Top Items:
Bill Carter / Media Decoder:
Olbermann Leaves ‘Countdown’ on MSNBC — Updated Keith Olbermann, the highest-rated host on MSNBC, announced abruptly on the air Friday night that he is leaving “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” immediately. — The host, who has had a stormy relationship with the management of the network for some time …
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Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Breaking: Olbermann announces the end of “Countdown”; Update: Settled contract with MSNBC “late this week”; Update: “Stealth move” — Why? No idea. There was no inkling of it on Google News earlier today. It sounds from the clip like he was let go, but he signed a four-year contract extension …
Discussion:
Mediaite, Guardian, Pajamas Media, Taylor Marsh, NewsBusters.org blogs and Patterico's Pontifications
David Neiwert / Crooks and Liars:
BREAKING: Keith Olbermann out at MSNBC, last broadcast tonight — From A+EInteractive: … More as we get it. — UPDATE: We've now posted Olbermann's thoughtful and well-done farewell. Transcript below: — I think the same fantasy popped into the head of everybody in my business …
The Politico:
Keith Olbermann, MSNBC part ways — Keith Olbermann took an unexpected bow from MSNBC on Friday, announcing on air in the last 10 minutes of his show that it would be his final episode of “Countdown.” — The mutually agreed-upon departure was a stealth move, MSNBC insiders told POLITICO …
Discussion:
CNN and Pajamas Media
Bill Gorman / TVbytheNumbers:
Keith Olbermann Out At MSNBC, Final ‘Countdown’ Broadcast Is Tonight — via press release: — STATEMENT REGARDING KEITH OLBERMANN — MSNBC and Keith Olbermann have ended their contract. The last broadcast of “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” will be this evening.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, Nice Deb and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion
Cbarney / A+E Interactive:
Olbermann out at MSNBC — In a stunning late development, MSNBC anchor Keith Olbermann has been ousted by the cable news channel. And he's gone without much of an explanation. — MSNBC just released this terse statement: … MSNBC announced that “The Last Word” with Lawrence O'Donnell would replace …
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland
Egrinberg / This Just In:
Keith Olbermann, MSNBC part ways
Discussion:
iOwnTheWorld.com and Atlas Shrugs
Gschwarzcnn / CNN:
Giuliani vs. Palin in 2012? — (CNN) - Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said he's more likely to run for president if former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin runs. — In an interview on CNN's “Piers Morgan Tonight,” Giuliani, who dropped out of the 2008 Republican presidential primary …
Discussion:
The Politico, The Note, Washington Wire, Pajamas Media, Cubachi, Hot Air, TPMDC, The Hill, Conservatives4Palin, Riehl World View and FrumForum
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Matt Viser / Boston Globe:
Romney keeps away from Tea Party — Possible presidential contender isn't courting activists — Tea Party activists in New Hampshire say the former Massachusetts governor has been largely inaccessible to them. (Mary Schwalm/Associated Press) — WASHINGTON — New Hampshire Tea Party …
Discussion:
TPMDC, Real Clear Politics, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Guardian, Daily Kos, Little Green Footballs, Hotline On Call, Balloon Juice and msnbc.com
Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:
Huckabee ahead nationally
Discussion:
Politics Daily, Fox News, CNN and GOP 12
Gschwarzcnn / CNN:
New Hampshire GOP faces Tea Party takeover
Discussion:
The Impolitic, Ben Smith's Blog, GOP 12 and Wonkette
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
A rival SOTU response — The Tea Party Express emails supporters that Rep. Michelle Bachmann — passed over for a leadership spot, much less the response to the State of the Union — will deliver her own response: — Congresswoman Michele Bachmann has confirmed with us that she will broadcast …
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Politics Daily, Pajamas Media, National Review, Weigel and FrumForum
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Chris Good / The Atlantic Online:
Michele Bachmann to Deliver SOTU Rebuttal, Too
Discussion:
The Caucus, The Politico, The Hill, Hot Air, Washington Monthly and Outside the Beltway
Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
I'm declaring February a Palin-free month. Join me! — Though it is embarrassing to admit this in public, I can no longer hide the truth. I have a Sarah Palin problem. — I have written about her in 42 columns since Sen. John McCain picked her as his presidential running mate in 2008.
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, The Nation, Ross Douthat, Outside the Beltway, The Daily Dish, Hot Air, The Reaction, newsfeed.time.com, Cubachi, Gawker, Mediaite, skippy the bush kangaroo, The Democratic Daily, Classical Values, Weigel, Pajamas Media, New York Magazine, The Impolitic, Riehl World View and Poynter
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
DeMint joins CPAC boycott — South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint will skip this year's Conservative Political Action Conference, making him the most prominent conservative figure yet to express objections to what critics see as a pro-gay, libertarian tilt to the 38-year old event.
Discussion:
CNN, Hot Air, Fox Nation, Weigel, Online NewsHour, TPMDC and FrumForum
Jparkercbs / CBS San Francisco:
Oakland 2nd Graders Reportedly Engage In Sex Acts, Teacher Suspended — OAKLAND (CBS 5) — A teacher at Oakland's Markham Elementary School has been suspended indefinitely after school officials said a pair of second-graders performed sex acts on each other in class - with the teacher present.
