Top Items:
Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:
In Health Care Fight, Defining Moment Nears for President — WASHINGTON — Six months into his administration, President Obama is at a pivotal moment. He has pushed through a $787 billion economic stimulus package, bailed out Wall Street and, on Tuesday, managed to beat the defense industry in the Senate …
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Peter Nicholas / Los Angeles Times:
White House declines to disclose visits by health industry executives — Citing an argument used by the Bush administration, the Secret Service rejects a request from a watchdog group to list those who have visited the White House to discuss the healthcare overhaul.
Andrew Malcolm / Top of the Ticket:
Obama White House breaks another promise to reject Bush secrecy — Well, at least it's bipartisan. — The still sort-of-new Barack Obama Democratic administration has again adopted another policy straight out of the administration of his much-criticized Republican predecessor, George W. Bush.
Discussion:
Associated Press, Right Wing News, JustOneMinute, In The Agora, Sister Toldjah and The Agitator
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
Stephen Colbert on Chuck Todd and torture investigations — (updated below - Update II) — Amazingly, reports that Eric Holder is considering commencing an investigation into Bush-era torture crimes has created extreme consternation in multiple Beltway circles despite how narrow and limited those investigations would be.
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:Preview of tonight's prime-time presser
Discussion:
Moe Lane, The Note, Pundit & Pundette, KeithHennessey.com, Sister Toldjah and The Rhetorican
National Journal Online:
Dems Start To Push Back Hard To Prevent A ‘Waterloo’ — A telling episode recounted by Senate Finance ranking member Charles Grassley reveals the Obama administration might be more worried than they are letting on that a Republican senator's comparison of the healthcare overhaul to Waterloo might be dangerously close to the truth.
Discussion:
Associated Press, RedState, Cold Fury, Maggie's Farm, Wizbang, Reason, Patterico's Pontifications and Below The Beltway
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JammieWearingFool:
'You're Going To Destroy My Presidency' — Recall Barack Obama whining the other day how “this isn't about me”? — Well, that's nonsense. Of course it's all about him. … Somebody please send Baracky a waaaahmbulance. — Oh wait, are they covered by his plan?
CNN:
Senator: Democrats “baffled” by president's health care stance — WASHINGTON (CNN) - As the prospects for passing health reform by the time Congress leaves for its August recess look bleaker, Democratic grumbling about President Obama is growing louder. One Democratic senator tells CNN …
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Liz Cheney: No question on citizenship — Liz Cheney is taking some heat today for, amid a discussion on Larry King Live of the fringe movement that doubts Obama's citizenship, appearing to defend it. — “People are fundamentally uncomfortable, and they're fundamentally increasingly uncomfortable …
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Rachel Weiner / The Huffington Post:Liz Cheney Defends Birthers On Larry King (VIDEO)
Discussion:
Ta-Nehisi Coates, At-Largely, Personal Democracy Forum blogs, Jack & Jill Politics and AMERICAblog News
Mike Soraghan / The Hill:
Pelosi: Congress should work through recess — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Wednesday said she's open to keeping the House in session through the August recess to pass its healthcare overhaul. — “I think 70 percent of the American people would want that,” Pelosi said. “I want a bill.”
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Bobby Jindal / Wall Street Journal:
How to Make Health-Care Reform Bipartisan — In Washington, it seems history always repeats itself. That's what's happening now with health-care reform. This is an unfortunate turn of events for Americans who are legitimately concerned about the skyrocketing cost of a basic human need.
Discussion:
The Atlantic Politics Channel, Real Clear Politics, Zandar Versus The Stupid, PERRspectives, Seraphic Secret, Democracy in America, American Thinker, Liberal Values, And So it Goes in Shreveport, The Glittering Eye, Betsy's Page, The Confluence, Commentary, Maggie's Farm, Newsweek Blogs, Political Byline, The Mahablog, Neptunus Lex, The Daily Dish, Washington Post, GOP 12, Connecting.the.Dots, The Corner and NewsBusters.org
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Dana Goldstein / American Prospect:FIVE CENTRIST DEMS AGREE WITH GOP: NO ABORTION IN PUBLIC PLAN.
