Top Items:
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.
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Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Sarah Palin and the first 2012 Republican proving ground — 1. Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin's decision to attend — and speak at — the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans in April transforms that event into the first legitimate cattle-call of the 2012 Republican presidential sweepstakes.
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Two swipes at CPAC — Two stories today on Palin's decision to skip CPAC, the grassroots event at which she'd likely be embraced, and two explanations: — Palin is declining an invitation to address the Conservative Political Action Conference next month because, a source said …
Discussion:
AmSpecBlog
Associated Press:
Brown Decries Conservative Group's Anti-Coakley Ad — BOSTON (AP) ― A conservative group is joining Republican Scott Brown in his effort to defeat Democrat Martha Coakley and her bid to succeed the late Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, although Brown says he opposes the outside intervention.
Discussion:
Iowa Independent, The Washington Independent, Ben Smith's Blog, Eye on 2010 and Red Mass Group
George Stephanopoulos / George's Bottom Line:
Rudy Giuliani Wrong in Saying ‘No Domestic Attacks Under Bush’ — President Obama yesterday took personal responsibility for failures in the Christmas day terror plot, but Rudy Giuliani still isn't convinced. — I spoke to the former mayor of New York City this morning on GMA …
Discussion:
Gothamist, The Washington Independent, Raw Story, Lawyers, Guns and Money, ABCNEWS and Eschaton
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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 …
Discussion:
Wake up America, Right Wing Nut House, CNN, Taylor Marsh, Outside The Beltway, Coop's Corner, Hotline On Call, The Lonely Conservative, GOP 12, Conservatives4Palin.com, Southern Republican …, Riehl World View, The Atlantic Politics Channel, Ben Smith's Blog, New Orleans Times-Picayune, The Page, Hot Air and Gateway Pundit
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Philip Rucker / Washington Post:
Steele comments have GOP aides pleading, ‘Get him to stop’ — Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele, under fire this week for a string of controversial statements he has made while promoting his new book, has so angered the party's congressional leaders that their aides …
Discussion:
The Caucus, Top of the Ticket, Politics Daily, Washington Times, Hotline On Call, Raw Story, Yahoo! News, Weasel Zippers and Crooks and Liars
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Matt Corley / Think Progress:
After Declaring ‘I Want The Gig,’ Steele Claims He Didn't ‘Seek’ RNC Chairmanship — Earlier this week, RNC Chairman Michael Steele once again set off intraparty squabbling when he told Sean Hannity that he didn't think Republicans could take back the House in 2010 and that even if they did, he didn't know if they were ready to govern.
New York Times:
U.S. Job Losses in December Dim Hopes for Quick Upswing — The United States economy lost more jobs than expected in December, tempering hopes for a swift and sustained recovery from the Great Recession. — The Labor Department said on Friday that the economy shed another 85,000 jobs last month …
Discussion:
Power Line, Washington Monthly, Associated Press, Financial Times, Matthew Yglesias, Economix, The Page and Scared Monkeys
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Christina Romer / White House.gov Blog Feed:
On the December Jobs Numbers — Today's employment report, though a setback from November, is consistent with the gradual labor market stabilization we have been seeing over the last several months. — Payroll employment declined 85,000 in December. To put this number in perspective …
Christopher S. Rugaber / Associated Press:
Economy loses 85K jobs, unemployment rate steady
Economy loses 85K jobs, unemployment rate steady
Discussion:
Associated Press, Townhall.com, The Atlantic Politics Channel, Calculated Risk, Politics Daily and RedState
D.B. Grady / The Atlantic Politics Channel:
Why Heads Should Roll — How courageous is Alhaji Umaru Mutallab, the father of terrorist Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab? If, as it is argued, the Islamic world sees the War on Terror as a War on Islam, it must have been quite intimidating to walk into the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria.
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Robert Costa / The Corner on National Review Online:
Palin Scoops Politico — By: Robert Costa — Did Politico's Mike Allen read Going Rogue? If he did, he'd know that his scoop on Sarah Palin is actually quite old. Here's how Allen opens his story on Politico's homepage: … O, please. Palin detailed all of this months ago on page 289 of her book:
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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.”
Discussion:
Felix Salmon, The Business Insider, Grasping Reality …, Financial Times, Calculated Risk and The Awl
Brian Ross / ABCNEWS:
Shock: Obama Forced to ‘Order’ Follow-Ups of Terrorist Tips — President Pledges ‘Accountability’ But No One Fired for Systemic Intel Failures — In a revealing admission, President Barack Obama said today he was directing U.S. intelligence agencies to begin to do something many had assumed …
Discussion:
New York Times, Washington Times, Jules Crittenden, Mudville Gazette and Washington Post
David Brooks / New York Times:
The Messiah Complex — Every age produces its own sort of fables, and our age seems to have produced The White Messiah fable. — This is the oft-repeated story about a manly young adventurer who goes into the wilderness in search of thrills and profit. But, once there …
Discussion:
JustOneMinute
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:
Enduring America, The Moderate Voice, Perfunction, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Hit & Run and FP Passport
Aaron Blake / The Hill:
Club for Growth will oppose Sen. Bennett's reelection in 2010 — In an unusual move, the Club for Growth announced Friday that it will oppose Sen. Bob Bennett's (R-Utah) reelection, without specifying a candidate it might support. — A series of candidates are looking to upend Bennett …
Discussion:
The Washington Independent
Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:
Dems favored for CT-GOV — There aren't going to be a lot of offices Democrats win for the first time since 1986 in this Republican trending year of 2010. But the Connecticut Governorship might be one of them. — Democratic front runners Susan Bysiewicz, Ned Lamont …
Discussion:
Politics Nation
Wall Street Journal:
The Risk of Catastrophic Victory — Obama is in the midst of one. Can the GOP avert one of their own? — Printer — Friendly — Passage of the health-care bill will be, for the administration, a catastrophic victory. If it is voted through in time for the State of the Union Address …
Discussion:
The New Republic
Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
CBO estimates $390 billion budget deficit for first quarter of FY 2010 — The Congressional Budget Office late Thursday released a report estimating that the federal budget deficit was $390 billion for the first quarter of fiscal year 2010. — During the same quarter in 2009 …
Discussion:
The Page
Katherine Mangan / Chronicle of Higher Education:
Law Schools Get Advice on Helping Students Cope With Tight Job Market — Law schools have a responsibility to teach students how to be emotionally resilient and fiscally sensible at a time when high-paying jobs are hard to come by and student-loan debts are mounting, several speakers asserted …
Discussion:
New York Times
Leah Farrall / All Things Counter Terrorism:
Can we stop the hysteria about AQAP please? — Greetings everyone. Allthingsct is officially back on deck for 2010. — Tonight's cynical Friday task is some myth busting in relation to Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, especially since the Xmas Day plots have spawned a good deal …
New York Times:
Potential Ford Senate Bid Sets Off Scramble — 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 …