Discussion:
AOL News, Fox Nation, The Blast, JammieWearingFool and Pajamas Media
Political Correction RSS:
Rep. Broun: Mixed Seating At SOTU Is “A Trap” To “Silence Republicans” When “Barack Obama Spews Out All His Venom” — 1 hour and 16 minutes ago — Matt Finkelstein — The tragic shootings in Tucson prompted calls for civility from politicians on both sides of the aisle, including Sen. Mark Udall's …
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, Washington Monthly, Mediaite and Daily Kos
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Zaid Jilani / ThinkProgress:
Refusing To Sit With Democrats, Rep. Broun Warns Of Obama Spewing …
Discussion:
No Labels, Crooks and Liars, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and AOL News
Myglesias / Yglesias:
Free Market Health Care — Rep Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) sings the praises of the healthcare status quo and explains the problems with a government takeover of the health care system: … Hensarling is 53 years old, so his mother is, of course, eligible for Medicare.
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Richard Dunham / Texas on the Potomac:
Promise kept: All Texas Republicans vote to repeal health reform; Democrats cry foul
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Daily Kos
Gschwarzcnn / CNN:
Pelosi issues rallying call — Cambridge, Maryland (CNN) - Trumpeting the American dream-theme “Make it in America,” House Democrats gathered for their annual retreat Friday to focus on fulfilling the pledge that Democrats will make it back in 2012. — In a press conference following …
Discussion:
The Politico
RELATED:
Jake Sherman / The Politico:
Joe Biden reaches out to House Democrats at retreat
Discussion:
The Hill
Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
Sen. Murkowski questions approach to health repeal — Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski on Thursday cast doubt on the manner in which Republicans have attempted to repeal the healthcare law. — Murkowski (Alaska) said that she would vote to repeal the law if a vote was held in the Senate …
Discussion:
Scared Monkeys, The Note, Weasel Zippers and KTVA-TV
RELATED:
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
MAYBE THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN A LITTLE NICER TO MURKOWSKI. …
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway
Paul Farhi / Washington Post:
Hersh rebuked on ‘crusaders’ — Legendary journalist Seymour Hersh has uncovered some sinister conspiracies during his long career, but his latest revelation is drawing some puzzled reactions and angry denunciations. — In a speech this week in Doha, Qatar, Hersh advanced the notion …
Discussion:
NewsBusters.org blogs, FP Passport, PostPartisan, Gawker and Poynter
RELATED:
Jeff Schogol / Stars & Stripes:
McChrystal denies claims of secret military crusade against Islam
Discussion:
Raw Story and Jihad Watch
Jgalloway / Political Insider:
Newt Gingrich tells Georgia Republicans he'll be a candidate in '12 — In the last 24 hours, former U.S. House speaker Newt Gingrich has touched base with several prominent Republicans in his former home state, telling them that he intends to make a run for president in 2012 using Georgia as his base …
Discussion:
msnbc.com, Hot Air, Human Events, Ballot Box, FrumForum and TPMDC
Ken Auletta / New Yorker:
Skip to content — NEWS DESK - THE BOOK BENCH - CLOSE READ - PHOTO BOOTH - HENDRIK HERTZBERG - SUSAN ORLEAN - LETTER FROM CHINA - THE FRONT ROW
Discussion:
Epicenter, Felix Salmon, New York Times, VentureBeat, TechCrunch, Mashable, DealBook, Xconomy and The Official Google Blog, more at Techmeme »
Chris Murphy / ComicsAlliance.com:
‘Steampunk Palin’ Comic More Insane Than You Imagined — Picture in your mind the most insane possible story that could be contained in a book named Steampunk Palin. Go ahead, take ten seconds or so to imagine it perfectly in your mind's eye. Use this cover image for help. — Got it? Good.
Discussion:
Boing Boing and iOwnTheWorld.com
Michael M. Gleeson / The Hill:
Roberts, Alito face tough choice on whether to attend State of the Union — Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito face a difficult choice on whether to attend President Obama's State of the Union address next week. — Alito and Roberts, who were both nominated …
Discussion:
The Note and Prairie Weather
Jim Tankersley / NationalJournal.com:
The Phantom 15 Million — Taming unemployment starts with solving the mystery of the jobs that were supposed to have been created in the past 10 years but weren't. — Anxious: Job seekers in Denver. — America's jobs crisis began a decade ago. Long before the housing bubble burst …
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, 2.0: The Blogmocracy, TheMoneyIllusion and EconLog
Geraldine Fabrikant / New York Times:
You Think Houses Are a Slow Sell? Try a Yacht — What is tougher than having one sleek mega-yacht for sale in a glutted market? The answer, for the moment at least, is having two mega-yachts on the market. — In boom times, yacht enthusiasts would order a new dream boat and keep …
Discussion:
Runnin' Scared and Gawker
Tony Capaccio / Bloomberg:
Obama Plans $42 Billion Cut in Iraq, Afghanistan War Costs as Troops Leave — The Obama administration's plan to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan will cut the Pentagon's war budget by $42 billion — a 26 percent decrease from this year's level, according to government officials.
Discussion:
Danger Room and Raw Story
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