Top Items:
Maureen O'Connor / Gawker:
Married GOP Congressman Sent Sexy Pictures to Craigslist Babe — Rep. Christopher Lee is a married Republican congressman serving the 26th District of New York. But when he trolls Craigslist's “Women Seeking Men” forum, he's Christopher Lee, “divorced” “lobbyist” and “fit fun classy guy.”
Discussion:
The Politico, TalkLeft, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Crooks and Liars, Washington Monthly, msnbc.com, The Moderate Voice, Ben Smith's Blog, Raw Story, Hotline On Call, Mediaite, Open Congress, Politics, AOL News, AMERICAblog News, Taegan Goddard's …, The Other McCain, Daily Kos, Wonkette, National Review, This Just In and Balloon Juice
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ABCNEWS:
Congressman Chris Lee Resigns After Shirtless Photo Posted on Internet — New York Republican Reportedly Sent Revealing Photos to a Woman He Met on Craigslist — Rep. Chris Lee, R-N.Y., resigned from Congress after a report emerged that he had sent flirtatious e-mails …
Discussion:
Firedoglake, The Gateway Pundit and The Daily Caller
Fox News:
N.Y. Rep Declines Comment on Claim He Sent Shirtless Photo to Woman on Craigslist — Rep. Christopher Lee is declining to comment on a report claiming the married Republican congressman sent a shirtless photo of himself to a woman on Craigslist. — Lee, asked by Fox News …
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, Talking Points Memo, Hot Air, TPMDC, Towleroad News #gay and Gawker
Annie Groer / Politics Daily:
What started last month with an anonymous woman's Craigslist dating search for men who don't “look like toads” ended Wednesday with the resignation of two-term Rep. Christopher Lee, R-N.Y., a married father who passed himself off as a divorced lobbyist when he sent her a topless muscle photo of himself.
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online and Alan Colmes' Liberaland
Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
New York Rep. Chris Lee resigns from the House — New York Rep. Chris Lee has resigned his seat. Photo by Derek Gee/Washington Post — Rep. Chris Lee (R-N.Y.) resigned from the House Wednesday evening effective immediately, an announcement that came just hours after a Web site reported …
Discussion:
Gawker, OpenSecrets.org, msnbc.com, Wonkette and Daily Kos
Chris Lee / Congressman Chris Lee:
Statement from Congressman Chris Lee (NY-26) — “It has been a tremendous honor to serve the people of Western New York. I regret the harm that my actions have caused my family, my staff and my constituents. I deeply and sincerely apologize to them all.
Discussion:
AOL News
Raymond Hernandez / City Room:
New York Congressman Resigns Over Shirtless Photo
New York Congressman Resigns Over Shirtless Photo
Discussion:
Swampland
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Webb won't seek reelection — Virginia Democratic Senator Jim Webb plans to announce today that he won't seek reelection, the Senator confirmed Wednesday. — Webb appeared likely to face a rematch with former Senator George Allen, whom he beat in a bruising 2006 contest.
Discussion:
National Review, Hot Air, CNN, The Washington Note, Raw Story, Outside the Beltway, AmSpecBlog, Pajamas Media, Politics and JOSHUAPUNDIT
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Ben Pershing / Virginia Politics Blog:
Sen. James Webb won't run for reelection in 2012
Sen. James Webb won't run for reelection in 2012
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, Wonkette, The Page, AMERICAblog News and Gawker
Washington Post:
Virginia Sen. Webb won't run for reelection, leaving Democrats looking to Kaine
Virginia Sen. Webb won't run for reelection, leaving Democrats looking to Kaine
Discussion:
PostPartisan, RedState and Mother Jones
Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Jim Webb's retirement (and what it means)
Jim Webb's retirement (and what it means)
Discussion:
Towleroad News #gay, msnbc.com and The Maddow Blog
The Politico:
House GOP hits speed bumps — It usually takes a lot longer for the party in charge to start with the finger-pointing, the failed votes and the backpedaling on campaign promises. — But the House Republican majority has already had two failed floor votes, is experiencing a backlash …
Discussion:
CNN, msnbc.com, The Hill, Ben Smith's Blog, Washington Monthly, Hot Air, The Caucus, Daily Kos and Prairie Weather
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David Rogers / The Politico:
GOP cuts deep as right revolts — Faced with a revolt on the right, House Republicans began sketching out more than $40 billion in specific spending cuts Wednesday but may be forced to double their bets with a further across-the-board reduction to appease tea party supporters.
Discussion:
Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Instapundit, Firedoglake, The Note, Proof Positive, The Hill and The Reaction
appropriations.house.gov:
CR Spending Cuts to Go Deep
CR Spending Cuts to Go Deep
Discussion:
The Politico, Bloomberg, Associated Press, The Hill, RHRealityCheck.org, USA Today, Politics Daily and CNN
Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Democrats: Justice Thomas should recuse himself in healthcare reform case — A group of 73 House Democrats on Wednesday demanded U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas recuse himself from any case examining the constitutionality of healthcare reform. — Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) …
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, The Note and The Mahablog
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Felicia Sonmez / Washington Post:
House Democrats say Justice Thomas should recuse himself in health-care case — Seventy-four House Democrats have signed a letter to Clarence Thomas asking the Supreme Court justice to recuse himself from any deliberations on the constitutionality of the national health care overhaul …
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
At CPAC, the race for second place as Paul goes all out — The Conservative Political Action Conference's annual straw poll typically indicates three things: Whom CPAC's segment of the conservative base prefers for president; who bought tickets for their supporters; and whether Ron Paul is really trying.
