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:
Washington Post, The Politico, Wall Street Journal, The Daily Beast, Boston Globe, The League of Ordinary …, Los Angeles Times, Jules Crittenden, New York Times, The Moderate Voice, Politics Daily, snooperreport.com, CBS News, msnbc.com, TPMCafe, Hot Air, ATTACKERMAN, Left Foot Forward, Wonk Room, Firedoglake, Prairie Weather, The Atlantic Politics Channel, The Note and Guardian
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 …
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
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:
CNN, Lawyers, Guns and Money, The Hill, Mike Huckabee, Reuters, Talking Points Memo, Pajamas Media, Matthew Yglesias, No More Mister Nice Blog, nwcn.com, Ben Smith's Blog, Don Surber, CBS News, Guardian, The New Republic, Mediaite, Latest Open Salon Blog, PERRspectives, The Other McCain, Brilliant at Breakfast, Another Black Conservative, DaTechguy's Blog, KOMO, Washington Post, Confederate Yankee, The Jawa Report, Conventional Folly, Newshoggers.com, The Faster Times, MyDD, The Mahablog, Raw Story and Real Clear Politics
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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.
Seattle Times:
Police seeking suspect's wife, her car
Police seeking suspect's wife, her car
Discussion:
Michelle Malkin, Fox News, Times of London, TechCrunch, The News Tribune, The Corner on National …, KOMO, Gateway Pundit and The Other McCain
Michelle Malkin:
Violent felon granted clemency by Huckabee now sought in Lakewood …
Violent felon granted clemency by Huckabee now sought in Lakewood …
Discussion:
TalkLeft, Seattle Times, The Caucus, Leader, KIRO-TV, The Hill, NO QUARTER, Hot Air, KOMO, Scared Monkeys, AmSpecBlog, The Other McCain, Washington Post, Don Surber, The Greenroom, The Jawa Report and ArkansasTimes
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 …
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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 …
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 …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, AmSpecBlog, Ruby Slippers, snooperreport.com, Moonbattery, Ben Smith's Blog and Pundit & Pundette
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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 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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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.
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:
Hot Air, Politics Daily, The Swamp, NewsBusters.org, snooperreport.com, Scared Monkeys, The Hill, Boston Globe, Political Punch, Commentary and JustOneMinute
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:
Discussion:
Mediaite
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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 …, Wonk Room, Hit & Run, Outside The Beltway and Washington Monthly
Tony Romm / The Hill:
Ensign: Resignation would distract resources from defeating Reid — Embattled Republican Sen. John Ensign (Nev.) on Monday shot down calls for his resignation as ethics concerns continue to grow. — Ensign claimed his absence would only hamper the GOP's ability to unseat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in 2010.
Discussion:
The Note
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Jonathan Cohn / The New Republic:
We Know How this Debate Ends. Or Do We?
We Know How this Debate Ends. Or Do We?
Discussion:
Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Washington Monthly, The Politico, Prescriptions, Taylor Marsh, Open Congress and Swampland
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.
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.
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.
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 …
Tony Romm / The Hill:
SCOTUS upholds gov't position in detainee photo battle — The Supreme Court on Monday tossed a lower court's decision to release photos depicting soldiers abusing enemy combatants in foriegn prisons. — That ruling — which also means the 2nd U.S. Court of Appeals must re-examine the case …
Discussion:
ABCNEWS
Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
Elections Have Consequences? — John Meachem offers us an example of the problems with a journalism model in which it's more important for pundits to be interesting and buzzworthy than to say something true and informative: … There are a ton of problems with this, especially the odd description …
John Heilemann / New York Magazine:
Obama Lost, Obama Found — How the president finds his way out of the woods. — The Thursday before last, President Barack Obama came home from his eight-day trip to Asia and received a welcome even frostier than the subfreezing temperatures that had greeted him in Beijing.