Top Items:
Karl Rove / Wall Street Journal:
The President Is ‘Keeping Score’ — Chicago politics has moved into the White House. — “Don't think we're not keeping score, brother.” That's what President Barack Obama said to Rep. Peter DeFazio in a closed-door meeting of the House Democratic Caucus last week, according to the Associated Press.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, RedState, Commentary, Don Surber, Gateway Pundit and Associated Press
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Mark Murray / MSNBC:
FIRST THOUGHTS: DIPLOMATIC DECATHLON — From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro — *** Diplomatic decathlon: In just a few hours yesterday, President Obama completed the equivalent of a diplomatic decathlon — from pledging nuclear disarmament with the Russians …
Susan Crabtree / The Hill:
Sen. Stevens ‘got screwed’ by Justice — The Justice Department's stunning decision to drop all charges against former Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) had GOP senators hailing the news as a vindication while government watchdogs fretted over the impact on other corruption cases against public officials.
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Zachary Roth / TPMMuckraker:
Siegelman: Stevens Case Is Dropped, So Why Not Mine?
Siegelman: Stevens Case Is Dropped, So Why Not Mine?
Discussion:
The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, Talking Points Memo, PoliticalBase.com Blog and New York Times
Jonathan Adler / The Volokh Conspiracy:
Holder vs. OLC: The Washington Post story linked by Orin below …
Holder vs. OLC: The Washington Post story linked by Orin below …
Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:
Michelle Obama's Favorable Rating Eclipses Her Husband's — Both president and first lady are quite popular — USA - Favorability - Government and Politics - Presidential Ratings - The Presidency - Americas - Northern America — PRINCETON, NJ — Americans have very positive impressions …
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Reid Wilson / The Hill:
Romney breaks with GOP on the issue of deregulation — Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) said Wednesday that his party needs to take a fresh approach to government regulations in the wake of the economic crisis that has rattled the U.S. and world economies.
Discussion:
Anne Schroeder's Blog
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Aaron Blake / The Hill:
Romney: Don't root for Obama to fail — Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) said Wednesday that Republicans shouldn't oppose President Obama as a reflex and should praise him when he succeeds. — Speaking at the National Republican Senatorial Committee's (NRSC) spring dinner …
Discussion:
The Politico
Quinnipiac University:
Dodd Falls Way Behind As Approval Drops To Lowest Ever, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Voters Are Angry At AIG Bonuses And Blame Dodd — Connecticut Sen. Christopher Dodd trails former U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons, a possible Republican challenger, 50 - 34 percent in the 2010 Senate race …
Ariel Leve / Times of London:
Protocol is abandoned as Michelle Obama cosies up to Queen — Protocol seems to be dispensed with when the Obamas come to town. — When the President and his wife, Michelle, attended a reception at Buckingham Palace, the First Lady and the Queen slipped their arms around each other towards the end of the evening.
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New York Times:
Global Leaders Meeting to Resolve Rift on Economic Plan — LONDON — Britain predicted on Thursday that world leaders would bridge their differences on steps to recover from the deepest global economic downturn since World War II, as President Obama and his counterparts from more than 20 industrial …
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Manu Raju / The Politico:
Franken puts Pawlenty in a jam — The legal fight between Al Franken and Norm Coleman is headed to the desk of Gov. Tim Pawlenty — a no-win predicament for a Minnesota Republican with his eye on a White House run in 2012. — Franken won big Tuesday when a three-judge panel allowed …
Liam Pleven / Wall Street Journal:
AIG Debacle Not My Fault, Says Greenberg; Testifies Today — As Congress presses for answers on what went wrong at American International Group Inc. and what to do next, lawmakers are turning Thursday to the man who built the small insurer into a world-wide conglomerate. — Maurice R.
Discussion:
Clusterstock
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Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
THE RIGHT WON'T LET THE TAX FAIRY GO.... The National Review's Andy McCarthy had an item yesterday, which was not an April Fools' joke, and which served as a helpful reminder of why discussing tax policy with conservative activists tends to be frustrating.
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Huma Khan / Political Punch:
What Does One Get a Queen? — President and First Lady Obama gave Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II a video iPod with inscription, songs uploaded and accessories, plus a rare musical songbook signed by Richard Rodgers. — Uploaded onto the iPod: — Photos from the Queen's 2007 White House State Visit
Discussion:
Power Line, Michelle Malkin, JammieWearingFool, And So it Goes in Shreveport, Scared Monkeys, The Politico, Redhot, No Sheeples Here!, Associated Press, Fausta's Blog, Liberal Values, Gateway Pundit, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Sundries Shack, Toby Harnden's blog listings, The Corner and Hot Air
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George F. Will / Washington Post:
Climate Change and Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs — Fervent. 1. Hot, burning, glowing, boiling. — “Fervently” is how America will henceforth engage in talks on global warming. So said the president's climate change negotiator Sunday in Germany, at a U.N. conference on reducing carbon emissions.
Ted Barrett / CNN:
Senate rejects controversial fast-track budget procedure — WASHINGTON (CNN) - The Senate overwhelmingly voted Wednesday not to use a fast-track budget procedure to pass President Obama's “cap and trade” plan to combat global warming. — The vote was a victory for Republicans …
Demetri Sevastopulo / Financial Times:
Israel expected to hold back on Iran as diplomacy runs its course — Robert Gates would be “surprised” if Israel attacked Iran this year to prevent it developing a nuclear weapon. — The US defence secretary told the Financial Times that Washington and Israel had enough time to persuade Tehran …