Top Items:
New York Times:
Secret Joint Raid Captures Taliban's Top Commander — WASHINGTON — The Taliban's top military commander was captured several days ago in Karachi, Pakistan, in a secret joint operation by Pakistani and American intelligence forces, according to American government officials.
Discussion:
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Spencer Ackerman / ATTACKERMAN:
It's Extremely Important We Don't Torture Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar — The Taliban's military commander has been captured in a joint Pakistani-U.S. intelligence raid. A high-five to Langley: this is one serious motherf**king success. Now it's really important we don't screw it all up by abusing Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.
Rod Nordland / New York Times:
Fighting Slows in Afghan Offensive, Allies Say — KABUL, Afghanistan — Fighting has slowed in the battle for Marja, with Taliban fighters still engaging in fierce resistance but with less consistency, a spokesman for the international forces said Tuesday. — The spokesman, Lt. Col. Todd Vician …
ABCNEWS:
Sen. Evan Bayh: ‘Too Much Brain-Dead Partisanship’ in Congress — Indiana Senator Rules Out 2012 Presidential Run, Mum on 2016 Ambitions — Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, whose retirement announcement Monday stunned the political world, today assailed partisanship in Congress and said he could achieve …
Discussion:
Real Clear Politics, The Moderate Voice, The Caucus, Mediaite, The Page, Donklephant, The Politico and Blogcritics
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The Huffington Post:
Evan Bayh's Retirement Leaves Democrats Scarred And Demanding Aggression — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — Senator Evan Bayh's abrupt announcement on Monday that he will retire at the end of his term has further united disparate voices within the Democratic Party behind the idea that legislative action …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The Hill, Time, Commentary, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and AMERICAblog News
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Indiana Dem: White House is conspiring to put Baron Hill in Bayh's spot — The question yesterday was whether dark-horse candidate Tamyra d'Ippolito would get enough signatures by the end of business today to ruin the plans of Evan Bayh and qualify for the primary ballot, making her the default Democratic nominee for his Senate seat.
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog, Hotline On Call, Gateway Pundit, protein wisdom, The Eye and Riehl World View
Eric Kleefeld / TPMDC:
D'Ippolito: I Have Enough Signatures To Get On The Ballot For IN-SEN Dem Primary — Tamyra d'Ippolito, a cafe owner who has been seeking the Democratic nomination for the Senate seat currently held by Evan Bayh, just told TPMDC that she does have the minimum number of ballot-petition signatures need …
Discussion:
The Plum Line, Firedoglake, Talking Points Memo, Ben Smith's Blog, RedState and Lynn Sweet
Charles Lane / PostPartisan:
Bayh to Obama: take this job and shove it — Millions of Americans long to tell their bosses “take this job and shove it.” Hardly any have the power and money to do so, especially in these recessionary times. Sen. Evan Bayh (D) of Indiana, however, is the exception.
Discussion:
Commentary, The Politico, Matthew Yglesias, Eunomia, Washington Post, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, The Confluence, theblogprof, ATTACKERMAN, The Bilerico Project, Pajamas Media, Dennis the Peasant, Gawker, Left in the West, Politics Daily, Firedoglake, Wall Street Journal, Hot Air, Taylor Marsh, Althouse, The Sundries Shack and Lawyers, Guns and Money
Gautham Nagesh / The Daily Caller:
Democratic Indiana candidate says White House secretly backing Baron Hill
Democratic Indiana candidate says White House secretly backing Baron Hill
Adam Nagourney / New York Times:
Democrats Reel as Senator Says No to 3rd Term
Democrats Reel as Senator Says No to 3rd Term
Discussion:
CNN, Top of the Ticket, Salon, James Fallows, Ta-Nehisi Coates, NY Daily News, The Note, New York Post, The Politico, Vanity Fair, Washington Post, Open Left, Gawker, Connecting.the.Dots and msnbc.com
Erick Erickson / Erick's blog:
Let's help Tamyra D'Ippolito get the 500 votes she needs
Let's help Tamyra D'Ippolito get the 500 votes she needs
Discussion:
TPMDC, Hot Air, Ben Smith's Blog, The Washington Independent, Washington Examiner and The Politico
David Barstow / New York Times:
Tea Party Movement Lights Fuse for Rebellion on Right — Less than a year ago, Pam Stout was new to protest politics. Now she runs a Tea Party group in Sandpoint, Idaho. More Photos > — SANDPOINT, Idaho — Pam Stout has not always lived in fear of her government.
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Philip Rucker / Washington Post:
Tea party leaders will meet with Steele and other Republican operatives — About 50 leaders of the grass-roots “tea party” movement will meet in Washington on Tuesday with Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele and other top GOP operatives to discuss campaign strategies and conservative principles.
