Top Items:
The Politico:
Patrick Kennedy to retire — Rhode Island Democratic Rep. Patrick Kennedy, the son of the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, will announce on Friday that he is retiring, according to Democratic insiders. — Kennedy, 42, was first elected to the House in 1994. His departure will leave Congress without …
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Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Patrick Kennedy won't run for re-election — Rhode Island Democratic Rep. Patrick Kennedy will retire after eight terms in office, bringing an end to his House career just months after his father, legendary Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy, passed away. — “My father instilled in me a deep commitment …
Andrew Miga / Associated Press:
AP source: Kennedy won't run for re-election in RI — WASHINGTON—A Democratic official says Rep. Patrick Kennedy has decided not to seek re-election for his seat representing Rhode Island in the U.S. Congress. — The official spoke to The Associated Press only on the condition that his name …
Discussion:
Riehl World View, The Other McCain, Michelle Malkin, The Sundries Shack, MyDD and Left Coast Rebel
Mike Allen / The Politico:
Obama in nominee showdown — The Senate confirmed a huge group of administration nominees on Thursday, following a tense exchange between President Barack Obama and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). — At a White House meeting with bipartisan congressional leaders on Tuesday …
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The White House:
Statement by the President on Senate Confirmations — Today, the United States Senate confirmed 27 of my high-level nominees, many of whom had been awaiting a vote for months. — At the beginning of the week, a staggering 63 nominees had been stalled in the Senate because one or more senators placed a hold on their nomination.
Kate Phillips / The Caucus:
Senate Confirms 27 Obama Nominees — Updated Before leaving for the President's Day break, the Senate tonight confirmed — by unanimous consent — 27 of President Obama's nominees to federal positions, under a threat made earlier this week by the president that he might make recess appointments not requiring Senate votes.
Emily Friedman / ABCNEWS:
Former President Bill Clinton Rushed to N.Y. Hospital — Clinton Had Quadruple Heart Bypass Surgery in 2004 — Former President Bill Clinton was rushed to a Manhattan hospital late this afternoon, sources tell ABC News. — Clinton, 63, was transported to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital …
Discussion:
msnbc.com, Opinion L.A., Another Black Conservative, DaTechguy's Blog, The Note, Washington Post, Scared Monkeys, NPR Blogs, Raw Story, Runnin' Scared, Breitbart.tv, New York Magazine, The Atlantic Politics Channel, The Democratic Daily, Hot Air, Indecision Forever, USA Today, Advocate, The Hill, Gawker, Hullabaloo, Wonkette, The Political Carnival, Truthdig, NewsBusters.org and Gateway Pundit
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Michelle Malkin:
Bill Clinton, stents, and Demcare
Bill Clinton, stents, and Demcare
Discussion:
ABCNEWS, The Note, The Lonely Conservative, New York Magazine, Runnin' Scared and NewsReal Blog
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Sen. Reid kills Baucus bill, narrows focus of jobs legislation after complaints — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is rewriting a jobs bill after Democrats complained of too many concessions to Republicans. — Reid announced Thursday that he would cut drastically …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, The Politico, QandO, FiveThirtyEight, MLive.com, Jamie Dupree, Firedoglake, The Huffington Post, Daily Kos, Commentary, Newsweek Blogs, Open Left, Blue Crab Boulevard, Open Congress, The Hill, Ezra Klein, Townhall.com, NPR Blogs, The Political Carnival, ABCNEWS, The Corner on National …, AMERICAblog News and Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog!
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James Hohmann / The Politico:
Reid kills Baucus-Grassley jobs bill
Reid kills Baucus-Grassley jobs bill
Discussion:
SENATUS, Fausta's Blog, Swampland, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Coop's Corner and The Caucus
New York Times:
Poll Finds Edge for Obama Over G.O.P. Among the Public — WASHINGTON — At a time of deepening political disaffection and intensified distress about the economy, President Obama enjoys an edge over Republicans in the battle for public support, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.
Discussion:
The Monkey Cage, American Power, BuzzFlash.org, The Swamp, The Page, New York Magazine, Truthdig and The Caucus
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CBS News:
Support for Gays in the Military Depends on the Question — Posted by Kevin Hechtkopf A new CBS News/ New York Times poll finds that the wording of the question is key when it comes to determining whether Americans support allowing gays to serve in the military.
Dahlia Sussman / The Caucus:
New Poll Shows Support for Repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
New Poll Shows Support for Repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
Discussion:
Behind the Numbers
Debra Medina / Debra Medina for Texas Governor:
Medina Campaign Responds to Glenn Beck Interview — I was asked a question on the Glenn Beck show today regarding my thoughts on the so-called 9/11 truth movement. I have never been involved with the 9/11 truth movement, and there is no doubt in my mind that Muslim terrorists flew planes into those buildings on 9/11.
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David Kirkpatrick / The Caucus:
Health Reform in Limbo, Top Drug Lobbyist Quits — Billy Tauzin, the former Louisiana congressman, is resigning as president of the drug industry trade group Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America amid internal disputes over its pact with the White House to trade political support …
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, TalkLeft, Prairie Weather, Dennis the Peasant, RHRealityCheck.org and New York Times
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Paul Krugman / New York Times:
Republicans and Medicare — “Don't cut Medicare. The reform bills passed by the House and Senate cut Medicare by approximately $500 billion. This is wrong.” So declared Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House, in a recent op-ed article written with John Goodman, the president of the National Center for Policy Analysis.
Discussion:
Prairie Weather
Washington Post:
3 House retirements spur debate on whether Republicans are losing momentum — A trio of House Republican retirement announcements over the past 10 days have sparked a debate between the leaders of the two major parties over whether the GOP is losing momentum in its quest to score major gains at the ballot box this fall.
Molly K. Hooper / The Hill:
House GOP document: We won showdown with President Obama — House Republicans won their televised debate with President Barack Obama last month, according to a GOP document distributed to lawmakers on Thursday. — The document, obtained by The Hill, notes that Obama's job approval ratings …
Discussion:
The Politico
Justin Elliott / TPMMuckraker:
Brain Trust To Nowhere: Meet The Advisers Behind The Palin Road Show — As Sarah Palin relaunches her image for the next stage of her political career, there's a small set of advisers who are shaping the former governor's policy positions and public persona.