Top Items:
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.
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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:
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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 …
Fred Kaplan / Slate:
My mixed feelings about the war in Afghanistan. — Columnists are supposed to have firm views and express them with steadfast certainty. Since I write a column called “War Stories,” the least a reader might expect from me is a clear opinion on whether the United States should escalate or pull out of the war in Afghanistan.
Sam Youngman / The Hill:
President Obama gives go-ahead to implement Afghanistan strategy
President Obama gives go-ahead to implement Afghanistan strategy
Discussion:
The Note
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 …
Discussion:
The Atlantic Politics Channel, The Plum Line, The Daily Dish, Ezra Klein, The Corner on National …, snooperreport.com, Democratic Strategist, Raw Story, Glenn Thrush's Blog, Washington Monthly, Politics Daily, NewsBusters.org, The Caucus, Hotline On Call, Townhall.com, The Fix, msnbc.com, Daily Kos and The Page
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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 …
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.
Discussion:
Michelle Malkin, Seattle Times, Opinionator, Crooks and Liars, Little Green Footballs, msnbc.com, CNN, Wizbang, The Corner on National …, Another Black Conservative, snooperreport.com, Daily Kos, Riehl World View, Washington Post, The Washington Independent, The Note, TPMMuckraker, The Huffington Post and The Other McCain
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Seattle Times:
Maurice Clemmons, man wanted for questioning, has troubling criminal history
Maurice Clemmons, man wanted for questioning, has troubling criminal history
Discussion:
Fox News, New York Times, Lawyers, Guns and Money, The Hill, TPMMuckraker, Mike Huckabee, KIRO-TV, Matthew Yglesias, Leader, Pajamas Media, Reuters, Don Surber, Guardian, The New Republic, Talking Points Memo, The News Tribune, NO QUARTER, No More Mister Nice Blog, PERRspectives, CBS News, nwcn.com, Hot Air, Latest Open Salon Blog, The Other McCain, Scared Monkeys, Brilliant at Breakfast, Mediaite, Ben Smith's Blog, Washington Post, KOMO, Another Black Conservative, Sister Toldjah, Confederate Yankee, DaTechguy's Blog, Gateway Pundit, The Faster Times, Politics Daily, Real Clear Politics, Conventional Folly and Newshoggers.com
Jim Brunner / Seattle Times:
Suspect released in Arkansas after claiming he had changed
Suspect released in Arkansas after claiming he had changed
Discussion:
AmSpecBlog
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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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.
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Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
Adam Bellow's Fact-Checking, Ctd — More fun from the book “edited” by Adam Bellow and “written” by Sarah Palin. I have to say I guffawed out loud when reading her citations of Plato and Aristotle, when what she really meant to cite was Quote Garden. But she can't even get more folksy references correct.
David Stout / New York Times:
Supreme Court Overturns Decision on Detainee Photos — WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday set aside a lower court's order that called for the release of photographs of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan being abused by American military personnel. The high court told the lower court to re-examine the issue.
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Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
Rick Warren, Silent Enabler Of Hatred — One of Rick Warren's (and president George W. Bush's) longtime allies in Uganda, Martin Ssempe, is the author of a classic piece of minority-baiting legislation. Its details belong in the history of genocidal hatred:
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Jeffrey Young / The Hill:
CBO report predicts hike in insurance costs — Individual insurance premiums would increase by an average of 10 percent or more, according to an analysis of the Senate healthcare bill. — The long-awaited report by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Joint Committee on Taxation …
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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 …
Tom Moran:
A surprisingly dark day for gay rights in New Jersey … Support for gay marriage in Trenton is draining away like water from a tub as nervous legislators scurry towards safer political ground. — “I can't say I'm confident now,” says Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen), a lead sponsor.
Clive Crook:
More on Climategate — In my previous post on Climategate I blithely said that nothing in the climate science email dump surprised me much. Having waded more deeply over the weekend I take that back. — The closed-mindedness of these supposed men of science, their willingness …
Discussion:
Telegraph, Gawker, Michelle Malkin, Guardian, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, World Economics, TBR.cc, MoJo Blog Posts and The Jawa Report
Charles Bremner / Times of London:
Swiss voters back right-wing minaret ban — Swiss voters defied their Government and clerics yesterday and approved a ban on building minarets — reflecting an alarming hostility to a rising Muslim minority. — Fifty-seven per cent of voters in a referendum supported the direct democracy initiative …
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Victor Zapanta / Think Progress:
Washington Times Runs Anti-Obama Birther Ad Featuring Racial Undertones — This latest national edition of the Washington Times features a full-page ad that claims that President Obama is not a natural-born citizen of the United States. The ad was purchased by the anti-Obama website ProtectOurLiberty.org.
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:
Wonk Room, The Corner on National …, Hit & Run, Outside The Beltway, Truthdig and Washington Monthly
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.
Sam Tanenhaus / New Yorker:
NORTH STAR — Populism, politics, and the power of Sarah Palin. — The last time the publication of a political memoir aroused as much interest as Sarah Palin's “Going Rogue: An American Life” (Harper; $28.99) was probably in 1995, when Colin Powell's autobiography, “My American Journey,” came out.
Times of India:
Copenhagen conference: India, China plan joint exit — BEIJING: In an unprecedented move, India on Saturday joined China and two other developing countries to prepare for a major offensive on rich nations at the Copenhagen conference on climate change next month.