Top Items:
Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Gregg suggests Obama may renege on fixing Senate health bill — The White House may renege on passing fixes to the Senate's healthcare bill once the House has passed it, Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) claimed Thursday. — Gregg, the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee …
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The Atlantic Online:
Perfect Storm Nearly Killed Health Reform; Another Storm May Save It — It was a perfect storm that nearly killed health care reform in Congress last year — an elongated process, weak leadership from the White House, strong Republican opposition and the election of Scott Brown.
The Politico:
W.H. warns Dems: Don't flip-flop
W.H. warns Dems: Don't flip-flop
Discussion:
The Fix, CNN, Time, Associated Press, The Foundry, Sister Toldjah, Ezra Klein and Wall Street Journal
Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Stupak: 12 previous health bill supporters could flip over abortion
Stupak: 12 previous health bill supporters could flip over abortion
Discussion:
The Politico, The Swamp, Power Line, CNN, Hotline On Call, RHRealityCheck.org, Taylor Marsh, QandO, Wake up America, Salon and The New Republic
The Politico:
Stark hands off gavel — Rep. Sander Levin will take over as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee after Rep. Pete Stark, who held the gavel for a day, stepped aside. — The dominoes fell after Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) resigned the chairmanship of the powerful tax-writing panel Wednesday …
Discussion:
The Note, CNN, Washington Times, Wizbang, Left Coast Rebel, Another Black Conservative and theblogprof
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Jay Heflin / The Hill:
Second Ways and Means boss ousted; Levin replaces Stark — Rep. Sandy Levin (D-Mich.) will be the acting chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced to her caucus on Thursday. — The startling announcement comes a day after Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) …
Tory Newmyer / Roll Call:
Levin to Succeed Rangel as Ways and Means Chairman — Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.) will take the chairmanship of the Ways and Means Committee and Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) will step aside, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told the Democratic Caucus on Thursday morning, sources in attendance said.
Ben Smith / The Politico:
Exclusive: RNC document mocks donors, plays on ‘fear’ — The Republican National Committee plans to raise money this election cycle through an aggressive campaign capitalizing on “fear” of President Barack Obama and a promise to “save the country from trending toward socialism.”
Discussion:
Matthew Yglesias, Ben Smith's Blog, Politics Daily, Left Coast Rebel, Election Law, OpenSecrets.org, Hotline On Call, Front Row Washington, Washington Monthly, Guardian, Washington Post, The Caucus, FrumForum, The Daily Beast, Indecision Forever, Rumproast, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Atlantic Online, KCBS-TV, Hot Air, Raw Story, Althouse, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Associated Press
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The Politico:
New York gone wild — Once a source of national leaders of both political parties, New York state has descended into a bizarre, riveting spectacle of corruption and political debasement, with its governor facing calls to resign and new charges of accepting illicit perks and lying under oath …
The Note:
Swamp Things: Eerie Memories of '06 Haunt Democrats in '10 — The swamp, it turns out, is still wet. And it's muddy enough to create a muddle. — What if 2010 isn't 1994 or 1982, but 2006? — Congress lurches forward on health care haunted by old memories: If you're not thinking about Tom DeLay …
Discussion:
The Politico, msnbc.com, Hotline On Call, Swampland, The Caucus, No More Mister Nice Blog and Commentary
CBS13/CW31:
Anti-Gay Lawmaker At Gay Club Before DUI Arrest — SACRAMENTO (CBS13) ― Sources tell CBS13 a state senator from Southern California was arrested for allegedly driving drunk after leaving Faces, a gay nightclub in midtown Sacramento, early Wednesday morning.
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John McCormack / Weekly Standard:
Obama Now Selling Judgeships for Health Care Votes? — Obama names brother of undecided House Dem to Appeals Court. — Tonight, Barack Obama will host ten House Democrats who voted against the health care bill in November at the White House; he's obviously trying to persuade them to switch their votes to yes.
