Top Items:
Kevin Sack / New York Times:
Judge Voids Key Element of Obama Health Care Law — A federal district judge in Virginia ruled on Monday that the keystone provision in the Obama health care law is unconstitutional, becoming the first court in the country to invalidate any part of the sprawling act and ensuring that appellate courts …
Discussion:
Mother Jones, Open Left, Los Angeles Times, SCOTUSblog, Online NewsHour, CNN, Bloomberg, ThinkProgress, Michelle Malkin, The New Republic, Liberal Values, Rasmussen Reports, Outside the Beltway, Guardian, Politics Daily, Ballot Box, ACS Blog, Taylor Marsh, No More Mister Nice Blog, Washington Monthly, The Other McCain, The Huffington Post, RHRealityCheck.org, Althouse, Wonk Room, JustOneMinute, Examiner, Law Blog, Crooks and Liars, Above the Law, The American Independent, Joe. My. God., Balloon Juice, Suburban Guerrilla, Law Librarian Blog and Wizbang
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Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Amazing — A year ago, no one took seriously the idea that a federal health care mandate was unconstitutional. And the idea that buying health care coverage does not amount to “economic activity” seems preposterous on its face. But the decision that just came down from the federal judgment in Virginia …
Discussion:
Maggie's Farm, Doug Ross, Althouse, American Power, Don Surber and RedState
Ezra Klein:
Is the Hudson ruling good news for health reform? — District Court Judge Henry E. Hudson, a George W. Bush appointee, has, as expected, ruled the individual mandate unconstitutional. So why are health reformers so unexpectedly pleased? — There are two reasons, but first, let's put this into context.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Washington Monthly, The American Independent, Ben Smith's Blog and Gothamist
Rosalind S. Helderman / Washington Post:
Virginia health-care ruling strikes down key provision of Obama's plan — RICHMOND - A federal judge in Virginia ruled Monday that a key provision of the nation's sweeping health-care overhaul is unconstitutional, the most significant legal setback so far for President Obama's signature domestic initiative.
Discussion:
Hot Air, NationalJournal.com, The Politico, The Democratic Daily, The Plum Line, The Fix, The Foundry, PostPartisan, Politics Daily, Mish's Global Economic …, Random Musings, Indecision Forever, Right Turn, Greg's Opinion, All articles at Blogcritics, Firedoglake, Right Wing Watch, Weasel Zippers, Wonkette, Commentary, National Review and Wake up America
John Cook / Gawker:
Judge Who Ruled Health Care Reform Unconstitutional Owns Piece of GOP Consulting Firm — Henry E. Hudson, the federal judge in Virginia who just ruled health care reform unconstitutional, owns between $15,000 and $50,000 in a GOP political consulting firm that worked against health care reform.
Discussion:
Washington Wire, Talking Points Memo, Crooks and Liars, Right Wing Watch, Capital Tonight, Mediaite and Salon
Larry O'Dell / Associated Press:
Federal judge in Va. strikes down health care law — RICHMOND, Va. - A federal judge in Virginia has declared the Obama administration's health care reform law unconstitutional. — U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson is the first judge to rule against the law, which has been upheld by two others in Virginia and Michigan.
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
CHEERING A VICTORY OVER THEIR OWN IDEA.... Many on the right are, not surprisingly, delighted with today's federal district court ruling on the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate. That's to be expected — they're hoping to gut the law. The two previous legal defeats notwithstanding …
Discussion:
Political Correction RSS, The New Republic, Mother Jones and Outside the Beltway
The Numbers:
New Low in Support for Health Care Reform
New Low in Support for Health Care Reform
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Fox News, Marathon Pundit, The Daily Dish, Don Surber, Pajamas Media, Viking Pundit and National Review
Stephanie Cutter / White House.gov Blog Feed:
Today's Health Care Court Ruling
Today's Health Care Court Ruling
Discussion:
ACS Blog, Ben Smith's Blog and TPMDC
Ryan J. Reilly / TPMDC:
Federal Judge In Va. Rules Part Of Health Care Law Unconstitutional
Federal Judge In Va. Rules Part Of Health Care Law Unconstitutional
Discussion:
TPMMuckraker, Salon, Balkinization, The Moderate Voice, ECHIDNE of the snakes and Right Wing Nut House
William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:
Virginia Judge Declares Health Care Mandate Unconstitutional
Virginia Judge Declares Health Care Mandate Unconstitutional
Orin Kerr / The Volokh Conspiracy:
The Significant Error in Judge Hudson's Opinion
The Significant Error in Judge Hudson's Opinion
Discussion:
TalkLeft, Balkinization and Daily Kos
Jake Tapper / Political Punch:
Richard Holbrooke Has Died — ABC News has learned that Richard Holbrooke, the US Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, has died. — On Friday, Holbrooke was rushed to the hospital with a torn aorta. He went through more than 20 hours of surgery.
Discussion:
Mother Jones, Firedoglake, Weasel Zippers and Taegan Goddard's …
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ABCNEWS:
Richard Holbrooke — It was there that Holbrooke had some of his most dramatic moments of diplomacy and statecraft. In the mid-1990s, he served as assistant secretary of state for Europe, where he brokered peace in the Balkans, crafting the Dayton Peace Accords that ended years of brutal fighting in Bosnia.
Discussion:
FP Passport and Pat Dollard
Joe Sterling / CNN:
Richard Holbrooke, noted diplomat, is dead at 69 — (CNN) — Richard C. Holbrooke, the high-octane diplomat who spearheaded the end of the Bosnian war and most recently served as the Obama administration's point man in the volatile Afghan-Pakistani war zone, has died, officials said.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Mediaite and Parker Spitzer
Robert D. McFadden / New York Times:
Richard C. Holbrooke, U.S. Diplomatic Troubleshooter, Dies at 69
Richard C. Holbrooke, U.S. Diplomatic Troubleshooter, Dies at 69
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, Ben Smith's Blog, The Politico, Online NewsHour and The Caucus
Jon Cohen / Washington Post:
Poll finds broad bipartisan support for tax package — About seven in 10 Americans back the tax deal negotiated last week by President Obama and congressional Republicans, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. — The high bipartisan support for the package masks …
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The Politico:
Tax deal advances in Senate
Tax deal advances in Senate
Discussion:
Climate Progress, The Note, Democracy in America and Pat Dollard
David M. Herszenhorn / The Caucus:
Senate Advances Tax Cut Package
Senate Advances Tax Cut Package
Discussion:
Wonkette, Balloon Juice and Washington Monthly
Carl Hulse / New York Times:
Out of Power Soon, and Out of Sorts Now
Out of Power Soon, and Out of Sorts Now
Discussion:
The Politico, Moe Lane, Time, The Sundries Shack, The Atlantic Online, Betsy's Page and Taylor Marsh
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Senate votes for tax cut deal. What's route through House?
Senate votes for tax cut deal. What's route through House?
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Daily Kos and Hullabaloo
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Senate expected to advance $858B tax, benefits package
Senate expected to advance $858B tax, benefits package
Discussion:
Michelle Malkin and SENATUS
Doug McKelway / Fox News:
Steele Seeks Second Term As RNC Chair — Controversial Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, who last month presided over the GOP's biggest electoral gains since 1938, announced Monday night that he is running for re-election. — Ending weeks of rumors that he would not seek …
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Hotline On Call, The Note, The Politico, FrumForum, Ballot Box, Sister Toldjah, National Review, DownWithTyranny!, The American Independent, Hot Air, The Fix, msnbc.com and Gawker
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Tim Pawlenty / Wall Street Journal:
Government Unions vs. Taxpayers — The moral case for unions—protecting working families from exploitation—does not apply to public employment. — When Americans think of organized labor, they might think of images like I saw growing up in a blue-collar meatpacking town: hard hats, work boots, tough conditions and gritty jobs.
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Michael Scherer / Swampland:
Larry Summers' Warning About The Growth Of Government (Transcript)
Larry Summers' Warning About The Growth Of Government (Transcript)
Discussion:
Economist's View
Barry Ritholtz / The Big Picture:
Brain Oddities: Spelling is Irrelevant to Comprehension — In trying to make sense of the world around us, our brains have evolved to do some very odd things. The more we learn about our cognitive processes, the more it seems we have inherited a very weird wetware set, filled with bizarre and misleading foibles.
Mike Allen / The Politico:
Michelle Obama has new warning on obesity — First lady Michelle Obama plans to warn in remarks Monday that the nation is seeing “a groundswell of support” for curbing childhood obesity, and she is unveiling new ammunition from current and retired military leaders.
Discussion:
Cubachi, Michelle Malkin, Scared Monkeys, Weasel Zippers, theblogprof, Pajamas Media and Liberty Pundits Blog
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John Del Signore / Gothamist:
Did No Labels Rip Off Design From More Party Animals? — Today Mayor Bloomberg, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and some other boldfaced political names got together to launch “No Labels,” an organization calling for a new era of non-partisan political change.
Discussion:
The Politico, National Review, CBS New York, USA Today and City Room
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Kevin Drum / Mother Jones:
Tax Cut Deal Wildly Popular — ABC News and the Washington Post have the first poll out about public reaction to the Obama tax cut deal. ABC created a colorful chart of the results, so I'll link to them: — Support for the overall package was extremely high: 68% among Democrats and Independents and 75% among Republicans.
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online and The Daily Dish
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Kate Zernike / New York Times:
Rep. Ron Paul, G.O.P. Loner, Comes In From Cold — WASHINGTON — As virtually all of Washington was declaring WikiLeaks's disclosures of secret diplomatic cables an act of treason, Representative Ron Paul was applauding the organization for exposing the United States' “delusional foreign policy.”
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Becky Bohrer / Associated Press:
Miller appeals ruling on write-in vote count — Republican Joe Miller is taking his challenge to Alaska's U.S. Senate race to the state Supreme Court. — Miller filed his appeal Monday, three days after a lower court ruled against his lawsuit challenging how the state counted write-in ballots for his rival, Sen. Lisa Murkowski.
Discussion:
The Note, Ballot Box and USA Today
David Dayen / Firedoglake:
More Talk of Severe Budget Cuts to Follow Tax Deal — The very long cloture vote is happening right now in the Senate on the motion to proceed to the tax cut bill. Because some Senators have had issues getting to Washington, particularly from the snowed-in Midwest, the vote will be held open a while.
Discussion:
TPMDC, The Huffington Post, TalkLeft, The Hill and The Plum Line
The Atlantic Online:
The Unknown Blogger Who Changed WikiLeaks Coverage — When historians look back at WikiLeaks and how the world's pundits tried to make sense of what was happening, they'll see a familiar list of sources: Foreign Policy's Evgeny Morozov, The Guardian's John Noughton, The New York Times' David Carr …