Top Items:
Seattle Times:
Maurice Clemmons, man wanted for questioning, has troubling criminal history — Maurice Clemmons, the 37-year-old Tacoma man being sought for questioning in the killing this morning of four Lakewood police officers, has a long criminal record punctuated by violence, erratic behavior and concerns about his mental health.
Discussion:
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Huck PAC:
STATEMENT REGARDING WASHINGTON STATE SLAYINGS — The senseless and savage execution of police officers in Washington State has saddened the nation, and early reports indicate that a person of interest is a repeat offender who once lived in Arkansas and was wanted on outstanding warrants here and in Washington State.
Michelle Malkin:
Violent felon granted clemency by Huckabee now sought in Lakewood, WA police ambush; Update: Huck PAC posts statement; Update: Clemmons NOT in home surrounded by SWAT; UW students warned — Scroll for updates...SWAT team reportedly surrounded a Clemmons family home late Sunday …
Washington Post:
Palin particularly popular among fans of Limbaugh and Beck — Sarah Palin may or may not run for president in 2012, but she is already the overwhelming favorite in the Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck primaries. — In a new Washington Post poll, Palin beats other GOP leaders on two questions …
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Washington Post:
Today's GOP is both united and divided — Opposition to Obama is strong, but Republicans are split on GOP's direction and leaders — The Republican rank and file is largely in sync with GOP lawmakers in their staunch opposition to efforts by President Obama and Democrats …
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
ENCOURAGING DICK.... As you may have heard, Newsweek's Jon Meacham has a provocative item in the new issue, encouraging Dick Cheney to run for president because it would be “good for the Republicans and good for the country.” There are more than few problems with the argument …
John F. Harris / The Politico:
7 stories Obama doesn't want told — Presidential politics is about storytelling. Presented with a vivid storyline, voters naturally tend to fit every new event or piece of information into a picture that is already neatly framed in their minds. — No one understands this better …
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John F. Harris / The Politico:
7 stories Barack Obama doesn't want told — He's a pushover — If you are going to be known as a fighter, you might as well reap the benefits. But some of the same insider circles that are starting to view Obama as a bully are also starting to whisper that he's a patsy.
Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:
Americans Still Leaning Against Healthcare Legislation — Majority disapprove of Obama's handling of the issue — PRINCETON, NJ — Americans currently tilt against Congress' passing healthcare legislation, with 49% saying they would advise their member to vote against a bill …
Discussion:
Politics Daily, Scared Monkeys, JustOneMinute, The Swamp, snooperreport.com, Boston Globe, Political Punch, Commentary and AmSpecBlog
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New York Times:
Obama's Speech on Afghanistan to Envision Exit — WASHINGTON — President Obama plans to lay out a timeframe for ultimately winding down the American involvement in the war in Afghanistan when he announces his decision this week to send more forces, senior administration officials said Sunday.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, The Moderate Voice, The Daily Beast, Boston Globe, Jules Crittenden, Firedoglake, ATTACKERMAN, The Politico, The Atlantic Politics Channel, Politics Daily, msnbc.com, snooperreport.com, TPMCafe, Hot Air, Left Foot Forward, Wonk Room, The Note, Guardian and Washington Post
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Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:
Obama Issues Order for More Troops in Afghanistan — WASHINGTON — President Obama has issued his order to send more troops to Afghanistan, communicating his decision to military leaders late Sunday afternoon during a meeting in the Oval Office, and will spend Monday speaking with foreign leaders …
Discussion:
The Corner on National …
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
The Jobs Imperative — If you're looking for a job right now, your prospects are terrible. There are six times as many Americans seeking work as there are job openings, and the average duration of unemployment — the time the average job-seeker has spent looking for work — is more than six months, the highest level since the 1930s.
Discussion:
The Corner on National …, Hit & Run, Washington Monthly, Outside The Beltway and Eschaton
Geoffrey Dunn / The Huffington Post:
Palin's Latest Rogue Gaffe — There have been so many lies and distortions pointed out in Sarah Palin's Going Rogue since it was released last week that her memoir has already become something of a gag line. — But perhaps the most embarrassing gaffe so far is her mis-attributed quote to UCLA basketball legend John Wooden.
Chelsea Clinton Engaged / Political Punch:
Chelsea Clinton Engaged — ABC News has learned that Chelsea Clinton is engaged to her longtime boyfriend Marc Mezvinsky, a spokesman for former President Clinton confirmed to ABC News. — Clinton, 29, is the only child of the former president and current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
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Michael Moore / Mike's Letter:
An Open Letter to President Obama from Michael Moore — Do you really want to be the new “war president”? If you go to West Point tomorrow night (Tuesday, 8pm) and announce that you are increasing, rather than withdrawing, the troops in Afghanistan, you are the new war president. Pure and simple.
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
The face of rotted Washington — Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh — who was one of the most vocal cheerleaders for the invasion of Iraq, talks excitedly about punishing, and even bombing, Iran, and is now demanding full-scale escalation in Afghanistan — was on Fox News yesterday and highlighted …
Discussion:
Think Progress
Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:
The Urban Institute's Trojan Horse, or “Remind Me Again What the Opt-Out Got Us?” — Here Rahm, let me help you push... (photo: GoGap) — The opt-out provision made a stunning debut, introduced by “liberals” who assured everyone that it was the answer to all our problems.
Niall Ferguson / Newsweek:
An Empire at Risk — We won the cold war and weathered 9/11. But now economic weakness is endangering our global power. … From the magazine issue dated Dec 7, 2009 — Call it the fractal geometry of fiscal crisis. If you fly across the Atlantic on a clear day …
Ezra Klein:
Congressional Budget Office: Reform will bring down the cost of health-care insurance — The Congressional Budget Office released a report (pdf) today estimating changes to average premiums under the Senate health-care bill. The report is going to prove very important, and is going to confuse a lot of people.
Newsweek Blogs:
Pastor Rick Warren Responds to Proposed Antigay Ugandan Legislation — Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church and author of the bestselling book The Purpose Driven Life, drew fire last year when he was invited to give the invocation at President Obama's inauguration.
Daniel Williams / Bloomberg:
Hamas Bans Women Dancers, Scooter Riders in Gaza Push — Nov. 30 (Bloomberg) — The Islamic Hamas movement banned girls last month from riding behind men on motor scooters and forbade women from dancing at the opening of a folk museum. Girls in some public schools must wear headscarves and cloaks.