Top Items:
Floyd Abrams / Wall Street Journal:
Why WikiLeaks Is Unlike the Pentagon Papers — Everyone knows that Daniel Ellsberg leaked top-secret government documents about the Vietnam War. How many remember the ones he kept secret, or why? — In 1971, Daniel Ellsberg decided to make available to the New York Times …
Discussion:
Little Green Footballs, Squarestate, First Draft, Emptywheel and Hullabaloo, more at Mediagazer »
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Kevin Sack / New York Times:
Terrain Shifts in Challenges to the Health Care Law — The legal challenge to the Obama health care act has invigorated a dispute as old as the Constitution about the framers' most nettlesome grant of power, which gives Congress treacherously broad authority to pass laws “necessary and proper” …
Discussion:
Greg's Opinion, Law Blog and The Volokh Conspiracy
WRAL-TV:
Lunchbox mix-up leads to charges for Sanford teen — SANFORD, N.C. — An athletic and academic standout in Lee County said a lunchbox mix-up has cut short her senior year of high school and might hurt her college opportunities. — Ashley Smithwick, 17, of Sanford, was suspended …
Discussion:
Moonbattery and Instapundit
Gary Bauer / Human Events:
If Christians Were Treated Like Muslims — Few Americans would deny that Judeo-Christian beliefs and values informed the Founding of this country and that they continue to shape much of American life today. Nor would many of us deny that Americans who embrace Islamic values are a distinct minority here.
Discussion:
Booman Tribune, The Mahablog, The Jawa Report and Weasel Zippers
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
Response to Wired's accusations — As noted above, the principal tactic of Wired.com Editor-in-Chief Evan Hansen and Senior Editor Kevin Poulsen in responding to my criticisms is to hurl a variety of accusations at me as a means of distracting attention from the issue that matters.
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The Huffington Post:
Afghan President Hamid Karzai Longs For ‘Golden Age’ Of The Bush Years — What's Your Reaction: … BUFFALO, N.Y. — Longing for the early years of the Bush administration, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has been consumed by anti-U.S. conspiracy theories, convinced American officials …
Discussion:
Firedoglake and The Gateway Pundit
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Felicia Sonmez / The Fix:
Scott Brown to kick off book tour during President's Day recess — Massachusetts Republican Sen. Scott Brown's upset win in January's special election for the seat of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy (D) instantly propelled him onto the national stage. It seems only fitting that as he gears …
Discussion:
The Hill and Ben Smith's Blog
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Glenn Davis / Mediaite:
Tucker Carlson: “I Think Personally [Michael Vick] Should Have Been Executed” — Tucker Carlson again filled in for Sean Hannity on Hannity tonight, and couldn't resist, as others already had, delving into the issue of President Obama praising Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie …
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, The Atlantic Online and SportsGrid
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Michael David Smith / ProFootballTalk:
Tucker Carlson: Michael Vick should have been executed
Tucker Carlson: Michael Vick should have been executed
Discussion:
Politics Daily, Fanhouse NFL Blog, The Wire and Bleacher Report
Alan Zibel / Dow Jones Newswires:
Top House Republicans More Cautious About Fannie, Freddie — WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)—Earlier this year, leading House Republicans proposed privatizing mortgage giants Fannie Mae (FNMA) and Freddie Mac (FMCC) or placing them in receivership starting in two years.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly and Yglesias
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Alan Zibel / Wall Street Journal:
GOP Shifts on Fannie, Freddie Overhaul
GOP Shifts on Fannie, Freddie Overhaul
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online and Ezra Klein
Alexander Mooney / CNN:
CNN Poll: Plurality say Obama's policies will likely fail — Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama enters the new year with a growing number of Americans pessimistic about his policies and a growing number rooting for him to fail, according to a new national poll. — Full poll results [pdf]
Discussion:
The Politico, The Gateway Pundit, Weasel Zippers and Mediaite
Daniel Tencer / Raw Story:
Study: Conservatives have larger ‘fear center’ in brain — Political opinions are considered choices, and in Western democracies the right to choose one's opinions — freedom of conscience — is considered sacrosanct. — But recent studies suggest that our brains and genes may be a major determining factor in the views we hold.
