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:
The Moderate Voice, New York Times, Hullabaloo, TalkLeft, Pajamas Media, GayPatriot, The Other McCain, The New Republic and Power Line
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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:
Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, Right Turn, National Review, Associated Press, TPMDC, Hit & Run, Don Surber, Left Coast Rebel, Boehner, neo-neocon, The Caucus, Weekly Standard, Little Green Footballs, Cubachi, Outside the Beltway, TalkLeft, Virginia Politics Blog, SEIU, The Politico, Cato @ Liberty, The Atlantic Online, New York Times, The Note, The Other McCain, AmSpecBlog, Althouse, The Foundry, The Hill, RedState, POWIP, New York Magazine, Firedoglake, Prairie Weather, Fox Nation, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, CNN, The Enterprise Blog, USA Today, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, Power Line, Da Techguy's Blog, Taylor Marsh and Weigel
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:
JSOnline, Mother Jones, Balloon Juice, PostPartisan, Rortybomb, Cato @ Liberty and Gawker
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:
Firedoglake, Mother Jones, National Review, blogs.alternet.org, Guardian, Salon, PostPartisan, Washington Monthly, TPMDC, Obsidian Wings and The Plum Line
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:
GayPatriot, The Plum Line, Behind the Numbers and Fire Andrea Mitchell!
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.
Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
Wis. governor: GOP won't be ‘bullied’ by union bill protesters
Wis. governor: GOP won't be ‘bullied’ by union bill protesters
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Bloomberg, Taylor Marsh, Political Punch, Crooked Timber, ThinkProgress, Daily Kos, Vox Popoli, Wake up America, Pajamas Media and FrumForum
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:
JSOnline, Left Coast Rebel, The Mahablog, Moonbattery, Da Techguy's Blog, Right Wing News and Michelle Malkin
William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:
Gadsden Flag Bad, Egypt Flag Good
Gadsden Flag Bad, Egypt Flag Good
Discussion:
theblogprof, Hot Air, American Power and The Other McCain
Devin Dwyer / ABCNEWS:
Obama, DNC Fuel State Employee Protests
Obama, DNC Fuel State Employee Protests
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, The Note, Publius Forum, Pajamas Media, Weasel Zippers, The Gateway Pundit and JSOnline
Cubachi:
Gov. Walker to Obama: focus on balancing your budget, which you're a long way from doing
Gov. Walker to Obama: focus on balancing your budget, which you're a long way from doing
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit and Liberty Pundits Blog
New York Times:
Gov. Walker's Pretext — In a year when governors across …
Gov. Walker's Pretext — In a year when governors across …
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, PostPartisan, TalkLeft, Althouse, Sky Dancing, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Cubachi, Boehner and dallasmorningviewsblog …
Stephanie Mencimer / Mother Jones:
Wisconsin: Tea Partiers, Breitbart Coming To Fight Unions
Wisconsin: Tea Partiers, Breitbart Coming To Fight Unions
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, The Huffington Post, Breitbart.tv, Colorlines, Wonkette, Guardian, Weigel, JSOnline, RedState and FrumForum
Gov. Scott Walker / Fox News:
Wisconsin's Anti-Union Bill in Limbo as GOP Sends State Troopers After Missing Democrats
Wisconsin's Anti-Union Bill in Limbo as GOP Sends State Troopers After Missing Democrats
Discussion:
Michelle Malkin, Wonkette and Confederate Yankee
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 …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Michelle Malkin, The Plum Line, LifeNews.com, Cubachi, The Moderate Voice, Caffeinated Thoughts, Open Congress, WWBT-TV, Decision Virginia, Outside the Beltway, Taegan Goddard's …, NewsBusters.org, Liberty Pundits Blog, Mother Jones, The Democratic Daily and Pirate's Cove
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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:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Ben Smith's Blog, OpenSecrets.org, Pam's House Blend, Swampland and Joe. My. God.
Russell Berman / The Hill:
House rejects extra $22 billion in cuts that divided Republicans — The House rejected a measure cutting an additional $22 billion from the Republican spending bill, as conservatives ran into a wall of opposition from the GOP establishment over the depth of reductions to federal funding.
Discussion:
The Politico, protein wisdom, Washington Post, Hot Air and CNN
Diane Webber / The Politico:
Rep. Jackie Speier gets personal on abortion
Rep. Jackie Speier gets personal on abortion
Discussion:
CNN, New York Magazine 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 The Other McCain
Julian Pecquet / The Hill:
House cuts off funding for healthcare reform, Planned Parenthood
House cuts off funding for healthcare reform, Planned Parenthood
Discussion:
The Plum Line
Joan McCarter / Daily Kos:
House votes to defund Planned Parenthood, Title X
House votes to defund Planned Parenthood, Title X
Discussion:
The American Independent, Focal Point, Feministe, Booman Tribune and Don Surber
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
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Russell Berman / The Hill:
Pelosi says she's ‘proud’ of Wisconsin Democrats who fled — House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said she supports the Democratic state senators in Wisconsin who left the state to stop a vote on curbing collective bargaining rights for unionized public employees.
Discussion:
CNN, Weasel Zippers and Hot Air
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
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:
Hot Air, The Politico, The Note, iOwnTheWorld.com, Maggie's Notebook and Don Surber
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Frank Newport / Gallup:
Americans Say Reagan Is the Greatest U.S. President — Lincoln and Clinton next on the list; Washington fifth — PRINCETON, NJ — Ahead of Presidents Day 2011, Americans are most likely to say Ronald Reagan was the nation's greatest president — slightly ahead of Abraham Lincoln and Bill Clinton.
Discussion:
Politics Daily, The Moderate Voice, The Politico and Outside the Beltway
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, Grist, Hotline On Call, Politics Daily, The Raw Story, Swampland, RedState, Swing State Project and Daily Kos
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 American Independent, The Foundry and Pam's House Blend
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, AMERICAblog News and Chicago Boyz
Anthony Shadid / New York Times:
Libya Protests Build, Showing Revolts' Limits and Power — CAIRO — Thousands gathered Friday for a third day of violent demonstrations in Benghazi, Libya's second largest city, in an unprecedented challenge to the mercurial 41-year reign of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi.
Discussion:
Al Jazeera Blogs, Pajamas Media, hrw.org, Outside the Beltway, Libya February 17th and Gawker
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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
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:
The New Republic, Right Turn, Balloon Juice, Hit & Run, JustOneMinute and msnbc.com
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:
The Future of Capitalism, Firedoglake, New York Times and Mother Jones
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 …