Top Items:
Robert Costa / The Corner on National Review Online:
‘They Just Want This Over’ — By: Robert Costa — Sitting in an airport, on his way home to Michigan, Rep. Bart Stupak, a pro-life Democrat, is chagrined. “They're ignoring me,” he says, in a phone interview with National Review Online. “That's their strategy now.
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Carrie Budoff Brown / The Politico:
An option still on table? — Senate Republicans caused a major stir Thursday when they told reporters that the parliamentarian had informed them that the Senate bill needed to be signed into law before lawmakers took up a sidecar bill to fix it. — And Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad …
Discussion:
CNN, The Corner on National …, The Foundry, The Swamp, Riehl World View, QandO, Washington Monthly and Open Congress
David Dayen / Firedoglake:
New Health Care Whip Count - 191 Yes, 202 No — Just a brief word on the church of the savvy smugly saying that whip counts efforts like this are misguided because of all the “wiggle room.” I'm building that into my analysis. I think I'm representing an accurate snapshot in time of where the House is at on this bill.
Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Stupak says his bloc of votes is cracking — Democratic leaders have been able to pick off members of the anti-abortion-rights bloc Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) claimed to have, the congressman said Friday. — In an interview with the conservative National Review Online …
Walter Alarkon / The Hill:
Gregg, Coburn and Crapo named to White House debt commission
Gregg, Coburn and Crapo named to White House debt commission
Discussion:
The Politico
Howell Raines / Washington Post:
Why don't honest journalists take on Roger Ailes and Fox News? — One question has tugged at my professional conscience throughout the year-long congressional debate over health-care reform, and it has nothing to do with the public option, portability or medical malpractice.
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Eric Boehlert / Media Matters for America:
Three cheers for Howell Raines (but he didn't go far enough)
Three cheers for Howell Raines (but he didn't go far enough)
Discussion:
Eschaton
Ben Smith / The Politico:
Tea parties stir evangelicals' fears — The rise of a new conservative grass roots fueled by a secular revulsion at government spending is stirring fears among leaders of the old conservative grass roots, the evangelical Christian right. — A reeling economy and the massive bank bailout …
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog, Firedoglake, No More Mister Nice Blog, alicublog, AmSpecBlog and LewRockwell.com Blog
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Jessica Ravitz / CNN:
Coffee Party brewing — Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) — In one chair sits a rural retiree, his financial security shot in the slump, a humble Southerner who's never thought much about politics. In another seat is a born Northerner, an inner-city native, a relative of a civil rights giant.
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
Health Reform Myths — Health reform is back from the dead. Many Democrats have realized that their electoral prospects will be better if they can point to a real accomplishment. Polling on reform — which was never as negative as portrayed — shows signs of improving.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, The Note, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/* and About.com US Liberal Politics
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Washington Post:
If Democrats ignore health-care polls, midterms will be costly
If Democrats ignore health-care polls, midterms will be costly
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Think Progress, The Note, The New Republic, Newsweek Blogs, The Lonely Conservative, Commentary, Another Black Conservative, Political Byline, JOSHUAPUNDIT, Liberal Values, Pundit & Pundette, No More Mister Nice Blog, Donklephant, New York Times, The Politico, Moonbattery, Scared Monkeys, The Daily Dish, Democratic Strategist, GOP Leader Blog, AmSpecBlog, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, msnbc.com, Michelle Malkin, WSJ.com, The Strata-Sphere, neo-neocon and Wake up America
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
The Democrats' scam becomes more transparent — A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about what seemed to be a glaring (and quite typical) scam perpetrated by Congressional Democrats: all year long, they insisted that the White House and a majority of Democratic Senators vigorously supported a public option …
Discussion:
FiveThirtyEight, Open Left, The Huffington Post, Corrente, Political Byline, Outside The Beltway and TPMDC
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David Brooks / New York Times:
Op-Ed Columnist: What Obama Stands For — Who is Barack Obama? — If you ask a conservative Republican, you are likely to hear that Obama is a skilled politician who campaigned as a centrist but is governing as a big-government liberal. He plays by ruthless, Chicago politics rules.
