Top Items:
Carrie Budoff Brown / The Politico:
Carper quietly devises third option — Sen. Tom Carper bided his time on health care reform. — Rarely in the spotlight, and unfailingly restrained, the Delaware Democrat never staked out a public position on the government insurance option, solidifying his status as the model of an undecided moderate in need of persuading.
Discussion:
The New Republic, Wonk Room, TPMDC, neo-neocon, Firedoglake, Open Congress, race42008.com, Salon, Donklephant, The Page, NewsBusters.org and The Hill
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Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
NV-Senate: Lowden Announces Against Reid — Former Nevada state Republican Party Chairwoman Sue Lowden will announce her bid to challenge Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid today, immediately becoming the highest-profile candidate in an increasingly crowded field hoping to unseat the Nevada Democrat.
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Talking Points For Obama's Political Operation Describe Public Option …
Talking Points For Obama's Political Operation Describe Public Option …
Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
Grayson Breaks the Rules — Representative Alan Grayson's statement that the Republican plan for health care amounts to “don't get sick” and if you do “die quickly” probably doesn't meet a test of literal accuracy. Reality is I guess closer to “only get sick if you're stably employed in a good …
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Mike Soraghan / The Hill:
Pelosi: No Grayson apology needed — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) says there's no reason for Rep. Alan Grayson to apologize for his “Die quickly” remark, since Republicans have made statements just as outrageous as his. — “If anybody's going apologize, everybody should apologize …
Glenn Thrush / Glenn Thrush's Blog:
Pelosi: No Grayson apology necessary UPDATED
Pelosi: No Grayson apology necessary UPDATED
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Think Progress, JammieWearingFool, Hullabaloo, Marathon Pundit, Open Left and CNN
Glenn Thrush / Glenn Thrush's Blog:
Grayson aide: Inaction is “murdering the uninsured”
Grayson aide: Inaction is “murdering the uninsured”
Discussion:
Central Florida Political …
Los Angeles Times:
In Roman Polanski case, is it Hollywood vs. Middle America? — Reactions to the extradition of the fugitive filmmaker show a sharp divide. — Roman Polanski (Getty Images) — From Michael Moore's politics to on-screen sex and violence, the movie business is constantly being assailed for not sharing the country's values.
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Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
Post editors should read their own columnists — The Washington Post Editorial Page today lashes out at “Roman Polanski's apologists,” a group it says is “typified by the comments of Swiss filmmaker Otto Weisser, Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, film and TV celebrity Whoopi Goldberg” …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Politics Daily, The New Republic, Hit & Run, The Sideshow and The Daily Dish
New York Times:
McChrystal Rejects Scaling Down Afghan Military Aims — LONDON — The top military commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, rejected calls for scaling down military objectives there on Thursday and said Washington did not have unlimited time to settle on a new strategy to pursue the eight-year-old war.
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Yochi J. Dreazen / Wall Street Journal:
Gates Doubts U.S.'s Afghan Strategy — WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama met with senior counselors for three hours Wednesday to launch his review of Afghan war strategy, amid indications that his defense secretary — the key link between the White House and the military — is among those undecided about the right approach.
Jonathan Martin / The Politico:
Pawlenty preps 2012 campaign team — Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has been quietly assembling the blueprint of a presidential campaign and will announce Thursday the support of a group of high-level political strategists and donors, complemented by a handful of top new media consultants, POLITICO has learned.
Discussion:
The Note, National Review Online, Boston Globe, Washington Monthly, Left Coast Rebel, Newsweek Blogs, Ben Smith's Blog, The Atlantic Politics Channel, Philly.com, Tim Pawlenty's Freedom …, The New Republic, AmSpecBlog, Hot Air, Des Moines Register, Another Black Conservative, Power Line, Wonkette, The Swamp, Politics Daily, race42008.com, GOP 12, Below The Beltway, The Washington Independent and The Page
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Quinnipiac University:
Pennsylvania Senate Seesaw Tips To Toomey, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Obama's Approval Drops Below 50 Percent — The seesaw 2010 Senate race in Pennsylvania tips to Republican Pat Toomey, who has 43 percent to recently converted Democrat Sen. Arlen Specter's 42 percent, too close to call …
Glenn Thrush / Glenn Thrush's Blog:
Bachmann: Dems would allow abortions for 13-year-olds — Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) is picking up on a blogospheric conservative drumbeat by charging that confidentiality clauses in the health reform bills passed by three House committees would allow 13-year-old girls to get abortions without informing their folks.
