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Speaker Pelosi on Rangel: ‘I guess he is still chair of Ways and Means’ — Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Tuesday night told The Hill that Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) is still chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. — After huddling with Rangel for 45 minutes, Pelosi initially said …
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Under Fire, Rangel Steps Aside as Chair of Committee — WASHINGTON — Caught in a swirl of ethics inquiries, Representative Charles B. Rangel, the dean of the New York Congressional delegation, announced Wednesday that he would temporarily step down from his powerful post as chairman of the tax-policy-writing Ways and Means Committee.

Rep. Charles Rangel to temporarily quit key tax post — Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) said Tuesday that he would temporarily step down as chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, days after being was admonished for breaking House rules by accepting corporate-financed travel.
Discussion:
The Page


Perry trounces Hutchison in Texas — Gov. Rick Perry won a decisive victory over Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in the Texas GOP primary for governor Tuesday night, bringing a bruising fight between two of the state's most popular Republicans to an anticlimactic conclusion.
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Historic sprint: health-care reform in 2 weeks? 4? — Buzz already about Rick Perry for '12 — Defiant Rangel on verge of losing gavel — Howard Wolfson named Deputy Mayor — TOP TALKERS - NYC release: “Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced that Kevin Sheekey, who served as Deputy Mayor …


Rick Perry, Bill White win Texas primaries for governor
Discussion:
Swing State Project

Perry wins GOP nomination without a runoff
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Taegan Goddard's …

Bunning Accepts Deal Allowing Benefits Bill to Advance — Under increasing pressure from Democrats and members of his own party, Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) Tuesday night abandoned his one-man filibuster of a one-month extension to unemployment benefits and other programs.
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Bunning ends his one-man filibuster — Sen. Jim Bunning's (R-Ky.) one-man filibuster ended on Tuesday. — Bunning agreed to stop blocking legislation to extend benefits and COBRA health plan subsidies to the unemployed after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) …

G.O.P. Splits on Senator's Move to Block Benefits
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The Hill, Washington Monthly, Washington Post, DownWithTyranny!, Indecision Forever, Associated Press, Think Progress, Wall Street Journal, You're the Boss, The Foundry, Open Left, Reuters, Leader's Journal releases …, Gateway Pundit, Roll Call, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, Economix, Eschaton, FrumForum, moneywatch.bnet.com, The Caucus and Crooks and Liars


It's Jay Leno's new ‘Tonight Show’ starring Sarah Palin — Sarah Palin popped up on Jay Leno's revived NBC “Tonight Show” tonight and poked a little fun at herself by writing Jay's introduction cue notes on her hand. (See video below.) — The pair, both of whom have taken hits in the media …
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Romney Tells Letterman: Palin “Has a Rifle, You Know” — Posted by Brian Montopoli 5 comments - Share - - - Share - E-mail - Print - Font Likely 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney appeared on CBS's “Late Show with David Letterman” Tuesday as part of his tour to promote his new book …
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Wilshire & Washington, Riehl World View, The Page, Conservatives4Palin.com and Wall Street Journal

President Obama to Say Democrats Will Use Reconciliation to Pass Senate Health Care Reform Fix, If Not Given Up or Down Vote — White House officials tell ABC News that in his remarks tomorrow President Obama will indicate a willingness to work with Republicans on some issue …
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As Democrats seek to push through health bill, Obama reaches out to Republicans — As Democrats on Capitol Hill prepared a risky effort to muscle sweeping health-care legislation to final passage, President Obama on Tuesday made a last gambit to split Republicans on the issue …
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New York Times, Roll Call, The Plum Line, The New Republic, USA Today, Power Line, New York Times and Wonk Room

Rahm Emanuel: Obama's Chief Of Sabotage — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — The latest toxic meme to spread across the pages of my once-beloved Washington Post is that President Obama's Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, is the one reasonable man in the White House. — First came perpetually …
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The Daily Beast, TPMCafe, Marbury, Night Light, Ezra Klein, Betsy's Page, The Atlantic Online and Lynn Sweet
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The Chief — You think it's so great being Rahm Emanuel? — One of the enduring mysteries about White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel is why he took the job in the first place. At the time he accepted it, he was the fourth-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives, a position he'd attained with considerable effort.
Discussion:
Associated Press


More Diplomatic Incompetence from the Obama Administration — One wonders: does the Obama administration deliberately try to screw up our foreign policy, or is it just a matter of ignorance and incompetence? This is painful reading: “Argentina celebrates diplomatic coup as Hillary Clinton calls for talks over Falklands.”
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Governor Christie: “Time to Hold Hands and Jump Off the Cliff” - Chris Christie For President? — In an amazingly candid appraisal of the sorry state of affairs in New Jersey, Governor Chris Christie laid it on the line in a speech to about 200 mayors at the New Jersey League of Municipalities.

Fuel Taxes Must Rise, Harvard Researchers Say — To meet the Obama administration's targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, some researchers say, Americans may have to experience a sobering reality: gas at $7 a gallon. — To reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the transportation sector 14 percent …