Top Items:
Paul Kane / Capitol Briefing:
Senate Democrats Deny Specter Committee Seniority — The Senate dealt a blow tonight to Sen. Arlen Specter's hold on seniority in several key committees, a week after the Pennsylvanian's party switch placed Democrats on the precipice of a 60-seat majority. — In a unanimous voice vote …
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Bart Jansen / CQ Politics:
Specter Says He 'Misspoke" on Minnesota Senate Race — The political whirlwind that surrounded Sen. Arlen Specter 's switch from the Republican to Democratic party had him forgetting which team he is rooting for in 2010. — But after voicing support for Republican Norm Coleman …
Paul Kane / Washington Post:
Party Switch Costs Specter His Seniority on Senate Committees — The Senate last night stripped Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.) of his seniority on committees, a week after the 29-year veteran of the chamber quit the Republican Party to join the Democrats. — In announcing his move across the aisle last week …
Deborah Solomon / New York Times:
Specter Backs Coleman for Senate — I hear you're giving me 10 minutes for this interview, which is some kind of record for shortness. Was that your decision? — No, but it sounds all right to me. — In that case, I must ask that you keep your answers short and try not to filibuster.
Ezra Klein / American Prospect:
WHY DID ARLEN SPECTER BECOME A DEMOCRAT?
WHY DID ARLEN SPECTER BECOME A DEMOCRAT?
Discussion:
The Huffington Post
WSB-TV:
College Student Shoots, Kills Home Invader — COLLEGE PARK, Ga. — A group of college students said they are lucky to be alive and they're thanking the quick-thinking of one of their own. Police said a fellow student shot and killed one of two masked me who burst into an apartment.
New York Times:
Torture Memos: Inquiry Suggests No Prosecutions — WASHINGTON — An internal Justice Department inquiry has concluded that Bush administration lawyers committed serious lapses of judgment in writing secret memorandums authorizing brutal interrogations but that they should not be prosecuted …
Discussion:
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New York Times:
U.S. Says Bank of America Needs Cushion of $33.9 Billion — The government has told Bank of America it needs $33.9 billion in capital to withstand any worsening of the economic downturn, according to an executive at the bank. — If the bank is unable to raise the capital cushion …
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Felix Salmon, Clusterstock, Bronte Capital, MoJo Blog Posts, Wall Street Journal and The Big Picture
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WorldNetDaily:
Banned by U.K., Savage hits back — Radio talk star blocked from visits, along with terrorists, neo-Nazis — Talk radio host Michael Savage is considering legal action against Britain's top homeland security official after she released today a list grouping him with terrorists …
Discussion:
Scared Monkeys, Agence France Presse, New York Times, Theo Spark, Maggie's Farm and Crooks and Liars
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Katharine Q. Seelye / New York Times:
John Edwards's Wife Speaks About His Affair — In often blunt terms, Elizabeth Edwards is going public with her account of how her husband's affair rocked their marriage and left his political career in tatters. — In an interview with Oprah Winfrey and in excerpts from a new book …
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Chris Isidore / CNNMoney.com:
Chrysler won't repay bailout money — An administration official confirms that a $4 billion bridge loan and $3.2 billion in bankruptcy financing won't be paid back by Chrysler following bankruptcy. — NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Chrysler LLC will not repay U.S. taxpayers more than $7 billion …
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Eli Lake / Washington Times:
EXCLUSIVE: Secret U.S.-Israel nuclear accord in jeopardy — President Obama's efforts to curb the spread of nuclear weapons threaten to expose and derail a 40-year-old secret U.S. agreement to shield Israel's nuclear weapons from international scrutiny, former and current U.S. and Israeli officials and nuclear specialists say.
William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:
MSNBC Hides Obama's Dijon Mustard (aka Dijongate) — MSNBC, Obama's favorite network, reported on Obama's trip with Joe Biden to get a burger. Just two wild and crazy guys out for some red meat. Andrea Mitchell (does she have nothing else to do?) reported that Obama ordered a burger and mustard.
Discussion:
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David Barstow / New York Times:
Inspector at Pentagon Says Report Was Flawed — In a highly unusual reversal, the Defense Department's inspector general's office has withdrawn a report it issued in January exonerating a Pentagon public relations program that made extensive use of retired officers who worked as military analysts for television and radio networks.
Tim Craig / D.C. Wire:
Barry Warns of “Civil War” Over Gay Marriage — D.C. Council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8), the only council member to vote against the bill today to legalize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere, predicted today there could be a “civil war” in the District if the Council decides …
Cas / Cassy Fiano:
Texas infanticide bill would decriminalize murdering an infant — Is there a more despicable crime than murdering a baby? I mean, really... think hard. Murder is always apalling and deplorable and sickening. But no matter what, murdering a baby would be, in my book, the most disgusting, horrible thing a person could do.
Discussion:
Gateway Pundit
Rajiv Chandrasekaran / Washington Post:
Skeptical Administration Keeping Karzai at Arm's Length — Skepticism of Afghan Leader Shapes Policy — Afghan President Hamid Karzai began talking as soon as his luncheon guests had taken their seats in his wood-paneled dining room at the presidential palace in Kabul …
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The Note, Chicago Tribune, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, The Washington Independent and MSNBC
Mike Allen / The Politico:
Luntz to GOP: Health reform is popular — Dr. Frank Luntz, a top Republican consultant on the language of politics, is warning the GOP that the American people want health-care reform and that lawmakers need to try to avoid directly opposing President Barack Obama.
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
Who Will “Sister Souljah” Them? — It's time to reclaim conservatism from Coulter and O'Reilly and Limbaugh and Hannity. Reihan: … Take yours truly. I'm not a Democrat and if pushed, I'd have to say right now I'm a libertarian independent. I'm uneasy about Obama's long-term debt …
Discussion:
American Power
Ruth Marcus / Washington Post:
Behind the Judicial Blindfold — Should the judge be an umpire or an empathizer? — Chief Justice John Roberts memorably likened the judge to a baseball umpire, dispassionately applying existing rules to call balls and strikes. — President Obama is more, well, touchy-feely.
Eamon Javers / The Politico:
Congress to vote on finance probe — The blue-ribbon panel is a much-maligned Washington cliché — it is said that you appoint one when you don't really want anything to be done. — But sometimes, as with the 9/11 Commission, such bodies actually produce substantive results.