Top Items:
The Note:
Say What? Democrat Compares Republicans to Nazis — ABC News Jonathan Karl reports: — The newfound civility didn't last long. Political rhetoric in Congress doesn't get much nastier than the words of one House Democrat during the debate on repealing the health care law.
Discussion:
Michelle Malkin, Politics Daily, Commentary, The Plum Line, In Session, Memphis Commercial Appeal, Examiner and Confederate Yankee
RELATED:
Scott Keyes / ThinkProgress:
VIDEO: House Republicans Explain Why They Won't Give Up Their Own Government-Sponsored Health Care — With the Republican legislative agenda increasingly focused on repealing health care reform, many observers are beginning to question whether GOPers in Congress will personally abide …
Discussion:
The Plum Line, phillyBurbs.com, Left Coast Rebel, DownWithTyranny!, Wonk Room, Joe. My. God. and AmSpecBlog
Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
Democratic lawmaker compares GOP health law claims to Nazi ‘lies’
Democratic lawmaker compares GOP health law claims to Nazi ‘lies’
Discussion:
Harry's Place and Weasel Zippers
Lbentzterp / CNN:
McCain: Hopes Obama considers Lieberman for defense secretary — Washington (CNN) - Sen. John McCain, R-AZ, tells CNN he believes his good friend Joe Lieberman would make a good defense secretary for President Obama, calling him “one of the most informed members of the Senate on national security issues and homeland security issues.”
Discussion:
Hartford Courant, The Hill and Firedoglake
RELATED:
Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Clinton says she won't commit to serving second term at State — Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday she hasn't committed to serving a second term in the Obama administration and is looking forward to an eventual return to private life. — “That's not something …
Discussion:
Taylor Marsh, CNN, The Politico, Shakesville and FrumForum
Shane D'Aprile / Ballot Box:
Lieberman announces retirement, says it's ‘time to turn the page’
Lieberman announces retirement, says it's ‘time to turn the page’
Discussion:
The Politico and FrumForum
John / Power Line:
Palin for President? Forget It — The time has come to put any thoughts of Sarah Palin running for President to rest. I say that not because I dislike her; on the contrary, I'm a fan. I think she did an excellent job as a vice-presidential candidate in 2008 and has been an effective spokeswoman …
Discussion:
Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, American Power and Mediaite
RELATED:
Byron York / Washington Examiner:
BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL — Before banning ‘crosshairs,’ CNN used it to refer to Palin, Bachmann — CNN's John King is attracting a lot of notice — and some ridicule — in the blogosphere for his on-air apology after a guest used the word “crosshairs” during a report on Chicago politics Tuesday.
Marissa Calhoun / CNN:
CNN Poll: Palin unfavorable rating at all time high — Washington (CNN) - A new national poll indicates that 56 percent of all Americans have an unfavorable view of Sarah Palin, an all-time high for the former Alaska governor. That 56 percent unfavorable figure is up seven points …
Jerome R. Corsi / WorldNetDaily:
Hawaii governor can't find Obama birth certificate — Suggests controversy could hurt president's re-election chances — Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie suggested in an interview published today that a long-form, hospital-generated birth certificate for Barack Obama may not exist within …
Discussion:
Liberal Values, Bare Naked Islam's Weblog, Moonbattery, Classical Values and Vox Popoli
RELATED:
Honolulu Star-Advertiser:
‘This is a collaborative endeavor’ — Gov. Neil Abercrombie has an agenda, but he can't do it alone — Hawaii's seventh elected governor, Neil Abercrombie, knows he has a tough job. He ran for it, calling the post the cornerstone of a life in politics.
