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, Sister Toldjah, In The Agora and The Agitator
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, msnbc.com, Wall Street Journal, Kausfiles, Washington Post, Wizbang, TPMDC and Patients United Now
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.
The Hill:
Dems at odds on how to turn tide on health
Dems at odds on how to turn tide on health
Discussion:
Swampland, The Politico, Washington Post, msnbc.com, Bloomberg, Weekly Standard, Political Punch, Top Stories from CQ, Hot Air, Salon, The Daily Dish, Blog entry, Commentary, Scared Monkeys, Wake up America, Wizbang, Jules Crittenden, New York Times, American Power, Associated Press and Gallup
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 …
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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:
Cold Fury, Maggie's Farm, Wizbang, Reason, Below The Beltway and Patterico's Pontifications
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?
Discussion:
Hot Air, Dr. Melissa Clouthier, CBS News, And So it Goes in Shreveport, Pajamas Media, Michelle Malkin and The Corner
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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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 Democrats — fell two votes short of the 60 they needed under Senate rules to approve the measure. The amendment, sponsored by Sen. John Thune …
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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:
Zandar Versus The Stupid, The Confluence, Democracy in America, Newsweek Blogs, Political Byline, Commentary, Liberal Values, And So it Goes in Shreveport, The Glittering Eye, Betsy's Page, Neptunus Lex, Washington Post, The Mahablog, Connecting.the.Dots, The Corner, GOP 12 and WhiteHouse.gov Blog
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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, Shakesville, Indecision Forever, Ironic Surrealism v3.0 and Perez Hilton
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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
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.
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?
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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 …
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
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.
Beth Teitell / Boston Globe:
Sarah Palin's hairdresser speaks — The world needs to know: When Alaska Governor Sarah Palin recently sought “emergency” treatment for her hair, what, exactly, did her longtime stylist do? — “It wasn't like I did an intervention,” Jessica Steele said in a phone interview from her Wasilla, Alaska, beauty parlor, the Beehive.
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 …