Discussion:
Wonkette and American Power
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Mike / Rortybomb:
Monetary Policy Hearing Today, or: Ron Paul Versus the Kochtopus.
Monetary Policy Hearing Today, or: Ron Paul Versus the Kochtopus.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Paul Krugman, Financial Services Committee, Raw Story and RedState
Myglesias / Yglesias:
The Strange Case of Pro-Confederate Monetary Policy
The Strange Case of Pro-Confederate Monetary Policy
Discussion:
LewRockwell.com Blog
Peter Schroeder / The Hill:
Dem accuses witness invited by Ron Paul of ‘hate group’ ties
Dem accuses witness invited by Ron Paul of ‘hate group’ ties
Discussion:
Oliver Willis
Ta-Nehisi Coates / The Atlantic Online:
Labor — Surveying the GOP's latest efforts to usher forth a particular species of fiscal responsibility, I was recalled to a bit of personal history, which I try to not to think about. Like a lot of couples, the notice that our family would increase by a half was greeted with great joy.
RELATED:
Myglesias / Yglesias:
The Wages of Disengagement — Senator Barbara Boxer is outraged …
The Wages of Disengagement — Senator Barbara Boxer is outraged …
Discussion:
Ann Friedman and Eschaton
Amanda Terkel / The Huffington Post:
‘Forcible Rape’ Language Remains In Bill To Restrict Abortion Funding
‘Forcible Rape’ Language Remains In Bill To Restrict Abortion Funding
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Daily Kos and Mother Jones
Jennifer Steinhauer / New York Times:
Under Banner of Fiscal Restraint, Republicans Plan New Abortion Bills
Under Banner of Fiscal Restraint, Republicans Plan New Abortion Bills
Marc Ambinder / NationalJournal.com:
EXCLUSIVE: White House to Cut Energy Assistance for the Poor — Budget proposal would cut billions from aid program. — President Obama's proposed 2012 budget will cut several billion dollars from the government's energy assistance fund for poor people, officials briefed on the subject told National Journal.
Discussion:
Hullabaloo, Economist's View, Oliver Willis and Daily Kos
New York Post:
AOL stock sheds $315M — HuffPo price tag — You pay for what you get. — Arianna Huffington and Ken Lerer, co-founders of the Huffington Post, are said to be walking away with a combined $80 million to $100 million from an original $2 million per person investment — but so far AOL stockholders aren't seeing that kind of return.
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, more at Mediagazer »
RELATED:
Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
Arianna Huffington's ideological transformation
Arianna Huffington's ideological transformation
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Opinion L.A., The Wrap, The Politico, Pressthink, Weigel, Hot Air, The Atlantic Online, his vorpal sword, The Other McCain, Ezra Klein, Pajamas Media, The Garlic, No More Mister Nice Blog, Washington Monthly, The New Republic, Online NewsHour and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »
CNN:
Aide: Giffords can speak — (CNN) — U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords, recovering from a gunshot wound to the head sustained January 8, is regaining part of her ability to speak, her spokesman said Wednesday. — C.J. Karamargin would not divulge what Giffords has said, other than saying she asked for toast.
Discussion:
The Politico, Pajamas Media and Gawker
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
The Tea Party and civil liberties — It's long been clear that the best (and perhaps only) political hope for civil liberties in the U.S. is an alliance that transcends the standard Democrat v. GOP or left v. right dichotomies. Last night's surprising (and temporary) failure of the House …
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Washington Post, Daily Kos, Liberal Values, Balloon Juice and Barefoot and Progressive
RELATED:
Adam Serwer / The Plum Line:
Newsflash: Tea Party didn't kill Patriot Act
Newsflash: Tea Party didn't kill Patriot Act
Discussion:
Examiner, Cato @ Liberty, Firedoglake and PostPartisan
Amanda Covarrubias / L.A. NOW:
100 UC Irvine faculty members ask district attorney to drop charges against Muslim students — A group of 100 faculty members at UC Irvine signed a letter asking the Orange County district attorney to drop criminal charges against 11 Muslim students who disrupted a speech by the Israeli ambassador to the United States.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, The Gateway Pundit and Jihad Watch
Marin Cogan / The Politico:
Insurance reality hits House GOP — Ask any House Republican about repealing President Barack Obama's health care law, and you'll get the same fiery, self-assured talking points about tearing down what Speaker John Boehner has called a “monstrosity.” — But talk to some of the 16 freshman lawmakers …
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, USA Today, ThinkProgress, Washington Monthly, The New Republic and The Hill