Top Items:
Jonathan Cohn / The New Republic:
EXCLUSIVE: Dems ‘Almost Certain’ to Bypass Conference — Now that both the House and Senate have passed health care reform bills, all Democrats have to do is work out a compromise between the two versions. And it appears they're not about to let the Republicans gum up the works again.
Discussion:
The Atlantic Politics Channel, The Note, Sunlight Foundation, The Moderate Voice, Ezra Klein, Hot Air, Michelle Malkin, TPMDC, AmSpecBlog, Congress Matters, Newsweek Blogs, msnbc.com, Guardian, Another Black Conservative, Dr. Melissa Clouthier, PoliBlog, Bloomberg, The Corner on National …, Washington Monthly, Open Congress, The Foundry, Jules Crittenden, TalkLeft, The Lonely Conservative, The Page and Hotline On Call
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David Dayen / Firedoglake:
House-Senate Health Care “Conference” Begins; PhRMA Deal Targeted — Rep. Waxman not yet willing to swallow the bitter ones? (photo: nvinacco) — Henry Waxman, chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, announced at a constituent meeting Sunday that he was headed to Washington today …
The Huffington Post:
Dems Will Bypass Conference Committee To Get Health Care Passed
Dems Will Bypass Conference Committee To Get Health Care Passed
Discussion:
The Washington Independent
Peter Baker / New York Times:
Inside Obama's War on Terrorism — The evening before he was sworn into office, Barack Obama stepped out of Blair House, the government residence where he was staying across from the White House, and climbed into an armored limousine for the ride to a bipartisan dinner.
Discussion:
The Fix, The Swamp, Brookings Institute, The Huffington Post, Michael Calderone's Blog, Washington Monthly, Raw Story, Think Progress, NY Daily News, Swampland, Associated Press, The Politico, ATTACKERMAN, The Strata-Sphere, Mediaite, No More Mister Nice Blog, National Review Online, The New Republic, Media Blog on National … and The Washington Independent
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Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
Former Bush Officials Refusing to Endorse Policies They Support Out of Pique — Peter Baker's article on John Brennan and Obama-era counterterrorism is pretty conventional “friendly profile of important government official” stuff. But this is a good break with convention that more reporters should engage in:
Aaron Blake / The Hill:
Staff walks out on party-switcher Griffith — Rep. Parker Griffith's (Ala.) staff has resigned en masse after his recent decision to switch parties and become a Republican. — In a sternly worded statement, Griffith Chief of Staff Sharon Wheeler announced the exit of herself …
RELATED:
BBC:
‘Missing arms spark Yemen alert’ — The closure of three embassies in Yemen followed local security forces losing track of six trucks full of arms and explosives, say reports from Yemen. — France announced its mission in the capital Sanaa was shut on Monday, a day after the US and UK closed theirs.
Discussion:
The Jawa Report, Newshoggers.com, Guardian, Washington Times, Atlas Shrugs, Outside The Beltway and Fox News
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Karen DeYoung / Washington Post:
Obama aide defends trial for suspect in Christmas Day attempt to bomb plane
Obama aide defends trial for suspect in Christmas Day attempt to bomb plane
Blue Texan / Firedoglake:
Dear Right-Wing Bedwetters: George H.W. Bush Sought to Try Lockerbie …
Dear Right-Wing Bedwetters: George H.W. Bush Sought to Try Lockerbie …
Discussion:
Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog!
Gregory D. Johnsen / Foreign Policy:
Welcome to Qaedastan — Yemen's coming explosion will make today's problems seem tame.
Welcome to Qaedastan — Yemen's coming explosion will make today's problems seem tame.
Discussion:
Newsweek Blogs
David Gibson / Politics Daily:
Brit Hume: Jesus Can Tame You, Tiger — For Americans who are both political junkies and faithful churchgoers (guilty as charged), Sunday mornings can mean a painful choice between watching the Sunday talk shows for scoops (or gaffes) from newsmakers, or attending services to meditate on the wisdom of ancient scripture and tradition.
RELATED:
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
BRIT HUME SAID WHAT?.... As regular readers know, I've made no mention …
BRIT HUME SAID WHAT?.... As regular readers know, I've made no mention …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Althouse, TPM LiveWire, Gateway Pundit, NewsReal Blog, La Shawn Barber's Corner, At-Largely, USA Today and Unfogged
Jeffrey Gettleman / New York Times:
U.S. Evangelicals' Role Seen in Uganda Anti-Gay Push — KAMPALA, Uganda — Last March, three American evangelical Christians, whose teachings about “curing” homosexuals have been widely discredited in the United States, arrived here in Uganda's capital to give a series of talks.