Discussion:
Patterico's Pontifications, Weasel Zippers and The Powers That Be
Jennifer Epstein / The Politico:
Gabrielle Giffords to be released from hospital Friday — Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is expected to be released from a Tucson, Ariz., hospital Friday just less than two weeks after she suffered a gunshot wound to her head, her office said today. — She will be moved from the University Medical Center …
Discussion:
Salon, TPMDC and Outside the Beltway
RELATED:
Todd Ackerman / Houston Chronicle:
Giffords to transfer to Houston rehab center
Giffords to transfer to Houston rehab center
Discussion:
New York Times and Politics Daily
Jonathan Cohn / The New Republic:
The Worst Case — How health care reform really could get repealed—and why the repercussions would go well beyond health care. — Steven Hyder, 40, runs his own legal practice out of a shared office in downtown Monroe, Michigan, a blue-collar town south of Detroit.
Discussion:
TalkLeft, The Mahablog, Ezra Klein and Ben Smith's Blog
RELATED:
Suzy Khimm / Mother Jones:
Health Reform by the Numbers
Health Reform by the Numbers
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, TalkLeft and The New Republic
New York Times:
Basic Questions, Elusive Answers on Health Law
Basic Questions, Elusive Answers on Health Law
Discussion:
The Politico, Washington Post, Washington Monthly, Media Matters for America, The Page and Ezra Klein
Melanie / CNSNews:
200 Economists Ask Lawmakers to Repeal Obamacare
200 Economists Ask Lawmakers to Repeal Obamacare
Discussion:
Right Wing News and Nice Deb
Janie Har / Oregonian:
U.S. Rep. David Wu loses staffers, political team amid complaints of public behavior — Since the November election, U.S. Rep. David Wu, D-Ore., has lost at least six staffers plus the leadership of a veteran campaign team that guided him to a seventh term amid complaints about his public behavior.
Discussion:
The Fix, The Hill and JammieWearingFool
The Hill:
Boehner, McConnell skipping state dinner with Chinese leader — Three top congressional leaders are skipping a state dinner for Chinese President Hu Jintao in what may be perceived by China as a snub. — House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) …
RELATED:
Sam Youngman / Ballot Box:
The new Clintonian Obama is playing offense, and building momentum
The new Clintonian Obama is playing offense, and building momentum
Discussion:
CNN, The Politico, TalkLeft and Prairie Weather
First Read / msnbc.com:
First thoughts: Stating the obvious
First thoughts: Stating the obvious
Discussion:
AOL News, New York Times, Politics Daily, National Review and Pundit Press
Associated Press:
DA: Pa. abortion doc killed 7 babies with scissors — PHILADELPHIA — A doctor who provided abortions for minorities, immigrants and poor women in a “house of horrors” clinic has been charged with eight counts of murder in the deaths of a patient and seven babies who were born alive …
Discussion:
TalkLeft, Liberty Pundits Blog, Moonbattery and The Other McCain
RELATED:
National Enquirer:
WHY OBAMA IS SCARY SKINNY — The real reason behind PRESIDENT OBAMA's shocking weight loss - he's secretly battling stomach parasites, say sources. — The pencil-thin president caught the parasites on a trip last year to Hawaii, where he and his family also vacationed over Christmas, according to top political insiders.
Discussion:
Moonbattery, Althouse, Wonkette and Gawker
Richard A. Oppel Jr / New York Times:
Video Captured ‘Calculated’ Gunman in Tucson — TUCSON — The chief investigator for the sheriff's department here has for the first time publicly described the brief and gory video clip from a store security camera that shows a gunman not only shooting Representative Gabrielle Giffords …
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Washington Post, New York Times, Guardian, The Gateway Pundit, The Moderate Voice, Mediaite, Balloon Juice, TPMMuckraker, Salon, iOwnTheWorld.com, The Wire, AOL News, Above the Law, Taylor Marsh, POWIP, Prairie Weather, Patterico's Pontifications, Gawker and Moe Lane, more at Mediagazer »
DealBook:
Study Points to Windfall for Goldman Partners — Goldman Sachs executives have long been among the most richly paid on Wall Street in the best of times. They are now poised to reap a windfall that was sown in the dark days of the financial crisis in 2008.
