Top Items:
Susan Page / USA Today:
Opinions turn favorable on health care plan — WASHINGTON — Americans by 9 percentage points have a favorable view of the health care overhaul that President Obama signed into law Tuesday, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds, a notable turnaround from surveys before the vote that showed a plurality against it.
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Lydia Saad / Gallup:
By Slim Margin, Americans Support Healthcare Bill's Passage — Independents evenly split in their basic reactions, but more are “angry” than “enthusiastic” — PRINCETON, NJ — Nearly half of Americans give a thumbs-up to Congress' passage of a healthcare reform bill last weekend, with 49% calling it “a good thing.”
Washington Post:
Patrick Kennedy leaves note for Ted on gravesite: “Dad, the unfinished business is done.” — The political odyssey of health care reform in many ways is the story of Ted Kennedy, and as President Obama signed the historic bill into law Tuesday, Kennedy's gravesite was a place of quiet celebration and poignant reflection.
Discussion:
The Impolitic
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Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:
Obama Signs Health Care Overhaul Bill, With a Flourish — WASHINGTON —With the strokes of 20 pens, President Obama signed his health care overhaul — the most sweeping social legislation enacted in decades — into law on Tuesday during a festive, at times raucous, White House ceremony.
Ceci Connolly / Washington Post:
How Obama revived his health-care bill — It was the Barack Obama the American public rarely sees — irritated and wondering if he had arrived at the moment of defeat. — Shortly after 6 p.m. on Jan. 19, with a political crisis about to explode, the president summoned the two top Democrats …
Discussion:
Weekly Standard, Matthew Yglesias, The Politico, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, Top of the Ticket, The Hill, ABCNEWS and TPMCafe
Think Progress:
Fox News Makes A ‘Big F—ing Deal’ Out Of Biden's Private Remark At Bill Signing Ceremony — Expressing his great enthusiasm for what he called “a historic day,” Vice President Biden turned to President Obama at this morning's health care bill signing ceremony and whispered, “This is a big f—ing deal!”
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David M. Herszenhorn / The Caucus:
At White House, Biden's Expletive Caught on Open Mike — Beyond the ebullient atmosphere, shout-outs and cheers at the White House signing ceremony of the health care bill, there's another moment that is being rewound and played again and again: Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s overheard, overly effusive aside to President Obama.
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
The mother of all Biden moments — Biden appears, in this video, to have called the health care bill a “big f***ing deal” as he turned the podium over to President Obama. — As usual with his endless string of gaffes, if that is what he said, he's not wrong.
The Huffington Post:
NRSC's Cornyn: We Won't Call For Repealing All Of Health Care — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — In the wake of the passage of health care reform, nearly the entire slate of Republican senatorial candidates seems ready to run on a repeal of the bill. But now, the lawmaker overseeing their election strategy is softening the message.
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Adam Nagourney / New York Times:
Republicans Face Drawbacks of United Stand on Health Bill — WASHINGTON — Passage of the health care legislation challenges the heart of the Republicans' strategy this year: To present a unified opposition to big Democratic ideas, in this case expressed in a stream of bristling anger …
Bob Herbert / New York Times:
An Absence of Class — Some of the images from the run-up to Sunday's landmark health care vote in the House of Representatives should be seared into the nation's consciousness. We are so far, in so many ways, from being a class act. — A group of lowlifes at a Tea Party rally in Columbus …
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Ben Dimiero / Media Matters for America:
Beck criticizes civil rights activist John Lewis for “comparing” …
Beck criticizes civil rights activist John Lewis for “comparing” …
Matt Taibbi / Taibblog:
Baby Killers! … Again apologize for the inattention to the blog.
Baby Killers! … Again apologize for the inattention to the blog.
