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 …
Discussion:
JustOneMinute, Townhall.com, NewsBusters.org, Left Coast Rebel, Des Moines Register, Swampland, RedState, Riehl World View, JammieWearingFool, Jules Crittenden, Hot Air, Daily Kos, Think Progress, Pajamas Media, Mediaite, The Political Carnival, Michael Calderone's Blog, The Hill, Gateway Pundit, USA Today and TVNewser
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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 …
Brian C. Ledbetter / Snapped Shot:
Fraudulent Art in the White House? — An enterprising art-enthusiast FReeper has discovered a fraudulent painting amongst Barack Obama's new White House collection. While Beelzebubba didn't post both images together, I managed to throw together the following animation …
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:
Scared Monkeys
Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
Opt Me Out of Public Option Purism — Some of the usual suspects are out this morning with criticism of Tom Carper's compromise proposal to insert a robust public option into the Democrats' health care bill, but allow states to opt out of it by legislative or popular action.
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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 Anonymous Liberal, The Plum Line, Daily Kos, Hullabaloo, TPMDC, No More Mister Nice Blog and The Politico
Jason Rosenbaum / Firedoglake:
BREAKING: 30 Senate Democrats Stand Up for a Public Option
BREAKING: 30 Senate Democrats Stand Up for a Public Option
Discussion:
DownWithTyranny!
Tim Reid / Times of London:
Barack Obama: Taleban can be involved in Afghanistan future — President Obama is prepared to accept some Taleban involvement in Afghanistan's political future and is unlikely to favour a large influx of new American troops being demanded by his ground commander, a senior official said last night.
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Washington Post:
Afghanistan Commander McChrystal's Washington Trip Delayed — The White House has told the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan to delay a planned trip here Friday to brief President Obama and his senior advisers on his recommendation for a major troop increase.
Jennifer Loven / Associated Press:
AP source: Obama focusing on al-Qaida, not Taliban
AP source: Obama focusing on al-Qaida, not Taliban
Discussion:
Mere Rhetoric, Jules Crittenden, Atlas Shrugs, Associated Press, Weasel Zippers and YID With LID
Allahpundit / Hot Air:
New White House spin: Taliban not really an enemy, has role in Afghanistan's future
New White House spin: Taliban not really an enemy, has role in Afghanistan's future
Discussion:
Atlas Shrugs, New York Times, The Long War Journal, Weekly Standard, War in Context, Stop The ACLU and Pajamas Media
Lara Logan / CBS News:
Cooperation Rises between Iran and Taliban
Cooperation Rises between Iran and Taliban
Discussion:
Hot Air, Weekly Standard, Commentary, protein wisdom, Stop The ACLU, Weasel Zippers and Washington Post
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 …
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John / Power Line:
Fair and Decent? — Scott Rasmussen periodically polls Americans on whether their country is “generally fair and decent,” as opposed to “basically unfair and discriminatory.” The former view, of course, tends to predominant, but the latest results are rather sad: … Note where the change has come:
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 …
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Telegraph:
Barack Obama adviser says Sharia Law is misunderstood — President Barack Obama's adviser on Muslim affairs, Dalia Mogahed, has provoked controversy by appearing on a British television show hosted by a member of an extremist group to talk about Sharia Law.
Dan Savage / The Stranger, Seattle's Only Newspaper:
A President's Brave—And Meaningful—Ambassadorial Appointment — The president has a troubled relationship with a vocal minority group. To mollify his critics, the president appoints a member of this minority group to an ambassadorship. It's a symbolic gesture, it doesn't require …
Discussion:
The Daily Dish
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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!
Victor Parkins / Knoxville News-Sentinel:
No DNA match for sperm found on Channon Christian's underwear — Test shows sperm does not match any suspect in torture-slaying death, or boyfriend Chris Newsom. — SEVIERVILLE — Former President George W. Bush addressed a capacity crowd Wednesday night at the Wilderness Resort and Convention Center in Sevierville.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
DNC Rips Politico Story Tying Polanski To Obama: “Silly,” “Amateur Hour” — In another sign of the Obama operation's zeal for playing rough with the media, the Democratic National Committee is taking an unusually hard shot at Politico for posting a much-criticized story today linking Roman Polanski with Obama and the DNC.
Discussion:
Media Matters for America, The Washington Independent, The Impolitic and AMERICAblog News
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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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The Politico:
How long can Dems stand by Rangel? — In his trademark gravelly New York brogue, Charlie Rangel has been known to say: “I'll be with you 'til I can't be with you.” — Now, even some Democrats who have stuck with him through his messy financial problems are beginning to wonder if they can't stick with him anymore.
Discussion:
Swampland
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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.
Discussion:
Think Progress
Financial Times:
Asia steps in to support dollar — By Kevin Brown in Singapore, and Peter Garnham and Chris Giles in London — Asian central banks intervened heavily in the currency markets on Thursday to stem the appreciation of their currencies against the US dollar amid fears that their exports could be losing ground against China.
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