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:
National Review, CNN, Raw Story, Hot Air, Outside the Beltway, The Washington Note, AmSpecBlog, Politics, Pajamas Media and JOSHUAPUNDIT
RELATED:
Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Jim Webb's retirement (and what it means)
Discussion:
Towleroad News #gay, msnbc.com and The Maddow Blog
Ben Pershing / Virginia Politics Blog:
Sen. James Webb won't run for reelection in 2012
Discussion:
The Nation, Weasel Zippers, Wonkette, The Page, AMERICAblog News and Gawker
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:
Washington Monthly, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Fox News, AOL News, Daily Kos, Wonkette, Taegan Goddard's … and Balloon Juice
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
RELATED:
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, Patterico's Pontifications, Weasel Zippers and Outside the Beltway
The Politico:
Republicans endure another floor loss — House Republicans endured another embarrassing floor loss Wednesday, one day after a vote on the Patriot Act failed on their watch. — A bill that would retrieve money already paid to the United Nations failed Wednesday afternoon 259-169, 290 votes were needed for passage.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The Hill, The Caucus and Prairie Weather
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:
Washington Post, Daily Kos, Liberal Values, Hot Air, Balloon Juice and Barefoot and Progressive
Adam Serwer / The Plum Line:
Newsflash: Tea Party didn't kill Patriot Act
Discussion:
Cato @ Liberty, Firedoglake, Weigel and PostPartisan
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.
RELATED:
Mike / Rortybomb:
Monetary Policy Hearing Today, or: Ron Paul Versus the Kochtopus.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Financial Services Committee, Paul Krugman, Raw Story and RedState
Peter Schroeder / The Hill:
Dem accuses witness invited by Ron Paul of ‘hate group’ ties
Discussion:
Oliver Willis
Myglesias / Yglesias:
The Strange Case of Pro-Confederate Monetary Policy
Discussion:
LewRockwell.com Blog
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:
Instapundit, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Proof Positive, The Reaction, The Nation and The Hill
RELATED:
appropriations.house.gov:
CR Spending Cuts to Go Deep — WASHINGTON, D.C. - House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers today announced a partial list of 70 spending cuts that will be included in an upcoming Continuing Resolution (CR) bill. The CR legislation will fund the federal government for the seven months remaining …
Discussion:
The Politico, Politics Daily, RHRealityCheck.org, Bloomberg, Associated Press, The Hill, USA Today and CNN
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) …
RELATED:
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 »
Simmi Aujla / The Politico:
West: AOL-HuffPo merger threatens tea party groups
Discussion:
Weigel, No More Mister Nice Blog, Washington Monthly, Ben Smith's Blog and Roger Ailes
Myglesias / Yglesias:
The Wages of Disengagement — Senator Barbara Boxer is outraged by the slew of new anti-choice bills being offered up by House Republicans: “It breaks faith with a decades-long bipartisan compromise, and it risks the health and lives of women.” — Ann Friedman's not buying it:
Discussion:
Ann Friedman and Eschaton
RELATED:
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.
Jennifer Steinhauer / New York Times:
Under Banner of Fiscal Restraint, Republicans Plan New Abortion Bills
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 …
RELATED:
Andrew Malcolm / Top of the Ticket:
Just as things looked brighter for Obama, Americans' approval …
Discussion:
Gallup
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:
Hot Air, Oliver Willis and Economist's View
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:
ThinkProgress, Crooks and Liars, USA Today, Washington Monthly, Don Surber, The New Republic and msnbc.com
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 and Gawker
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
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
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
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
Barry Eichengreen / Project Syndicate:
Why Egypt Should Worry China — print recommend Send link clip secure rights — BERKELEY - A strictly economic interpretation of events in Tunisia and Egypt would be too simplistic - however tempting such an exercise is for an economist. That said, there is no question …
Discussion:
NPR Blogs, Real Time Economics and China Digital Times
Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:
Jackson Lee blasts ‘demeaning’ Pepsi Super Bowl ad — Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) took to the House floor Tuesday night to criticize what she called a “demeaning” Pepsi ad that aired during the Super Bowl. — In the ad for Pepsi Max, a black woman sitting on a park bench gets angry …
Discussion:
JammieWearingFool and Right Wing News
Senior Data Journalist, NY — 
Manager - Publishing Editorial, Manila — 
Oil Reporter, Singapore — 
Newsperson - State Govt. & Politics, CA — 
Business Reporter, SC — 
State Government Reporter, WA — 
Climate Crisis Columnist — 
Multimedia Journalist, CA — 
Community Engagement Mgr., DC — 
Senior California Politics Reporter, CA — 
Staff Writer - Business, NY — 
Team Editor - Opinion, ON — 
Assistant Correspondent, DC — 
Climate & Weather Reporter, MN — 
Senior Tech Editor, Remote US — 
Lead Business Reporter, TN — 
Managing Editor, WA — 
Private Credit Reporter, NY — 
Trending News Reporter, TX — 
City Correspondent, London — 
Legislative Reporter, CA — 
Reporter, PA — 
Visual Editor, Remote — 
Staff Writer, MI — 
Senior Political Reporter, DC — 
California Playbook Writer, CA — 
National Investigative Reporter, NY — 
Business & Gaming Reporter, NV — 
Coastal Climate Reporter, SC — 
Environment & Energy Reporter, CT — 
Coordinating Editor, OR — 
Editor, Remote US — 
Business Reporter, WA — 
Editor-in-Chief, AZ — 
