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SEIU Chief: If Dems Pass Scaled-Down Health Bill, Labor Will Have Trouble Staying “Focused On National Politics” — SEIU chief Andy Stern took a hard shot at Dem leaders just now for considering a scaled-down health care bill, strongly hinting that labor might not work as hard for Dem candidates …
Discussion:
TPMDC, Another Black Conservative, American Power, Wonk Room, Hot Air, YID With LID, The Hill, The Lonely Conservative and Weasel Zippers
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How the Democrats may solve their health-care problem — There is no question that Democrats have looked weak in responding to the Massachusetts election. The notion that they would just shelve health care after all they have put into it — the message they have gotten across …

Is it time to break up? — I should say, at the outset, that I'm not a fan of this idea. But there's no denying that breaking the health-care bill into different pieces is receiving serious consideration. Nothing is decided, but according to House aides, there would be at least four bills …

Van Hollen: Senate Bill's Brand May Be Irrevocably Tarnished, So We May Go Reconciliation Instead — In a candid assessment of the politics of health care, DCCC chief Chris Van Hollen said in an interview that the Senate bill's brand may be irrevocably tarnished, particularly among independents …
Discussion:
Firedoglake, TPMDC, Emptywheel, Taylor Marsh, The Page, Talking Points Memo and Ben Smith's Blog


Leading Health Care Experts Tell House To Pass Senate Health Care Bill
Discussion:
The New Republic, Newsweek Blogs, The Nation, Talking Points Memo, Wonk Room, Open Left and TalkLeft


Getting It Done: The Year In Obama-Led Health Care Reform (VIDEO) — Well folks, it's been one year since President Barack Obama took office. And he spent a lot of that year working on health care reform. — But with the future of reform uncertain at best in the wake of the special election …
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If Republicans run as strongly as Brown, only 103 House Dems are safe.

61% Say It's Time for Congress To Drop Health Care
Discussion:
Washington Wire, Gateway Pundit, distributedrepublic …, Pollster.com All Content, Hot Air, YID With LID, USA Today, TPMDC, Ben Smith's Blog, CIRCLE and Commentary

In U.S., Majority Favors Suspending Work on Healthcare Bill
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, The Plum Line, Viking Pundit, About.com US Liberal Politics, The Foundry, The Lonely Conservative, NO QUARTER, New York Times, American Power, The Corner on National …, IntoxiNation, JustOneMinute, The Swamp, TPMDC, Washington Monthly, Politics Daily, AmSpecBlog, Eye on 2010, New York Magazine, Pollster.com All Content and Rasmussen Reports


Ayla Brown acknowledges it: She voted for Kerry — (NECN: Boston) - Her father is the talk of Washington Republicans, but Ayla Brown says she has an independent streak - and a voting record to prove it. In an interview with Beth Shelburne of New England Cable News Friday, Ayla Brown …
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Pick-up truck trendsetter
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PERRspectives, Bostonist, Full Comment, PostPartisan, The Corner on National … and No More Mister Nice Blog


Ex-Conservative Charles Johnson's Next Crusade — With many among the left having lately been bogged down in a wonkish debate over health care in general and the question of best-versus-possible in particular, it's easy to forget that the somewhat more fundamental conflict among conservatives regarding …
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Obama has suspicious number of letter-writing fans named ‘Ellie Light’ — Ellie Light sure gets around. — In recent weeks, Light has published virtually identical “Letters to the Editor” in support of President Barack Obama in more than a dozen newspapers.Every letter claimed …
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Alert: Female Suicide Bombers May Be Heading Here From Yemen — U.S. Agents Told Women Believed Connected to Al Qaeda May Have Western Appearance and Passports — American law enforcement officials have been told to be on the lookout for female suicide bombers who may attempt to enter the United States …


UK terror threat level ‘severe’ — The UK terror threat level is being raised from “substantial” to “severe”, the Home Office has said. — The new alert level means a terrorist attack is considered “highly likely”. It had stood at substantial since July.
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Terrorist threat level raised to ‘severe’
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Weasel Zippers