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog, Washington Monthly, Campaign Silo, The Huffington Post, Capitol Briefing and D-Day
Deirdre Walsh / CNN:
GOP's new youth ambassador: Lady Gaga? — WASHINGTON (CNN) - Politics may make for strange bedfellows — but even for this town, this may be the oddest couple to ever make beautiful music together: House Republicans...and pop diva Lady Gaga. — At Tuesday morning's weekly GOP conference meeting …
Discussion:
Michelle Malkin, Below The Beltway, Top of the Ticket, Shakesville, Indecision Forever and Ironic Surrealism v3.0
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Carrie Budoff Brown / The Politico:
Orrin Hatch quits health care talks — The health care Gang of Seven is now down to six. — Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), one of seven senators involved in bipartisan Finance Committee negotiations, has left the talks. — Hatch informed Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) Wednesday afternoon …
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Quinnipiac University:
Toomey Ties Specter In Pennsylvania, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; More Say New Democrat Does Not Deserve Another Term — Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter's 2010 reelection lead over Republican challenger Pat Toomey has shrunk to a tie with 45 percent for Specter and 44 percent for Toomey …
Chris Harris / Media Matters Action Network:
Rep. Blackburn: “We're Not Going To Cry ‘Emergency’ Every Time We Have A Katrina” … THE MEANING OF “EMERGENCY” — While extolling the virtues of a balanced budget during a PAYGO debate on the floor of the House, Rep. Marsha Blackburn shamefully exclaimed: … This statement is shocking on many levels.
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Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:KATRINA WASN'T AN EMERGENCY?.... Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R) …
Discussion:
The New Republic
Bob Franken / Politics Daily:
Sarah Palin 2013: A Look Ahead — It is noon, Jan. 20, 2013. Sarah Palin raises her right hand to be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. — Palin had won a decisive victory over the incumbent, Barack Obama. The country was still trapped in economic rubble …
Discussion:
Indecision Forever
Capitol Briefing:
Democrats Defeat Concealed Weapons Amendment — In a 58-39 vote, supporters of the looser gun law — including all but two Republicans and 20 moderate Democrats — fell two votes short of the 60 they needed under Senate rules to approve the measure. The amendment, sponsored by Sen. John Thune …
Discussion:
The Fix, Washington Monthly, The Washington Independent, msnbc.com, Pam's House Blend and TPMDC
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Adam Serwer / American Prospect:
HENRY LOUIS “SKIP” GATES ARRESTED OUTSIDE HIS HOME. — Yesterday, Harvard professor and executive editor of The Root Henry Louis Gates Jr. was arrested outside his home after a neighbor called the police upon observing “two black males with backpacks” breaking in the front door.
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Why did Obama meet with the CBO? — The relevant clip comes at the three-minute mark, where Viera challenges Obama on the CBO scoring of the health-care reform bills: — Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy … Why is this important?
Discussion:
Political Punch, The Foundry, Fausta's Blog, Director's Blog, protein wisdom and YID With LID
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Rasmussen Reports:
53% Now Oppose Congressional Health Care Reform — The health care reform legislation working its way through Congress has lost support over the past month. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 44% of U.S. voters are at least somewhat in favor of the reform effort while 53% are at least somewhat opposed.
Discussion:
Weekly Standard, Hot Air, YID With LID, The Strata-Sphere, HotAirPundit, Don Surber and RedState
Fred Kaplan / Slate:
The remarkable vote to kill the plane and what it means for America's military future. — This is a big deal: The Senate today voted to halt production of the F-22 stealth fighter plane, and it did so 58-40, a margin much wider than expected. — Not only is this a major victory for Secretary …
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