Top Items:
Michael Scherer / Time:
Calling 'Em Out: The White House Takes on the Press — There was never a single moment when White House staff decided the major media outlets were falling down on the job. There were instead several such moments. — For press secretary Robert Gibbs, the realization came in early September …
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Michelle Malkin:
Do the Watusi: Art, imitation, and the Obamas — Yesterday, we chuckled over the indecision-themed “word art” that the Obamas chose to hang in the White House. — Today, a Free Republic poster notices another of the Obamas' curious art choices: “Watusi (Hard Edge),” by Alma Thomas …
Beelzebubba / freerepublic.com:
NYT Touts White House Artworks, Misses Obvious Copy, Apparent Fraud (Freeper Breaks the Story) — Yesterday, the NYT ran a story about the White House acquiring art. It included a slide show of a dozen artworks. — This Freeper took a look and found one abstract work he admired:
Discussion:
Snapped Shot
The Huffington Post:
Dean: If I Were A Senator I'd Vote For Opt-Out Public Option — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — One of the most respected progressive voices on health care reform said on Thursday that he could live with and even support a compromise to the public plan that would grant states the right to reject the option entirely.
Discussion:
The Politico, TPMDC, The Plum Line, Daily Kos, No More Mister Nice Blog and Paul Krugman
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Sen. Arlen Specter / The Huffington Post:
Supporting a Robust Public Option — As debate continues on much needed health care reform, I urge my Senate colleagues to support a robust public option plan. It's important that the President's ideas on the public option be implemented to maintain a level playing field.
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Latest on the Public Option
Latest on the Public Option
Discussion:
TPMDC, FiveThirtyEight, The Daily Dish, Open Left, Balloon Juice, Firedoglake and No More Mister Nice Blog
Quinnipiac University:
American Voters Oppose Obama Health Care Plan, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; GOP Gets Lowest Grades Since Obama Elected — American voters oppose 47 - 40 percent President Barack Obama's health care reform plan, and don't want an overhaul that only gets Democratic votes …
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Rajiv Chandrasekaran / Washington Post:
Civilian, Military Officials at Odds Over Resources Needed for Afghan Counterinsurgency — In early March, after weeks of debate across a conference table in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, the participants in President Obama's strategic review of the war in Afghanistan figured …
Discussion:
Commentary, Associated Press, Democracy in America, New York Times, SWJ Blog, MoJo Blog Posts, BLACKFIVE, Gallup, democracyarsenal.org, The New Republic, Newshoggers.com, Hot Air, Wall Street Journal, Flopping Aces, ATTACKERMAN, Cato @ Liberty, Weekly Standard, NO QUARTER, Mudville Gazette, The Foundry, Pajamas Media, Confederate Yankee, BernardFinel.com, Ben Smith's Blog, The Washington Independent and msnbc.com
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Ann Scott Tyson / Washington Post:
Army Officers Criticize Rebuke of Gen. McChrystal
Army Officers Criticize Rebuke of Gen. McChrystal
Discussion:
Commentary
Zaid Jilani / Think Progress:
O'Reilly to Bachmann: You ‘drive the far-left crazy’ because you're ‘good looking.’ — Last night, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and Fox News' Bill O'Reilly discussed why she is “second to Sarah Palin in far-left angst,” setting off a conversation between the two about why Bachmann faces …
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Chris Ariens / TVNewser:
Rep. Michele Bachmann Says MSNBC Hosts Are ‘Stalkers,’ One of them Responds — On “The O'Reilly Factor” last night, Minnesota GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann talked about having “personal stalkers” eluding to certain, though unnamed, MSNBC anchors. — O'Reilly: “Does it bother you that NBC News …
Washington Post:
McDonnell Widens Lead in Virginia Governor's Race — Republican Withstands Rival's Attacks on Conservative Social Views — Republican Robert F. McDonnell has taken a commanding lead over R. Creigh Deeds in the race for governor of Virginia, as momentum the Democrat had built with an attack …
Kenneth P. Vogel / The Politico:
ROMAN POLANSKI BACKERS GAVE $34K TO BARACK OBAMA, DNC — Movie industry types calling for the release of director Roman Polanski last year gave $34,000 to Obama's presidential campaign and the Democratic Party, FEC records show. — Polanski's arrest late last month by Swiss authorities …
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Plum Line, Salon, Don Surber, BuzzFlash.org, Gawker, Jezebel and Washington Monthly
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David M. Halbfinger / New York Times:
Corzine Points a Spotlight at His Rival's Waistline — It is about as subtle as a playground taunt: a television ad for Gov. Jon S. Corzine shows his challenger, Christopher J. Christie, stepping out of an S.U.V. in extreme slow motion, his extra girth moving, just as slowly, in several different directions at once.
