Top Items:
Michael James / Political Punch:
President Obama Jokes About Being a Bad Bowler: 'It's Like the Special Olympics' — The first appearance by a sitting president on “The Tonight Show” may well end up being the last. — President Obama, in his taping with Jay Leno Thursday afternoon, attempted to yuk it up with the funnyman, and ended up insulting the disabled.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Salon, Jules Crittenden, Fox News, Right Wing Nut House, Wake up America, Stop The ACLU, The Swamp, Hot Air, Scared Monkeys, Talking Points Memo, Mother, May I Sleep …, Fausta's Blog, Michelle Malkin, USA Today, NY Daily News, The Politico, Perfunction, Outside The Beltway, Blue Crab Boulevard, The Cloakroom, The Caucus, Patterico's Pontifications, The Strata-Sphere, NewsBusters.org and TBogg
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Michelle Malkin:
Obama's “Special Olympics” joke: The teleprompter made him do it! — Jake Tapper reports that Barack Obama pulled a Joe Biden (or a Barack Obama, for that matter) and ended up mocking the Special Olympics in a lame attempt to make fun of his weak bowling skills.
Los Angeles Times:
Obama's ‘Tonight Show’ appearance could become a ‘special’ event — The president's awkward stab at humor could dog him in the short run. — Even in the annals of media, President Obama's appearance on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” on Thursday night isn't likely to be remembered as a watershed moment.
New York Times:
President Barack Obama on ‘The Tonight Show with Jay Leno’ — The following is a transcript of President Obama's interview on NBC's “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” as provided by the White House. — JAY LENO The 44th President of the United States, please welcome President Barack Obama.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The Swamp, JustOneMinute, USA Today, Gothamist, The Politico, Barack Obama's …, Los Angeles Times and Riehl World View
John / Power Line:
THEY COULDN'T BE THAT DUMB. COULD THEY? — This is absolutely unbelievable. You recall the embarrassment over the Obama administration's incompetent treatment of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown during his state visit to the U.S. The last link in that chain of ineptitude …
Discussion:
Engadget
Todd Venezia / New York Post:
BARACK'S FUNNY BUSINESS — JESTS ON LENO AS GOPERS RIP ECON ‘NEGLECT’ — President Obama last night got comfy on “The Tonight Show” couch, cracking jokes about his bowling, a promised pooch and his job even as critics slammed his appearance, and a foray into basketball predictions, as distractions from a critically ill economy.
Associated Press:Obama apologizes for Special Olympics gaffe
Discussion:
Associated Press, Wall Street Journal, CBS News, MSNBC, Newsweek Blogs, marbury and AmSpecBlog
New York Times:
Scorn Trails A.I.G. Executives, Even in Their Driveways — The A.I.G. executive who was nicknamed “Jackpot Jimmy” by a New York tabloid walked up the driveway toward his bay-windowed house in Fairfield, Conn., on Thursday afternoon. “How do I feel?” said the executive, James Haas, repeating the question he had just been asked.
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Alan Cowell / New York Times:
In an Unusual Video, Obama Offers Iran a ‘New Day’ — Invoking art, history and “the common humanity that binds us,” President Obama offered a “new day” in America's relationship with Iran, using an unusual videotaped message to appeal directly to Iranians for a shift away from decades of confrontation.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Washington Monthly, Jihad Watch, The Agonist, The Plum Line, TIME.com, VetVoice and Matthew Yglesias
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Laura Rozen / The Cable:In New Year's message, Obama reaches out to Iran
Discussion:
Salon, Think Progress, MyDD, Oliver Willis, Danger Room, TigerHawk, Israel Matzav and Fox News
Andrew Malcolm / Top of the Ticket:
Obama White House bars press from press award ceremony — We are not making this up: — Barack Obama was elected commander-in-chief promising to run the most transparent presidential administration in American history. — This achievement and the overall promise of his historic administration caused …
Alaska_Politics / Anchorage Daily News:
Palin rejecting federal stimulus money — From Sean Cockerham in Juneau - — Gov. Sarah Palin just told reporters that she's accepting only 55 percent of the federal economic stimulus money being offered to Alaska. The governor said that she will accept only about $514 million of the $930 million headed to the state.
Discussion:
Think Progress, Political Machine, D-Day, The Swamp, Newshoggers.com, The Note and Conservatives4Palin.com
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Patrick O'Connor / The Politico:
Boehner, Cantor ties taxed by AIG vote — House Minority Leader John A. Boehner and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor held their caucus together for two unanimous no votes on the Democrats' economic stimulus plan, but they couldn't even agree themselves on a bill Thursday that would recoup bonuses paid …
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New York Times:
Connecticut Senator Draws Voters' Ire for His Bonus Role — Clarence Randolph, a 50-year-old dump truck driver from New Haven, has been out of work for two months. — He is not happy that financial firms bailed out by the government are paying bonuses to their executives.
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Andrew Miga / Associated Press:
Dodd's political stock tumbles in Connecticut — Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition — WASHINGTON - Democrats may want to start thinking about a bailout for Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd, whose political stock has slipped amid the financial meltdown.
Discussion:
First Draft
Henry Blodget / Clusterstock:
90% Tax? Now We Really ARE Screwed — The frantic passage of the Populist Rage Tax was a new low in the US government's response to this crisis. It shows just how likely we are to doom ourselves to a decade or more of misery—by choking our markets, closing our borders …
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CNN:
Geithner: Treasury pushed for bonus loophole — (CNN) — Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told CNN Thursday his department asked Sen. Chris Dodd to include a loophole in the stimulus bill that allowed bailed-out insurance giant American International Group to keep its bonuses.
Discussion:
The Politico, Indecision Forever, TIME.com, Wizbang, Big Brass Blog, Emptywheel and The League of Ordinary …
Marian Burros / New York Times:
Obamas to Plant White House Vegetable Garden — WASHINGTON — On Friday, Michelle Obama will begin digging up a patch of White House lawn to plant a vegetable garden, the first since Eleanor Roosevelt's victory garden in World War II. There will be no beets (the president doesn't like them) but arugula will make the cut.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Washington Post, Daily Dish, The Fix, Mercury Rising, D-Day, Get Energy Smart! and Gawker
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Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:
Bonfire of the Trivialities — A $14 trillion economy hangs by a thread composed of (a) a comically cynical, pitchfork-wielding Congress, (b) a hopelessly understaffed, stumbling Obama administration, and (c) $165 million. — That's $165 million in bonus money handed out to AIG debt manipulators …
New York Times:
Off With the Bankers — A.I.G. can hardly claim that its generous bonuses attract the best and the brightest. So instead, it defends the payments by arguing they're needed to retain employees who are crucial for winding down transactions that are “difficult to understand and manage.”
Discussion:
MoJo Blog Posts, Real Time Economics, American Street, Economist's View and The Baseline Scenario
Eli Lake / Washington Times:
Brownback to block Iraq nominee — Senator says Christopher Hill misled him — Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas threatened Thursday to take advantage of a Senate rule to block the confirmation of Christopher Hill as U.S. ambassador to Iraq on the grounds that Mr. Hill misled him in promising …
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Jean H. Lee / Associated Press:NKorea reportedly detains 2 US journalists
Discussion:
Jules Crittenden
David Brooks / New York Times:
Perverse Cosmic Myopia — You'd think if some tiger were lunging at your neck, your attention would be riveted on the tiger. But that's apparently not how it works in the age of global A.D.D. As a tiger sinks its teeth into the world's neck, we focus on the dust bunnies under the bed …
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