Top Items:
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Robert Gibbs: Public Option Via Reconciliation Can't Pass Congress — Hmm. At the press briefing just now, Robert Gibbs made the White House's most expansive comments yet about the push for a reconciliation vote on the public option — and, to put it mildly, supporters won't find them encouraging.
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Ezra Klein:
Jay Rockefeller's inconvenient honesty on the public option — Sen. Jay Rockefeller did something very strange last night: He was honest. He said, publicly, that he does not support adding the public option to the reconciliation bill. And he's going to pay for it today.
Carrie Budoff Brown / The Politico:
Senate Dems warm to reconciliation — An idea that seemed toxic only weeks ago — using a parliamentary tactic to ram health reform through the Senate — is gaining acceptance among moderate Democrats who have resisted the strategy but now say GOP opposition may force their hands.
Discussion:
CentristNet
Erica Werner / Associated Press:
Hoyer: Comprehensive health bill may be no go — WASHINGTON - Democratic congressional leaders confronted the reality Tuesday that they may not be able to pass the comprehensive health care overhaul sought by President Barack Obama. Republican leaders prepared to do everything in their power to make sure they can't.
Christina Bellantoni / TPMDC:
From Nearly Dead To Nearly Done: How The White House Refocused On Health Care To Finish It Off — Congressional Democrats say Thursday's health care summit is likely to clear final hurdles to passing health care reform - and say President Obama returning to the issue with a clear focus …
The Huffington Post:
Gibbs: The Public Plan Doesn't Have The Votes
Gibbs: The Public Plan Doesn't Have The Votes
Discussion:
Open Left, TPMDC, Mouth of the Potomac, Wonk Room, Firedoglake, Hullabaloo, Ezra Klein, The Politico, Politics Daily, Raw Story, TalkLeft, AMERICAblog News, Margin of Error and Taylor Marsh
Scott Whitlock / NewsBusters.org:
MSNBC Regular Donny Deutsch Slams Marco Rubio With Racially Charged Attack: He's a ‘Coconut’ — MSNBC and CNBC contributor — and professed Charlie Crist admirer — Donny Deutsch used racially charged language on Monday night, smearing Republican senatorial candidate Marco Rubio as a “coconut.”
Discussion:
RedState, Hot Air, NewsReal Blog, Mediaite, race42008.com, Pajamas Media, Another Black Conservative, Left Coast Rebel, Weasel Zippers and Babalú Blog
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Michelle Malkin:
The old “coconut” smear: Another white liberal bigmouth with race issues — A few readers asked me why I hadn't commented on MSNBC's latest attack on the Tea Party as RAAAAACIST. Been there, done that. Over and over and over again. (The Dallas Tea Party posted an excellent rejoinder video here.)
RushLimbaugh.com:
Thoughts on Mitt Romney, Scott Brown and the State of the GOP — BEGIN TRANSCRIPT — RUSH: To the phones. We go to Chicago. This is Ed. Nice to have you with us, sir, hello. — CALLER: Hi how you doing, Rush? — RUSH: Very well thank you. — CALLER: I just called to make a quick comment about Glenn Beck.
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Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
‘Suicide Tuesday’: Limbaugh blasts Romney — Rush Limbaugh today opened up on Scott Brown for his deviation from the party line and on Mitt Romney for the former Governor's endorsement of John McCain. — Limbaugh attacked Romney at some length, returning to the subject through his show. One riff:
Washington Post:
Wall Street shifting political contributions to Republicans — Commercial banks and high-flying investment firms have shifted their political contributions toward Republicans in recent months amid harsh rhetoric from Democrats about fat bank profits, generous bonuses and stingy lending policies on Wall Street.
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Molly Hooper / The Hill:
Boehner: GOP will ‘crash’ WH ‘infomercial’ on healthcare reform
Boehner: GOP will ‘crash’ WH ‘infomercial’ on healthcare reform
Discussion:
Think Progress, Rumproast, Firedoglake, Newsweek Blogs, Hot Air, The Hill, The Political Carnival and Wonk Room
Andy Sullivan / Reuters:
US stimulus added up to 2.1 mln jobs in Q4 2009-CBO — * It lowered jobless rate by up to 2.1 pct (Adds detail, background) — The massive stimulus package passed last year to blunt the impact of the worst U.S. recession in 70 years created up to 2.1 million jobs in the last three months of 2009 …
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Douglas Elmendorf / Director's Blog:
Estimated Impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on Employment and Economic Output — Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), also known as the economic stimulus package, certain recipients of funds appropriated in ARRA (most grant and loan recipients …
Matt Pressman / Vanity Fair:
Hate Sells: Why Liberal Magazines Are Suffering Under Obama — The George W. Bush years were good for more than just oilfield-services companies and waterboard manufacturers. They were also a boon for liberal political magazines, whose circulation soared on the wings of the Bush hatred that swept much of the country.
