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Clashes Erupt in Cairo Between Mubarak's Allies and Foes — CAIRO — President Obama's calls for a rapid transition to a new order in Egypt seemed eclipsed on Wednesday as thousands of demonstrators for and against President Hosni Mubarak, some on horses and camels, fought running battles in and around Cairo's Tahrir Square.
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Renesys Blog, The Daily Dish, The Other McCain, Danger Room, CNN, Hot Air, The Huffington Post, The Lede, Taylor Marsh, The Plum Line, Wonk Room, LewRockwell.com Blog, Daniel W. Drezner, Sky Dancing, Reuters, Outside the Beltway, Pajamas Media, Wonkette, Fausta's Blog, Salon, Foreign Policy, Israel Matzav, FrumForum, Al Jazeera Blogs, AOL News, The Maddow Blog, Shakesville, Pirate's Cove, The BLT and Washington Post, more at Techmeme »
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Egypt Protests Turn Violent — Pro- and Anti-Mubarak Crowds Collide in the Worst Clashes Since Friday — We just got back to the hotel after trying to film on the bridge into Tahrir Square. — An angry mob surrounded us and chased us into the car shouting that they hate America.
Discussion:
Telegraph, The Politico, JOSHUAPUNDIT, Hot Air, New York Times, AOL News, TVNewser, The Jawa Report, The Gateway Pundit, Gawker, Doug Ross and Booman Tribune

The View From Tahrir — Today President Mubarak seems to have decided to crack down on the democracy movement, using not police or army troops but rather mobs of hoodlums and thugs. I've been spending hours on Tahrir today, and it is absurd to think of this as simply “clashes” between two rival groups.
Discussion:
The New Republic, Firedoglake, BBC, News Desk, Hot Air, Prairie Weather, Sky Dancing, Jay Bookman, Gawker, The Moderate Voice, Guardian, Pajamas Media, Examiner, The Daily Dish and EA WorldView


Fox Takes 50 Minute Break From Regular Programming To Run News Corp Infomercial — As Americans and the world are gripped by the ongoing crisis in Egypt, news organizations have devoted wall-to-wall coverage to the protests — that is, except for Fox News, which interrupted its news programing …
Discussion:
TVNewser, Left Coast Rebel, Media Matters for America and Joe. My. God., more at Mediagazer »

B.E., Before Egypt. A.E., After Egypt. — I'm meeting a retired Israeli general at a Tel Aviv hotel. As I take my seat, he begins the conversation with: “Well, everything we thought for the last 30 years is no longer relevant.” — That pretty much sums up the disorienting sense of shock …
Discussion:
Politics Daily, The Daily Dish, Israel Matzav, Salon, Haaretz, Mondoweiss, Washington Post and The Moderate Voice


The Battle in Cairo's Tahrir Square — A first-hand account from our correspondent on the scene in Egypt — CAIRO, Egypt — The Egyptian protest started getting violent early this afternoon, a few minutes after a cheerful girl, about 14 years old, handed me a caramel.
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog, The Daily Dish, Hullabaloo, The Moderate Voice and Guardian


Click to watch video
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newsfeed.time.com, Examiner, The Daily Caller, This Just In, TPMMuckraker, FrumForum and Zandar Versus The Stupid

ElBaradei's Ultimatum to Mubarak: 48 Hours to Leave the Country
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, The Gateway Pundit and Jihad Watch

Anderson Cooper Attacked by Mob in Egypt
Discussion:
Moonbattery and iOwnTheWorld.com

Clashes break out in Tahrir Square
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Informed Comment, Open Left, Firedoglake, msnbc.com and AMERICAblog News

Senate Poised To Vote On Health Care Repeal — ABC News' Matthew Jaffe reports: — The US Senate today is poised to vote on repealing President Obama's controversial new health care law. — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said today on the Senate floor that the repeal vote will likely occur sometime late this afternoon.
Discussion:
The Politico, Firedoglake, The Hill, Weasel Zippers, HillBuzz.org and Michelle Malkin
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Senator seeks expedited Supreme Court review of health care law — (CNN) - A Democratic senator who faces a potentially tough re-election battle in a political swing state wants the Senate to approve a non-binding resolution urging the U.S. Supreme Court to decide quickly if the new health care law is constitutional.


