Top Items:
Joe Klein / Swampland:
Wisconsin: The Hemlock Revolution — Revolutions everywhere—in the middle east, in the middle west. But there is a difference: in the middle east, the protesters are marching for democracy; in the middle west, they're protesting against it. I mean, Isn't it, well, a bit ironic …
Discussion:
New York Times, Hullabaloo, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, TalkLeft, GayPatriot, Hot Air, The Other McCain, Pajamas Media, The New Republic and Power Line
RELATED:
Washington Post:
Obama joins Wisconsin's budget battle, opposing Republican anti-union bill — MADISON, WIS. - President Obama thrust himself and his political operation this week into Wisconsin's broiling budget battle, mobilizing opposition Thursday to a Republican bill that would curb public-worker benefits …
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, National Review, Little Green Footballs, Weekly Standard, TalkLeft, Hit & Run, neo-neocon, Don Surber, The Caucus, Boehner, Wall Street Journal, Virginia Politics Blog, Cubachi, Crooks and Liars, Left Coast Rebel, The Politico, TPMDC, Outside the Beltway, The Other McCain, Cato @ Liberty, AmSpecBlog, The Atlantic Online, SEIU, Right Turn, Michelle Malkin, The Foundry, POWIP, New York Times, The Note, New York Magazine, Prairie Weather, Althouse, Firedoglake, The Hill, RedState, Fox Nation, Power Line, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, CNN, Taylor Marsh, Da Techguy's Blog, USA Today, The Enterprise Blog, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Pundit & Pundette, Pajamas Media and JSOnline
Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
Wis. governor: GOP won't be ‘bullied’ by union bill protesters — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) says his party has been emboldened by massive protests against his controversial budget plan. — Walker said demonstrators who filled the state Capitol building in Madison and the boycott …
Ezra Klein:
Unions aren't to blame for Wisconsin's budget — Let's be clear: Whatever fiscal problems Wisconsin is — or is not — facing at the moment, they're not caused by labor unions. That's also true for New Jersey, for Ohio and for the other states. There was no sharp rise in collective bargaining …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, National Review, Salon, Washington Monthly, Mother Jones, The Plum Line, TPMDC, PostPartisan, Guardian, Hullabaloo and Obsidian Wings
Ezra Klein:
What is actually being proposed in Wisconsin? — Reading the commentary, I think a lot of people are confused about what's actually being proposed in Wisconsin. So let's go through it. — You can find Gov. Scott Walker's proposal here. It's called “the Budget Repair bill.”
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, Balloon Juice, Mother Jones, PostPartisan, Rortybomb, host.madison.com and Gawker
Megan McArdle / The Atlantic Online:
Showdown in Wisconsin — The circus in Wisconsin is rapidly blowing up into the national issue of the moment, thanks in no small part to President Obama and of course Organizing for America, the group that grew out of his 2008 campaign, which seems to be playing a prominent role in building up the protests.
Jim Hoft / The Gateway Pundit:
Join Andrew Breitbart, Herman Cain & Jim Hoft at Wisconsin Freedom Rally to Support Scott Walker Saturday
Join Andrew Breitbart, Herman Cain & Jim Hoft at Wisconsin Freedom Rally to Support Scott Walker Saturday
Discussion:
The Mahablog, JSOnline, Left Coast Rebel, Moonbattery, Da Techguy's Blog and Right Wing News
Devin Dwyer / ABCNEWS:
Obama, DNC Fuel State Employee Protests
Obama, DNC Fuel State Employee Protests
Discussion:
The Note, Pajamas Media, JSOnline and The Plum Line
Matt Welch / Hit & Run:
Is This How a President Should Act?
Is This How a President Should Act?
Discussion:
James Pethokoukis, protein wisdom, PostPartisan, The Daily Caller, National Review, AmSpecBlog and AFL-CIO NOW BLOG
msnbc.com:
Vote on Wis. union bill faces more delays
Vote on Wis. union bill faces more delays
Discussion:
JSOnline, Confederate Yankee, Associated Press, The Page, Truthdig and Hit & Run
New York Times:
Gov. Walker's Pretext — In a year when governors across …
Gov. Walker's Pretext — In a year when governors across …
Discussion:
TalkLeft, PostPartisan, Althouse, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Cubachi, Boehner and Mother Jones
Matthew Cooper / The Atlantic Online:
Wisconsin: A Critical Fight for the Labor Movement
Wisconsin: A Critical Fight for the Labor Movement
Discussion:
Indecision Forever
The Politico:
House votes to defund Planned Parenthood — The House just approved Rep. Mike Pence's amendment to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood, checking off a hot-button social issue even as it set up a bigger showdown over defunding the health care law. — The vote was 240-185 with 11 Democrats voting …
RELATED:
ABCNEWS:
Planned Parenthood Funding Voted Down — Amendment Passes Despite Stunning Personal Testimony From Rep. Jackie Speier — The House of Representatives Friday passed a measure to end federal funding for abortion provider Planned Parenthood a day after Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif. …
Discussion:
Pam's House Blend, Swampland and Joe. My. God.
Diane Webber / The Politico:
Rep. Jackie Speier gets personal on abortion
Rep. Jackie Speier gets personal on abortion
Discussion:
CNN, New York Magazine, New York Times and FrumForum
First Read / msnbc.com:
House passes measure stripping Planned Parenthood funding
House passes measure stripping Planned Parenthood funding
Discussion:
AOL News, Little Green Footballs and protein wisdom
Michelle Malkin:
Defund-a-palooza: Planned Parenthood, Obamacare on notice
Defund-a-palooza: Planned Parenthood, Obamacare on notice
Discussion:
LifeNews.com and Fire Andrea Mitchell!
