Top Items:
David Brooks / New York Times:
The Great Gradualist — In the days since Ted Kennedy's death, the news programs have shown and re-shown the unforgettable ending of his 1980 Democratic convention speech — the passage from Tennyson and the beautiful final lines: “The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.”
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Philip Rucker / Washington Post:
Late Senator's Staff Became The Other Kennedy Family — Behind each of Edward M. Kennedy's legislative victories was a vast coterie of staffers who became Washington legend. They meticulously packed the senator's black briefcase each evening with tabbed, underlined and dog-eared briefing papers.
Discussion:
OpenSecrets.org, The Caucus, Balloon Juice, New York Times, New York Times, The Page and The Democratic Daily
Karen Tumulty / Time:
Health-Care Reform After Kennedy: A Scaled-Back Bill?
Health-Care Reform After Kennedy: A Scaled-Back Bill?
Discussion:
Washington Times, Washington Post, Boston Herald, Swampland, James Pethokoukis and The Politico
Wall Street Journal:
The Fall Guy — CIA Director Leon Panetta getting sacked by his own team. — Printer — Friendly — In the game of political football that is today national security, spare a thought for CIA Director Leon Panetta. Quarterbacking is hard enough without getting sacked by your own team.
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Matea Gold / Show Tracker:
UPDATED: As boycott continues, Glenn Beck's audience swells — An advertising boycott against Fox News host Glenn Beck has succeeded in keeping most major sponsors from running commercials on his show even as the controversial commentator's viewership has grown.
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Robert Seidman / TVbytheNumbers:
Big Beck: Goes over 3 million viewers, beats O'Reilly in demo: Cable News Ratings for Wednesday, August 26, 2009 — Though a little scandal might alienate advertisers, it's pure ratings gold. Last night Glenn Beck had over 3 million viewers at 5pm, second only to O'Reilly for the night.
Discussion:
Michael Calderone's Blog, Ben Smith's Blog, BizzyBlog, TVNewser, Hot Air, Conservatives4Palin.com, SFGate and NewsBusters.org
Boston Globe:
Legislature must act quickly on interim Senate appointment — THE DEATH Tuesday of Senator Edward M. Kennedy puts Massachusetts at half strength in the US Senate at a precarious time. Massachusetts lawmakers will only worsen the situation if they fail to take steps to assure a timely replacement.
Discussion:
The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, The Note, Weasel Zippers and The Atlantic Politics Channel
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David Cho / Washington Post:
Banks ‘Too Big to Fail’ Have Grown Even Bigger — Behemoths Born of the Bailout Reduce Consumer Choice, Tempt Corporate Moral Hazard — When the credit crisis struck last year, federal regulators pumped tens of billions of dollars into the nation's leading financial institutions …
Discussion:
The Confluence, EconoPundit, Gawker, Open Left, Talking Points Memo and AMERICAblog News
Attaturk / Firedoglake:
Gutless Cowards — Observe the man who undoubtedly receives medicare speaking in an Iowa town hall meeting with Senator Charles Grassley earlier this week: … Observe that Grassley says NOTHING to dissuade the gentlemen from his thesis or desire. — This has happened again, and again, and again in the last month.
Charles Hurt / New York Post:
OOPS! CHARLIE FORGOT THIS $1M HOUSE — REALTY BITES TAX-THEM-NOT-ME RANGEL — WASHINGTON — Rep. Charles Rangel failed to report as much as $1.3 million in outside income — including up to $1 million for a Harlem building sale — on financial-disclosure forms he filed between 2002 and 2006, according to newly amended records.
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Ellen Nakashima / Washington Post:
Bush's Search Policy For Travelers Is Kept — Obama Officials Say Oversight Will Grow — The Obama administration will largely preserve Bush-era procedures allowing the government to search — without suspicion of wrongdoing — the contents of a traveler's laptop computer …
Ralph Z. Hallow / Washington Times:
EXCLUSIVE: SC GOP to push for Sanford's removal — Governor may be impeached — South Carolina Republican lawmakers are laying plans for a special session legislative session on whether to impeach and remove embattled Gov. Mark Sanford by the end of the year, several senior state lawmakers have told The Washington Times.
