Top Items:
The Politico:
‘We got walloped’ — Two big questions loom in the wake of the 2009 elections. The first is whether Barack Obama learned anything new about American voters. The second is whether American voters will soon learn something new about Obama. — For a president who likes always …
Discussion:
Washington Post, James Pethokoukis, Political Punch, Taylor Marsh, Commentary, The Note, The Hill and Townhall.com
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Adam Nagourney / New York Times:
Energized G.O.P. Looking to Avoid an Intraparty Feud — WASHINGTON — Republicans emerged from Tuesday's elections energized by victories in Virginia and New Jersey, but their leaders immediately began maneuvering to avoid a prolonged battle with conservative activists over what the party stands for and how to regain power.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Washington Monthly, American Power, msnbc.com, New York Times, Blogs and Stories, The Note, MoJo Blog Posts and The Page
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
WEAK KNEES KEEP SHAKING.... In Tuesday's congressional races, voters sent two more House Democrats to Congress, expanding an already-large Democratic majority on the Hill. In 2008, the electorate made a House Democratic majority bigger, and in 2009, Dems went five for five in special elections, making that majority bigger still.
Washington Post:
Democrats debate Obama agenda's impact on Democratic Party — Democrats on Capitol Hill began a nervous debate Wednesday about the course President Obama has set for their party, with some questioning whether they should emphasize job creation over some of the more ambitious items on the president's agenda.
Discussion:
McClatchy Washington Bureau, The Politico, Suburban Guerrilla, Los Angeles Times, Associated Press and msnbc.com
CNN:
Gibbs dismisses losses as ‘local elections’
Gibbs dismisses losses as ‘local elections’
Discussion:
Sabato's Crystal Ball, Liberal Values, Townhall.com, Jules Crittenden and Wall Street Journal
Ruy Teixeira / New York Times:
Relax, Democrats — TO hear Republicans tell it …
Relax, Democrats — TO hear Republicans tell it …
Discussion:
Democratic Strategist
Jill Lawrence / Politics Daily: Florida, Texas, California? Conservative Activists Mull Their Next Stand
Daniel Libit / The Politico:
Bachmann calls for ‘scare’ tactics — In a conference call Wednesday night with bloggers and activists for the advocacy group Americans for Prosperity, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) called on protesters to “scare” members of Congress into killing the proposed health care reform bill.
Discussion:
Think Progress, The Note, Washington Monthly, Wake up America, Raw Story, TPMDC, AMERICAblog News, George's Bottom Line and Hot Dish Politics
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Lori Montgomery / Washington Post:
House leaders prepare for rare Saturday vote on health-care bill — CBO: GOP measure would cover few uninsured — House leaders put in motion the machinery to hold a rare Saturday vote on the most far-reaching expansion of the health-care system in more than 40 years.
Patricia Murphy / Politics Daily:
Michele Bachmann's Capitol House Call: ‘Get Your Hands Off My Health Care!’ — Rep. Michele Bachmann's message for conservatives traveling to Washington to attend her Capitol Hill House Call event Thursday is simple: “Go into the Capitol and find members of Congress,” she told activists Wednesday night.
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Bachmann Watch — We've spent the day trying to get a handle …
Bachmann Watch — We've spent the day trying to get a handle …
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog
Manu Raju / The Politico:
Lindsey Graham warns GOP against going too far right — The morning after Republicans lost an upstate New York House seat, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) warned that conservative activists will bring destruction to the Republican Party if they drive out moderate candidates across the country.
Discussion:
Wonk Room, Hot Air, Scared Monkeys, The Reaction, Stop The ACLU, Newshoggers.com and Weasel Zippers
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Mark Silva / The Swamp:
Senate climate bill moving without GOP — Democrats on a key Senate committee bypassed a Republican boycott and this morning approved a sweeping plan to limit greenhouse gas emissions, a move meant to reassure other nations as the world prepares for global warming treaty hearings next month …
Discussion:
The Politico
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Karl Rove / Wall Street Journal:
Tuesday's Suburban Vote Swing — Even a five-point shift would mean big Democratic losses in 2010. — Printer — Friendly — Tuesday's elections should put a scare into red state Democrats—and a few blue state ones, too. — Barack Obama was said to have redrawn the electoral map …
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Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:
Huckabee, Romney, Palin See Most Republican Support for '12 — Huckabee, Romney viewed as most qualified of possible Republican presidential candidates — PRINCETON, NJ — Looking ahead to the 2012 presidential election, 71% of Republicans say they would seriously consider voting for Mike Huckabee.
TMZ.com:
Prejean Sex Tape Triggers Settlement — Carrie Prejean demanded more than a million dollars during her settlement negotiations with Miss California USA Pageant officials — that is, until the lawyer for the Pageant showed Carrie an XXX home video of her handiwork.
Mike Allen / The Politico:
Sen. Snowe: Tuesday's results ‘certainly gives pause on how you approach’ health reform - Yanks are world champs — BIRTHDAYS: Autumn Hanna VandeHei, the hottest and smartest wife-mother-friend (boot tip: Jimmy) ... Sloan Rappaport big 4-0 birthday (hat tip: Margaret and Freddie) …
Paul Thompson / Daily Mail:
Michelle Obama to star with Nigella Lawson as she becomes first presidential wife to appear on a reality show — Michelle Obama is to be the first presidential wife to appear on a reality TV series. — The First Lady will make a guest appearance on ‘Iron Chef America’ which features British cook Nigella Lawson as a judge.
David Rogers / The Politico:
Dems want to seize historic moment — Health care is big for House Democrats: big like Social Security in the '30s and civil rights in the '60s, big like the war stories retold now in party caucuses as lawmakers grapple with the floor vote that is just days away.
Discussion:
Althouse
Adam D. Krauss / Foster's Daily Democrat:
Fresh on the heels of repeal in Maine, N.H. may reconsider gay marriage — DOVER — Now that gay marriage has been defeated in Maine, attention again shifts to New Hampshire, where lawmakers say momentum from Tuesday's vote may fuel legislation to repeal the state's law and give voters a say.
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog
Tony Romm / The Hill:
Collins to introduce czar amendment again — Maine Sen. Susan Collins (R) on Wednesday announced she would revive her effort to require the White House's policy czars to testify regularly before Congress. — Her amendment, which she first tried to attach to an appropriations bill without success …
Discussion:
The Washington Independent
Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
NYC Population By Borough — I forget what I was trying to prove when I started working on this chart yesterday morning, but late yesterday afternoon I realized there was a 90 percent finished visual display of data on my computer so I figured I might as well finish it:
Discussion:
Megan McArdle