Top Items:
The Hill:
Scott Brown to be sworn in as Massachusetts senator Thursday — Sen.-elect Scott Brown, the successor to the late Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), will be sworn in to office Thursday afternoon, giving Republicans 41 seats in the upper chamber. — “Once we get his certificate we expect to swear …
Discussion:
AmSpecBlog
RELATED:
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Republicans find loophole in budget ploy to push through healthcare legislation — As it turns out, Senate Democrats may not be able to force healthcare legislation through the chamber on a simple majority vote. — Republicans say they have found a loophole in the budget reconciliation process …
Mark Mazzetti / New York Times:
Senators Warned of Terror Attack on U.S. by July — WASHINGTON — America's top intelligence official told lawmakers on Tuesday that Al Qaeda and its affiliates had made it a high priority to attempt a large-scale attack on American soil within the next six months.
RELATED:
Felix Gillette / New York Observer:
D-Day at CBS News — On the evening of Monday, Feb. 1, Katie Couric, anchor of the CBS Evening News, was wearing red. For the next half-hour, she tore through the headlines. There were allegations of bigotry among the federal air marshals in the U.S., an American church group accused …
RELATED:
Drudge Report:
COURIC FACES PAY CUT; DEEP LAYOFFS HIT CBSNEWS — CBSNEWS anchorwoman and 60 MINUTES contributor Katie Couric faces a dramatic pay cut at the network, insiders tell the DRUDGE REPORT. — CBS boss Les Moonves is determined to save money and trim expenses — from top to bottom — at the former crown jewel of broadcasting.
Discussion:
Michael Calderone's Blog, The Lonely Conservative, TVNewser, NewsBusters.org and Left Coast Rebel
Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Is the Senate majority now in play? — The victories in Illinois by Rep. Mark Kirk (R) and state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D) coupled with former Indiana Sen. Dan Coats' (R) decision to challenge Evan Bayh (D) in the fall is likely to stir chatter about the possibility that Republicans …
RELATED:
Peter Baker / The Caucus:
Powell Favors Repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' — Gen. Colin L. Powell, who as the nation's top military officer in the 1990s opposed allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military, switched gears today and threw his support behind efforts to end the “don't ask, don't tell” law he helped shepherd in.
RELATED:
Matt Viser / Boston Globe:
Senator-elect Scott Brown seeks to be sworn in Thursday — Hoping to start work in Washington a week sooner than originally planned, US Senator-elect Scott Brown this afternoon asked Governor Deval Patrick and Secretary of State William Galvin to “certify without delay” the results of the Jan. 19 special election.
RELATED:
Hillary Chabot / Boston Herald:
Brown demands to be sworn in earlier than planned
Brown demands to be sworn in earlier than planned
Discussion:
The Hill
Ezra Klein:
Obama: If Democrats don't pass health-care reform, 'I don't know what differentiates us from the other guys' — Today's televised session between Barack Obama and the Senate Democrats wasn't encouraging to those of us hoping the Democrats are spending their time worrying about how to pass the health care bill.
RELATED:
Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
Lincoln presses Obama on party ‘extremes’ at Q and A — Centrist Sen. Blanche Lincoln (Ark.) on Wednesday asked arguably the most contentious question during a discussion between Senate Democrats and President Barack Obama, hitting at conservatives and liberals.
Discussion:
TalkLeft
CNN:
Obama rips GOP ‘obstruction’ in front of home team — Washington (CNN) — President Obama tore into the Republican opposition on Capitol Hill Wednesday, blaming the GOP for what he called politically motivated opposition on virtually every issue. — Democrats have been willing …
Andrew Malcolm / Top of the Ticket:
Countdown begins for end of Keith Olbermann's ‘Countdown’? — Remember Keith Olbermann? — He was the one-time must-see anti-Bush ranter who helped rescue MSNBC (yes, it's still on at night) from even worse oblivion years ago. — Well, quietly last month while no one was looking …
Discussion:
TVbytheNumbers, Hot Air, Don Surber, DailyFinance, Mediaite, Gawker, TVNewser, Townhall.com and Real Clear Politics
Mackubin Thomas Owens / Wall Street Journal:
The Case Against Gays in the Military — Open homosexuality would threaten unit cohesion and military effectiveness. — As expected, President Obama pledged during his State of the Union address to “work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans …
RELATED:
Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:
Warning sign in Illinois — I think last night's Illinois primary results indicate some difficulties ahead in the state for Democrats that have nothing to do with who the winners and losers were. — Based on the current numbers 885,268 voters were cast in the Democratic primary for Senate compared to 736,137 on the Republican side.