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Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:
A Strategy to Save Obamacare, But at What Cost — Obamacare Version 1.0 is dead. The 1,000-page monstrosity that emerged in various editions from Congress was done in by widespread national revulsion not just at its expense and intrusiveness but also at the mendacity with which it is being sold.
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
Till Debt Does Its Part — So new budget projections show a cumulative deficit of $9 trillion over the next decade. According to many commentators, that's a terrifying number, requiring drastic action — in particular, of course, canceling efforts to boost the economy and calling off health care reform.
Ben Calhoun / NPR:
‘Reading Rainbow’ Reaches Its Final Chapter … For 26 years, Reading Rainbow host LeVar Burton (left) shepherded kids through the exciting world of books. The show, which fostered a love of reading, was the third longest-running program in PBS history, outlasted only by Sesame Street and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.
Lisa Demer / Anchorage Daily News:
SarahPAC taken to task by feds for illegal contributions — OOPS: Mistakes on political donations blamed on software. — ldemer@adn.com — Former Gov. Sarah Palin's political action committee gave excessive contributions to two well-known Republicans and also is facing demands …
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
MAKING THE PUBLIC OPTION OPTIONAL.... Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R) of Texas has been one of the leading right-wing agitators against health care reform. It was a little odd, then, to see Armey accidentally tell The Economist that the public option may be a good idea.
Kevin Sack / New York Times:
Dealing With Being the Health Care ‘Villains’ — LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Max Shireman says that when he looks in the mirror he does not see the monster the politicians have made him out to be. — Sure, he could stand to lose a few pounds. And there was that speeding ticket last year for going 40 in a 30-mile-an-hour zone.
Kate Southwood / The Huffington Post:
Why Isn't Health Care a Right? — I am an American citizen without health insurance. I don't have a dental plan, either. I am, however, very familiar with the inside of my doctor's office as well as that of my municipal emergency room. Not to mention the operating rooms at two city hospitals …
Discussion:
The Other McCain
Lisa Lerer / The Politico:
Groups launch attack on cap and trade — Two of the most powerful business associations in the country launched a multimillion-dollar campaign against climate and energy legislation on Thursday, targeting key senators in Rust Belt and Southern states. — The National Association …
Kaiser Health News:
Grassley: No Longer Sure Bipartisan Health Deal Possible In September — Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa indicated Thursday he was no longer sure whether negotiators can reach a bipartisan deal in September, citing mounting public concern about excessive government spending and soaring federal deficits.
Onion News Network:
[video] Is Using A Minotaur To Gore Detainees A Form Of Torture? — In The Know panelists discuss the closing of the controversial detainee labyrinth and debate whether the Minotaur's sternum-stomping-by-hooves interrogation technique yielded valuable intelligence.
The Politico:
Burton defends new vacation — After a mid-August trip to America's national parks and a weeklong vacation on Martha's Vineyard, President Obama plans ... ... to take a little more time away from the office next week. — Obama will head to Camp David on Wednesday, Sept. 2 …
Discussion:
Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion
David D. Kirkpatrick / New York Times:
Some Roman Catholic Bishops Assail Health Plan — WASHINGTON — The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has been lobbying for three decades for the federal government to provide universal health insurance, especially for the poor. Now, as President Obama tries to rally Roman Catholics …
Gil Hoffman / Jerusalem Post:
‘Post’ poll: Only 4% of Jewish Israelis think Obama is pro-Israel — The number of Israelis who see US President Barack Obama's policies as pro-Israel has fallen to four percent, according to a Smith Research poll taken this week on behalf of The Jerusalem Post.
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog, Israel Matzav, Commentary, Atlas Shrugs, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Gateway Pundit and Weasel Zippers