Top Items:
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, JustOneMinute, Right Wing News, Sister Toldjah, In The Agora and The Agitator
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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.
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 …
Michael O'Brien / The Hill's Blog Briefing Room:
Baucus says he's not feeling White House pressure on health bill
Baucus says he's not feeling White House pressure on health bill
Discussion:
The Page
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
White House Won't Disclose List Of Health Industry Visitors …
White House Won't Disclose List Of Health Industry Visitors …
Discussion:
The Swamp
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:
Zandar Versus The Stupid, The Confluence, Newsweek Blogs, Political Byline, Liberal Values, Washington Post, Commentary, Democracy in America, And So it Goes in Shreveport, The Glittering Eye, Betsy's Page, Neptunus Lex, The Mahablog, Connecting.the.Dots, The Corner, GOP 12 and WhiteHouse.gov Blog
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The Hill:
Dems at odds on how to turn tide on health — House Democrats' drive to overhaul the nation's healthcare system sputtered Tuesday, fueling doubts that the complex legislation can be passed before lawmakers leave town for the August recess. — If Democrats in the lower chamber do not pass …
Patrick O'Connor / The Politico:
Blue Dogs get a deal on health costs — Moderate House Democrats and a key committee chairman emerged from a three-hour meeting at the White House on Tuesday with a tentative agreement to give an outside panel — rather than Congress — the power to make cuts to government-financed health care programs.
Discussion:
Roll Call, Washington Monthly, Wall Street Journal, Kausfiles, Washington Post, Wizbang, TPMDC and Patients United Now
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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Joan Walsh / Salon:
Liz Cheney defends the Birthers — (Updated below) — You'll have to see it to believe it, and the video isn't up yet (Update: Now it is, and it's at the bottom of this post). But Tuesday night on CNN's “Larry King Live,” rising GOP shill/star Liz Cheney refused to denounce the “Birthers” …
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:
Top of the Ticket, Indecision Forever, Shakesville, Ironic Surrealism v3.0 and Perez Hilton
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Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
The Lady Gaga Strategy — CNN tells us about the latest GOP youth initiative, white dudes whining about taxes over Lady Gaga's beats: … What's interesting about this particular youth outreach angle is how detached it is from any actual opinions held by young people. From David Madland and Ruy Teixeira:
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.
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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 …
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
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 …
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.
David S. Hilzenrath / Washington Post:
Health Insurance Lobby Cherry-Picks Data in Fight Against Public Plan — The industry that helped scuttle health reform 15 years ago with its “Harry and Louise” ads is back, voicing support for a central element of the Obama administration's plans: making sure everyone is covered.
Discussion:
The Hill's Pundits Blog, Crooks and Liars, Washington Monthly, Think Progress, Daily Kos and CBS News
Martin Kady II / Glenn Thrush's Blog:
Gun amendment shot down in close vote — The gun amendment has gone down on a 58-39 vote in the Senate, the first real blow to the gun lobby in some time and a victory for Democrats who decided that federalizing conceal and carry laws was one step too far. — What's remarkable about the vote …
Discussion:
The Note
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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 …
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:
protein wisdom, Director's Blog, Political Punch, The Foundry, YID With LID and Associated Press
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Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
MOVING FORWARD ON STUDENT LOAN REFORM.... It should be a no-brainer. The student-loan industry is getting government subsidies to provide a service the government can perform for less. The Obama administration has asked Congress to remove the middleman, streamline the process …
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Directorblue / Doug Ross:
Obama's Ominous Implication: Euthanasia of the Elderly May Be Necessary — Gee, socialized medicine sounds great — don't you think so, grandma and grandpa? … In other words, faceless bureaucrats in Washington — not your family — will decide whether your grandparents live or die.
Douglas Martin / New York Times:
John S. Barry, Main Force Behind WD-40, Dies at 84 — John S. Barry, an executive who masterminded the spread of WD-40, the petroleum-based lubricant and protectant created for the space program, into millions of American households, died on July 3 in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego.
CNN:
CNN Poll: President's approval on health care under 50 percent — WASHINGTON (CNN) - Hours before President Barack Obama holds a prime time news conference to push for health care reform, a new CNN Poll of Polls indicates that less than half the country approves of how he's handling the issue.
Fox News:
'We've Got to Slow Him Down' — This is a rush transcript from “On the Record,” July 21, 2009. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated. — GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, FOX NEWS HOST: Senator Jim DeMint is in a battle with President Obama. Speaking about health care …
Robert Draper / New York Times:
The Ultimate Obama Insider — On Jan. 25, 2008, the day before the South Carolina Democratic primary, Barack Obama endured a grueling succession of campaign events across the state. When his staff informed him that the evening would conclude with a brief show-up at the Pink Ice Ball …