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James Pethokoukis:
Obama's not-so-secret plan to raise taxes — Does President Obama have a secret plan to raise taxes on middle-class Americans — and,well, pretty much everybody else — with a European-style, value-added tax? Actually, it's not such a big secret. Connect the dots:
Discussion:
American Power, TaxProf Blog, The Corner on National …, theblogprof, Political Byline, Cato @ Liberty and Sister Toldjah
Patrick Gavin / The Politico:
AUSTAN GOOLSBEE TAKES THE PRIZE — White House economic adviser Austan Goolsbee took home the top prize in the 16th annual “D.C.'s Funniest Celebrity” contest on Wednesday evening, and he did so in a very unconventional way. Instead of adopting a traditional comedic routine of joke buildup and punchline …
Laurie Goodstein / New York Times:
Support Appears to Drop for Abortion Rights — For most of the last two decades, a clear majority of Americans has supported the right to abortion. A new poll, though, suggests that support for abortion appears to have declined, with the public almost evenly divided over the issue.
Discussion:
Verum Serum
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Wall Street Journal:
Stimulus Spending Doesn't Work — Our new research shows no evidence of a Keynesian ‘multiplier’ effect. There is evidence that tax cuts boost growth. — Printer — Friendly — The global recession and financial crisis have refocused attention on government stimulus packages.
Associated Press:
FBI Ordered to Release Cheney Interview — Judge Says FBI Must Reveal Much of Interview Conducted During CIA Leak Investigation — (AP) A federal judge ruled Thursday that the FBI must publicly reveal much of its interview with former Vice President Dick Cheney during the investigation …
Discussion:
The Political Carnival
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Rasmussen Reports:
Election 2010: Delaware Senate — 2010 Delaware Senate: Castle 47%, Biden 42% — The 2010 U.S. Senate race in Delaware is all about the candidates who haven't decided whether to run yet. — The first Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 survey in the state finds that longtime Republican …
Sharon Waxman / The Wrap:
Exclusive: Comcast in Talks to Buy NBC-Universal from General Electric (updated) — Deal was negotiated at a meeting among bankers in New York on Tuesday. Comcast denies a deal is done, but does not deny talks — Comcast, the nation's leading provider of cable, entertainment …
Discussion:
Silicon Alley Insider, The Big Picture, New York Times, Mediaite, TVNewser, Media Decoder, The Huffington Post, TVbytheNumbers and Mashable!
Kevin Drum / MoJo Blog Posts:
Chart of the Day — The Office of the Speaker of the House emails to nominate this for chart of the day. Sure. Why not. It's a good chart. Bottom line: the public really likes the idea of having a choice between either a private or a public health insurance plan.
Mikkel Fishman / The Moderate Voice:
My Algorithm Proves You're Gay! — There is an article in The Boston Globe about an MIT project dubbed Project Gaydar. … Of course there is nothing unique about sexuality, as it ominously continues: … So really, despite the provocative introduction, it is really just a program that uses …
Political Punch:
President Obama Signs Executive Order Banning Federal Employees from Texting While Driving — ABC News has learned that President Obama signed an executive order last night banning federal employees from text-messaging while on government business, driving government vehicles or using government equipment.
Discussion:
Villainous Company, The Hill, WhiteHouse.gov Blog, In The Agora, The Political Carnival and Gothamist
Andy Barr / The Politico:
Carter walks back racism charge — Former President Jimmy Carter insisted Thursday that he did not say protests against President Barack Obama were driven by racism. — Carter touched off a firestorm three weeks ago when he said Rep. Joe Wilson's (R-S.C.) “You Lie!” outburst was …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers