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Hotline On Call:
GOP Insiders Sour On Palin — A poll of GOP insiders suggests that ex-AK Gov. Sarah Palin (R) has little support among the party's professional class — and maybe that's just how she wants it. — In a survey of 109 party leaders, political professionals and pundits, Palin finished 5th …
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Andy Barr / The Politico:
Palin rebuffs CPAC, Keene — Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Pain is turning down an invitation to speak at one high-profile conservative gathering while accepting another. — Palin is declining an invitation to address the Conservative Political Action Conference next month because, a source said …
David Weigel / The Washington Independent:
Is Palin Getting $100,000 to Speak at the Tea Party National Convention?
Is Palin Getting $100,000 to Speak at the Tea Party National Convention?
The White House:
Remarks by the President on Strengthening Intelligence and Aviation Security State Dining Room — THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon, everybody. The immediate reviews that I ordered after the failed Christmas terrorist attack are now complete. I was just briefed on the findings and recommendations …
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Jesse Lee / White House.gov Blog Feed:
Release of the Security Review Conducted After the Failed Christmas Terrorist Attack — The review of our security and intelligence systems following the attempted terrorist attack on Christmas Day has been completed. The President spoke two days ago about “the urgency of getting this right …
Jim Hoft / Gateway Pundit:
Janet Napolitano Says She's Most Surprised By “Al-Qaeda's Determination” (Video)
Janet Napolitano Says She's Most Surprised By “Al-Qaeda's Determination” (Video)
Discussion:
Founding Bloggers
Josh Gerstein / The Politico:
Obama: ‘My responsibility’
Obama: ‘My responsibility’
Discussion:
Neptunus Lex, The Hill, The Swamp, Political Byline, JOSHUAPUNDIT, The Moderate Voice and Taylor Marsh
Reid Wilson / Hotline On Call:
GOP Furious At Steele; RNC Admits Little Control — House and Senate leadership aides are furious with RNC chair Michael Steele and have angrily confronted the RNC's press shop over their inability to keep the chair on message. — In the course of a regular daily conference call between …
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The Note:
Steele Lashes Out: Critics Should ‘Get a Life,’ …
Steele Lashes Out: Critics Should ‘Get a Life,’ …
Discussion:
Washington Times, Associated Press, Crooks and Liars, The Plum Line, ABC News Radio Online, Another Black Conservative, The Hill, Hot Air, TBogg, Political Byline, Daily Kos, Washington Monthly, Riehl World View, Taegan Goddard's …, Ben Smith's Blog, Wonkette, The Page, TPM LiveWire and Weasel Zippers
Greenwich Time:
Former White House lawyer charged with attempting to kill wife in New Canaan — NEW CANAAN — A prominent attorney and former White House lawyer was charged with attempting to kill his wife Wednesday night. — John Michael Farren, 57, of New Canaan, was charged with attempted murder …
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Rachel Slajda / TPM LiveWire:
Former Bush Attorney Charged With Trying To Kill His Wife — John Michael Farren, who served as deputy counsel to President George W. Bush, has been charged with strangulation and attempted murder after allegedly choking his wife and beating her with a flashlight.
James Gordon Meek / NY Daily News:
NCTC director Michael Leiter remained on ski slopes after Christmas Day airline bombing attempt — WASHINGTON - The top official in charge of analyzing terror threats did not cut short his ski vacation after the underwear bomber nearly blew up an airliner on Christmas Day, the Daily News has learned.
Discussion:
JammieWearingFool, FP Passport, The Atlantic Politics Channel, Newsweek Blogs, BuzzFlash.org, Think Progress, Political Punch, CBS News, Jihad Watch, Don Surber, Laura Rozen's Blog, Raw Story, Another Black Conservative, The Lonely Conservative, Riehl World View, Hot Air, FrumForum, Media Blog on National …, Betsy's Page, ThreatsWatch, Gateway Pundit, Ben Smith's Blog and Political Byline
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Mike Allen / The Politico:
Palin aide warned of ‘epic debacle’ — Sarah Palin's charming opening debate line for now-Vice President Joe Biden — “Hey, can I call you Joe?” — was scripted after she repeatedly referred to him as “O'Biden” in preparation sessions, former McCain campaign senior adviser Steve Schmidt told “60 Minutes.”
The Star-Ledger Continuous / New Jersey Online:
N.J. Senate rejects bill legalizing gay marriage … TRENTON — The state Senate rejected a same-sex marriage bill today, a major victory for opponents who contend the measure would infringe on religious freedom and is not needed because the state already permits civil unions.
