Top Items:
John / Power Line:
“Steep Cuts?” Even the Left Is Starting to Notice — Liberal press outlets are reporting, generally without criticism, the Obama administration's claim that its FY 2012 budget embodies “steep cuts” in federal spending over the coming decade. Since a picture is worth a thousand words …
Discussion:
The New Republic, National Review, Pajamas Media, Paul Krugman, Chicago Boyz, Taylor Marsh and The Politico
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Myglesias / Yglesias:
Lucky Duckies — I don't think we should cut Social Security benefits.
Lucky Duckies — I don't think we should cut Social Security benefits.
Discussion:
Suburban Guerrilla
Charles Riley / CNNMoney.com:
Left is livid over budget safety net cuts
Left is livid over budget safety net cuts
Discussion:
Washington Post, Hot Air and The Greenroom
Kate Sheppard / Mother Jones:
South Dakota Moves To Legalize Killing Abortion Providers — A bill under consideration in the Mount Rushmore State would make preventing harm to a fetus a “justifiable homicide” in many cases. — Post Comment — A law under consideration in South Dakota would expand the definition of …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The Plum Line, Feministing, pandagon.net, The Raw Story, The Moderate Voice, Feministe, alicublog and Balloon Juice
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
THE PROSPECTS OF A ‘GRAND BARGAIN’.... Rumors occasionally make the rounds about a “grand bargain” between Democrats and Republicans. The idea is based on the notion of an all-inclusive compromise that would encompass deficit reduction, tax reform, the debt ceiling, and giving entitlements some sort of haircut.
Discussion:
New York Review of Books, Mother Jones, Eschaton and The New Republic
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Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Rep. Ryan: GOP won't allow shutdown due to budget impasse — Republicans will pass short-term measures to keep funding the government rather than allow a shutdown, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said Tuesday. — Ryan, the chairman of the House Budget Committee, said that if the GOP-held House …
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Wake up America, Outside the Beltway and JammieWearingFool
Charlie Savage / New York Times:
House Votes to Extend Patriot Act Provisions — WASHINGTON — The House on Monday voted to reauthorize and extend through Dec. 8 three ways in which Congress expanded the Federal Bureau of Investigation's counterterrorism powers after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Outside the Beltway, FrumForum, TPMMuckraker and The Page
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Senator Paul, U.S. Senator for Kentucky:
Press Release of Senator Paul — Senator Rand Paul's Letter of Opposition to the Patriot Act — WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Rand Paul (Ky.) released the following Dear Colleague letter to his fellow Senators this morning regarding the renewal of the USA PATRIOT Act. — Dear Colleague:
Discussion:
The Hill
James Taranto / Wall Street Journal:
Truth or Consequences — What if Justice Scalia sued the New York Times for libel? — The following letter to the editor appeared in the New York Times Friday: … If this is true, Scalia's misconduct is even worse than Fein suggests. Not only has Congress considered legislation to repeal ObamaCare …
Discussion:
Patterico's Pontifications and SCOTUSblog
Rachel Maddow / msnbc.com:
Closed captioning of: Prosecutors gear up to charge Edwards in criminal case — >> for two years a federal grand jury has been in fact investigating john edwards and whether he break campaign finance laws to try to cover up an affair with rielle hunter. now the investigation reached a decisive point.
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog, Hot Air, TPMMuckraker and JammieWearingFool
Guardian:
Defector admits to WMD lies that triggered Iraq war — • Man codenamed Curveball ‘invented’ tales of bioweapons — • Iraqi told lies to try to bring down Saddam Hussein regime — • Fabrications used by US as justification for invasion — Live Q&A with our reporter Martin Chulov
Discussion:
The Raw Story, Balloon Juice and TPMMuckraker
Lance M. Bacon / Army Times:
‘Punisher’ gets its first battlefield tests — XM25 ‘performs flawlessly’ in Afghanistan — The XM25 has changed the battlefield with only 55 rounds, and earned a new name among soldiers. They call it “the Punisher.” — Since its first contact Dec. 3, the XM25 has been in nine engagements …
Discussion:
Pajamas Media and Weasel Zippers
Devin Dwyer / ABCNEWS:
Obama's Media Machine: State Run Media 2.0? — White House Hones Online Messaging Operation Ahead of 2012 Campaign — As the 2012 presidential campaign kicks into gear, President Obama's White House media operation is demonstrating an unprecedented ability to broadcast its message through social media …
Discussion:
Pajamas Media
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Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
New WH spokesman ready to brief the press, colleague says
New WH spokesman ready to brief the press, colleague says
Discussion:
The Politico
Associated Press:
Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood plans political party — CAIRO (AP) - Egypt's long banned Muslim Brotherhood said Tuesday it intends to form a political party once democracy is established, as the country's new military rulers launched a panel of experts to amend the country's constitution enough …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, YID With LID, Right Wing News, Pajamas Media and USA Today
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Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
Standard Washington cowardice — In late 2008, former federal prosecutor Neil Barofsky was appointed to oversee the Treasury Department's administration of the $700 billion Wall Street/TARP bailout, and in that position, he has easily been one of the most impressive and courageous political officials in Washington.