Discussion:
The New Republic, Chicago Sun Times, Firedoglake, Commentary, Ben Smith's Blog and RedState
Felix Salmon:
Shorting reserves — Michael Pettis does a good job of systematically dismantling this idiotic line from Tom Friedman: … In fact, if you decided to short only countries whose foreign exchange reserves reached some large proportion of gross world product, you'd be batting 2 for 2 right now as you started shorting China.
RELATED:
Bill Roggio / The Long War Journal:
Three US soldiers among 9 killed in bombing in northwest Pakistan — Three US soldiers involved in the training of Pakistan's paramilitary Frontier Corps were among nine people killed in a roadside bombing near a girls' school in Pakistan's insurgency-infested Northwest Frontier Province.
RELATED:
Jane Perlez / New York Times:
Soldiers' Deaths in Pakistan Raise Questions on U.S. Presence
Soldiers' Deaths in Pakistan Raise Questions on U.S. Presence
Discussion:
Politics Daily, Washington Post, Veterans Today, JustOneMinute, The Washington Independent and CNN
New York Times:
Obama Continues Policy Outreach to Republicans — WASHINGTON — Emboldened by the response to President Obama's face-off with House Republicans last week, the White House is intensifying its push to engage Congressional Republicans in policy negotiations as a way to share the burden of governing …
Discussion:
The Politico, The Hill, Associated Press, AMERICAblog News, Sister Toldjah and The Moderate Voice
New York Post:
Muslim chaplain ‘smuggled’ box cutters into jail — A Muslim chaplain for the city Department of Correction was arrested this morning for allegedly trying to smuggle in three box-cutters to a lower Manhattan jail. — The imam, Imam Zul-Qarnain Shahid, has worked as a DOC jail chaplain for three years …
Max Blumenthal / Salon:
James O'Keefe's race problem — A photo of the righty stuntman at a white-nationalist confab illustrates a career marked by racial resentment — Many of the conservatives who gleefully promoted James O'Keefe's past political stunts are feigning shock at his arrest on charges …
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Washington Independent, Gawker, Sadly, No! and Veterans Today
Amanda Terkel / Think Progress:
Rush Limbaugh: 'I love the women's movement — especially when walking behind it.' — Last week, hate radio host Rush Limbaugh judged the Miss America pageant. Today he went on Fox and Friends and spoke to host — and former Miss America winner — Gretchen Carlson to respond to the criticism he has been receiving.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Crooks and Liars, The Hill, The Atlantic Politics Channel and Jezebel
Sarah Palin / USA Today:
Why I'm speaking at Tea Party convention — Later this week I'll head to Nashville, where I'll have the honor of speaking with members of the Tea Party movement. I look forward to meeting many Americans who share a commitment to limited government, common sense and personal responsibility.
DeeDee Correll / Los Angeles Times:
Cross found at Air Force Academy's Wicca center — The opening of the worship area at the Colorado Springs academy had been hailed as a step for religious tolerance. — Reporting from Denver - The Air Force Academy, stung several years ago by accusations of Christian bias …
Bloomberg:
U.S. May Lose 824,000 Jobs as Employment Data Revised: Analysis — Feb. 3 (Bloomberg Multimedia) — The U.S. may lose 824,000 jobs when the government releases its annual revision to employment data on Feb. 5, showing the labor market was in worse shape during the recession than known at the time.
Mike Allen / The Politico:
Left, right want Obama ‘question time’ — A politically diverse group of bloggers, commentators, techies and politicos on Wednesday will launch an online campaign, Demand Question Time, urging President Barack Obama and GOP congressional leaders to hold regular, televised conversations …
Discussion:
The Note, Ben Smith's Blog, Politics Daily, New York Magazine, The Awl, Mediaite, Think Progress, 24Ahead, JoeTrippi.com, Hot Air, The Hill, The Nation and Althouse
Ezra Klein:
A good message is not nearly as important as a fast process — “Democrats were too busy dealing [on the health-care bill] to come up with a counter story,” sighs Harold Pollack. “Not just once, in a complicated speech, but every day and in ways that connect.”
Newsdesk / Clout St:
Obama calls Quinn to congratulate him on governor's contest — Posted by Monique Garcia, Rick Pearson, Ray Long and Christi Parsons at 5 a.m.; last updated at 2:59 p.m. — President Barack Obama called Gov. Pat Quinn to congratulate him on his win in the Democratic primary …