Discussion:
TalkLeft
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
SOMEONE SEND BECK JOHN LEWIS' BIO.... Glenn Beck wasn't exactly pleased …
Ezra Klein:
Is there a legal case against the health-care bill? — With the votes counted and the legislative battle finishing, conservatives are turning to a different branch of government to fight health-care reform: the courts. Their most promising tactic was to argue that “deem and pass” …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Newsweek Blogs, The Spot, The New Republic and Mad Kane's Political Madness
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Judy L. Thomas / Kansas City Star:
Democratic offices vandalized across the country — Authorities in Wichita and some other cities across the country are investigating vandalism against Democratic offices, apparently in response to health care reform. — And on Monday, a former Alabama militia leader took credit for instigating the actions.
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Pete Williams / msnbc.com:
State attorneys general sue over health bill — They say bill's requirement to buy health insurance is unconstitutional — The ink is still drying on the health care overhaul bill signed into law Tuesday by President Barack Obama, but attorneys general from at least 14 states have filed lawsuits to challenge the legislation.
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, culturekitchen, Raw Story, Lance Mannion, Taylor Marsh, Wake up America and The Washington Independent
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Nir Hasson / Haaretz:
New East Jerusalem homes approved hours before Netanyahu-Obama meet — The Jerusalem municipality has given final approval to a group of settlers construct 20 apartments in a controversial hotel in East Jerusalem, Haaretz learned on Tuesday. — The announcement comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu …
Discussion:
CNN, Laura Rozen's Blog, ATTACKERMAN, Political Punch, Associated Press, The Page and The Washington Independent
Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Coburn sees difficulty forcing changes to reconciliation bill — Republicans are unlikely to force major changes to the measure making final tweaks to healthcare legislation, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) said Monday night. — Inhofe said the GOP would have a difficult time forcing changes …
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Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Obama's SecEd manipulated school lists to favor powerful — Chicago Breaking News reported late last night that former Chicago schools chief and current Secretary of Education Arne Duncan manipulated a system to favor powerful political allies by placing their children in the schools of their choice.
Discussion:
Betsy's Page
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Tom Shales / Washington Post:
ABC's choice of Amanpour for ‘This Week’ has critics inside the network and beyond — If being the moderator of “This Week,” ABC's Sunday morning news-talk show, required Senate approval, then journalist Christiane Amanpour — recently named by ABC News President David Westin to take over the job — would already be in big trouble.
Discussion:
Salon, The Daily Dish, Media Matters for America, Gawker, Michael Calderone's Blog, Paul Krugman, mediabistro.com and NewsBusters.org
Michael Schneider / Cynthia Littleton On The Air:
Discovery expected to land “Sarah Palin's Alaska” — Sarah Palin to Discovery? You betcha. — Discovery Communications is expected to announce that it has won the Sarah Palin tourney. The cabler had been a front-runner to land the untitled Alaska-themed series, to be produced by Mark Burnett Prods., along with A&E.
Discussion:
Politics Daily, Ben Smith's Blog, Wonkette, Taegan Goddard's …, Washington Wire, The Page and The Wire
Reid Wilson / Hotline On Call:
Leadership Aides Exempt From Bill? — House GOP aides and the non-partisan Congressional Research Service believe health care legislation passed this week requires lawmakers to enroll in government-run insurance programs — while exempting leadership staffers, many of whom were instrumental in crafting the bill.
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WRAL-TV:
Having insurance ‘going to be like Christmas’ — DURHAM, N.C. — Uninsured Triangle residents said Monday that they eagerly await the overhaul of the nation's health care system. — “It's just going to be like Christmas,” said DeCarlo Flythe, who lost health coverage for his family when he was laid off almost three years ago.
Discussion:
alicublog, Weasel Zippers, The Lonely Conservative, Confederate Yankee and JammieWearingFool
Chris Frates / The Politico:
No Viagra for sex offenders — Republicans are doing their best to use Senate procedure to derail the reconciliation bill. And true to form, Republican Sen. Tom Coburn has introduced a few amendments that will be very hard for Democrats to vote against, including no Viagra for sex offenders.