Discussion:
TalkLeft
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Brady Dennis / Washington Post:
Neil Barofsky, TARP's outspoken overseer, will resign
Zaid Jilani / ThinkProgress:
KS GOP Rep. Connie O'Brien Says She Can Tell Who Is ‘Illegal’ Because They Have ‘The Olive Complexion’ — One week ago, the Kansas House Federal and State Committee held a hearing about in-state tuition being granted to the children of undocumented immigrants, which has been the policy in the state since 2004.
Discussion:
Topeka Capital-Journal and Kansas City Star
Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
Should Republicans Fret Over Their Presidential Field? — Republican insiders, reports the Washington Post's plugged-in Jennifer Rubin, are worried about the quality of their slate of presidential candidates for 2012. Indeed, it has become the conventional wisdom to assert that the Republican field is a fairly weak one.
Discussion:
The Huffington Post and The Volokh Conspiracy
DealBook:
New York and German Exchanges Seal Deal — NYSE Euronext and Deutsche Börse agreed on Tuesday to a $10 billion all-stock merger, combining two of the world's biggest stock exchanges into a trans-Atlantic powerhouse. — The union of the operators of the New York Stock Exchange …
Discussion:
FrumForum, Gothamist and Felix Salmon
David Brooks / New York Times:
The Experience Economy — Tyler Cowen's e-book, “The Great Stagnation,” has become the most debated nonfiction book so far this year. Cowen's core point is that up until sometime around 1974, the American economy was able to experience awesome growth by harvesting low-hanging fruit.
Discussion:
Ezra Klein, Paul Krugman, EconLog and Daily Kos
DigiTimes:
Apple to expand iPhone screen size to 4-inches — Apple reportedly will change the screen size of iPhone to 4-inch for its fifth generation iPhone to compete with the Google Android platform in the 4- to 7-inch smartphone market, according to upstream component suppliers.
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, Disruptors, Engadget, TechCrunch and SAI, more at Techmeme »
Eric Lichtblau / New York Times:
Common Cause Asks Court About Thomas Speech — WASHINGTON — Discrepancies in reports about an appearance by Justice Clarence Thomas at a political retreat for wealthy conservatives three years ago have prompted new questions to the Supreme Court from a group that advocates changing campaign finance laws.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, ThinkProgress, Balloon Juice and The BLT
Jennifer Yachnin / Roll Call:
Ethics Board Eyes Schmidt — The Office of Congressional Ethics is investigating Rep. Jean Schmidt's receipt of legal assistance from a Turkish-American interest group that has represented her in a host of proceedings in Ohio, one of the Republican's counsels confirmed Friday.
Discussion:
TPMMuckraker and Booman Tribune
The Politico:
Liberals launch anti-Darrell Issa crusade — Democrats are understandably obsessed with Darrell Issa — he's built himself up as a one-man investigative machine aimed straight at the Obama presidency. — But a handful of liberal political operatives in California — including …
Discussion:
Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion
Andrew Ross Sorkin / DealBook:
Vanishing Act: ‘Advisers’ Seek Distance From a Report — A new study backed by pro-business groups takes a harsh stance on rules intended to bring transparency to the $600 billion derivatives market. The report, published on Monday, claims that proposed regulation could cost 130,000 jobs …
WBIR-TV:
Critics and supporters turned out for event featuring Huckabee — Former Arkansas Governor and Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee was a guest at a fundraiser held at the Knoxville Convention Center. — The event benefits an anti-abortion group called the Center for Bioethical Reform.
The Politico:
Key 2012 early states cool to Palin — A new poll of New Hampshire voters is the latest in a string of surveys suggesting that if Sarah Palin chooses to run for president, she'll struggle in the crucial early states. — The WMUR Granite State Poll released late Monday afternoon puts Palin close …
Discussion:
American Power, The Moderate Voice, CNN and HotAirPundit
Roni Caryn Rabin / New York Times:
Report Details Sabotage of Birth Control — Men who abuse women physically and emotionally may also sabotage their partners' birth control, pressuring them to become pregnant against their will, new reports suggest. — Several small studies have described this kind of coercion among low-income teenagers …
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog, Brilliant at Breakfast and Prairie Weather
Juana Summers / The Politico:
Trump: Gays yes, gay marriage no — Donald Trump may have some New Yorkers doing a double-take, after he expressed his opposition to same-sex marriage while also saying he digs the city's robust gay population. — “New York is a place with lots of gays, and I think it's great.
Discussion:
CNN, Wonkette, Riehl World View and The Page
BBC:
Iran unrest: MPs call for death of Mousavi and Karroubi — Inside Iranian Parliament as a group of conservative MPs called for the execution of Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi — Members of Iran's parliament have called for opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi to be tried and executed.
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Jawa Report, FP Passport, Harry's Place and Gawker
Peter Suderman / Wall Street Journal:
ObamaCare and the Medicaid Mess — States need relief from the program's inflexible rules and escalating costs. — Facing growing resistance to Medicaid costs, the Obama administration's Health and Human Services secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, sent a letter to states last week noting the …
Discussion:
Betsy's Page and Hit & Run