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Barack Obama takes opportunity Sarah Palin missed — In the span of a single news cycle, Republicans got a jarring reminder of two forces that could prevent them from retaking the presidency next year. — At sunrise in the east on Wednesday, Sarah Palin demonstrated that she has little interest …
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Christie Says Palin Needs to Go Unscripted to Contend for 2012 — Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey says it's way too early to handicap the field of his fellow Republicans who might run for president in 2012, but on Wednesday he voiced a few sharp words about the most famous one.


Obama and Palin, a Tale of Two Speeches — President Obama spoke Wednesday night at an event at the McKale Memorial Center honoring the shooting victims in Tucson. — Wednesday was bookended by two remarkable — and remarkably different — political performances that demonstrated the vast expanse of America's political landscape.
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msnbc.com, NewsBusters.org, iOwnTheWorld.com, Outside the Beltway, Hullabaloo, Runnin' Scared, AMERICAblog News, Washington Monthly and Marbury

Remarks by the President at a Memorial Service for the Victims of the Shooting in Tucson, Arizona — McKale Memorial Center University of Arizona — THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you very much. Please, please be seated. (Applause.)


Branding the Tucson massacre: “Together We Thrive” in white and blue; Updated: Liveblogging the bizarre pep rally; Gov. Brewer booed; in sum: right speech, too late, boneheaded venue (WOOT!) — President Obama used to preach that there was no “Red America” and no “Blue America,” just one America.
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Firedoglake, Hot Air, No More Mister Nice Blog, BlogPost, Hullabaloo, Politics Daily, Fox Nation, The Mahablog, Tammy Bruce, The Moderate Voice, Scared Monkeys, Liberty Pundits Blog, Newshoggers.com, alicublog, Pundit & Pundette, NewsBusters.org blogs, Pajamas Media, TBogg, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, The Gateway Pundit, Crooks and Liars, Gawker, JammieWearingFool, blogs.telegraph.co.uk, Proof Positive, American Power, Roll Call, Doug Ross and Breaking News


Facing Challenge, Obama Returns to Unity Theme
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JustOneMinute, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Weasel Zippers, Moonbattery, Mediaite, The Empire and The Gateway Pundit


John Boehner turns down Air Force One ride to Tucson — Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) turned down an offer by President Barack Obama to travel on Air Force One to Arizona for a memorial service on behalf of the victims of Saturday's shooting, a decision that has upset some Democrats.
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Hot Air, USA Today, CNN, Wake up America, Politics Daily, Mediaite, Riehl World View, Taylor Marsh, Outside the Beltway, FrumForum and The Hill
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Obama speech undercuts federal charge for judge's murder — It may have been inadvertent, but a passage in President Barack Obama's speech to a memorial service in Tucson Wednesday night could undercut a criminal charge federal prosecutors have leveled at suspect Jared Loughner for the death …
Discussion:
The Daily Dish, Emptywheel and Don Surber


Boehner Didn't Really Snub Obama, Tucson Memorial
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Washington Monthly, The Daily Caller, Gawker and Raw Story

As We Mourn — It is a president's responsibility to salve a national wound.
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The Caucus, Don Surber, Verum Serum, Daily Kos, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/* and AOL News

GOP leaders John Boehner and Eric Cantor: We're against Rep. Peter …
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The Hill, Raw Story, National Review and Salon

U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison won't seek re-election in 2012 — gjeffers@dallasnews.com — Kay Bailey Hutchison will not run for re-election to the U.S. Senate. — In a letter to supporters, Hutchison said she enjoyed serving Texas. — “I am announcing today that I will not be a candidate …
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Washington Monthly, TPMDC, Outside the Beltway, Daily Kos, Pajamas Media, The Page, AmSpecBlog, msnbc.com and FrumForum
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If Elected President, Pawlenty Tells Fischer He'll Reinstate Don't Ask, Don't Tell — There are few Religious Right leaders active today who can compete with the American Family Association's Bryan Fischer in terms of openly hostile bigotry against gays, Muslims, and all those who do not share his radical worldview:
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Washington Monthly, ThinkProgress, The Hill, Ben Smith's Blog, Wonkette, Pam's House Blend, Outside the Beltway, GOP 12 and Towleroad News #gay
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Pawlenty To Bryan Fischer: I'd Support Reinstating DADT
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Talking Points Memo


