Top Items:
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
To Our Readers — This is only the second time in its nearly ten-year history that the Dish has gone silent. The reason now is the same as the reason then. When dealing with a delusional fantasist like Sarah Palin, it takes time to absorb and make sense of the various competing narratives that she tells about her life.
Discussion:
Wonkette, Villainous Company, Dennis the Peasant, Gawker, The Moderate Voice, Left Coast Rebel, The New Republic, Mediaite, Sister Toldjah, Pundit & Pundette, TBogg, Ben Smith's Blog, AmSpecBlog, Rumproast, Macsmind, Althouse, Jules Crittenden, Riehl World View and Michael Calderone's Blog
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Steve Holland / Reuters:
McCain defends campaign team against Sarah Palin — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Senator John McCain on Wednesday strongly defended the top advisers from his 2008 presidential campaign in the face of sharp criticism from his vice presidential running mate, Sarah Palin.
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
DNC circulates Palin memo; ‘God Bless’ — The Democratic National Committee has been, for days emailing reporters gleefully about Sarah Palin's media blitz, feeding the flames of what officials there see as a distraction for and a threat to the Republican Party.
Discussion:
The Swamp, The Caucus, The Confluence, Riehl World View, Althouse, D.C. Now and Mudville Gazette
Chris Ariens / TVNewser:
Nicolle Wallace Calls Sarah Palin's Description of Couric Interview ‘Fiction’ — As we reported last week, in her new memoir “Going Rogue” Sarah Palin writes about the campaign interviews she gave to Katie Couric. Palin contends McCain aide and former CBS News political contributor Nicolle Wallace …
The Live Feed | THR:
Sarah Palin gives Oprah biggest audience in two years — Oprah Winfrey's interview with former vp candidate Sarah Palin scored the talk show host her highest rating in two years. — Monday's episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” drew a 8.7 household rating and 13 share …
Rod Dreher / NPR:
A Conservative Read On Palin's ‘Going Rogue’ … text sizeAAA — Sarah Palin is back to tell us that she loves Alaska. And America. And Todd, the First Dude. She loves God, Ronald Reagan, cutting taxes and serving those she calls “ordinary hardworking people.” Who's on Sarah's enemies list?
Discussion:
Ross Douthat, NewsBusters.org, Newshoggers.com, beliefnet, MoJo Blog Posts, Riehl World View, Althouse and Eunomia
Jeffrey Young / The Hill:
Reid modifies abortion provisions but eschews Stupak language — The Senate healthcare reform bill includes new language designed to prevent taxpayer money from financing abortions, an anti-abortion-rights Democrat said Wednesday. — Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), who was briefed on the healthcare bill …
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Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
Reid Outlines Bill For Caucus, Warns Conservative Dems That Reconciliation Is Still An Option — At a special evening meeting of the Democratic caucus tonight, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid outlined, in broad strokes, the details of his health care bill, which the CBO has found …
CNN:
Obama: 'We've restored America's standing'
Obama: 'We've restored America's standing'
Discussion:
Washington Post, Laura Rozen's Blog, The Moderate Voice, Mudville Gazette, Wonk Room, Macsmind and Riehl World View
Andy McCarthy / The Corner on National Review Online:
Holder's Testimony — By: Andy McCarthy — They are in recess after opening statements and initial rounds of questions. Here are some of the Attorney General's whoppers so far: — 1. The “tragic shooting” at Ft. Hood. What happened at Ft. Hood was a jihadist massacre — a terrorist act, not a tragedy.
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Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Graham grills Holder: Does Bin Laden need to be given his Miranda rights? — Per the last post, here's how “carefully” Holder consulted the law before pulling the trigger on KSM. Not only does Graham have to tell him that there's no precedent for trying battlefield detainees in civilian court …
Markos Moulitsas / The Hill:
Conservative cowards — American liberals are tough on terrorists …
Conservative cowards — American liberals are tough on terrorists …
Discussion:
Hot Air, Weekly Standard, The Huffington Post, neo-neocon, Washington Monthly, Sister Toldjah and Pundit & Pundette
Faiz Shakir / Think Progress:
Fox News displays old campaign footage to claim Palin is getting ‘huge crowds’ at her book signings. — This afternoon, Fox News host Gregg Jarrett proudly announced that Sarah Palin is “continuing to draw huge crowds while she's promoting her brand new book. Take a look at — these are some of the pictures just coming into us.”