Discussion:
Gothamist, Box Turtle Bulletin, JammieWearingFool, TPM LiveWire and The Corner on National …
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Golnaz Esfandiari / Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty:
Iran State TV Suggests Neda's Iconic Death Was ‘Faked’ — Iranian state television has made a documentary about the death of Neda Agha Soltan, a young Iranian woman who was shot dead during the June postelection protests in Tehran, suggesting she was an agent of the United States and Britain who staged her own death.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Enduring America, Perfunction, Hit & Run, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS and FP Passport
Seema Mehta / L.A. NOW:
Reagan grandson arrested in Van Nuys [Updated] — Former President Reagan's grandson is in jail this morning after police arrested him at his parents' house in Van Nuys, Los Angeles Police Department officials said. — Cameron Reagan, 31, was arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest …
Ben Armbruster / Think Progress:
Beck: 'African-American is a bogus, PC, made-up term. I mean, that's not a race.' — Today on his radio show, Glenn Beck wanted to discuss the census. “Apparently the census has come out,” he said. Beck's co-host then chimed in, “Yeah and there's a little confusion because there's three boxes …
Roger Lowenstein / New York Times:
Walk Away From Your Mortgage! — John Courson, president and C.E.O. of the Mortgage Bankers Association, recently told The Wall Street Journal that homeowners who default on their mortgages should think about the “message” they will send to “their family and their kids and their friends.”
Abby Goodnough / New York Times:
In Massachusetts, Anxiety for Favored Democrats — BOSTON — Martha M. Coakley, the Democrat running for Senator Edward M. Kennedy's seat in Massachusetts, had seemed so certain of winning the special election on Jan. 19 that she barely campaigned last month. — But the dynamic has changed in recent days.
Jennifer Rubin / Commentary:
Moving From “Solid” to “Leans” — Jennifer Duffy at the Cook Political Report says that something is happening in Massachusetts: … She notes that there are two more debates “which always present candidates with an opportunity to put in make-or-break performances.” One has to remember: this is Massachusetts.
Marc Ambinder / The Atlantic Politics Channel:
Attention Conspiracy Theorists: Read This Post — I tend to be skeptical of those who believe that the Federal Reserve is engaged in a massive conspiracy, for reasons known and unknown, to protect its turf and turn us all into serfs, but then I'll read a quotation like this, and I'll scratch my head.
Bill Carter / Media Decoder:
NBC Plan Would Move Leno Back to Late Nights — Conan O'Brien, left, and Jay Leno on the set of “The Tonight Show” when Mr. Leno was the host. — Pressed by affiliates and shrinking ratings, NBC has a plan in the works to radically alter its late-night television lineup …
Daniel Indiviglio / The Atlantic Business Channel:
Dodd To Treasury? — Roll Call speculates that Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT) may not be retiring after all — he may trade his office in the Senate's Russell Building for one in the Treasury. Could he replace Tim Geithner as Treasury Secretary? It's not beyond the realm of possibility, but I doubt it.
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
Bubbles and the Banks — Health care reform is almost (knock on wood) a done deal. Next up: fixing the financial system. I'll be writing a lot about financial reform in the weeks ahead. Let me begin by asking a basic question: What should reformers try to accomplish?
Discussion:
The Reality-Based Community
New York Times:
New York Politicians at Odds Over Harold Ford Jr. — The New York political world reacted swiftly and strongly to the possibility of Harold Ford Jr.'s candidacy for the United States Senate, with top Senate leaders trying to squash the bid and close advisers to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg meeting …
Orville Schell / Los Angeles Times:
America's can't-do list — The list of what works in other countries, but no longer does in the U.S., is growing. — Lately, I've been studying the melting of glaciers in the greater Himalayas. Understanding the cascading effects of the slow-motion downsizing of one of the planet's …
Discussion:
TPMCafe
Daniel / Crooked Timber:
I scream, you scream, we all scream for Icesave! — Iceland has a population of about 300,000 , about 140,000 taxpayers and pre-crisis GDP of about $12bn. The Royal Bank of Scotland has about 140,000 employees and pre-crisis net profit of about £8.5bn - they're about the same size as entities.
Carrie Budoff Brown / The Politico:
Nelson in “serious discussions” to extend deal — Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) has begun negotiations with Senate Democratic leaders to expand his special Medicaid funding deal to all states or to allow states to opt out of the Medicaid expansion in 2017, his spokesman told POLITICO Thursday.
Discussion:
Swampland, Firedoglake, Carol's Closet, RedState, PoliPundit.com, Riehl World View and Time