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Edward Kennedy, Senate Stalwart, Dies — Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, a son of one of the most storied families in American politics, a man who knew triumph and tragedy in near-equal measure and who will be remembered as one of the most effective lawmakers in the history of the Senate, died Tuesday night.
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Ted Kennedy Dies of Brain Cancer at Age 77 — ‘Liberal Lion’ of the Senate Led Storied Political Family After Deaths of President John F. Kennedy, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy — Sen. Edward Moore Kennedy, the youngest Kennedy brother who was left to head the family's political dynasty …
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Kennedy's Death Raises Issues of Succession — The death of Edward M. Kennedy immediately raises the question of who will succeed the senator — and how quickly — as Congress is embroiled in a bitter battle over plans to overhaul the nation's health care system.
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Associated Press, Washington Monthly, Althouse, Firedoglake, MoJo Blog Posts, Boston Globe, Wizbang, D-Day, Taylor Marsh and Mudville Gazette

Ted Kennedy and the Death (Hopefully) of an Era — With the death of Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), two points immediately come to mind. — First is the endless, generally uncritical encomia that journalists and other public commenters immediately generate whenever any major figure, especially a controversial one, dies.

Byrd wants health bill renamed for Kennedy — Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), the only senator to have served longer than the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), mourned his friend Wednesday, saying his “heart and soul weeps.” — Byrd said he hoped healthcare reform legislation in the Senate would be renamed in memoriam of Kennedy.

Rush Was Right: Dems Call For “The Kennedy Memorial Health Bill” — How to react to Ted Kennedy's death? There certainly is an initial inclination to react the way so many left-wing blogs reacted to the death of Robert Novak, such as this post at the prominent Crooks and Liars:
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Ben Smith's Blog, The Politico, The Corner on National …, San Francisco Chronicle and American Power


“One of the Most Accomplished Americans Ever to Serve our Democracy”

Kennedy dead at 77 — Liberal lion of the Senate …
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Bob Shrum on Ted Kennedy's Greatest Speech
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Michael Calderone's Blog, Firedoglake, Swampland, The Reaction, Salon and Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog!

Time for the Teddy Kennedy Memorial Health Care Reform Bill
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Dylan Matthews

Hensarling: Kennedy legacy shouldn't drive health bill vote

Looking Forward — This morning, Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-WV) …
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TPMDC


Mike Enzi, Gang Of Six Republican, Admits He's Simply Blocking Health Care Reform — Mike Enzi, one of three Republicans ostensibly negotiating health care reform as part of the Senate's “Gang of Six,” told a Wyoming town hall crowd that he had no plans to compromise with Democrats and was merely trying to extract concessions.
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Obama on brink of Middle East peace breakthrough — • US to adopt much tougher line over Iran's nuclear ambitions — • Israel to freeze construction of settlements on West Bank — • France and Russia offer to host Middle East peace conference
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New York Times, Weekly Standard, Politics Daily, Informed Comment, normblog, ChattahBox News Blog, Telegraph, Israel Matzav and Think Progress
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Vocal minority greet Howard Dean at town hall — RESTON, Va. — Supporters of healthcare reform showed Tuesday night that they can pack a room, too. — Groups backing President Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul filled the 2,700-seat gymnasium where Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) …
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Bauer: I won't run in 2010 if Sanford resigns — EXCLUSIVE - Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer plans to call on embattled Gov. Mark Sanford to step down during a noon news conference today. Bauer will also renew his pledge to bow out of the 2010 gubernatorial race should Sanford resign within a month or so.
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The babies born in hospital corridors: Bed shortage forces 4,000 mothers to give birth in lifts, offices and hospital toilets — Thousands of women are having to give birth outside maternity wards because of a lack of midwives and hospital beds. — The lives of mothers and babies are being put …

Successor plan gains steam — Speaker Robert A. DeLeo ok with giving Gov. Patrick appoint power — House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo has given his behind-closed-doors blessing to an effort to hand Gov. Deval Patrick the power to appoint a temporary successor to U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, sources say.
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The American Way Of Torture — Greg Sargent notes another document secured by the ACLU. (Yes, Greenwald is right that it's bizarre the media in this country are second to the ACLU in demanding information from the government.) This document gives a detailed account of the torture techniques used …

New Deficit Estimates Require Obama to Offer a Plan for Fiscal Sustainability — NO ONE LIKES to be the bearer of bad news — especially when it could threaten your multibillion-dollar health-care reform bill. And so the Obama administration did not exactly rush to publish yesterday's …
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Moe_Lane's blog, Wall Street Journal, Hot Air, American Spectator, Flopping Aces and The Foundry

Top Bush Terrorism Adviser Admits CIA Docs Didn't Prove Torture Worked — Okay, this should settle it, but of course it won't: We now have a former homeland security official under George W. Bush who has contradicted the claim by conservatives that the CIA docs released yesterday proved torture worked, as Dick Cheney said they would.
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Think Progress

'08 race worker held in damage to Colorado Democratic HQ — One of two people suspected of shattering 11 windows Tuesday morning at the state Democratic Party headquarters has an arrest record and a history of helping a Democratic political candidate, public records show.
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Michelle Malkin, The Latest Word, Moonbattery, Peoples Press Collective and Lagniappe's Lair

24% Say Democrats Should Pass Health Care Reform Without GOP Votes — If Democrats agree on a health care reform bill that is opposed by all Republicans in Congress, 24% of voters nationwide say the Democrats should pass that bill. — But a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds …

Their Own Worst Enemy — Democrats have no one to blame for the health care debacle but themselves. — With the political prognosis for health care reform turning from poor to likely terminal, many of my fellow Democrats are grieving through grievance. They're lashing out at friends and foes alike …
Discussion:
TalkLeft

Are Guns at Protests Really Dangerous? — So is this guy a terrifying threat to democracy? Or just a civic-minded citizen? If you think that his position on healthcare changes the likelihood that he will discharge that weapon, is this a rational belief? — I think carrying guns to protests is entirely counterproductive.


Some Surprised By ‘Clunker’ Tax — The Cash For Clunkers program is adding to the activity at treasurers' offices all around South Dakota. First, people were asking for proof of ownership, so they could show they owned their vehicle for a full year, allowing them to cash it in.