Steven Ertelt / LifeNews.com:
House Overwhelmingly Votes to Scrap Plannned Parenthood Funding
House Overwhelmingly Votes to Scrap Plannned Parenthood Funding
Discussion:
Michelle Malkin
Jonathan Allen / The Politico:
Government shutdown is likely, Pelosi aide says — A high-ranking aide to Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told chiefs of staff of Democratic lawmakers that a government shutdown is more likely than not, according to attendees. — Speaking at a regular meeting of the top aides to House Democrats …
Discussion:
Boehner, ThinkProgress, GayPatriot and FrumForum
RELATED:
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
THEY MAY ACTUALLY BE ‘A BUNCH OF YAHOOS’.... A month …
THEY MAY ACTUALLY BE ‘A BUNCH OF YAHOOS’.... A month …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, No More Mister Nice Blog, Daily Kos and Booman Tribune
Russell Berman / The Hill:
Pelosi says she's ‘proud’ of Wisconsin Democrats who fled
Pelosi says she's ‘proud’ of Wisconsin Democrats who fled
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers
Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Jeff Bingaman to retire — New Mexico Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman is expected to announce his retirement today, according to a source close to the decision, a move that further complicates his party's efforts to hold their Senate majority in 2012. — Bingaman had been mulling whether …
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Politics Daily, Grist, Hotline On Call, The Raw Story, Daily Kos, Swampland, RedState and Swing State Project
RELATED:
Ballot Box:
Sen. Bingaman to retire
Sen. Bingaman to retire
Discussion:
The Politico, CNN, The Note, USA Today and Outside the Beltway
Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:
Democrat suggests ‘ObamaCare’ rhetoric should be banned from House floor — House Republicans and Democrats started Friday morning's debate over whether to defund last year's healthcare law, and as part of this debate sparred over whether members should be allowed to call that law “ObamaCare.”
Discussion:
The Politico, The Note, iOwnTheWorld.com, Maggie's Notebook and Don Surber
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Kevinliptak / CNN:
House votes to defund health care law
Free exchange:
Outrageous cuts — PAUL KRUGMAN'S columns tend so often toward scathing criticism of Republicans that it's easy to discount the outrage and dismiss it. It would be a shame if that's the reaction to his writing today, which couldn't be more on point. To wit:
Discussion:
Ezra Klein, Mother Jones and Alas, a Blog
RELATED:
Arizona Daily Star:
Firefighter refused call to Tucson shooting spree scene — A veteran city firefighter's refusal to respond to the Jan. 8 shooting spree, citing “political bantering,” may have slowed his Tucson Fire Department unit's response to the incident that left six dead and 13 wounded, city memos show.
Discussion:
New York Times, msnbc.com, Salon, Chicago Boyz and AMERICAblog News
Rob Stein / Washington Post:
Obama administration replaces controversial ‘conscience’ regulation for health-care workers — The Obama administration rescinded most of a federal regulation Friday designed to protect health workers who refuse to provide care they find objectionable on personal or religious grounds.
Discussion:
The Foundry and Pam's House Blend
New York Times:
Security Forces in Bahrain Open Fire on Mourners — MANAMA, Bahrain — Government forces opened fire on hundreds of mourners marching toward Pearl Square Friday, sending people running away in panic amid the boom of concussion grenades. But even as the people fled, at least one helicopter sprayed fire …
David Brooks / New York Times:
Tomorrow Never Comes — Jonathan Alter wrote a book about Barack Obama's first year in office called “The Promise.” That's a great title because it works on so many levels. For example, over the past four years, Obama's career has been marked by a constant promise: He has continually …
Discussion:
Hit & Run, The New Republic, JustOneMinute, Right Turn, Balloon Juice, The Daily Dish and msnbc.com
Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:
Obama's Louis XV budget — Five days before his inauguration, President-elect Obama told The Post that entitlement reform could no longer be kicked down the road. He then spent the next two years kicking - racking up $3 trillion in new debt along the way - on the grounds …
Discussion:
neo-neocon
Bob Unruh / WorldNetDaily:
Stunner! Supremes to give eligibility case another look — Challenge to Obama getting 2nd conference before court — In a stunning move, the U.S. Supreme Court has scheduled another “conference” on a legal challenge to Barack Obama's eligibility to occupy the Oval Office …
Discussion:
iOwnTheWorld.com, Classical Values and PoliPundit.com
Jay Sorgi / WTMJ:
Capitol Chaos: State Patrol Goes After Democratic Senators — MADISON - According to the Wisconsin senate majority leader, the Governor's office is sending out state troopers to go after Wisconsin's Democratic Senate members to bring in a vote on Governor Walker's budget bill …
Discussion:
Power Line, The Gateway Pundit, JSOnline, Weasel Zippers, Hot Air and Pajamas Media
Paul West / Los Angeles Times:
Sarah Palin hints at 2012 presidential run, but says she's undecided — In a rare public speech, she predicts voters will want a nomination contest that's ‘a little bit rogue,’ and teases that a mother with her experience would be right for the job. She acknowledges she'd need to address her drop in popularity.
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Poll: Public unions a hard sell — A new poll from the Washington-based Clarus Group asked: — Do you think government employees should be represented by labor unions that bargain for higher pay, benefits and pensions ... or do you think government employees should not be represented by labor unions?
Discussion:
The Plum Line, Fire Andrea Mitchell! and Behind the Numbers
Ynetnews:
Ahmadinejad: Obama can't spell his own name — Ahead of pro-government rally, Iranian leader says US president 'can't control his emotions' — Dudi Cohen — During a visit to Bushehr ahead of a scheduled rally in support of his regime, the Iranian leader said, “Obama wants to rule the world …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Weasel Zippers and Fox News