Top Items:

“Pledge to America” Unveiled by Republicans (Full Text) — CBS News has obtained a final draft of House Republicans' legislative agenda for the next Congress, a 21-page “Pledge to America” that they will formally unveil Thursday morning at a Virginia hardware store.
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, Firedoglake, Weekly Standard, The Hill, Speakeasy, Scared Monkeys, GayPatriot, The Gavel, Don Surber, Pam's House Blend, Political Byline, JOSHUAPUNDIT, Politics Daily, NewsBusters.org, The Democratic Daily, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Gateway Pundit, Daily Kos, Club for Growth and AMERICAblog News
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Perhaps the Most Ridiculous Thing to Come Out of Washington Since George McClellan — The House Republicans' “Pledge to America” is out. A thrill will run up the leg of a few Chris Matthews' types on the right. As Dan noted on Twitter, the Contract with America was 869 words and this is 21 pages.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The Hill, National Review, The Caucus, Hot Air, FrumForum, Liberal Values, Liberty Pundits Blog, Erick's blog, CNN and Left Coast Rebel

We'll Take the Pledge — All year long, conservatives have been pressuring Republicans to release a Contract with America for 2010 — an updated version of the campaign platform that the party unveiled before its 1994 sweep of Congress. Thursday morning, Republican congressmen are responding …
Discussion:
Weekly Standard, Riehl World View, Hit & Run, Outside the Beltway, Ben Smith's Blog and Politics Daily

The GOP's bad idea — “America is more than a country,” begins the GOP's ‘Pledge to America.’ America, it turns out, is an “idea,” an “inspiration,” and a “belief.” And the GOP wants to govern it. — Their policy agenda is detailed and specific — a decision they will almost certainly come to regret.
Discussion:
Economist's View

GOP ‘Pledge For America’ Director Lobbied For AIG, Exxon, Pfizer, Chamber — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — The Republican Party's 21-page blueprint, “Pledge to America,” was put together with oversight by a House staffer who, up till April 2010, served as a lobbyist for some of the nation's most powerful oil …
Discussion:
Matthew Yglesias, Politerati, The Daily Caller and Oliver Willis


White House quickly attacks GOP ‘Pledge’ — The White House immediately attacked the House Republicans' election agenda rollout Wednesday evening, claiming the 21-page “Pledge to America” plan will “take America back to the same failed economic policies that caused this recession.”
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers


A Critique of the GOP's New ‘Pledge to America’: Dudes. It's, Like, 20 Pages Too Long. I've Got the One-Page Version Right Here. — I won't be quite as harsh on the GOP's magnum opus as RedState's Erick Erickson, who calls it “the worst thing to come out of Washington since George McClellan.”
Discussion:
Human Events, Michelle Malkin, No More Mister Nice Blog and iOwnTheWorld.com


G.O.P. Cites Tax Cuts and Health Care as Main Focus
Discussion:
Washington Monthly and Outside the Beltway

Republican ‘Pledge to America’: Spending caps, tax cuts
Discussion:
Washington Post, Washington Wire, Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, The Hill, Political Punch, The Note, The Atlantic Online, Daily Kos, ABCNEWS and FrumForum

The Congressional Republican Pledge to Special Interests
Discussion:
The Fix, The Hill, Sweetness & Light and Firedoglake

GOP agenda to include social issues
Discussion:
ABCNEWS, CNN, Liberal Values, Daily Kos and FrumForum

Cuomo Caught Lying About Voting For Bloomberg? — NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — There has been a dramatic development in the race for New York governor. — A new poll has Republican Carl Paladino within striking distance of Democrat Andrew Cuomo as voters say they want to elect someone who will stop the circus in Albany.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, Moe Lane, NewsBusters.org, Liberty Pundits Blog and Babalú Blog
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Poll Shows NY Governors Race Tighter Between Cuomo And Paladino — BUFFALO, N.Y. - Republican candidate for Governor, Carl Paladino is nine percentage points behind Democrat Andrew Cuomo, according a new scientific poll commissioned by Two On Your Side, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle and the White Plains Journal News.

