Top Items:
Katrina vanden Heuvel / Washington Post:
Obama: On the way to a failed presidency? — Ronald Reagan famously quipped that the Democratic Party left him before he left the party. Like many progressive supporters of Barack Obama, I'm beginning to have the same feeling about this president. — Consider what we've seen since …
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Paul Krugman:
The Deal — So the tax deal is out. Obama extracted some concessions, with the big surprise being a payroll tax cut. How much better do these concessions make the thing? — Well, for starters we have the two-year extension of the Bush tax cuts. As I pointed out yesterday …
Jake Tapper / Political Punch:
Senior White House Official: ‘We Wanted a Fight,’ too. Congressional Dems 'Wouldn't Throw a Punch' — Vice President Biden heads to Capitol Hill today to lobby Senate Democrats to support the tax cut compromise, as President Obama faces criticism from congressional Democrats …
Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
Sen. Durbin: Dems could ‘walk out’ on tax cut deal — A bloc of Senate Democrats could decide not to support a White House-brokered deal on tax cuts and unemployment benefits, thereby putting the plan in danger, according to the second-ranking Senate Democrat.
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Hill, Ben Smith's Blog, CNN, Outside the Beltway, Roll Call, Wonkette, Washington Monthly, James Pethokoukis and Right Turn
Jennifer Rubin / Right Turn:
Obama sells out the left: a Republican win on taxes — There really is no other way to say it: the Republicans won, the liberal Democrats lost, and the president sided with the Republicans. The subject, of course, is an agreement to extend all the Bust tax cuts.
New York Times:
Obama Defends Tax-Cut Plan as ‘Good Deal’ for Americans — WASHINGTON — President Obama, facing a Democratic revolt over his tax accord with Republicans, defended the package on Tuesday, saying his party's lawmakers ought to support it as a “good deal for the American people” …
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Green, National Review, ECHIDNE of the snakes, TPMDC, The Atlantic Online and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog
Ezra Klein:
Wonkbook: Everything you need to know about the Bush tax cut deal — I'll admit it: I didn't think they had it in them. A temporary extension of the Bush tax cuts? Sure, they could manage that. Fear is a powerful motivator in Washington, and nothing scares politicians like the threat of a tax hike on their constituents.
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Tax deal a good, not great, bargain for Republicans — It's victory! It's defeat! It's the end of Obama! It's the end of the world! The deal to keep the current tax rates in place has received soaring praise and bitter criticism on the Right, but the truth is that the deal winds …
Discussion:
Ezra Klein, Outside the Beltway, Commentary, South Capitol Street, driftglass and Power Line
Center for American Progress:
Tax and Unemployment Agreement Leads to Jobs Growth — Agreement Will Create or Save 2.2 Million Jobs Despite Wasteful Tax Policies — A job seeker fills out an application while attending a job fair in Livonia, MI. The Obama administration clearly had its eye on job creation …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Washington Monthly, Ezra Klein, Democracy in America and The Politico
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Poll: Obama supporters strongly opposed to deal extending Bush tax cuts
Poll: Obama supporters strongly opposed to deal extending Bush tax cuts
Discussion:
Slate, The Atlantic Online, TPMDC, Little Green Footballs, Hot Air and Eunomia
The Politico:
Liberal Dems to Obama: Fight harder
Liberal Dems to Obama: Fight harder
Discussion:
The Fix, Top of the Ticket, The Atlantic Online, Hot Air, Taylor Marsh and The Other McCain
New York Times:
Tax Deal Suggests New Path for Obama
Tax Deal Suggests New Path for Obama
Discussion:
The Note, Washington Monthly, CNN, The Politico, Capital Gains and Games blogs, Free exchange, Wonk Room, The Daily Dish, ThinkProgress, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Associated Press, Rortybomb, AmSpecBlog, Swampland, Economix, Fox News, Ezra Klein, Salon, The Hill, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, South Capitol Street, Ben Smith's Blog, New Deal 2.0, The Reality-Based Community, Sky Dancing, Indecision Forever, NBC Chicago, New York Magazine, The Confluence, Online NewsHour, Wonkette, Arkansas Blog, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Huffington Post, The Atlantic Online, FiveThirtyEight, Balloon Juice, Hullabaloo and The Sundries Shack
Sam Youngman / The Hill:
Left sees tax surrender, says Obama reelection bid now crippled
Left sees tax surrender, says Obama reelection bid now crippled
Discussion:
McClatchy Washington Bureau, Commentary and The Note
Josh Gerstein / The Politico:
‘Hostage’ situation: President Obama defends tax deal
‘Hostage’ situation: President Obama defends tax deal
Discussion:
Hot Air, CNN, The Note, The Daily Caller and AmSpecBlog
Russell Berman / The Hill:
Pelosi attacks Obama-GOP tax plan as House Dems signal fight
Pelosi attacks Obama-GOP tax plan as House Dems signal fight
Discussion:
Pundits Blog, Roll Call, The Hill and Daily Kos
Myglesias / Yglesias:
The Trouble With Fiscal Stimulus, Part Zwei
First Read / msnbc.com:
Bush tax cuts just 37 percent of the total deal
Byron York / Washington Examiner:
In tax defeat, Dems pay the price for old tricks
In tax defeat, Dems pay the price for old tricks
Discussion:
Betsy's Page
The Huffington Post:
Mary Landrieu: ‘Obama-McConnell’ Plan Is ‘Almost Morally Corrupt’
Mary Landrieu: ‘Obama-McConnell’ Plan Is ‘Almost Morally Corrupt’
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Colorlines and Daily Kos
NationalJournal.com:
Deal Adds to Uncertainty, Debt
Deal Adds to Uncertainty, Debt
Discussion:
The New Republic, South Capitol Street and The Plum Line
Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
Obama to sell tax deal at press conference
Obama to sell tax deal at press conference
Discussion:
CNN, PERRspectives and The Hill
Jeanne Sahadi / CNNMoney.com:
Tax cut deal and surprise stimulus - the cost
Tax cut deal and surprise stimulus - the cost
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, Parker Spitzer and Swampland
Scott Wilson / Washington Post:
Obama's tax cut extension part of strategy to show bipartisanship
Obama's tax cut extension part of strategy to show bipartisanship
Discussion:
New York Times, Commentary, CNN, The Plum Line, RealClearPolitics Video Log, The Fix and Right Wing News
New York Times:
British Court Denies Bail to Assange — LONDON — Julian Assange, the founder of the beleaguered WikiLeaks anti-secrecy group, was denied bail by a London court on Tuesday after he was arrested on a Swedish extradition warrant for questioning in connection with alleged sex offenses.
