Barney Frank Deals Potential Death Blow to Obamacare  —  Rep. Barney Frank is not a wobbly moderate in a marginal district, but a liberal Democrat who has been supportive of the health care push.  And that's why this statement below, which essentially rules out all of the options being discussed …

The Senate's Underpants Gnome Problem  —  If you think about legislation in a second-order sense, then I think it's clear that a “bill to increase the number of people who have jobs” would be a very good bill to pass, both substantively and politically.  And Brian Beutler reports …

TSA Nominee Withdraws Amid ‘Political Agenda’  —  Obama administration's TSA nominee withdraws amid ‘political agenda’  —  The Obama administration's choice to lead the Transportation Security Administration withdrew his name Wednesday.  —  In a statement, Erroll Southers said he was pulling …

White House: Mass. ‘messages heard’  —  The White House faces questions today, on the anniversary of President Barack Obama's inauguration, about the Senate election in Massachusetts that cost the president's party its short-lived super-majority control of the Senate.

He's Done Everything Wrong  — Home - Cheat sheet - Buzz board - Big Fat Story - Blogs & stories - Videos - Galleries - Crossword  —  Blogs and Stories  —  Obama punted on the economy and reversed the fortunes of the Democrats in 365 days.  —  He's misjudged the character of the country in his whole approach.

Pence To Meet With NRSC  —  In the wake of winning MA, GOPers are looking to put 1 more state in play if they can convince House GOP Conference chair Mike Pence to run against Sen. Evan Bayh (R-IN).  —  Pence and his aides will meet with top staffers at the NRSC tomorrow …

Liberal Bloggers to Obama and Dems: We Told You So  —  It took more than half a decade, countless American and Iraqi deaths in a war based on lies, a sinking economy and the drowning of an American city to finally kill Bush-Cheney-Rove's dream of a conservative realignment.

The Times to Charge for Frequent Access to Its Web Site  —  The New York Times announced Wednesday that it intended to charge frequent readers for access to its Web site, a step being debated across the industry that nearly every major newspaper has so far feared to take.

Just Shut Up!  —  Message of the day to all Dems, Coakley, Rahm, Celinda Lake, national Dem committees, Axelrod, whoever, whatever: Shut the *$%& Up!  I don't know how else to say it.  I'm watching MSNBC and hearing all the key players dumping on each other.  As I've said, the Coakley campaign seems to have been run just terribly.

The Trials of Gavin Newsom  —  Gavin Newsom still looks glossy, like someone who'd play J.F.K. in a Lifetime original movie.  —  But the 42-year-old mayor of San Francisco sees his once glowing political future in less glamorous terms.  —  “I mean, oh, God,” he said, sipping green tea in his elegant office.