Top Items:
USA Today:
‘Un-American’ attacks can't derail health care debate — Americans have been waiting for nearly a century for quality, affordable health care. — Health coverage for all was on the national agenda as early as 1912, thanks to Teddy Roosevelt's Bull Moose presidential run.
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Townhall.com, Think Progress, The Swamp, Confederate Yankee, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Founding Bloggers, Riehl World View, Hot Air, Flopping Aces, Scared Monkeys, Donklephant, The Sundries Shack, YID With LID, Patterico's Pontifications, QandO, The Corner, Michelle Malkin, JammieWearingFool, Moe Lane, Blue Crab Boulevard, Don Surber, Freedom's Lighthouse, Neptunus Lex, AmSpecBlog, Below The Beltway, Gateway Pundit, Cato @ Liberty, Pundit & Pundette, Sister Toldjah, Sam Adams Alliance, LewRockwell.com Blog, The Campaign Spot, Shot in the Dark, Dennis the Peasant, Arkansas News, msnbc.com, Weasel Zippers, Newsalert, The Page, Instapundit and Kausfiles
RELATED:
Debra J. Saunders / San Francisco Chronicle:
Dissent is patriotic - not — Imagine it's four years ago and an aide to President George W. Bush posted a blog on the Whitehouse.gov Web site that bemoaned Internet criticism of the Iraq war, then continued: “These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain e-mails or through casual conversations.
Byron York / Washington Examiner:
Limbaugh responds to David Brooks' “insane” comment — Last week House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that town-hall attendees critical of the Democratic health care makeover were “carrying swastikas and symbols like that” to meetings. The next day, Rush Limbaugh responded at length on his radio program …
Andrew Breitbart / Washington Times:
I am Kenneth Gladney — OPINION/ANALYSIS: — The first round of protests against the Obama administration's chaotic and rapid-fire expansion of government came in the form of grass-roots “tea parties,” which were predictably met with scorn by the Democrat-Media Complex …
Wall Street Journal:
Taliban Now Winning — U.S. Commander in Afghanistan Warns of Rising Casualties — By YOCHI J. DREAZEN in Kabul and PETER SPIEGEL in Washington — The Taliban have gained the upper hand in Afghanistan, the top American commander there said, forcing the U.S. to change its strategy …
Discussion:
Politics Daily, Wonk Room, Telegraph, The Washington Independent, Raw Story, Informed Comment and msnbc.com
RELATED:
James Risen / New York Times:
U.S. to Hunt Down Afghan Drug Lords Tied to Taliban — WASHINGTON — Fifty Afghans believed to be drug traffickers with ties to the Taliban have been placed on a Pentagon target list to be captured or killed, reflecting a major shift in American counternarcotics strategy in Afghanistan …
Michael Evans / Times of London:Another 45,000 US troops needed in Afghanistan, military adviser says
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
Averting the Worst — So it seems that we aren't going to have a second Great Depression after all. What saved us? The answer, basically, is Big Government. — Just to be clear: the economic situation remains terrible, indeed worse than almost anyone thought possible not long ago.
Ross Douthat / New York Times:
The Unfunny Truth — It's been a melancholy summer for social conservatives. Their movement is fighting a rearguard battle in Barack Obama's Washington. A cluster of family-values politicians — some of whom bunked down in the same Christian-sponsored D.C. townhouse …
Michelle Malkin:
Rep. Tsongas tries to explain why Congress is exempt from Obamacare. Fails. — Herein lies the ultimate Achilles' Heel of Obamacare. Watch as Democrat Rep. Niki Tsongas of Massachussetts attempts to explain why Congress is exempt from the government health care takeover mandates.
Discussion:
The Jawa Report
RELATED:
Scott / Power Line:
Does Linda Douglass know about this? — Last week White House flack Linda Douglass responded to a video of Barack Obama expressing support for a government takeover of the health care system (i.e., “single payer") with a vehement denial. Douglass disparaged the video of Obama as “disinformation.”
