Top Items:
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:
CNN, The Politico, Raw Story, AmSpecBlog, Pajamas Media, The Washington Note, Hot Air, Outside the Beltway, Politics, JOSHUAPUNDIT and National Review
RELATED:
Ben Pershing / Virginia Politics Blog:
Sen. James Webb won't run for reelection in 2012 — Sen. James Webb (D-Va.) has announced that he will not run for reelection in 2012. — Webb's decision, long anticipated by many in Virginia politics, will make his seat more difficult to hold for his party.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, Wonkette, The Page, AMERICAblog News and Gawker
Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Jim Webb's retirement (and what it means) — Virginia Sen. Jim Webb's decision not to seek re-election creates an open seat in traditionally Republican territory that could further tilt the map in the GOP's favor as they aim to win back the Senate in 2012. — Webb's announcement …
Discussion:
msnbc.com, Towleroad News #gay and The Maddow Blog
Michael D. Shear / The Caucus:
Senator Webb Will Not Run for Re-election
Senator Webb Will Not Run for Re-election
Discussion:
Indecision Forever and Althouse
Washington Post:
Patriot Act extension fails in the House by seven votes — House Republicans suffered an embarrassing setback Tuesday when they fell seven votes short of extending provisions of the Patriot Act, a vote that served as the first small uprising of the party's tea-party bloc.
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, Politics Daily, Bloomberg, National Review, Daily Kos, The Foundry, Prairie Weather, The Hill, Sky Dancing, Tammy Bruce and ThinkProgress
RELATED:
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:
Liberal Values, Daily Kos, Balloon Juice, Firedoglake, Open Congress and Barefoot and Progressive
Adam Serwer / The Plum Line:
Newsflash: Tea Party didn't kill Patriot Act
Newsflash: Tea Party didn't kill Patriot Act
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Weigel, Examiner and PostPartisan
David Rogers / The Politico:
GOP cuts target EPA, high speed rail
GOP cuts target EPA, high speed rail
Discussion:
appropriations.house.gov and CNN
Russell Berman / The Hill:
After defeat on Patriot Act, Boehner says GOP ‘not perfect every day’
After defeat on Patriot Act, Boehner says GOP ‘not perfect every day’
Discussion:
The Politico
Lydia Saad / Gallup:
Obama's Approval Rating on Deficit Sinks to New Low — Egypt ranks among issues on which Obama is best rated — PRINCETON, NJ — President Barack Obama's approval rating for handling the federal budget deficit has gone from bad to worse in recent months, even as his ratings …
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Andrew Malcolm / Top of the Ticket:
Just as things looked brighter for Obama, Americans' approval …
Just as things looked brighter for Obama, Americans' approval …
Discussion:
Gallup
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 Politico and The Note
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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 …
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland
Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
Arianna Huffington's ideological transformation — Did Arianna Huffington just sell out her fellow progressives? — In the literal sense, she undoubtedly has: The sale of Huffington Post to AOL for $315 million (including a large pile of cash going to Huffington herself) …
Discussion:
The Other McCain, Pajamas Media, The New Republic, Online NewsHour, Mediaite, Slate and Hot Air, more at Mediagazer »
RELATED:
Simmi Aujla / The Politico:
West: AOL-HuffPo merger threatens tea party groups
West: AOL-HuffPo merger threatens tea party groups
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog, Weigel, Washington Monthly and Roger Ailes
Tim Rutten / Los Angeles Times:
AOL ♥ HuffPo. The loser? Journalism
AOL ♥ HuffPo. The loser? Journalism
Discussion:
Hot Air, Mediaite and protein wisdom, more at Mediagazer »
Mike / Rortybomb:
Monetary Policy Hearing Today, or: Ron Paul Versus the Kochtopus. — Ron Paul is holding one of his first monetary policy hearings today, and he hasn't sold out. Ron Paul is from the school of libertarians that hates D.C. libertarians, which is weird since Ron Paul is one of the most well-known libertarians …
Discussion:
RedState and Paul Krugman
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Felicia Sonmez / Washington Post:
Ron Paul holds first hearing on Federal Reserve
Ron Paul holds first hearing on Federal Reserve
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online and Little Green Footballs
Myglesias / Yglesias:
The Strange Case of Pro-Confederate Monetary Policy
The Strange Case of Pro-Confederate Monetary Policy
Discussion:
LewRockwell.com Blog
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:
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
Nicholas Ballasy / CNSNews:
Lautenberg to Pro-Life Republicans: 'Don't Go Near My Daughters'
Lautenberg to Pro-Life Republicans: 'Don't Go Near My Daughters'
Discussion:
The Mahablog, National Review, JOSHUAPUNDIT and Liberty Pundits Blog
Michelle Malkin / Townhall.com:
Who's Policing Amtrak Joe Biden's Rail Boondoggles? — At Philadelphia's 30th Street Station on Tuesday, lifelong government rail promoter Vice President Joe Biden unveiled a $53 billion high-speed train initiative and half-joked: “I'm like the ombudsman for Amtrak.”
Discussion:
Moonbattery and The Foundry
RELATED:
Charles Thomas / WLS-TV:
ABC7 poll: Emanuel leading mayor's race — ABC7's exclusive poll on the Chicago mayor's race provides a snapshot of how the candidates are doing as we head into the final two weeks of the campaign. — Rahm Emanuel's 54 percent share in the survey suggests an overwhelming lead …
Discussion:
The Hill
RELATED:
Jennifer Epstein / The Politico:
Rahm Emanuel captures enormous polling lead
Rahm Emanuel captures enormous polling lead
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway
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.
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:
Washington Monthly, The New Republic, Weasel Zippers, The Hill and msnbc.com
Mark Bittman / Opinionator:
Is ‘Eat Real Food’ Unthinkable? — In recent weeks we've seen a big, powerful government agency, a big, powerful person and a big, powerful corporation telling us what to eat. Even with all this big, powerful input, we know nothing that we didn't know last year.
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, Yglesias, Wonkette, New York Times, Connecting.the.Dots, Daily Kos and nancynall.com
Suzi Parker / Politics Daily:
Breaking the Sarah Palin Trademark Story: A Lesson in Journalism Ethics … Sometimes a light bulb goes off. — One night at 2 a.m. I was reading a story by Matt Lewis about Herman Cain, a possible 2012 presidential candidate from Georgia. Pursuing the Cain story further …
Discussion:
Firedoglake and Poynter
Christian M. Wade / TBO Politics:
RNC's former Tampa convention team spent $1 million — TAMPA - They rented an exclusive waterfront mansion, wined and dined at five-star restaurants and hired family members and friends, all on the taxpayers' dime. — Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele's 2012 convention team based …
Discussion:
Mother Jones and National Review
Michael Levenson / Boston Globe:
Patrick says he considered resigning — In book, governor says news stories took toll on wife — In early 2007, just weeks after taking office, Deval Patrick seriously considered resigning. His wife, weeping and unable to sleep, had been admitted to McLean Hospital with depression.
Discussion:
The Politico and Taegan Goddard's …
Ben Smith / The Politico:
Susan Rice warns GOP against U.N. cuts — United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice said today that the success America has had in using sanctions against Iran should give pause to Republicans who want to weaken U.S. ties to the institution. — The new House majority has renewed pressure on the United Nations …