Matthews Tells Congressman Grayson That He Doesn't Represent ‘The Real World Of Congress’ — As Congress enters the final stretches of the health care debate, members are looking for the best way forward following the election of Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) to the U.S. Senate.
Discussion:
The Political Carnival

2012 Presidential Poll — For the first time in one of our monthly polls looking ahead to the 2012 Presidential election Barack Obama trails one of his hypothetical opponents, albeit by the smallest of margins. — Mike Huckabee has a 45-44 advantage over Obama, aided largely by a 44-38 lead with independents.
Discussion:
Hot Air, GOP 12, JammieWearingFool, Ben Smith's Blog, Real Clear Politics, Weasel Zippers and The Washington Independent


UN climate change expert: there could be more errors in report — The Indian head of the UN climate change panel defended his position yesterday even as further errors were identified in the panel's assessment of Himalayan glaciers. — Dr Rajendra Pachauri dismissed calls for him to resign …

High radiation levels blight Iraq — • Greater rates of cancer and birth defects near sites — • Depleted uranium among poisons revealed in report — More than 40 sites across Iraq are contaminated with high levels or radiation and dioxins, with three decades of war …


Obama Seen as Anti-Business by 77% of U.S. Investors — Buzz up! — Jan. 22 (Bloomberg) — U.S. investors overwhelmingly see President Barack Obama as anti-business and question his ability to manage a financial crisis, according to a Bloomberg survey. — The global quarterly poll …


Senate Rankings: Post-Masspocalypse Edition — We are transitioning, a little earlier than I'd planned, into a more or less fully automated version of our Senate race rankings. From now until November, our rankings will be based entirely on polling and other objective variables …

Filibuster reform bill headed for Senate floor, faces uphill battle — Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) intends to introduce legislation that would take away the minority's power to filibuster legislation. — Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) intends in the next few weeks to introduce legislation …


U.S. government for sale — With no limits on campaign financing, corporations will take over the government — SPECIAL COMMENT — Finally tonight, as promised, a Special Comment on the Supreme Court's ruling today in the case titled “Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.”
Discussion:
Mediaite, The Huffington Post, skippy the bush kangaroo, Riehl World View, Media Research Center and Hit & Run


No Love Lost — At 9:45 this morning, George H.W. Bush will open up his West Houston home to the press to make what is, for the octogenarian former president, a rare overtly political announcement: In the intra-Republican party fight for Texas governor, 41 has chosen U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison over Gov. Rick Perry.

What's Worse, “Disingenuously waving the flag of the First Amendment,” or Burning it? — As I hinted at in my CNN.com column of yesterday, those self-identified free-speech champions who are crying in their Cheerios today over Citizens United v. the FEC are able to get to what many of us …
Discussion:
Opinionator, New York Times, Will Wilkinson, Cato @ Liberty, The League of Ordinary … and Left in the West


NOW: ‘Kill the Senate health bill entirely’ — Share on Facebook Stumble This! — Group laments ‘fierce anti-abortion language,’ cites ‘male-dominated’ Democratic Party in Coakley loss — WASHINGTON — As Democrats weigh options for health reform following a major setback …
Discussion:
Corrente, AMERICAblog News, Ezra Klein, Hot Air, RedState, Ben Smith's Blog and Truthdig


Right-wing Saudi dynasty endorses right-wing Fox News dynasty. — This week, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal al-Saud of Saudi Arabia — the largest shareholder of News Corp outside the Murdoch family — endorsed Rupert Murdoch's son James to succeed the elder Murdoch when he retires.

Jon Stewart Mocks Keith Olbermann Over Scott Brown Attacks — Jon Stewart mocks Keith Olbermann for his attacks on Scott Brown and other conservatives, including Rush Limbaugh and Michelle Malkin. — To comment on this video or click the “Comments” link below.
Discussion:
Hot Air, The Daily Caller, The DC Trawler, sara in italy, distributedrepublic …, American Conservative … and Commentary