Discussion:
The Foundry
RELATED:
Michael Barone / Real Clear Politics:Government Health Care in Stealth Mode
Discussion:
Fausta's Blog
Political Punch:
Congressional Budget Expert Says Preventive Care Will Raise — Not Cut — Costs — In yet more disappointing news for Democrats pushing for health care reform, Douglas W. Elmendorf, director of the Congressional Budget Office, offered a skeptical view Friday of the cost savings that could result …
RELATED:
Wall Street Journal:
Opposition Emerges to House's Jet Spree — WASHINGTON — Bipartisan opposition is emerging in the Senate to a plan by House lawmakers to spend $550 million for additional passenger jets for senior government officials. — The resistance to buying eight Gulfstream and Boeing planes comes …
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
GLADNEY THE UNINSURED ACTIVIST.... Over the last few days, a conservative activist in St. Louis named Kenneth Gladney seems to have become something of a cause celebre in far-right circles. Depending on which version of events you choose to believe, Gladney either initiated or was involved …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo
RELATED:
Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
PoliTex: Barton may run for Hutchison's Senate seat — No one seems to be mentioning U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Arlington, as a candidate to replace outgoing Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas. — Turns out that Barton — who came in third in the 1993 special election that Hutchison won in a runoff — is indeed thinking about running.
Discussion:
The Hill's Blog Briefing Room
Rasmussen Reports:
On Health Care, 51% Fear Government More Than Insurance Companies — When it comes to health care decisions, 51% of the nation's voters fear the federal government more than private insurance companies. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 41% hold the opposite view and fear the insurance companies more.
Jennifer Rubin / Commentary:
Who Are These People? — This probably isn't the ideal way for congressmen to handle their constituents: … One has the sense that lawmakers are just stunned that ordinary citizens would have the temerity to speak up. Spending most of their time with staffers, lobbyists, and fellow legislators …
Discussion:
Redhot
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
'IT'S NOT IN THE BILL'.... The health care discussion between Howard Dean and Newt Gingrich on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” yesterday was pretty good, and it covered a fair amount of ground in a short period of time. There was one exchange, though, that stood out for me.
Robert Reich / Robert Reich's Blog:
How the White House's Deal With Big Pharma Undermines Democracy — I'm a strong supporter of universal health insurance, and a fan of the Obama administration. But I'm appalled by the deal the White House has made with the pharmaceutical industry's lobbying arm to buy their support.
Jared Allen / The Hill:
House Dems set up healthcare ‘war room’ — House Democratic leaders have set up a healthcare “war room” to help their rank-and-file members navigate a tumultuous August in which they find themselves on the defensive on their signature issue. — The effort is being run out of Majority Leader Steny Hoyer's …
John Harwood / New York Times:
Tumultuous Environment Makes a Health Care Compromise More Unlikely — Spontaneous or contrived, the shouting, shoving and other shenanigans at lawmakers' town-hall-style meetings point to one probable outcome: the demise of bipartisan health care negotiations.
Jon Soltz / The Huffington Post:
We Need Sestak (and more vets) in the Senate — Last week, Congressman Joe Sestak jumped into the Democratic primary for the US Senate seat in Pennsylvania. Today, the over 105,000 veterans and civilian supporters at VoteVets.org are endorsing him. — Why?
Discussion:
Scorecard's Blog
Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:
At AOL, It's Politics Daily, Not Hourly — After a quarter-century as a military correspondent, David Wood knew the drill as he reported from Afghanistan last week, in helmet and flak jacket, on the intricacies of the U.S. war effort. — But this time he was writing for a fledgling Web site …
Jonathan Martin / Ben Smith's Blog:
Palin urges restraint at town halls — A few days after suggesting that Democratic healthcare proposals being debated in Washington may imperil the life of her son, Trig, Sarah Palin Sunday urged reform opponents to not give the opposition fodder by disrupting town halls.
Senior Data Journalist, NY — 
Manager - Publishing Editorial, Manila — 
Oil Reporter, Singapore — 
Newsperson - State Govt. & Politics, CA — 
Business Reporter, SC — 
State Government Reporter, WA — 
Climate Crisis Columnist — 
Multimedia Journalist, CA — 
Community Engagement Mgr., DC — 
Senior California Politics Reporter, CA — 
Staff Writer - Business, NY — 
Team Editor - Opinion, ON — 
Assistant Correspondent, DC — 
Climate & Weather Reporter, MN — 
Senior Tech Editor, Remote US — 
Lead Business Reporter, TN — 
Managing Editor, WA — 
Private Credit Reporter, NY — 
Trending News Reporter, TX — 
City Correspondent, London — 
Legislative Reporter, CA — 
Reporter, PA — 
Visual Editor, Remote — 
Staff Writer, MI — 
Senior Political Reporter, DC — 
California Playbook Writer, CA — 
National Investigative Reporter, NY — 
Business & Gaming Reporter, NV — 
Coastal Climate Reporter, SC — 
Environment & Energy Reporter, CT — 
Coordinating Editor, OR — 
Editor, Remote US — 
Business Reporter, WA — 
Editor-in-Chief, AZ — 