CNN/Time poll: Coons up 16 over O'Donnell — (CNN) - A new poll suggests that Delaware Republicans might have blown their chance to win back a Senate seat long held the by the Democrats. — According to a CNN/Time/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Wednesday …
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In Bucks County, a bitter poll for Murphy to swallow
Discussion:
Ballot Box, Capitol Ideas … and CNN

Castle won't write off write-in bid
Discussion:
The Caucus, Hot Air, National Review, The Greenroom and TPMDC


KFC pays college women for ad space on buns — KFC wants folks to watch its backside. — Or, more precisely, the backsides of female college students it's recruiting to promote its hot new bunless Double Down sandwiches. — Women on college campuses are being paid $500 each to hand …
Discussion:
Telegraph, Grim's Hall, culturekitchen, Weasel Zippers, iOwnTheWorld.com, The Wire, Left Coast Rebel, The Confluence and JammieWearingFool
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Two of Obama's closest advisers among those likely to leave in White House shuffle — In his nearly two years in office, President Obama has relied on a very small clique of advisers that serves as his most trusted sounding board on politics and policy. — Members of his staff describe Obama …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Politerati, Prairie Weather and The Page
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Liz Cheney Responds To President's “We Can Absorb A Terrorist Attack” Comment — Liz Cheney, the chairman of Keep America Safe, released the following statement in response to reports that President Obama said, “We can absorb a terrorist attack,” in an interview with Bob Woodward.
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Republicans seize on comments by Obama in new Woodward book
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, The Politico, American Power, Doug Ross and CNN

TheDC exclusive: Stephen Colbert to testify before House immigration subcommittee Friday — Comedy Central host Stephen Colbert is slated to testify at a congressional hearing Friday on immigration titled “Protecting America's Harvest,” two sources have told The Daily Caller.
Discussion:
newsfeed.time.com, CNN, Hot Air, All American Blogger, Pajamas Media, Betsy's Page, TPMDC, NewsBusters.org and Beltway Confidential

Israel used ‘incredible violence’ against Gaza aid flotilla, says UN Human Rights Council — Israeli troops broke international law by storming an aid flotilla bound for Gaza, according to a UN inquiry, which found that the killings of activists on-board were comparable to “summary executions”.
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UN experts: Israel flotilla raid broke int'l law
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and Jihad Watch


For Many, Health Care Relief Begins Today — Sometimes lost in the partisan clamor about the new health care law is the profound relief it is expected to bring to hundreds of thousands of Americans who have been stricken first by disease and then by a Darwinian insurance system.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Daily Kos and TalkLeft


Amid Tension, China Blocks Vital Exports to Japan — HONG KONG — Sharply raising the stakes in a dispute over Japan's detention of a Chinese fishing trawler captain, the Chinese government has blocked exports to Japan of a crucial category of minerals used in products like hybrid cars, wind turbines and guided missiles.
Discussion:
FP Passport, Telegraph, Angry Bear and naked capitalism

Race-Baiting Dem Congresswoman Pits Latinos Against Asians on Spanish-Language TV — Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez appeared on Spanish-Language Univision to tell Latino voters that their Congressional seat was being taken by the Vietnamese. — Rep. Sanchez is in a hotly contested race …

Poll surprise of the day: Barney Frank in trouble? — The Sean Bielat campaign has declared themselves within reach of unseating Barney Frank in Massachusetts' 4th CD, one of the presumed safest districts for Democrats in the nation. The poll, conducted for the campaign by OnMessage …
Discussion:
GayPatriot, sisu and The American Pundit

A Claim of Pro-Islam Bias in Textbooks — HOUSTON — Some conservative members of the Texas Board of Education assert that the history books used in this state have a pro-Islamic bias, and they are upset about it. — Never shy about wading into the culture wars, they are planning …
Discussion:
Jihad Watch and Ò"

Party unity is for the wing nuts — In light of Tea Party candidate Ovide Lamontagne stumping for establishment candidate Kelly Ayotte in New Hampshire after Ayotte beat Lamontagne in the primary, here's a brief history of recent moments in party loyalty and disloyalty in the GOP, off the top of my head:
Discussion:
The Politico and Betsy's Page


Decoding Christine O'Donnell … Like This Story
Discussion:
The Volokh Conspiracy and Power Line


AP Stringer Arrested for Working for .... the Taliban — Two journalists were actually detained. One was a stringer for the AP named Rahmatullah Nekzad who also did freelance work for al Jazeera. The other guy is named Mohammed Nader and worked for al Jazeera. — How were they linked to the Taliban?
Discussion:
Gateway Pundit, Committee to Protect …, ISAF Latest, Weasel Zippers, BLACKFIVE and New York Times