Discussion:
The Corner on National …, EconLog, Commentary, Hit & Run, TPMCafe, Daily Kos, Pajamas Media, Sister Toldjah, The New Republic and The Moderate Voice
James C. McKinley Jr / New York Times:
Texas Conservatives Win Vote on Textbook Standards — AUSTIN, Tex. — After three days of turbulent meetings, the Texas Board of Education on Friday voted to approve a social studies curriculum that will put a conservative stamp on history and economics textbooks, stressing the role …
Discussion:
Gawker, The Impolitic, The Lede, The Political Carnival, Indecision Forever and Hullabaloo
Peter Baker / New York Times:
Obama Social Secretary Ran Into Sharp Elbows — WASHINGTON — Long before the State Dinner party crashers and the tension with her White House colleagues and the strain in her relationship with the first lady, Desirée Rogers began to understand she was in trouble when David Axelrod summoned …
Discussion:
The Swamp, Taylor Marsh, Gawker, Mediaite, Politics Daily, Michelle Malkin and Washington Post
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Shannanb / CNN:
Truck driver in Reid accident twice cited for speeding — Harry Reid's wife and daughter were injured in a car crash Thursday in Washington. — Washington (CNN) - The Ohio truck driver charged with reckless driving in an accident that injured Sen. Harry Reid's wife and daughter has twice …
Discussion:
The Politico
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Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
SEIU Warns Dems: If You Don't Back Reform, We Won't Back You — Hardball time. — In what seems intended as a shot across the bow of House Dems wavering on health reform, top officials with the labor powerhouse SEIU have bluntly told a Democratic member that they will pull their support for him …
The Huffington Post:
Fox News Plucks ‘Back Wax’ Ad From YouTube — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — Fox News Channel has forced YouTube to take down a Democratic National Committee Web ad that mocks Florida Senate candidate Marco Rubio for spending $130 on a haircut saying that the spot illegally uses network footage.
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Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
DNC writes Fox, asserting fair use
Washington Examiner:
Yeas & Nays reporter booted from Sean Penn event — A Yeas & Nays reporter was publicly berated and threatened to be escorted out by police on Thursday night when the reporter asked actor Sean Penn a controversial question about his humanitarian work in Haiti.
The Atlantic Online:
Birther Non-Denial Denials from Republican Senate Candidates — Et tu, Rob Portman? Ye of sensibility and rectitude? Ye of maturity and political resolve? Despite inquires from the Cincinnati Enquirer and Plain Dealer, Portman's campaign won't directly answer the question of whether …
Discussion:
Daily Kos
New York Times:
Top Obama Priorities Collide as Student Loan Legislation May Be Attached to Health Care — WASHINGTON — Democratic Congressional leaders struck a tentative agreement on Thursday that breathes new life into President Obama's proposed overhaul of federal student loan programs.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, The Caucus, The Politico, Wonk Room, CNN, Washington Monthly, Matthew Yglesias, AmSpecBlog, The Washington Independent, The Foundry, A plain blog about politics, Townhall.com, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, RedState, No More Mister Nice Blog, Confederate Yankee, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/* and Cato @ Liberty
The Atlantic Online:
Petraeus to New Hampshire! Petraeus to New Hampshire? — News that Gen. David Petraeus is venturing out of his Centcom comfort zone late this month to the state of New Hampshire is catnip for a certain chunk of obsessives who believe that Petraeus wants to run for president (and be nominated as vice president) in 2012.
Chris Frates / The Politico:
Van Hollen memo lays out time line and messaging — The office of Rep. Chris Van Hollen, who is the assistant to Speaker Pelosi, sent a memo to Democratic staffers today telling them to clear members' schedule for next weekend, saying a vote could come as early as Friday or Saturday …