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
That 1937 Feeling — Here's what's coming in economic news: The next employment report could show the economy adding jobs for the first time in two years. The next G.D.P. report is likely to show solid growth in late 2009. There will be lots of bullish commentary …
Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Republican retirements mount in House — The decision by South Carolina Rep. Henry Brown to retire brings Republican retirements to 14, a number that, if it continues to rise in the coming months, could curtail the expected GOP gains in the House in November.
RELATED:
Adam Fogle / The Palmetto Scoop:
Brown will not seek re-election
Brown will not seek re-election
Discussion:
The Politico, Scorecard's Blog, Eye on 2010, Hotline On Call, TPMDC and National Review Online
David Dayen / Firedoglake:
Notes on the Obama Disconnect — Not the change we organized for? — I see that my colleague bmaz referenced a post I wrote about a year ago back at Digby's place, about how Obama the candidate was consolidating structures within the progressive movement — field, voter registration …
RELATED:
Micah L. Sifry / techPresident:
The Obama Disconnect: What Could Have Been?
The Obama Disconnect: What Could Have Been?
Discussion:
odd time signatures, Ben Smith's Blog, Personal Democracy Forum blogs, Moe Lane and Riehl World View
Ronald Kessler / NewsMax.com:
Secret Service Let Third Intruder Into White House — Michaele and Tareq Salahi were not the only uninvited guests at the White House state dinner in honor of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. — At the last minute, someone from the Indian diplomatic delegation invited a man to attend …
RELATED:
Jessica Kutch / SEIU:
Hell Freezes Over: Rush Limbaugh Loves Union Hospitals and Socialized Medicine — Over the past year of Obama's presidency, conservative blowhard Rush Limbaugh has routinely mocked, distorted and even invented various health insurance reform proposals before Congress.
CNN:
Two shot at Las Vegas courthouse — (CNN) — Two federal personnel were shot, one fatally, Monday in the lobby of a federal courthouse building in Las Vegas, Nevada, federal officials said. — “A deputy U.S. marshal and court security officer were shot at the Lloyd D. George Federal Courthouse …
RELATED:
Political Punch:
President Obama Names Transgender Appointee to Commerce Department — President Obama recently named Amanda Simpson to be a Senior Technical Advisor to the Commerce Department. — In a statement, Simpson, a member of the National Center for Transgender Equality's board of directors …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Mediaite, Politics Daily, Box Turtle Bulletin, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Atlas Shrugs
msnbc.com:
Al-Qaida double-agent killed CIA officers — Officials: Perpetrator of Afghan attack was supposed to infiltrate al-Qaida — The suicide bombing on a CIA base in Afghanistan last week was carried out by a Jordanian doctor who was an al-Qaida double agent, Western intelligence officials told NBC News.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Laura Rozen's Blog, The Jawa Report, PrairiePundit and Keep America Safe
Curt Schilling / 38 Pitches:
Rarely does it ever feel like... We can truly make a difference. January 19th, here in Massachusetts, that can all change. — Scott Brown is going to provide this state with the once in a lifetime chance to change this country forever. — I won't get into specifics, since if this matters you already know them.
Discussion:
The Politico, Boston Globe, Scorecard's Blog, The Hill, National Review Online and Pundit & Pundette
Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Rep. King rethinking Senate run — Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.) signaled Monday that he is reconsidering his decision not to run for Senate in 2010. — King said he's actively looking at a run for statewide office this year after he'd ruled out such a campaign last summer.
Discussion:
The Washington Independent
Hendrik Hertzberg / New Yorker:
UM, PATHETIC — “All violent feelings have the same effect,” John Ruskin wrote, in one of his most famous essays. “They produce in us a falseness in all our impressions of external things, which I would generally characterize as the ‘Pathetic Fallacy.’ ” Ruskin published “Of the Pathetic Fallacy” …
Bloomberg:
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished as Banks Seek Profits From Bailout — Jan. 4 (Bloomberg) — To understand the meaning of no good deed goes unpunished, Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner can look no further than Wall Street where the banks that received the biggest taxpayer bailouts are seeking …
Jim Scarantino / New Mexico Watchdog:
Stimulus Funds Went to Nonexistent Zip Code Areas [Updated 2X] — First it was phantom Congressional districts. Now it's phantom zip codes. — Last month, we reported on federal stimulus money credited with creating jobs in nonexistent New Mexico Congressional districts.
Discussion:
Hot Air, YID With LID, QandO, Political Byline, protein wisdom, Sister Toldjah and The Lonely Conservative