Top Items:
Jim Rutenberg / New York Times:
Behind the War Between White House and Fox — WASHINGTON — Late last month, the senior White House adviser David Axelrod and Roger Ailes, chairman and chief executive of Fox News, met in an empty Palm steakhouse before it opened for the day, neutral ground secured for a secret tête-à-tê te.
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Washington Post:
Deeds should've listened to us, senior Obama officials say — Top Democrats seek to shield Obama in case of election loss — Sensing that victory in the race for Virginia governor is slipping away, Democrats at the national level are laying the groundwork to blame a loss in a key swing state …
The Politico:
W.H. attacks worry moderate Dems — A White House effort to undermine conservative critics is generating a backlash on Capitol Hill — and not just from Republicans. — “It's a mistake,” said Rep. Jason Altmire, a moderate Democrat from western Pennsylvania.
Mike Allen / The Politico:
Exclusive: Pelosi lacks votes for most sweeping public option — Speaker Nancy Pelosi counted votes Thursday night and determined she could not pass a “robust public option” — the most aggressive of the three forms of a public option House Democrats have been considering as part of a national overhaul of health care.
New York Times:
Senate Leader Takes Risk Pushing Public Insurance Plan — WASHINGTON — In pushing to include a government-run health insurance plan in the health care bill, the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, is taking a calculated gamble that the 60 members of his caucus could support the plan if it included a way for states to opt out.
Allahpundit / Hot Air:
It's come to this: White House tries to bar Fox News from interviewing pay czar — Decide for yourself what the most disgraceful aspect of this is. Was it the fact that Gibbs told Jake Tapper explicitly on Monday that the White House wouldn't try to dictate to the press pool …
Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:
Charles Krauthammer on the White House vs. Fox News — The ‘post-partisan’ president makes an enemies list — Rahm Emanuel once sent a dead fish to a live pollster. Now he's put a horse's head in Roger Ailes's bed. — Not very subtle. And not very smart. Ailes doesn't scare easily.
Jennifer Rubin / Commentary:
Bullies' Overreach — In its mindless war against Fox, the White House tried to ban Fox News from the White House press pool that was to interview the “pay czar,” Kenneth Feinberg. (Yes, it was a nice touch of imperial irony that the effort to cut off access to a particular news outlet came …
Washington Post:
Support for public option grows in House and Senate — Senators offer state opt-out Pelosi says House has nearly enough votes — House Democrats are coalescing around an $871 billion health-care package that would create a government-run insurance plan to help millions of Americans afford coverage …
Discussion:
Firedoglake, The Politico, Ezra Klein, The Caucus, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Huffington Post and WSJ.com
The Note:
Public Option: It's Back
Public Option: It's Back
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The Hill, American Spectator, Washington Post, AMERICAblog News, The Huffington Post, Bloomberg, The Hill, Prescriptions, The Reaction, TPMDC, Associated Press, YID With LID, Raw Story, PoliPundit.com, The Politico, The Plum Line, MyDD, GayPatriot, The Reality-Based Community, Daily Kos, Neptunus Lex, Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog!, The Atlantic Politics Channel and Newsweek Blogs
Charles Krauthammer / Real Clear Politics:
White House Tactics Go Too Far
White House Tactics Go Too Far
Discussion:
Weekly Standard
Weekly Standard:
Breaking: Palin Supports Hoffman — THE WEEKLY STANDARD just received a statement from Sarah Palin endorsing conservative Doug Hoffman for Congress:
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Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Morning Fix: Palin Endorses Hoffman — Sarah Palin's decision to endorse the Conservative party candidate over the Republican nominee in a special House election in upstate New York is the latest example that the former Alaska governor's allegiance is to her conservative principles rather than the edicts of the party.
Alex Isenstadt / The Politico:
NY-23 race first test of tea party power — Tea party activists from across the nation are rallying around the House special election in upstate New York, viewing it as the first electoral test of the nascent conservative movement's political muscle. — Organizers up and down the East Coast report …
Washington Post:
Top employees leave financial firms ahead of pay cuts — Grass is greener where bonuses are sky-high — NEW YORK — Even before the Obama administration formally tightened executive compensation at bailed-out companies, the prospect of pay cuts had led some top employees to depart.
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Boston Herald:
Bay State liberals shun Barack Obama's visit — President Obama blows into the bluest state today facing a cold shoulder from once true-blue admirers, as gay rights activists, anti-war protesters and vexed environmentalists vow to picket a fund-raiser he's headlining for Gov. Deval Patrick - a marquee event that hasn't even sold out.
Discussion:
JammieWearingFool
Elaine Woo / Los Angeles Times:
Soupy Sales dies at 83; slapstick comic had hit TV show in 1960s — The comedian acquired a cult-like following among adults with a show ostensibly meant for children. His signature routine, which he elevated to an art form, was pie-throwing. — Soupy Sales is embraced backstage …
Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
The Public Option Playing Field, in Two Dimensions — You should definitely go and read Ezra Klein's handy guide to the various public option compromises that are working their way through the Senate. One thing to bear in mind however is that the public option compromises are really being discussed along two dimensions.
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Heather / Crooks and Liars:
The Rachel Maddow Show: Indefensible — As Rachel reports, it looks like the vote taken by 30 Republicans to protect contractors rather than rape victims is not playing very well for them in their local papers. — Jamie Leigh Jones and her attorney joined Rachel to talk about what happened …
Discussion:
skippy the bush kangaroo
Mike Soraghan / The Hill:
Whip count shows Democrats lack votes on ‘robust’ public option for healthcare — Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) drive for a public option in healthcare reform ran into turbulence Thursday when a survey of her caucus showed she needs more votes to pass such a bill.
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Michael Goldfarb / Weekly Standard:
Elie Wiesel to Keynote CUFI Conference Sunday — Last year, the supposedly pro-Israel J Street spearheaded a campaign against the indisputably pro-Israel group Christians United for Israel. In July of 2008, J Street circulated a petition urging Senator Joe Lieberman not to speak …
Discussion:
Commentary
Rasmussen Reports:
73% of GOP Voters Say Congressional Republicans Have Lost Touch With Their Base — President Obama told an audience at a Democratic Party fundraiser Wednesday night that Republicans often “do what they're told,” but GOP voters don't think their legislators listen enough to them.
Discussion:
The Hill
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Mike Allen / The Politico:
Annie Leibovitz takes first family photo — Friends encourage Roger Ailes to seek GOP nom in 2012 — Geithner: ‘A big week’ — Endgame: Look for a trigger in final health bill — Annie Leibovitz takes first family photo — Friends encourage Roger Ailes to seek GOP nom in 2012 — Geithner …
Emily Kaiser / City Pages:
Bong water is an illegal drug, Minn. Supreme Court rules — Time to dump your bong water in case the feds show up at your door. They might think you actually plan to drink it later. According to a split decision by the Minnesota Supreme Court, a person in possession of more than 25 grams …
Discussion:
TalkLeft