Glenn Thrush / The Politico:
Rahm Emanuel takes heat over Dana Milbank column — The key paragraph contained high praise for Emanuel - at the expense of his boss: “Obama's first year fell apart in large part because he didn't follow his chief of staff's advice on crucial matters. Arguably, Emanuel is the only person keeping Obama from becoming Jimmy Carter.”
Discussion:
Politics Daily
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Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:
Gentle White House Nudges Test the Power of Persuasion
Gentle White House Nudges Test the Power of Persuasion
Discussion:
The Page
Mark Steyn / The Corner on National Review Online:
Politician Makes Controversial Statement — By: Mark Steyn — If I were minded to make a health care TV ad, I'd rustle up the Premier of Newfoundland's interview on NTV last night. Justifying his decision to eschew the pleasures of the monopoly government health care system he presides …
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Kelley Shannon / Raleigh News & Observer:
Hutchison: Perry's tactics tough on her campaign — JUSTIN, Texas — Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison acknowledged Tuesday that Republican Gov. Rick Perry has succeeded at casting her as a Washington insider, hindering her effort to kick him out of the Texas governor's mansion.
Steven Erlanger / New York Times:
French Ad Shocks, but Will It Stop Young Smokers? — PARIS — A new French anti-smoking ad aimed at the young that plays off a pornographic stereotype has gotten more attention than even its creators intended, with critics suggesting that it offends common decency and creates a false analogy between oral sex and smoking.
Avi Issacharoff / Haaretz:
Haaretz exclusive: Hamas founder's son worked for Shin Bet for years — The son of a leading Hamas figure, who famously converted to Christianity, served for over a decade as the Shin Bet security service's most valuable source in the militant organization's leadership, Haaretz has learned.
Discussion:
Power Line
Matea Gold / Company Town:
ABC News prepares major restructuring; between 300 and 400 staffers could be cut [updated] — ABC News is poised to make a major round of cuts that will reduce the size of the news division by as much as 20% and radically reorder the network's traditional approach to news gathering.
Discussion:
Media Decoder, The Impolitic, Vanity Fair, Mediaite, The Lonely Conservative, New York Magazine and Silicon Alley Insider
Josh / Right Wing Watch:
Video of Bob Marshall Proves He Said What He Meant, Meant What He Said — Watch Virginia Delegate Bob Marshall claim at an anti-Planned Parenthood press conference that disabled children are God's punishment for abortion: — After his remarks set off a national controversy …
Thomas E. Ricks / Foreign Policy:
Nir Rosen: Stop the Iraq madness! — This blog knows all too well that no one is right all the time, and that it is important to listen to people who know their stuff and disagree with you. So when I saw Nir Rosen, a fellow at the NYU Center on Law and Security, make some comments …
Ian Urbina / New York Times:
Fearing Obama Agenda, States Push to Loosen Gun Laws — When President Obama took office, gun rights advocates sounded the alarm, warning that he intended to strip them of their arms and ammunition. — And yet the opposite is happening. Mr. Obama has been largely silent on the issue …
Brian Montopoli / CBS News:
Harry Reid Says GOP Should “Stop Crying” About Reconciliation — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told reporters Tuesday that Republicans “should stop crying” about the possible use of the parliamentary procedure known as budget reconciliation to pass a health care reform bill.
Benjamin Todd Jealous / CNN:
NAACP president: Van Jones a misunderstood treasure — Editor's note: Benjamin Todd Jealous is president and CEO of the NAACP. The NAACP Image Awards celebrates the outstanding achievements and performances of people of color in the arts and literature, as well as individuals or groups …
Micheline Maynard / New York Times:
Toyota Official Says Recall May Not Fully Solve Safety Problem — WASHINGTON — In the first of many Congressional hearings into Toyota's extensive recalls, a senior company executive told the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Tuesday that the repairs prescribed by the company might …
Discussion:
Politics Daily, The Democratic Daily, Clusterstock, New York Magazine, Associated Press and The Lede