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Richard Pendlebury / Daily Mail:
The Wikileaks sex files: How two one-night stands sparked a worldwide hunt for Julian Assange — A winter morning in backwoods Scandinavia and the chime of a church bell drifts across the snowbound town of Enkoping. Does it also toll for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange?
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
Anti-WikiLeaks lies and propaganda - from TNR, Lauer, Feinstein and more — (updated below - Update II) — (1) In The New Republic today, Todd Gitlin writes an entire anti-WikiLeaks column that is based on an absolute factual falsehood. Anyone listening to most media accounts would believe …
Discussion:
Right Turn, Guardian, Newshoggers.com, The New Republic, The Daily Dish, LewRockwell.com Blog, AlterNet and CNN
BBC:
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange arrested in London — Julian Assange denies sexually assaulting the two women — The founder of the whistle-blowing website Wikileaks, Julian Assange, has been arrested by police in London. — The 39-year-old Australian, who was the subject of a European arrest warrant …
Guardian:
WikiLeaks: US Senator Joe Lieberman suggests New York Times could be investigated
WikiLeaks: US Senator Joe Lieberman suggests New York Times could be investigated
Discussion:
Slate, Firedoglake, Media Diary, ThinkProgress, Threat Level, Salon, Techdirt, Hullabaloo, National Review, Mediaite and Raw Story, more at Mediagazer »
Naomi Wolf / The Huffington Post:
Julian Assange Captured by World's Dating Police
Julian Assange Captured by World's Dating Police
Discussion:
Associated Press, The Awl, Raw Story and AMERICAblog News, more at Techmeme »
Julian Assange / TheAustralian:
Don't shoot messenger for revealing uncomfortable truths
Don't shoot messenger for revealing uncomfortable truths
Discussion:
NPR, The Moderate Voice, New York Times, Guardian, Examiner and The Nation, more at Techmeme »
The Smoking Gun:
Palin Success Triggered FCC Complaints — Voting, hug angered “Dancing with the Stars” viewers … In the days after Bristol Palin was voted into the finals of “Dancing with the Stars,” viewers from across the country wrote to the Federal Communications Commission accusing the ABC show …
Discussion:
Cubachi, Mediaite and Liberty Pundits Blog
RELATED:
Andy Barr / The Politico:
Rebuffed by Sarah Palin, tea party group picks Saul Anuzis
Rebuffed by Sarah Palin, tea party group picks Saul Anuzis
Discussion:
USA Today
Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:
Klobuchar Formidable — Amy Klobuchar is overwhelmingly popular and would cruise to reelection at this point pretty much no matter who her Republican opponent was. — Klobuchar's approval rating is 59% with only 29% of voters disapproving of her. She is universally well liked by the Democratic base …
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's … and Minnesota Independent
The Star-Ledger Editorial Page:
Christie's bully act getting old — Two years ago, when Chris Christie announced he was running for governor, he dismissed questions about his days as the Godzilla freeholder — when he breathed fire on almost every issue, insulted Morris County colleagues and needlessly stomped on countless toes.
Discussion:
Salon
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Obama administers a stern scolding to lefty critics — I noted this morning that Obama's strategy going forward will be to position himself as Washington's lone resident adult in a town full of squabbling children on right and left, and at his presser just now, Obama offered a surprisingly stern …
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Ben Smith's Blog
CNN:
Priebus nabs key endorsement in RNC race — Washington (CNN) - Wisconsin GOP chairman Reince Priebus picked up a key endorsement Tuesday in his nascent campaign for the Republican National Committee chairmanship. — Mississippi Committeeman Henry Barbour, a respected figure inside the RNC …
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog
Michelle Malkin:
So much for bipartisanship: Obama calls GOP “hostage-takers,” Boehner a “bomb-thrower;” attacks lib critics, too — President Obama looks haggard and peeved and petulant at his White House press briefing on the tax deal, still underway as I type. — Exuding his typical gracelessness …
Discussion:
The Right Scoop, RedState and Nice Deb
Wall Street Journal:
U.S. Unloads Citi Stake for a $12 Billion Profit — The U.S. Treasury sold the last of its Citigroup Inc. common shares in a $10.5 billion offering that capped the government's biggest bank bailout of the financial-market meltdown. — The stock sale, which was finalized Monday evening …
Discussion:
The Political Carnival and msnbc.com
Sam Dillon / New York Times:
Shanghai Test Scores Stun Educators — With China's debut in international standardized testing, students in Shanghai have surprised experts by outscoring their counterparts in dozens of other countries, in reading as well as in math and science, according to the results of a respected exam.
Discussion:
Indecision Forever and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog