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Introducing: Your New Congressional Apportionment! — It's official: Here are the states gaining and losing seats (and thus electoral votes) in 2011. I've put states entirely controlled by Republicans in bold and states entirely controlled by Democrats in italics, although in some of these states …
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Associated Press, National Review, The New Republic, Guardian, TPMDC and Outside the Beltway
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Power in Congress Will Tilt South and West — WASHINGTON — The Census Bureau rearranged the country's political map on Tuesday, giving more Congressional seats to the South and the West, and taking away from the Northeast and the Midwest, in largely anticipated changes that will have far …
Discussion:
FiveThirtyEight, National Review, City Room, New York Magazine, The Impolitic, Yglesias, Wonkette and Booman Tribune


Eight States in South, West to Gain House Seats Based on 2010 Census Results
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The Politico, The Gateway Pundit, Pat Dollard, AOL News, alicublog, Swampland and This Just In

In New Maps, ‘An Embarrassment of Riches’ for GOP
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American Power

Census data offers Republicans the chance to solidify hold on House
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Ballot Box, ABCNEWS, The Politico, Hot Air, The Sundries Shack, Gawker and Ben Smith's Blog

Conservative bloggers agree: Haley Barbour is toast — I noted here yesterday that the real problem with Haley Barbour's comments about the Citizens Councils is that they show an unwillingness to avoid urinating on the third rail of race. Today several conservative bloggers came …
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Barbour clarifies: Citizens councils ‘indefensible’ — Haley Barbour responds to a day of criticism of his statements on race with an explanation of the comment that has drawn the most fire: — When asked why my hometown in Mississippi did not suffer the same racial violence when I was a young man …


Haley Barbour: How he hurt himself (and how he can come back)
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, TPMDC, The Note and Hullabaloo

Barbour's Speech From Philadelphia In 2004
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog, The Politico and Hot Air

WHITE HOUSE EXTENDS WELL-DESERVED PRAISE TO JON STEWART.... It's too soon to say for sure whether Republican obstructionism will kill the Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. The supermajority appears to be coming together, and Senate Democrats are keeping the pressure on …
Discussion:
NY Daily News and Slate
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Coburn may block 9/11 bill — New York Democrats hoping for quick action on a bill to give health care compensation to Ground Zero workers are about to run into Tom Coburn. — The Oklahoma Republican and physician — known in the Senate as “Dr. No” for his penchant in blocking bills …

Coburn Moves to Block 9/11 First Responders Bill as Some Republicans …
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Firedoglake, ThinkProgress, Mediaite, The Politico, CBS New York, Media Matters for America, ABCNEWS, Kirsten Gillibrand and PointOfLaw Forum

White House praises Jon Stewart for plugging bill to help 9/11 responders
Discussion:
The Politico and The Plum Line


Shep Smith Names Every GOPer Who Wouldn't Talk 9/11 Bill With Him
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ThinkProgress and Salon

Shep Smith Names Every Single Republican Who Refused To Come …
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iOwnTheWorld.com and TPM LiveWire

Coburn Will Block 9/11 First Responders Bill, Potentially Killing …
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The Note, The Hill, New York Magazine, Firedoglake, Daily Kos and Crooks and Liars

Graham: GOP to blame for ‘capitulation ... of dramatic proportions’ in lame-duck — Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) lashed out at fellow Republicans Tuesday for a “capitulation ... of dramatic proportions” to Democrats and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in the lame-duck Congress.
Discussion:
Riehl World View, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Flopping Aces and TPMDC
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Lindsey Graham: Senate owes Jon Kyl an apology for moving forward with New START — Look, I get that being an elected member of the world's greatest deliberative body is a really awesome gig, with lots of perks — secret holds, Senators-only elevators — that encourage a rather outsized view of the importance of individual Senators.
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Washington Monthly, Wonk Room, Daily Kos, Foreign Policy and ThinkProgress


Senate Advances Arms Treaty, 67-28
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Washington Post, democracyarsenal.org, Hot Air, Opinionator, CNN, TPMCafe and Salon

New START clears vote threshold; Kyl won't admit defeat
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog, Danger Room, Weigel, Eunomia, Washington Post, The Atlantic Online, democracyarsenal.org and Commentary

FCC passes first net neutrality rules — update: 3:23 p.m. with statement of support from President Obama, plans for Congressional hearings from House Republicans. — The Federal Communications Commission voted Tuesday to approve its first ever Internet access regulation …
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FCC commissioners ratify net neutrality, fulfilling Obama pledge
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Weasel Zippers, Hit & Run, Pirate's Cove and Nice Deb

Specter issues parting blow to Roberts, Alito — (CNN) - Sen. Arlen Specter, the outgoing Pennsylvania Republican-turned-Democrat, directed a parting blow Tuesday to members of the Supreme Court's conservative bloc. — In his final speech on the Senate floor, Specter …
Discussion:
The Note, The BLT, The Politico, Law Blog, Althouse and The Impolitic
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BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL — Snarlin' Arlen snarls his way through one final angry speech
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The Caucus, Hot Air, RealClearPolitics Video Log and Pajamas Media

That snow is what global warming looks like — Unusually cold winters may make you think scientists have got it all wrong. But the data reveal a chilling truth — There were two silent calls, followed by a message left on my voicemail. She had a soft, gentle voice and a mid-Wales accent.
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The Moderate Voice, Examiner, Pajamas Media, Left Coast Rebel, The Mahablog, EU Referendum, Stop The ACLU, neo-neocon and blogs.telegraph.co.uk
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Australia's white summer, Monbiot's red fury
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blogs.telegraph.co.uk, Fausta's Blog and TigerHawk

Why Apple Removed a WikiLeaks App From Its Store — Apple on Tuesday confirmed that it had removed from its online store an iPhone and iPad app that let users view the content on the WikiLeaks site and follow the WikiLeaks Twitter account. — Trudy Muller, an Apple spokeswoman …
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Fortune, Main page collection, Little Green Footballs, The Agonist and Truthdig, more at Techmeme »
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Apple Removes WikiLeaks App From App Store
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CNET News, GigaOM, Mediaite, Guardian, Post Tech, Raw Story and Geekosystem, more at Techmeme »

Thanks for the Tax Cut! — THERE is a God! It passed! The Bush tax cuts have been extended two years for the upper bracketeers, of which I am a proud member, thank you very much. I'm the last person in the world I'd want to be beside, but I am beside myself! This is a life changer, I tell you.
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, NewsBusters.org blogs, Left Coast Rebel, Mediaite, NPR Blogs and PopEater


WikiLeaks' Assange fires back at The Guardian to competitor — WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange slammed the New York Times in October for the paper's critical front-page profile of him. — That's presumably one of the reasons that the Times — which received hundreds of thousands …
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Gawker, Tim Blair, The Wire, Feministing and Democracy Now, more at Mediagazer »
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Afghan sex practices concern U.S., British forces — A document released by WikiLeaks described efforts by high-ranking Afghan officials to quash reports of police officers and other Afghans arrested for “purchasing a service from a child.” — The leaked diplomatic cable quoted former Minister …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and iOwnTheWorld.com


Harry Potter actress was beaten and branded a prostitute by her brother after dating man ‘who was not a Muslim’ — A Harry Potter actress fled her home after her father and brother threatened to kill her for going out with a Hindu man, a court heard yesterday.

Manchin Admits Mistake and Apologizes — Senator Manchin Apologizes For Skipping Votes — U.S. Senator Joe Manchin apologized to his constituents Tuesday for missing two key votes over the weekend. — Manchin has caught heat from friends and foes alike for failing to be on the Senate floor Saturday …
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The Hill, New York Magazine, TPMDC, Squawk Box and HotAirPundit

A SENATOR SCORNED.... Quick quiz — only one Republican senator has sided with Democrats on DADT repeal, the tax deal, New START cloture, and the DREAM Act in the lame-duck session. Who was it? — The obvious guesses would likely be Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), Susan Collins (R-Maine), or Scott Brown (R-Mass.).
Discussion:
Weigel, Hotline On Call and Pat Dollard