S&P, Moody's Warn On U.S. Credit Rating — LONDON—Two leading credit rating agencies on Thursday cautioned the U.S. on its credit rating, expressing concern over a deteriorating fiscal situation that they say needs correction. — Moody's Investors Service said in a report Thursday …


Health law repeal on Tuesday agenda — The House will try to get back to normal next week, with the chamber coming back into session on Tuesday to reignite debate over repealing the health care reform law. — “As the White House noted, it is important for Congress to get back to work …
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CNN
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Romney Locks in Beeson, Newhouse for '12 Bid — Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has secured both a pollster and a political director for his near-certain presidential bid this coming cycle, according to sources connected to Romney's 2008 presidential effort.
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's …, Outside the Beltway and TPMDC

Giffords' Eye Opening News — President Obama's dramatic news at last night's memorial service in Tucson that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' has just minutes before opened her left eye for the first time since the shooting has created some confusion in light of news from doctors that Giffords “could open her eyes” on Sunday.
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The Gateway Pundit, CNSNews, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Fox Nation and Mediaite
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Why the Left Lost It — The accusation that the tea parties were linked to the Tucson murders is the product of calculation and genuine belief. — There has been a great effort this week to come to grips with the American left's reaction to the Tucson shooting.
Discussion:
American Power, The Politico, HillBuzz.org, Cato @ Liberty and Opposing Views

House GOP to move quickly on healthcare 1099 tax repeal — Republicans signaled Wednesday that repealing a controversial tax provision in the healthcare law is one of their most pressing priorities. — House Republicans have re-numbered the bill repealing the tax requirement as H.R. 4 …
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Hot Air and Michelle Malkin
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GOP in a bind over healthcare repeal vote
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Patterico's Pontifications and RedState


A Fifth Star for David Petraeus — The general clearly deserves to join the rank held by MacArthur, Marshall and Nimitz. His promotion would also honor our troops and their mission in the war on terror. — On a cold December evening in 1783, at Fraunces Tavern in lower Manhattan …
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Parker Spitzer, The Moderate Voice, Commentary and Swampland


Sarah Palin's effort to defuse controversy backfires with ‘blood libel’ comment — The presidential-quality stagecraft was there: an American flag over Sarah Palin's left shoulder and another over her heart. So was the rhetorical polish, with its invocations of the Founding Fathers and the Constitution, God and Ronald Reagan.
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NewsBusters.org blogs and Informed Comment
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What violent rhetoric? Another right-wing nutcase arrested for threatening congressman. Was O'Reilly the inspiration? — Gee, and here I thought that all this talk about violent rhetoric was just a figment of our liberal imaginations: — One arrested in threats against Seattle congressman
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Little Green Footballs, Daily Kos, Shakesville, TPMMuckraker, DownWithTyranny! and Gawker


What the left did wrong — Why were the last four days a mini-disaster for the swampland of the left? It boils down to: facts, response and time. — Members of the left pounced first and didn't much care about the facts. Before it was clear just how crazy Jared Loughner is …
Discussion:
TalkLeft, neo-neocon, Booman Tribune and Pajamas Media


Subway Riding Rat Wakes Up Sleeping Man By Crawling Up His Face — It was only a matter of time before rats started riding the subway with us. Some units have already annexed a park. This one, on the 4 train near Franklin Avenue in Brooklyn on Tuesday, played out everyone's worst nightmare …

GOP's Gohmert plans to introduce bill to allow firearms on House floor — A spokesperson for Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) told The Hill on Wednesday afternoon that the congressman plans to introduce legislation that will allow members of Congress to carry weapons both in the District of Columbia and on the House floor.
Discussion:
National Review, Raw Story and Salon


Don't Try This at Home: Adultery in the Marital Bed — THE woman who came to see Ken Altshuler, a divorce lawyer, had reason to be enraged: her husband was not only having an affair, he was also having an extravagant, money's-no-concern, fabled-and-faraway-beaches affair.
Discussion:
Jezebel, New York Magazine and Runnin' Scared


Bipartisan State of Union Seating Urged By Sen. Mark Udall — The usual arrangement at the State of the Union, in which Republicans and Democrats sit on their separate sides of the aisle, would get a makeover if lawmakers heed the wishes of Sen. Mark Udall.
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Politics Daily, The Politico, Mark Udall, The Plum Line and FrumForum