Discussion:
footnoted.com, Felix Salmon, Clusterstock, New York Magazine, POWIP, msnbc.com, Gawker and The BLT
RELATED:
Tim Mak / FrumForum:
Steele: “I Know How Caesar Felt” — This past weekend, RNC Chairman Michael Steele lost his bid for reelection. Sitting down with FrumForum as he ponders his next move, perhaps the thing that gets the garrulous Steele most quiet is a mention of his successor, Wisconsin State Republican Chair Reince Priebus.
Discussion:
Ballot Box, USA Today, CNN, Rumproast, Pundit Press, Weasel Zippers and TPMDC
David Leonhardt / New York Times:
In Wreckage of Lost Jobs, Lost Power — Alone among the world's economic powers, the United States is suffering through a deep jobs slump that can't be explained by the rest of the economy's performance. — The gross domestic product here — the total value of all goods and services …
Discussion:
Felix Salmon, Ezra Klein, Prairie Weather, The Impolitic, Yglesias, The Huffington Post, Economix and Mother Jones
Sabrina Tavernise / New York Times:
Parenting by Gays More Common in the South, Census Shows — JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Being gay in this Southern city was once a lonely existence. Most people kept their sexuality to themselves, and they were reminded of the dangers of being openly gay when a gay church was bombed in the 1980s.
Discussion:
RedState, Runnin' Scared, Feministing, Holy Bullies …, Gawker and Joe. My. God.
Steve Clemons / The Washington Note:
Pickering, Hills, Sullivan, Beinart, Dobbins, More Ask Obama Administration to Support UN Resolution Condemning Illegal Israeli Settlements — A letter from an array of concerned policy commentators and practitioners, academics, and former government officials about the resolution pending …
Discussion:
Israel Matzav, Ben Smith's Blog and FrumForum
Jay Reeves / Associated Press:
New Ala. gov: Just Christians are his family — BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley told a church crowd just moments into his new administration that those who have not accepted Jesus as their savior are not his brothers and sisters, shocking some critics who questioned Tuesday whether he can be fair to non-Christians.
Discussion:
Comments from Left Field, ThinkProgress, Lance Mannion, The Daily Caller, Booman Tribune and New York Magazine
Ron Charles / Washington Post:
Ron Charles reviews ‘O: A Presidential Novel’ — By Anonymous. — Simon & Schuster. 353 pp. $25.99 — Like the people who end up running for president, this anonymous novel about Barack Obama's reelection campaign isn't as good as you hoped or as bad as you feared.
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog, New York Post, New York Magazine, No More Mister Nice Blog and National Review
Andrew Breitbart / Big Government:
Flashback: Pro-Pigford Congressman Mum on ‘Widespread Fraud’ Question Before House Vote — A few months ago a Big Government stringer confronted Rep. Sanford Bishop on Capitol Hill before the House voted to fund Pigford II - adding another $1.25 billion to the Pigford pot.
Discussion:
Breitbart.tv
Jonathon M. Seidl / The Blaze:
D.C. ANTI-WALMART PROTESTERS PLAN MARCH ON DEVELOPER'S HOME WITH ‘TARGET’ FLYER — A group of Washington, D.C. protesters upset about the possibility of a Walmart store coming to their area is hoping to send the potential developer of the proposed store a message.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Weasel Zippers, Townhall.com, RedState and NewsBusters.org blogs
Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:
Ron Paul for Senate? — The top two choices of Texas Republicans to be their Senate nominee next year are David Dewhurst...and Ron Paul. The duo is basically tied with 23% saying Dewhurst would be their top pick as the GOP candidate and 21% picking Paul. — Maybe a couple years ago …
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog, New York Magazine and National Review
Peter Baker / New York Times:
The White House Looks for Work — Three days before Christmas, President Obama gathered his economic team in the West Wing's Roosevelt Room to review themes for his State of the Union address. The edge-of-the-cliff crisis he inherited had passed, but with more than 14 million Americans still out of work …
Discussion:
Opinionator, The Caucus, Connecting.the.Dots and TalkLeft