Top Items:
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
Do the Right Thing — A message to House Democrats: This is your moment of truth. You can do the right thing and pass the Senate health care bill. Or you can look for an easy way out, make excuses and fail the test of history. — Tuesday's Republican victory in the Massachusetts special election means …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, TalkLeft, Wall Street Journal, Kausfiles, USA Today, EconLog, The Politico, TPM LiveWire and Real Clear Politics
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Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:
In U.S., Majority Favors Suspending Work on Healthcare Bill — Seven in 10 say Massachusetts election result reflects frustrations shared by Americans — PRINCETON, NJ — In the wake of Republican Scott Brown's victory in Tuesday's U.S. Senate election in Massachusetts, the majority of Americans …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The Plum Line, The Swamp, Politics Daily, The Foundry, IntoxiNation, TPMDC, AmSpecBlog, Pollster.com All Content and Eye on 2010
Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:
What Scott Brown's win means for the Democrats — On Jan. 14, five days before the Massachusetts special election, President Obama was in full bring-it-on mode as he rallied House Democrats behind his health-care reform. “If Republicans want to campaign against what we've done by standing …
Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
Will the Base Abandon Hope? — Imagine for a moment that you're a liberal. Oh, I know, that won't be a stretch for some of you. Over the years, you've developed a pretty thick skin, since while you've won an election now and then, you haven't had too many policy victories since ... well, since forever.
The Politico:
Dem health care talks collapsing — Health care reform teetered on the brink of collapse Thursday as House and Senate leaders struggled to coalesce around a strategy to rescue the plan, in the face of growing pessimism among lawmakers that the president's top priority can survive.
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Political Punch:
Senate Dems Not Sure They Can Get Enough Votes to Reconfirm Bernanke — Amidst the voter anger at Wall Street and Washington, D.C., ABC News has learned that the Senate Democratic leadership isn't sure there are enough votes to re-confirm Ben Bernanke for another term as chairman of the Federal Reserve.
Ezra Klein:
Don't forget to blame the Senate — A lot of the onus for health care's sudden derailing has been placed on the House, which is bafflingly opposed to passing the Senate bill. But the Senate isn't making life any easier, refusing to do the one thing that would make the House comfortable with the Senate bill.
New York Times:
A New Search for Consensus on Health Care Bill — WASHINGTON — Even as Speaker Nancy Pelosi affirmed her commitment to pass far-reaching health care legislation this year, members of Congress and health policy experts began Thursday to deal with the reality that a smaller bill would have a better chance.
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
So Is It Really Over? — Let me take a moment and explain where I think we are on the Health Care Reform front. — As I've argued, procedurally, with the senate Dems reduced to 59 votes, there's no way to get a better or revised bill through the senate. (Frankly, it's not clear to me that there are still 59 votes.)
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Fluid and Muddle — I've been poking around some sources …
Fluid and Muddle — I've been poking around some sources …
Discussion:
The Greenroom
New York Times:
The Court's Blow to Democracy — With a single, disastrous 5-to-4 ruling, the Supreme Court has thrust politics back to the robber-baron era of the 19th century. Disingenuously waving the flag of the First Amendment, the court's conservative majority has paved the way for corporations …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Firedoglake, SCOTUSblog, Althouse, The White House, Neptunus Lex, Mediaite, The BLT, The Caucus, Los Angeles Times, PoliBlog, QandO, The Politico, Outside The Beltway, Taylor Marsh, Prairie Weather, USA Today, PostPartisan, unbossed.com, How Appealing, CANNONFIRE and Slate
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David D. Kirkpatrick / New York Times:
Lobbyists Get Potent Weapon in Campaign Finance Ruling
Lobbyists Get Potent Weapon in Campaign Finance Ruling
Discussion:
Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Politico, Boston Globe, The Caucus, AmSpecBlog, Philly.com, Wall Street Journal and AMERICAblog News
Washington Post:
Obama's ‘Volcker Rule’ shifts power away from Geithner — For much of last year, Paul Volcker wandered the country arguing for tougher restraints on big banks while the Obama administration pursued a more moderate regulatory agenda driven by Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner.
Discussion:
Politics Daily, Reuters, Concurring Opinions, Time, TPMCafe, Taibblog and Wall Street Journal
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Jon Ward / The Daily Caller:
Senator John Thune: Obama seeks to spark ‘class warfare’ with populist rhetoric
Senator John Thune: Obama seeks to spark ‘class warfare’ with populist rhetoric
Discussion:
RedState
James Taranto / Wall Street Journal:
W II — Obama's first term is looking a lot like Bush's second term. — President Obama has been widely mocked for the following comment: … It's a reasonable surmise that by “the last eight years” Obama actually means “the Bush administration”—and if so, this is just the latest variant …
Discussion:
TigerHawk
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Charlie Savage / New York Times:
Detainees Will Still Be Held, but Not Tried, Official Says — WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has decided to continue to imprison without trials nearly 50 detainees at the Guantánamo Bay military prison in Cuba because a high-level task force has concluded that they are too difficult …
Lisa de Moraes / Moraes on TV:
Jay Leno to keynote White House Correspondents Dinner — White House Correspondents Association has picked this week's most unpopular stand-up comic Jay Leno be the keynote speaker at this year's White House Correspondents DInner. — An NBC rep confirmed the invitation to The TV Column.
Discussion:
Washington Wire, Politics Daily, Reliable Source, Wonkette, The Page and skippy the bush kangaroo
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WCBS-TV:
Bloomberg Hammers Obama, Congress Over Bank Plan — Mayor Says President's Idea To Limit Size And Investments Will Lead To Big Problems For NYC, Including Layoffs — Hizzoner Suggests Salaries Of D.C. Lawmakers Be Held Back For Decade — NEW YORK (CBS) ― President Barack Obama's demand Thursday …
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The Huffington Post:
Scott Brown's Wife Music VIDEO: Gail Huff's RACY ‘Girl With The Curious Hand’ (PHOTOS) — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — On Tuesday night, Scott Brown's wife pleaded with her husband to stop advertising his “available” daughters, but a video we've dug up reveals that Gail Huff wasn't always so prim and proper.
Brian Stelter / New York Times:
Air America, the Talk Radio Network, Will Go Off the Air — Air America, the long-suffering progressive talk radio network, abruptly shut down on Thursday, bowing to what it called a “very difficult economic environment.” — The chairman of Air America Media, Charlie Kireker …
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Paul Farhi / Washington Post:
Liberal talk-radio network Air America to cease operations
Liberal talk-radio network Air America to cease operations
Discussion:
Michael Calderone's Blog, Think Progress, Hot Air, The Huffington Post and The Greenroom
TMZ.com:
Bristol Palin to Levi Johnston — Pay Up Deadbeat — Bristol Palin has gone to court, demanding that Levi Johnston step up as a dad and pay her some of the money he's raked in from his naked media blitz. — Court documents were filed by Bristol's lawyer late Thursday afternoon in Alaska …
Discussion:
Politics Daily
Reid Wilson / Hotline On Call:
RNC Cash Falls Farther — The RNC has spent more money than it has taken in during every month since July, even as the party brags about an expanded donor base that set off-year records. — The lead GOP committee announced Friday it had raised $6.6M in Dec. But the party spent more than it raised …
J. Taylor Rushing / The Hill:
Filibuster reform headed for Senate floor; measure faces uphill battle — Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) soon intends to introduce legislation that would take away the minority's power to filibuster legislation. — Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) in the next few weeks intends to introduce legislation …