Jeff Bercovici / DailyFinance:
Palin photographer breached contract with sale to Newsweek — What on earth was Sarah Palin thinking when she posed in a pair of teeny-tiny gym shorts for a photograph that ended up on the cover of Newsweek — a cover she has called “sexist”? Perhaps she was thinking that her image …
Discussion:
Pajamas Media, The Gaggle, Front Row Washington, Indecision Forever, Telegraph, NewsBusters.org, Texas for Sarah Palin and Mediaite
RELATED:
Taylor Marsh / The Huffington Post:
What Was Newsweek Thinking? — This has got to be the worst case …
What Was Newsweek Thinking? — This has got to be the worst case …
Discussion:
Megan McArdle, The Politico, theblogprof, Taylor Marsh, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Donklephant
Washington Wire:
Breast Imaging Guidelines Trigger Political Fight — Some Republicans are seizing on new mammogram guidelines issued by a government advisory panel to underline their assertion that the Democrats' health care overhaul would lead to rationing of medical services.
Discussion:
Donkeylicious
RELATED:
Christine C. / Our Bodies Our Blog:
New Mammogram Guidelines Are Causing Confusion, But Here's Why They Make Sense
New Mammogram Guidelines Are Causing Confusion, But Here's Why They Make Sense
Discussion:
Prescriptions, The Caucus, Washington Post, New York Times, RHRealityCheck.org, neo-neocon and ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES
Dave Montgomery / McClatchy Washington Bureau:
Texas' gay marriage ban may have banned all marriages — AUSTIN — Texans: Are you really married? — Maybe not. — Barbara Ann Radnofsky, a Houston lawyer and Democratic candidate for attorney general, says that a 22-word clause in a 2005 constitutional amendment designed …
Detroit Free Press:
5:30 p.m. | Palin comes out of the bus, clad in a red and black jacket and black skirt and carrying her son Trig. She tells the people gathered outside that she was thrilled to be back in Michigan. — “Alaska and Michigan have so much in common with the huntin' and the fishin' and the hockey moms …
Discussion:
The Other McCain, Gateway Pundit, Hot Air, theblogprof, Conservatives4Palin.com and Texas for Sarah Palin
Mike Soraghan / The Hill:
Jesse Jackson: 'You can't vote against healthcare and call yourself a black man' — The Rev. Jesse Jackson on Wednesday night criticized Rep. Artur Davis (D-Ala.) for voting against the Democrats' signature healthcare bill. — “We even have blacks voting against the healthcare bill,” Jackson said at a reception Wednesday night.
The Note:
Palin: ‘Death Panels’ Are Like Reagan's ‘Evil Empire’ — ABC News' Rick Klein reports: — Sarah Palin is acknowledging that “death panels” aren't part of Democrats' health care bills. — But, she says, she's been talking about them to make a point — and she's comparing her use of the term …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly
Quinnipiac University:
Obama Approval Dips Below 50% For First Time, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Support For U.S. Troops In Afghanistan Drops Below 50% — President Barack Obama's job approval rating is 48 - 42 percent, the first time he has slipped below the 50 percent threshold nationally …
Katherine Mangu-Ward / Hit & Run:
Stimulus Goes to the Dogs — President Obama in a speech to the National Conference of State Legislatures on March 2009: … Half a block from my house, November 2009: — Yep. That's a state-of-the-art dog park, paid for with stimulus money. — Like the man said: No plan is perfect.
Carol Williams / L.A. NOW:
Judge orders compensation for gay couple denied benefits — A federal judge today ordered compensation for a Los Angeles couple denied spousal benefits by the federal government because they are gay men. — U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Stephen Reinhardt deemed the denial …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice