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.
Discussion:
The Politico, Mediaite, Ben Smith's Blog, Gateway Pundit, JustOneMinute, Clusterstock, New York Times, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Hot Air, Scared Monkeys, Prairie Weather, Balkinization, Townhall.com, NewsBusters.org, The Corner on National …, Weasel Zippers, rubber hose, NPR and Washington Monthly
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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.
Discussion:
Commentary, protein wisdom, Erick's blog, RedState, Clusterstock, The Foundry, The Opinionator and Jules Crittenden
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 …
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Media Matters coordinates campaign against ‘lethal’ Fox — An official at a Democratic-leaning organization sends on a memo the group Media Matters is circulating today to progressive groups, calling Fox “a lethal 24/7 partisan political operation” and rallying a coalition of groups to join the White House assault on the network.
Discussion:
JammieWearingFool
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 …
Discussion:
Think Progress
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 / Real Clear Politics:
White House Tactics Go Too Far — WASHINGTON — Rahm Emanuel once sent a dead fish to a live pollster. Now he's put a horse's head in Roger Ailes' bed. — Not very subtle. And not very smart. Ailes doesn't scare easily. — The White House has declared war on Fox News.
Discussion:
Weekly Standard
Mike Allen / The Politico:
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.
Discussion:
Politics Daily, Firedoglake, The Atlantic Politics Channel, Pundits Blog, TPMDC, Talking Points Memo, American Spectator, Think Progress, Washington Post, Ezra Klein, Michelle Malkin, Daily Kos, AMERICAblog News, FiveThirtyEight, MoJo Blog Posts, Taegan Goddard's …, Raw Story, Taylor Marsh, The Note, Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog!, Chip Hanlon Blog, The Huffington Post, The Reaction, American Tory, GayPatriot, YID With LID, Bloomberg, The Reality-Based Community, MyDD, The Plum Line and Neptunus Lex
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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.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, The Plum Line, Bloomberg, Gawker, Washington Monthly, Open Left, Wonk Room, TPMDC, The Huffington Post, Prairie Weather, Washington Post, NPR Blogs, marbury and The Politico
Chris Bowers / Open Left:
URGENT: House 12-15 Short on Medicare +5% Public Option — I am receiving new information tonight that the House DOES NOT have 218 “solid' yes votes for health care reform with a Medicare +5% public option. Representative John Larson's claim earlier today that the House had the votes appear …
Discussion:
NOW! Blog, Daily Kos, Jack & Jill Politics, Crooks and Liars, The Politico and Riehl World View
Jared Allen / The Hill:
Pelosi calls an emergency meeting on push for ‘robust’ public option
Pelosi calls an emergency meeting on push for ‘robust’ public option
Discussion:
Pajamas Media
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Healthcare for Christmas: Reid under pressure to slow down reform debate
Healthcare for Christmas: Reid under pressure to slow down reform debate
Washington Post:
Support for public option grows in House and Senate
Support for public option grows in House and Senate
Discussion:
The New Republic, Firedoglake, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, The Caucus, The Politico, The Mahablog, Ezra Klein, WSJ.com and The Huffington Post
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.
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Reid Wilson / The Hill:
Pawlenty not backing Republican candidate
Pawlenty not backing Republican candidate
Discussion:
Top of the Ticket, Minnesota Independent, The Washington Independent, TPMDC and Real Clear Politics
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.
Discussion:
protein wisdom, Clusterstock, QandO, Hullabaloo, Outside The Beltway, Shakesville, Left Coast Rebel, Politics Daily and Cato @ Liberty
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
SUNDAY SHOW BOOKERS REFUSE TO READ POLITICAL ANIMAL.... Maybe I should start taking this personally. … For crying out loud. As of this weekend, there will have been 40 Sundays since President Obama's inauguration in January. With his 15th Sunday show appearance, McCain will have been a guest on one of the programs every 2.6 weeks.
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Jeffrey Goldberg:
J Street's Ben-Ami On Zionism and Military Aid to Israel — Jeremy Ben-Ami of the liberal lobbying group J Street is the man of the moment: The group's upcoming conference in Washington has become a source of great controversy for many reasons. I interviewed Ben-Ami yesterday by telephone …
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Saeed Shah / McClatchy Washington Bureau:
Suicide bomber strikes suspected nuclear weapons site in Pakistan — ISLAMABAD — A suspected nuclear weapons site in Pakistan was hit by a suicide bomb attack, raising fears about the security of the nuclear arsenal, while two other terrorist blasts made it another bloody day in the country's struggle against extremism.
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 …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, CNN, Reuters, protein wisdom, Shakesville, Reelin' in the Years, NY Daily News, Time, Joe. My. God., Riehl World View and EW.com
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
Matt Cover / CNSNews:
When Asked Where the Constitution Authorizes Congress to Order Americans To Buy Health Insurance, Pelosi Says: ‘Are You Serious?’ — (CNSNews.com) - When CNSNews.com asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday where the Constitution authorized Congress to order Americans to buy health insurance …