Discussion:
Think Progress, Salt Lake Tribune, Townhall.com, The White House, Blogometer, TPMDC, AmSpecBlog, The New Republic, The Greenroom, The Daily Caller, Michelle Malkin, The Politico, snarkandboobs's Diary, NewsBusters.org, Hot Air, Big Government, Don Surber, Power Line, Scared Monkeys, Left Coast Rebel, Pundit & Pundette, Betsy's Page, Confederate Yankee, Right Pundits, Althouse, The Lonely Conservative, Moonbattery, Weasel Zippers and JOSHUAPUNDIT
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Ellen R. Malcolm / The EMILY's List Blog:
Surprised about Blanche Lincoln's fight for survival? I'm not. — Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln is fighting for her political survival. Republicans are in full attack mode, and polls indicate she's the most vulnerable Senate incumbent in the country. — Frankly, I'm not surprised.
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Erica Werner / Associated Press:
Stupak: 12 Dems ready to oppose health care bill — WASHINGTON - A congressman who has played a key role in the long-running health care debate says he and 11 other Democrats will vote against the overhaul unless a provision subsidizing abortion is removed.
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The Politico:
Hoyer knew of Massa allegations — First-term Rep. Eric Massa announced Wednesday that he will not seek reelection, saying his doctors have told him that he can't continue to “run at 100 miles an hour.” — But several House aides told POLITICO that the House ethics committee has been informed …
Discussion:
Commentary, Firedoglake, NY Daily News, Hot Air, McClatchy Washington Bureau, Politics Daily, Wall Street Journal, The Speakers Lobby, Instapundit, The Rachel Maddow Show, New York Times, Moonbattery, Scared Monkeys, The Note, Roll Call, The Daily Beast, NPR Blogs, Hotline On Call and Glenn Thrush's Blog
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Leslie Kaufman / New York Times:
Darwin Foes Add Warming to Targets — Critics of the teaching of evolution in the nation's classrooms are gaining ground in some states by linking the issue to global warming, arguing that dissenting views on both scientific subjects should be taught in public schools.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Woman charged with killing husband is lobbyist — A 45-year-old woman, charged with ending a domestic dispute by killing her 26-year-old husband of five days, is a registered lobbyist for a group fighting domestic violence. — Arelisha Bridges was ordered held without bond in the Fulton County Jail.
David S. Broder / Washington Post:
The fable of Emanuel the Great — In the space of 10 days, thanks in no small part to my own newspaper, the president of the United States has been portrayed as a weakling and a chronic screw-up who is wrecking his administration despite everything that his chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, can do to make things right.
Sheelah Kolhatkar / Time:
Eliot Spitzer's Mission Impossible — Spitzer has the resources to tackle any challenge — except maybe another campaign — Eliot Spitzer was his usual agitated self. It was a brisk Tuesday evening, and the former governor of New York was bundled in the back of a black sedan …
E.J. Dionne Jr / Washington Post:
The Republicans' big lie about reconciliation — For those who feared that Barack Obama did not have any Lyndon Johnson in him, the president's determination to press ahead and get health-care reform done in the face of Republican intransigence came as something of a relief.
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CNN:
Palin pitching TV show — Palin is pitching a TV show. — Washington (CNN) - Will Sarah Palin and her family be starring in a new reality television series? Not quite, a source close to the former Alaska governor tells CNN. — While Palin and famed reality TV producer Mark Burnett …
Discussion:
Gawker
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Associated Press:
White House Sends Volcker Rule To Congress — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration waded into negotiations over Wall Street regulations Wednesday, calling for limits on the size of financial institutions and insisting that consumer protections remain …
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Heather / Crooks and Liars:
Mitt Romney Calls Emergency Rooms “Entirely Free Care” — Mitt Romney apparently doesn't think anyone is responsible for their bill after they leave an emergency room. Here's his response after Mike Barnicle asks him if he believes in universal health care coverage on Morning Joe.
Juliet Eilperin / Washington Post:
Rockefeller pushes to rein in EPA — Sen. John D. Rockefeller (D-WVa.) will introduce legislation Thursday to impose a two-year moratorium on the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to regulate greenhouse gases from power plants and other stationary emitters, a move that could undermine …