Discussion:
The Atlantic Politics Channel, Politics Daily, Hotline On Call, Riehl World View, The Page and msnbc.com
Domenico Montanaro / msnbc.com:
FIRST THOUGHTS: BYE, BAYH
FIRST THOUGHTS: BYE, BAYH
Discussion:
pa2010.com, The Moderate Voice, The Fix, The Caucus, Democratic Strategist and Taegan Goddard's …
Scott Horton / Harper's:
Does Dick Cheney Want to Be Prosecuted? — After he was indicted for the murder of Alexander Hamilton, vice president Aaron Burr fled to South Carolina, to hide out with his daughter. Another vice president, Spiro Agnew, kept completely silent before pleading nolo contendere on corruption charges.
Discussion:
ABCNEWS
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Susie Madrak / Crooks and Liars:
Maybe Eric Holder Should Pay Attention To Dick Cheney's Boasts — Yoo hoo, Mr. Holder! Gee, after reading this post by Scott Horton, it seems like Dick Cheney is just asking to be prosecuted - why not give him what he wants?
Jane Taber / The Globe and Mail:
Romney threatened on flight out of Vancouver — Republican politician Mitt Romney was physically threatened by a violent passenger on an Air Canada flight leaving Vancouver this morning. — Mr. Romney, who has been in Vancouver since Friday for the Olympic Winter Games, did not respond to the attack.
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Andrew Orlowski / The Register:
Now IPCC hurricane data is questioned — Open science: Got Excel? Debunk this — More trouble looms for the IPCC. The body may need to revise statements made in its Fourth Assessment Report on hurricanes and global warming. A statistical analysis of the raw data shows that the claims …
Jim Hoft / Gateway Pundit:
FAIL... Just 6% of Americans Believe Obama's $787 Billion Stimulus Created Jobs — In December the Obama Administration announced they had “saved or created” 1.1 million jobs. — In January the Obama Administration announced they had “saved or created” 2 million jobs.
Discussion:
The Atlantic Politics Channel, The Hill, protein wisdom, Scared Monkeys and Outside The Beltway
Tom Doggett / Reuters:
Obama to announce loan help for U.S. nuclear power — * Two nuclear reactors could be in service in 2016, 2017 — * Obama asks Congress to triple nuclear loan guarantee fund — The Obama administration, advancing nuclear power use to help cut greenhouse gas emissions …
Joseph Brean / National Post:
Conference on Muslims in the media too hot for some of its speakers — Stouffville, Ont. — Western media have a “spiteful policy” toward Iran of inventing “fraudulent” news to “increase false national expectation” and “encourage disturbance,” according to the cultural attaché in the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
NBC Chicago:
Wisconsin Billboard Calls for Obama's Ouster — Billboard will remain until June — Somebody in Wisconsin doesn't like President Barack Obama all that much. — An unnamed company has paid for a billboard along Highway 41 in Oshkosh that reads, “Impeach Obama.”
Kevin Sack / New York Times:
In California, Exhibit A in Debate on Insurance — LOS ANGELES — When Bernhard Punzet opened the dreaded envelope from Anthem Blue Cross one recent Saturday, it ruined his weekend. — Although he had no known medical problems, the company was raising the premium on his individual health insurance policy …
Mary E. O'Leary / New Haven Register:
Blumenthal speaks to Yale Dems — NEW HAVEN — Richard Blumenthal, the state's Democratic attorney general, who is running for the U.S. Senate, Monday said it was “an open question,” whether he would ask President Barack Obama to campaign on his behalf. — Asked if the president's appearance …
Keith Olbermann / msnbc.com:
Beware fear's racist temptation — Don't blame your fear of the future on Obama's skin color — SPECIAL COMMENT — Finally tonight, as promised, a Special Comment on this Presidents' Day celebrating George Washington, and the Founding Fathers he represents and Abraham Lincoln, and the Emancipation he represents.
Michael Calderone / Michael Calderone's Blog:
Milbank writing Beck book: ‘Tears of a Clown’ — Dana Milbank recently wrote how a Fox News star has really “captured the moment,” before posing the question: “Is Glenn Beck America?” — Milbank, who only had about 750 words to tackle that question in his Washington Post column …
Discussion:
Mediaite
Andrew Malcolm / Top of the Ticket:
New poll: Now, signs of real vulnerability for California's Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer — So, is California's brittle Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer about to become the next Harry Reid? Which is to say, embattled at home. — As Reid worked the wallets of San Francisco on Presidents …
Discussion:
Michelle Malkin, GayPatriot, Daily Kos, Commentary, Another Black Conservative and Wizbang
Robert Pear / New York Times:
Excise Tax Loses Support Amid White House Push — WASHINGTON — An agreement to tax high-cost, employer-sponsored health insurance plans, announced with fanfare by the White House and labor unions last month, is losing support from labor leaders, who say the proposal is too high a price …
Discussion:
The Hill
Julie Rovner / wbur.org:
Republicans Spurn Once-Favored Health Mandate — For Republicans, the idea of requiring every American to have health insurance is one of the most abhorrent provisions of the Democrats' health overhaul bills. — “Congress has never crossed the line between regulating what people choose …