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, Sydney Morning Herald, Mediaite and Guardian
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Richard Alleyne / Telegraph:
Political views ‘hard-wired’ into your brain
Political views ‘hard-wired’ into your brain
Discussion:
Gawker and The Political Carnival
Phil Gast / CNN:
Decision on possible Billy the Kid pardon expected by end of week — (CNN) — The governor of New Mexico has until Friday to decide whether to pardon outlaw Billy the Kid in the killing of a sheriff. — As of last week, Gov. Bill Richardson had received about 400 responses …
Discussion:
Indecision Forever, This Just In, HULIQ and Outside the Beltway
David Freedlander / New York Observer:
Soon To-Be Ex-Congressman John Hall Warns Against Creeping Fascism — In a wide-ranging interview before he prepares to leave the House of Representatives, Hudson Valley Congressman John Hall warned that the nation could quickly descend into Fascism if more is not done to curb the influence of corporate money in politics.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and JammieWearingFool
George Washington / naked capitalism:
Guest Post: Underneath the Happy Talk, Is This As Bad as the Great Depression? — The following experts have - at some point during the last 2 years - said that the economic crisis could be worse than the Great Depression: … How could that possibly be, when the stock market has largely recovered?
Discussion:
The Glittering Eye and Corrente
Daniel Golden / Bloomberg:
Plunge of For-Profit College Stock Makes Sperling Rail at Obama — As a humanities professor at San Jose State University from 1961 to 1973, John Sperling pioneered remedial reading classes for Mexican Americans and courses in social problems for police officers.
Discussion:
Wonkette and The Future of Capitalism
Lynn Sweet:
Carol Moseley Braun also warns Bill Clinton to stay out of Chicago mayoral race — Chicago Mayoral hopeful former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun (D-Ill.) added her voice to a warning issued by mayoral rival Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.): Don't come to Chicago to campaign for Rahm Emanuel or risk his relationship with African Americans.
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog and Progress Illinois
NY Daily News:
Chastened Bloomberg fights to save reputation after string of snow-removal snafus — A testy Mayor Bloomberg fended off criticism of the city's failure to clear hundreds of snow-choked streets Tuesday as an avalanche of critics attacked his reputation as a supermanager.
Discussion:
Hot Air, New York Observer, Runnin' Scared, Gothamist, Right Wing Nut House and CBS New York
RELATED:
Russ Buettner / New York Times:
City Struggles as Blizzard's Impact Chastens Bloomberg
City Struggles as Blizzard's Impact Chastens Bloomberg
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, New York Post, NY Daily News, Atlas Shrugs, Gothamist, msnbc.com, City Room, Daily Kos and PostPartisan
Scott Conroy / Real Clear Politics:
Palin Faces Gloomy New Poll Numbers — A new set of poll numbers released on Tuesday reinforced the daunting challenge that former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin would face in turning the tide in her favor among both Republican primary and general election voters if she were to decide to run for president in 2012.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The Daily Dish, The Moderate Voice, The Wire, Prairie Weather and Outside the Beltway
Walter Shapiro / Politics Daily:
The Worst Clichés of Politics From ‘Tax-and-Spend’ to ‘Maverick’ … According to my rough calculations, our political tongue — the language of campaigns, elections and, yes, governing — is sustained by an army of maybe 10,000 professional babblers.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice and Hullabaloo
Peter Schroeder / The Hill:
Long-term unemployment measure extended to five years — The federal agency that tracks unemployment is changing its methods in an effort to more accurately gauge the severity of the nation's jobless woes. — Citing “an unprecedented rise” in long-term unemployment, the Labor Department's Bureau …
Discussion:
Moe Lane
CNN:
Jessica Yellin's response to last night's Assange discussion — Last night's discussion about WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's book deal and his philosophy triggered an online debate and prompted a blog post by one of the guests. Some thoughts: — 1) Glenn Greewald suggests that I am among those …
Discussion:
The Wire, Crooks and Liars, The BRAD BLOG and Raw Story
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
THE AYN RAND DISCIPLE LEADING THE HOUSE BUDGET COMMITTEE.... In my circle of friends growing up, I can think of quite a few folks who, between the ages of 16 and 22, briefly fell under the spell of Ayn Rand. Someone loaned them a copy of Atlas Shrugged; they were convinced it was brilliant …
Discussion:
Suburban Guerrilla and Sky Dancing