memeorandum: Menendez predicts Democrats will get votes to pass health bill (Jordan Fabian/The Hill)

12:30 PM ET, February 28, 2010

Top Items:

Alexander: Health Care Reform a ‘Political Kamikaze Mission’ for Democrats — Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander says pushing health care reform through Congress by a simple majority using the reconciliation process would be political suicide for Democrats and vowed to campaign for the repeal the bill if it passes.

Discussion: CNN

ABCNEWS:

‘This Week’ Transcript: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) — Transcript: “This Week” with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and George Will, Sam Donaldson, Paul Krugman and Cokie Roberts. — ABC News/THIS WEEK Elizabeth Vargas Interview with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Swamp, D.C. Now, The Daily Caller and Liberal Values

Fox News:

Pelosi: Lawmakers Should Sacrifice Jobs for Health Care — House Speaker Pelosi says lawmakers aren't in Washington for job security but ‘to do the job for the American people.’

Jordan Fabian / The Hill:

Menendez predicts Democrats will get votes to pass health bill — Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) on Sunday predicted that Democrats would get enough votes to pass healthcare reform legislation. — Menendez, who is in chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee …

Discussion: The Atlantic Online

New York Times:
Wary Centrists Posing Challenge in Health Care Vote

Discussion: CNN, Washington Monthly, The Note, Crooks and Liars, Hot Air, The Caucus, The Greenroom, Betsy's Page, The Strata-Sphere, The Impolitic, The Daily Dish, Swampland, The Page, New York Times, Riehl World View, The Hill and RedState

Frank Rich / New York Times:

The Axis of the Obsessed and Deranged — No one knows what history will make of the present — least of all journalists, who can at best write history's sloppy first draft. But if I were to place an incautious bet on which political event will prove the most significant of February 2010 …

Discussion: Democratic Strategist, Osborne Ink, Prairie Weather and AMERICAblog News

The Note:

Pelosi and the Tea Party ‘Share Views’ — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she has much in common with the Tea Party. The speaker now says she shares views with movement she dismissed last summer as being “Astroturf” — her suggestion that the grassroots of the Tea Party were a creation of the Republican Party.

Discussion: The Hill, Hot Air, Think Progress, NewsBusters.org, CentristNet, Washington Monthly, JammieWearingFool, The Politico, Taylor Marsh, The Lonely Conservative, Left Coast Rebel, CNN and The Swamp

Al Gore / New York Times:

We Can't Wish Away Climate Change — It would be an enormous relief if the recent attacks on the science of global warming actually indicated that we do not face an unimaginable calamity requiring large-scale, preventive measures to protect human civilization as we know it.

Gene J. Koprowski / Fox News:
You Can Call Him Al ... But Al Won't Call You Back

Discussion: Fausta's Blog, NewsBusters.org and protein wisdom

Times of London:

Gordon Brown on course to win election — GORDON BROWN is on course to remain prime minister after the general election as a new Sunday Times poll reveals that Labour is now just two points behind the Tories. — The YouGov survey places David Cameron's Conservatives on 37% …

Discussion: thetorydiary, Guardian, UK Polling Report, Harry's Place, MyDD and Marbury

Andrew Gilligan / Telegraph:

Islamic radicals ‘infiltrate’ the Labour Party — A Labour minister says his party has been infiltrated by a fundamentalist Muslim group that wants to create an “Islamic social and political order” in Britain. — The Islamic Forum of Europe (IFE) — which believes in jihad and sharia law …

Discussion: Harry's Place

Noel Sheppard / NewsBusters.org:

Rick Sanchez Asks Scientist ‘Nine Meters In English Is?’ — CNN's Rick Sanchez Saturday actually needed someone to explain to him what nine meters measures in feet. — As tsunamis approached Hawaii following the 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile, CNN rushed in a scientist to discuss …

Discussion: Breitbart.tv, Left Coast Rebel, Gawker and Pajamas Media

Mark Silva / The Swamp:

Doctors to Obama: Come back at 50 — President Barack Obama got a physical examination this morning at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. — He arrived there by helicopter at about 6:40 am EST. The physical was performed by Dr. Jeff Kuhlman, a Navy captain and head …

Discussion: CNN

Ashley Southall / The Caucus:

Van Jones to Glenn Beck: ‘I Love You, Brother’ — Van Jones is back on the scene for a second act, and he's got a peculiar affection for the Fox TV host whose persistent attacks helped bring down the curtains on his post with the Obama administration. — On Friday night, Mr. Jones, once a …

Discussion: Left Coast Rebel, Another Black Conservative, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Fausta's Blog, Think Progress, American Conservative …, The American Conservative, HotAirPundit, Raw Story and New York Magazine

Jim Galloway / Political Insider:

John Linder announces retirement from Congress — U.S. Rep. John Linder was first elected to Congress in 1992/AJC file. — U.S. Rep. John Linder, the Republican from Gwinnett County, this morning announced that he would retire from Congress after 18 years.

Discussion: CNN