Florida to Barack Obama: Keep your health care reform cash — No thanks. That's what the state of Florida is saying to the Obama administration, declining a $1 million grant to implement the health law. — The move follows this week's federal court decision declaring the law unconstitutional.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and FrumForum

Nelson proposes expedited Supreme Court ruling on healthcare law
Discussion:
Daily Kos

White House reporters complain Obama is shutting them out — White House reporters criticized President Obama on Wednesday for providing too little information and access to the media during the crisis in Egypt. — In a letter to White House press secretary Robert Gibbs …
Discussion:
Maggie's Farm, Don Surber and FrumForum
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Can Jay Carney hack it as top flack?
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Pajamas Media, National Review, White House Dossier, NewsBusters.org blogs, The Politico and The White House

White House on time for Egyptian transition: ‘Now means now’
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The Hill

McCain and Obama Meet in Oval Office
Discussion:
Politics Daily, CNN and Indecision Forever


‘The Whole World Is Watching,’ Daley Warns Egyptian Authorities About Reprisals — “The whole world is watching,” White House Chief of Staff William Daley said of the crisis in Egypt this morning, borrowing a slogan that demonstrators in Chicago used against his father more than three decades ago …
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DCCC GETS TARGETS' ATTENTION.... The Democratic Congressional …
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The Plum Line

Less government! More sexism!
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PostPartisan, The Politico, Feministing and Mediaite

Republican distances himself from conservatives' spending cuts
Discussion:
WSET-TV

Paul: Should the Tea Party compromise? — Washington (CNN) - During his first speech on the Senate floor, Tea Party champion Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, brought up what may be a dirty word for some of his constituents: compromise. — “Many ask will the Tea Party compromise?
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Rand Paul invokes abolitionist in speech
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Outside the Beltway

Enviro Groups' Public Health Pivot in Support of EPA Regs Hitting Red States Too — The first signs of a shift came even before Election Day 2010, arriving as letters (pdf) and dramatic ads (pdf). But as the 112th Congress gets to work, environmental groups are stepping up their transition toward …
Discussion:
Salon, Slate, Washington Monthly and The New Republic
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Kirk Cites Al Gore's Personal Life As Impetus For Climate Flip-Flop
Discussion:
Balloon Juice, Hullabaloo and Daily Kos

Reagan's Solicitor General Charles Fried: ‘I Am Quite Sure That The Health Care Mandate Is Constitutional’ — In a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing today on “The Constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act,” President Ronald Reagan's former Solicitor General — Harvard Law Professor Charles Fried …
Discussion:
ACS Blog, TPMDC, Washington Monthly, Wonk Room, Daily Kos, Ezra Klein, Outside the Beltway, Online NewsHour, Guardian and AOL News

Obama admin. threatens climate veto — The Obama administration Wednesday repeated its threat to veto legislation that would curb its ability to regulate greenhouse gases. — Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson said that the White House continues to oppose any efforts …
Discussion:
The Note, Weasel Zippers and Hot Air
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Sen. Boxer says climate science hearings are ‘absolutely’ in the works
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers

The Neocons Split with Israel Over Egypt — Well, this is interesting. The neoconservative (or liberal interventionist) wing of American Jewish political thought (not that all neocons are Jewish, God forbid anyone should think that!) is cheering on the revolution in Egypt …
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Land-for-peace is dead — Yossi Klein Halevi provides …
Discussion:
Commentary and Israel Matzav

Daniels wants to ‘mute’ debate over social issues — Washington (CNN) - Potential presidential candidate Mitch Daniels irked more than a few conservatives last year when he called for a “truce” on social issues while the country works through its economic problems. — Now he's doubling down on that position.
Discussion:
Shakesville
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Mitch Daniels Playing With Fire
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GOP 12, msnbc.com and RealClearPolitics Video Log

Will Boehner's be the shortest Speakership ever? — [UPDATE] In the comments, Boy Culture's Matthew Rettenmund leaves a link to photos of the National Enquirer story. Can't quite make out the text, but it's a two-page spread. — Remember the videos at the bottom of this post?
Discussion:
Liberal Values, Joe. My. God., The Impolitic and The Huffington Post

Republicans Vote To Repeal Obama-Backed Bill That Would Destroy Asteroid Headed For Earth — House Republicans say the bill, which was passed to stop the giant asteroid from hitting Earth, is ‘big government at its worst.’ — WASHINGTON—In a strong rebuke of President Obama and his domestic agenda …
Discussion:
Indecision Forever


A Toast to Your Health — Warning: Alcohol may increase your life expectancy and reduce dementia. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture released its 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans on Monday. There weren't many surprises in its recommendations to reduce fat and salt, eat whole grains, and cut the overall amount we eat.
Discussion:
Betsy's Page, Outside the Beltway and UrbanGrounds


The Kochs fight back — RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. - Faced with an avalanche of bad publicity after years of funding conservative causes in relative anonymity, the billionaire industrialist Koch brothers, Charles and David, are fighting back. — They've hired a team of p.r. pros with experience working …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, TBogg, The New Republic, Ben Smith's Blog, FrumForum, MyDD and UNCOVERAGE.net