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, Booman Tribune, GayPatriot, The Other McCain, TalkLeft, Pajamas Media and The New Republic
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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:
Associated Press, National Review, Crooks and Liars, Mother Jones, PostPartisan, JSOnline, Rortybomb, Balloon Juice and Gawker
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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:
Right Turn, The Huffington Post, National Review, Associated Press, Michelle Malkin, Wall Street Journal, Boehner, neo-neocon, Left Coast Rebel, Don Surber, TPMDC, Cubachi, SEIU, TalkLeft, The Caucus, Virginia Politics Blog, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Cato @ Liberty, Little Green Footballs, Outside the Beltway, The Atlantic Online, JustOneMinute, The Politico, New York Times, RedState, The Hill, Weekly Standard, Althouse, The Note, The Foundry, AmSpecBlog, The Other McCain, New York Magazine, Fox Nation, CNN, Firedoglake, POWIP, USA Today, Prairie Weather, The Enterprise Blog, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/* and Power Line
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 …
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!
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Join Andrew Breitbart, Herman Cain & Jim Hoft at Wisconsin Freedom Rally to Support Scott Walker Saturday — I STAND WITH SCOTT WALKER RALLY (organized by American Majority) — I'll be in Wisconsin tomorrow. — Location Wisconsin State Capitol, South Steps — Created By Dave Westlake, Matt Batzel, Ashley Schultz
Discussion:
All American Blogger, The Mahablog, JSOnline, Left Coast Rebel, Moonbattery, Da Techguy's Blog and Right Wing News
Megan McArdle / The Atlantic Online:
Showdown in Wisconsin — The circus in Wisconsin is rapidly blowing …
Showdown in Wisconsin — The circus in Wisconsin is rapidly blowing …
Devin Dwyer / ABCNEWS:
Obama, DNC Fuel State Employee Protests
Obama, DNC Fuel State Employee Protests
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Publius Forum, Pajamas Media, The Note, Weasel Zippers, The Gateway Pundit and JSOnline
Andy Kroll / Mother Jones:
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker: Funded by the Koch Bros.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker: Funded by the Koch Bros.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, TPMDC, Hit & Run, National Review, The Policy Page, Yglesias and Democracy in America
Tobin Harshaw / Opinionator:
Cairo in the Midwest?
Cairo in the Midwest?
Discussion:
The Week Magazine and National Review
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
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, Sky Dancing, TalkLeft, Althouse and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion
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, Taylor Marsh, Bloomberg, Political Punch, Crooked Timber, ThinkProgress, Daily Kos, Vox Popoli and Wake up America
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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 …
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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, Washington Post, protein wisdom, Hot Air and CNN
Mike Lillis / The Hill:
Pelosi: GOP using Planned Parenthood as ‘whipping boy’ in health debate
Pelosi: GOP using Planned Parenthood as ‘whipping boy’ in health debate
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers
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Rep. Jackie Speier gets personal on abortion
Discussion:
New York Magazine and CNN
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
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
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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, GayPatriot, ThinkProgress 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, Hot Air and GayPatriot
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
ABCNEWS:
Hillary Clinton: Israeli Settlements ‘Illegitimate’ — Secretary of State Calls Working Toward Mideast Peace Her ‘Highest Priority’ — Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Israeli settlements “illegitimate” shortly before the United States vetoed a United Nations Security Council …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers
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Mitt Romney / National Review:
Obama Turns His Back on Israel
Obama Turns His Back on Israel
Discussion:
Salon, Ben Smith's Blog, The Hill and GOP 12
Scott / Power Line:
Governor Walker meets the press — I think one of our readers expresses the feeling of a lot of Wisconsin citizens today. She certainly expresses my admiration for Governor Walker: … The battle for Wisconsin really raises in extreme form the question whether the people rule here.
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Gov. Walker to Obama: focus on balancing your budget, which you're a long way from doing
Discussion:
Fox News, The Gateway Pundit, Liberty Pundits Blog, Wonkette and Confederate Yankee
Stephanie Mencimer / Mother Jones:
Wisconsin: Tea Partiers, Breitbart Coming To Fight Unions
Wisconsin: Tea Partiers, Breitbart Coming To Fight Unions
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Breitbart.tv, Wonkette, Colorlines, JSOnline, Guardian, Weigel, FrumForum and RedState
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
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, ECHIDNE of the snakes and Pam's House Blend
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
Guardian:
Libya protests: massacres reported as Gaddafi imposes news blackout — Opposition says 61 killed as diplomats report use of heavy weapons in Benghazi and rumours sweep the country — Libyans have taken to the streets and buried their dead, accusing government forces of perpetrating massacres …
Discussion:
Salon, Al Jazeera Blogs, msnbc.com and Libya February 17th
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BBC:
Libya: Benghazi clashes deadly - witnesses
Libya: Benghazi clashes deadly - witnesses
Discussion:
Guardian, The Investigative Project … and hrw.org
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