congress and the White House and could complicate President Obama's agenda.
Discussion:
The Hill, Michelle Malkin, The New Republic, Democracy in America, TalkLeft, Hot Air, Open Left, QandO, Wilshire & Washington, Bloomberg, Jules Crittenden, theheretik.us, Brilliant at Breakfast, The Plum Line, Commentary, The Strata-Sphere, The Politico, AMERICAblog News, DISSENTING JUSTICE, DealBook, The Huffington Post, TIME.com, Althouse and CNN
Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:
Who Stole Our Country, and How are We Going to Get It Back? — digg it — The White House is worried about backlash over AIG's payout of $450 million in bonuses to the executives in its high flying Financial Services Group, the out-of-control derivatives trading arm that looted the company …
Wall Street Journal:
AIG Faces Growing Wrath Over Payouts — Troubled insurer American International Group Inc., now 80% owned by U.S. taxpayers, spent the weekend deflecting mounting criticism of how government funds have been funneled to various banks and used to pay employee bonuses at the business unit that almost sank the company.
Mary Williams Walsh / New York Times:
A.I.G. Lists Which Banks It Paid With U.S. Bailout Funds
A.I.G. Lists Which Banks It Paid With U.S. Bailout Funds
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, CNN, The Big Picture, Connecting.the.Dots, Washington Post, Spin Cycle, The New Republic and DownWithTyranny!
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
A Continent Adrift — I'm concerned about Europe. Actually, I'm concerned about the whole world — there are no safe havens from the global economic storm. But the situation in Europe worries me even more than the situation in America. — Just to be clear, I'm not about to rehash …
Gary Langer / ABCNEWS:
Dramatic Advances Sweep Iraq, Boosting Support for Democracy — ABC News/BBC/NHK National Survey of Iraq — Dramatic advances in public attitudes are sweeping Iraq, with declining violence, rising economic well-being and improved services lifting optimism, fueling confidence in public institutions …
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Chris Cillizza / Washington Post:
To Urge Passage of Budget, Obama E-Mails His Campaign Army — President Obama will kick off an all-out grass-roots effort today urging Congress to pass his $3.55 trillion budget, activating the extensive campaign apparatus he built during his successful 2008 candidacy for the first time since taking office.
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David Lightman / McClatchy Washington Bureau:
Greatest threat to Obama spending plan? Moderate Dems — WASHINGTON — Government spending on most domestic programs is growing at its fastest pace in nearly 30 years, and a lot of worried Democrats are seeking ways to rewrite and reduce the size of President Barack Obama's budget proposals.
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Shelby Steele / Wall Street Journal:
Why the GOP Can't Win With Minorities — Today conservatism is stigmatized in our culture as an antiminority political philosophy. In certain quarters, conservatism is simply racism by another name. And minorities who openly identify themselves as conservatives are still novelties, fish out of water.
Discussion:
Neptunus Lex
William Kristol / PostPartisan:
AIG Bonus Babies — The AIG moment feels like a big one. Public distaste for both the Bush and Obama administrations' handlinig of the financial crisis seems to be crystallizing in response to the reports of bonuses for executives at the AIG financial products subsidiary …
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MSNBC:
March 15: Romer, Cantor, roundtable — Dr. Christina Romer, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), David Frum, Katty Kay, Steve Liesman, Tavis Smiley — MR. DAVID GREGORY: Our issues this Sunday: Mixed signals for the economy. Stocks rally but wealth sharply declines, jobless claims reach another high …
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Richard Kerbaj / Times of London:
Thousands of girls mutilated in Britain — The NHS is offering to reverse female circumcision amid concerns that there are 500 victims a year with no prosecutions — The NHS is to advertise free operations to reverse female circumcisions, with experts warning that each year more than 500 British girls have their genitals mutilated.
Discussion:
Jihad Watch
Stacy Schiff / New York Magazine:
Sexual Politics — How long has it been since a First Couple seemed to want each other? — Look, Ma, no hands! Only one cool forehead and some extra-strength hairspray touch, and yet everything combusts in this Inauguration Night photo. Not since Doris Day and Rock Hudson split a pair of pajamas …
Aaron Blake / The Hill:
Ruling may not be enough to fill Minn. Senate seat — A three-judge panel has the result of the Minnesota Senate race in its hands, at least for the time being. But that doesn't mean Minnesota will have a senator anytime soon. — Lawyers for Democrat Al Franken and Republican Norm Coleman delivered …
Washington Post:
Red Cross Described ‘Torture’ at CIA Jails — Secret Report Implies That U.S. Violated International Law — The International Committee of the Red Cross concluded in a secret report that the Bush administration's treatment of al-Qaeda captives “constituted torture,” a finding that strongly implied …
Discussion:
The Daily Dish, TPMMuckraker, The Raw Story, Political Machine, TalkLeft, The Agonist, Swampland, Emptywheel and Booman Tribune
Roger Cohen / New York Times:
Iran, Jews and Pragmatism — The Persian New Year, or Norouz, is celebrated this month, often with great extravagance. Among its traditions is jumping over a bonfire while declaiming: “Take away my yellow complexion and give me your red glow of health.” — One way of looking …
Discussion:
The Daily Dish, Mondoweiss, Washington Post, Daniel W. Drezner, Soccer Dad and Israel Matzav
Dominic Lawson / Times of London:
My imam father came after me with an axe — Hannah Shah had been raped by her father and faced a forced marriage. She fled, became a Christian and now fears for her life — We are all too familiar with the persecution of Christians in countries such as Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Nicholas Graham / The Huffington Post:
Tucker Carlson Rips Jon Stewart Repeatedly (VIDEO) — Tucker Carlson repeatedly blasted Jon Stewart for his grilling of Jim Cramer on “The Daily Show” last Thursday. Carlson, appearing on CNN's “Reliable Sources,” called Stewart a “partisan hack,” just an operative for the Democratic party …