Discussion:
The Opinionator, Matthew Yglesias, Feministe, Shakesville, theblogprof, Another Black Conservative, Politicker NJ, New Jersey Online, Jeffrey Goldberg, City Room, Mediaite, Hot Air, Clusterstock, The New Republic, National Review Online, The Atlantic Politics Channel, Gothamist, RedState, The Fix, TalkLeft, Taylor Marsh, msnbc.com and Perfunction
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BBC:
French minister in ‘boy sex’ row — France's Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand is facing intense pressure over a book he wrote that described paying for “young boys” in Thailand. — The book was written four years ago, before he joined the government, but is back in the headlines following …
Matt Osborne / The Huffington Post:
Treason and Sedition — Article III of the Constitution defines treason against the United States in three ways: levying war against the country, adhering to the country's enemies, or giving aid or comfort to enemies. The punishment for treason is death, but the article requires a high burden of proof.
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New York Times:
In First Lady's Roots, a Complex Path From Slavery — WASHINGTON — In 1850, the elderly master of a South Carolina estate took pen in hand and painstakingly divided up his possessions. Among the spinning wheels, scythes, tablecloths and cattle that he bequeathed to his far-flung heirs …
Glenn Thrush / Glenn Thrush's Blog:
House GOP leaders voting against defense bill — House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and House GOP Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-Ind.) are voting against the House/Senate fiscal year 2010 defense authorization bill — because it contains hate crimes provisions designed to protect gays and lesbians.
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Vince Lattanzio / NBC Philadelphia:
Little Soldier Girl “Didn't Want to Let Go” — Four-year old Paige didn't want to say goodbye to her daddy before he was shipped off to Iraq — A family photo that shows a little girl beside her father and his fellow soldiers in uniform as they prepare to go to war has resonated well beyond the tight knit Bennethum clan.
Discussion:
Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog!
Pew Research Center:
Survey Reports — Mixed Views of Economic Policies and Health Care Reform Persist — Barack Obama's job approval ratings have remained stable over the course of the last several months. Currently, 52% of Americans approve of the president's job performance while 36% disapprove.
Discussion:
Politics Daily
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Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:
Burr looking better — There is probably no politician in the country whose fate better exemplifies the shift in the national political climate over the last four months than Richard Burr. — His approval this month comes in at a very mediocre 36% with an almost equal 35% disapproving of his work in the Senate.
John Eligon / New York Times:
Brooke Astor's Son Guilty in Scheme to Defraud Her — The son of Brooke Astor, the legendary New York society matriarch, was convicted on Thursday of stealing from her as she suffered from Alzheimer's disease in the twilight of her life. — Barring an appeal, the jury's verdict means …
Discussion:
NY Daily News, And So it Goes in Shreveport, Above the Law, Gothamist, Law Blog and Gawker
Paul Krugman:
Is health on the way? — Jonathan Chait may be tempting fate a bit here, but it is increasingly looking as if reform has weathered the storm. — The key point about health care is that the Democrats have the votes if they hang together. Against that, there are clearly some Democratic senators …
Wendy Button / Politics Daily:
Health Care Speechwriter for Edwards, Obama & Clinton Without Insurance Now — For the first time in my life, I am without health insurance and it is a terrible feeling. — In the past, I paid attention to the health care debate as a speechwriter who prepared speeches, talking points …
David Aaronovitch / Times of London:
American troops in Afghanistan losing heart, say army chaplains — Martin Fletcher at Forward Operating Base in Wardak province, Afghanistan — American soldiers serving in Afghanistan are depressed and deeply disillusioned, according to the chaplains of two US battalions that have spent nine months …
Digby / Hullabaloo:
Independents — I was listening to all the gasbags drone on all day yesterday about how the “independents” are all unhappy with Obama and are probably going to vote for the Republicans again when just a couple of years ago they were all unhappy with Bush and voted with the Democrats.