Top Items:
Paul Krugman:
Obama Liquidates Himself — A spending freeze? That's the brilliant response of the Obama team to their first serious political setback? — It's appalling on every level. — It's bad economics, depressing demand when the economy is still suffering from mass unemployment.
RELATED:
Jackie Calmes / New York Times:
Obama Seeks Freeze on Many Domestic Programs — WASHINGTON — President Obama will call for a three-year freeze in spending on many domestic programs, and for increases no greater than inflation after that, an initiative intended to signal his seriousness about cutting the budget deficit, administration officials said Monday.
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, The New Republic, CBS News, Alex Conant, Washington Monthly, Washington Post, Firedoglake, Salon, Cato @ Liberty, Think Progress, The Foundry, The Politico, The Swamp, D.C. Now, Associated Press, Hot Air, Free exchange, The Moderate Voice, Political Byline, Economist's View, American Prospect, The Baseline Scenario, Another Black Conservative, Democracy in America, The Huffington Post, The Atlantic Business Channel, Big Journalism, Power Line, Grasping Reality …, The Hill, Liberal Values, Wake up America, Newsweek Blogs, Commentary, Sister Toldjah, Guardian, TPMDC, Hullabaloo, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Shakesville, Neptunus Lex, naked capitalism, PoliBlog, Jules Crittenden, New Deal 2.0, Ben Smith's Blog, The Note, Wonk Room, Angry Bear, QandO, RedState, Alas, a blog, Clusterstock, Betsy's Page, RealClearPolitics Video Log and The Confluence
Brad DeLong / Grasping Reality with Opposable Thumbs:
Barack Herbert Hoover Obama? — UPDATE II: It seems that it is not a freeze in non-security discretionary outlays, but rather an overall cap on non-security discretionary—which is a diffrent animal. And it seems that it is not an overall cap on non-security discretionary outlays …
Paul Rosenberg / Open Left:
It's Official: Obama is an idiot — As noted in quick hits by BDB and rayj, [UPDATE] and by David in a diary that just caused me to push back this diary's publication time, Obama has now gone off the deep end. After passing a stimulus that most economists (not just liberal ones) …
Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
The White House's Brain Freeze — First reactions aren't always the best ones, but my first reaction to tonight's news is that it's a mistake on par with John McCain's “suspending my campaign” gaffe. Politico: … I'll let the economists talk about the wisdom of curtailing government spending …
Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
Obama Budget to Call for Freeze in Non-Security Discretionary Spending
Obama Budget to Call for Freeze in Non-Security Discretionary Spending
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
The sanctity of military spending
The sanctity of military spending
Discussion:
ATTACKERMAN, Washington Post, The Foundry, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Think Progress and The Swamp
New York Times:
Decision Looms on Advancing Health Care Bill — WASHINGTON — Seeking to avert the collapse of major health care legislation, the White House and Democratic leaders in Congress face a crucial decision about whether to use a procedural maneuver that would allow them to advance the bill despite …
Discussion:
The Note, TPMDC, Washington Post, The Plum Line, The Politico, Washington Times, A plain blog about politics, Daily Kos and Washington Monthly
RELATED:
Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Lincoln rejects using reconciliation to pass health bill
Lincoln rejects using reconciliation to pass health bill
Discussion:
Balkinization
Erick Erickson / RedState:
BREAKING: Mike Pence Will Not Run for Senate — Sources are confirming for me this morning that Congressman Mike Pence (R-IN) will not run for the United States Senate. — In fact, later today the Congressman will send out a letter to supporters outlining his reasons. In it he will write:
RELATED:
Josh Kraushaar / Scorecard's Blog:
Pence not running against Bayh
Pence not running against Bayh
Discussion:
The Atlantic Politics Channel
Quinnipiac University:
Rubio Edges Crist In Florida Gop Senate Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; President Obama Under Water As Voters Disapprove — Former State House Speaker Marco Rubio has squeaked past Gov. Charlie Crist in the race for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination, leading 47 …
RELATED:
David Brooks / New York Times:
The Populist Addiction — Politics, some believe, is the organization of hatreds. The people who try to divide society on the basis of ethnicity we call racists. The people who try to divide it on the basis of religion we call sectarians. The people who try to divide it on the basis …
Douglas Elmendorf / Director's Blog:
CBO Releases the Budget and Economic Outlook: Fiscal Years 2010-2020 — CBO projects, that if current laws and policies remained unchanged, the federal budget would show a deficit of $1.3 trillion for fiscal year 2010. At 9.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), that deficit …
RELATED:
Jackie Calmes / New York Times:
As Obama Seeks Freeze, Deficit Seen Shrinking Slightly
As Obama Seeks Freeze, Deficit Seen Shrinking Slightly
Discussion:
democracyarsenal.org
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Ellie Light speaks — A letter defending Obama, over the signature of one “Ellie Light,” drew some attention after it became clear that the same letter had been published in some 60 outlets, listing different, local hometowns in different newspapers. — The episode provoked various theories around …
RELATED:
The Huffington Post:
Double Standard For Bernanke: Only 50 Votes Needed In Senate — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — When it comes to progressive priorities in the Senate, there's one standard: 60 votes are needed. But for Ben Bernanke, there's a second standard: 50 will be just fine, thank you.
Kate Zernike / New York Times:
Tea Party Disputes Take Toll on Convention — A Tea Party convention billed as the coming together of the grass-roots groups that began sprouting up around the country a year ago is unraveling as sponsors and participants pull out to protest its expense and express concerns about “profiteering.”
Bob Herbert / New York Times:
Obama's Credibility Gap — Who is Barack Obama? — Americans are still looking for the answer, and if they don't get it soon — or if they don't like the answer — the president's current political problems will look like a walk in the park. — Mr. Obama may be personally very appealing …
Sharyl Attkisson / CBS News:
Congress Went to Denmark, You Got the Bill — Exclusive: CBS News' Sharyl Attkisson Follows the Money from Copenhagen to the U.S. Taxpayer — (CBS) Thanks to a recently filed Congressional expense reports there's new light shed on the Copenhagen Climate Summit in Denmark and how much it cost taxpayers.
Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:
Illinois Governor Primary Numbers — A primary loss for Illinois Governor Pat Quinn is looking more and more possible. He trails Dan Hynes 41-40 in our poll of the race. — Hynes' slight advantage is due largely to a 45-38 lead with African Americans, suggesting that a controversial ad …
Peter Wallsten / Wall Street Journal:
Rahm Emanuel Draws Fire From Left — WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama's liberal backers have a long list of grievances. The Guantanamo Bay prison is still open. Health care hasn't been transformed. And Wall Street banks are still paying huge bonuses.
Discussion:
Michelle Malkin, Firedoglake, Commentary, Top of the Ticket, Washington Post, Glenn Thrush's Blog, ABCNEWS, Politics Daily and The Caucus
Front Page Magazine:
An Open Letter to Charles Johnson — Posted by Dennis Prager on Jan 26th, 2010 and filed under FrontPage. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry … Dear Charles: — As you know, over the years …
Marc Ambinder / The Atlantic Politics Channel:
A Weak White House Confronts An Angry Union — Depositing a solid nuts and bolts tactician like David Plouffe at the Democratic National Committee — and declaring 2010 saved — would be like spraying a fine mist on your tuxedo and consider it clean. That's one reason the White House …