Top Items:
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 Atlantic Online, Hit & Run, National Review, The Politico, Michelle Malkin, Wall Street Journal, Cato @ Liberty, TPMDC, POWIP, Althouse, The Foundry, Firedoglake, New York Magazine, New York Times, The Hill, Prairie Weather, Right Turn, The Enterprise Blog, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Pajamas Media, USA Today, The Huffington Post, Fox Nation, Pundit & Pundette, JSOnline, The Sundries Shack, FrumForum, Shakesville, Taylor Marsh and The Hill
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Wall Street Journal:
Athens in Mad Town — A seminal showdown between public unions and taxpayers. — For Americans who don't think the welfare state riots of France or Greece can happen here, we recommend a look at the union and Democratic Party spectacle now unfolding in Wisconsin.
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 …
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, The Daily Caller, ThinkProgress, National Review, Political Punch, Pajamas Media, Daily Kos and Vox Popoli
Amanda Terkel / The Huffington Post:
DNC Expands Role In Labor Protests To Ohio, Indiana … WASHINGTON — Building on the momentum in Wisconsin, where tens of thousands of protesters have turned out to oppose Republican Gov. Scott Walker's effort to strip collective-bargaining rights from the state's public-employee unions …
New York Times:
Gov. Walker's Pretext — In a year when governors across …
Gov. Walker's Pretext — In a year when governors across …
Discussion:
Althouse, PostPartisan, Cubachi, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Boehner, Crooks and Liars, Mother Jones and The Plum Line
Stephen F. Hayes / Weekly Standard:
Scott Walker vs. Public Sector Unions
Scott Walker vs. Public Sector Unions
Discussion:
AmSpecBlog, Fox News, National Review, JSOnline, Power Line, NewsBusters.org and Da Techguy's Blog
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, Moonbattery and Da Techguy's Blog
Jim Hoft / The Gateway Pundit:
BREAKING: Wisconsin Dems Hiding At Best Western in Rockford, IL ...Update: TEA PARTY WINS!
BREAKING: Wisconsin Dems Hiding At Best Western in Rockford, IL ...Update: TEA PARTY WINS!
Discussion:
Breitbart.tv, Big Government, Classical Values, Confederate Yankee, Wonkette, The Jawa Report, Scared Monkeys, Fire Andrea Mitchell!, Wake up America, theblogprof, The Sundries Shack, Hot Air, WTMJ, The Moderate Voice, Marathon Pundit, Grim's Hall, Riehl World View, WKOW 27, All American Blogger, WISN Milwaukee's Channel 12, Doug Ross, Pirate's Cove, Sister Toldjah, Pajamas Media, ABCNEWS, No More Mister Nice Blog, iOwnTheWorld.com, GayPatriot, Althouse, JSOnline, Da Techguy's Blog and The Daily Caller
Michelle Malkin:
Apocalypse Now: Wisconsin vs. Big Labor; Plus: More out-of-state union recruiting & another …
Apocalypse Now: Wisconsin vs. Big Labor; Plus: More out-of-state union recruiting & another …
Discussion:
BizTimes Daily, No Runny Eggs, Right Pundits and RedState
Michael D. Shear / The Caucus:
Politics of Wisconsin Labor Fight Spread to Washington
Politics of Wisconsin Labor Fight Spread to Washington
Discussion:
The Politico, Towleroad News #gay, host.madison.com and USA Today
Ann Althouse / Althouse:
After all those efforts to paint Tea Partiers as using violent images and rhetoric …
After all those efforts to paint Tea Partiers as using violent images and rhetoric …
Directorblue / Doug Ross:
Top 15 Photos From the Wisconsin Hate Rallies You'll Never See in Legacy Media #wiunion #solidaritywi
Top 15 Photos From the Wisconsin Hate Rallies You'll Never See in Legacy Media #wiunion #solidaritywi
John / Power Line:
One More Thing About Wisconsin — A common theme of the union …
One More Thing About Wisconsin — A common theme of the union …
Discussion:
theblogprof, Charlie Foxtrot and Althouse
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
House Dem reveals abortion on the House floor — Strong stuff from Dem Rep. Jackie Speier of California, who delivered an emotional speech on the House floor last night, revealing she had an abortion as she dressed down a Republican colleague for trivialing the decisionmaking that goes into deciding whether to undergo the procedure:
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Mediaite
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Diane Webber / The Politico:
Rep. Jackie Speier gets personal on abortion
Rep. Jackie Speier gets personal on abortion
Discussion:
New York Times, New York Magazine and FrumForum
Molly K. Hooper / The Hill:
Dem reveals abortion in Planned Parenthood funding debate
Dem reveals abortion in Planned Parenthood funding debate
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Tennessee Guerilla Women and Towleroad News #gay
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
Willie Sutton Wept — There are three things you need to know about the current budget debate. First, it's essentially fraudulent. Second, most people posing as deficit hawks are faking it. Third, while President Obama hasn't fully avoided the fraudulence, he's less bad than his opponents …
Discussion:
The Future of Capitalism, Sky Dancing, The Confluence, Paul Krugman, Balloon Juice and Washington Post
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New York Times:
Tucson Firefighter Refused to Respond — PHOENIX — A Tucson firefighter refused to respond to the Jan. 8 shooting rampage that wounded Representative Gabrielle Giffords because of political differences with his crew, delaying his unit's arrival at the scene, according to internal department records.
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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:
Salon, msnbc.com, Chicago Boyz and AMERICAblog News
Sonja Puzic / Vancouver Sun:
Ont. couple's appeal to bring baby home dismissed — A Superior Court judge has dismissed a Windsor couple's appeal of a decision to have their dying baby's breathing tube removed in hospital. In this undated handout photo, Joseph Maraachli, a one-year-old boy from Windsor, Ont. …
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New York Times:
Security Forces in Bahrain Fire on Mourners and Journalists — 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 …
Discussion:
Guardian, The Daily Dish, Ben Smith's Blog, CNN, Aljazeera, The Daily Beast, Indecision Forever and AOL News, more at Mediagazer »
Juliana Gruenwald / NationalJournal.com:
House Passes Amendment to Block Funds for Net Neutrality Order — The House passed an amendment Thursday that would bar the Federal Communications Commission from using any funding to implement the network-neutrality order it approved in December. — The amendment, approved on a 244-181 vote …
Discussion:
Don Surber
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Andrew Restuccia / The Hill:
GOP votes to defund Obama's policy ‘czars’
GOP votes to defund Obama's policy ‘czars’
Discussion:
The Politico, Hot Air, Nice Deb, UrbanGrounds, Weasel Zippers and The Sundries Shack
Jason Millman / The Hill:
Administration asks judge to tell the states that healthcare law isn't optional — The Obama administration is asking a federal judge who struck down the healthcare reform law to clarify that states must still implement the overhaul as the appeals process plays out.
Discussion:
Hot Air, Patterico's Pontifications and protein wisdom
Stanley Kurtz / National Review:
Who's Polarizing America? — American politics just keeps getting more polarized. Be assured that Obama wants it that way. I argue in Radical-in-Chief that Obama's long-term hope is to divide America along class lines (roughly speaking, tax payers versus tax beneficiaries).
Discussion:
JustOneMinute, Booman Tribune and protein wisdom
Jonathan Allen / The Politico:
Nancy Pelosi aide says a government shutdown is likely — A high-ranking aide to Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told Democratic chiefs of staff 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:
FrumForum and New York Magazine
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 and JustOneMinute
Dan Balz / Washington Post:
GOP activists in Iowa divided on whether Palin can carry 2012 banner — WEST DES MOINES, IOWA - A group of Republican activists was sorting out the field of prospective 2012 presidential candidates on a cold night here recently when talk turned to Sarah Palin.
Daniel Strauss / The Hill:
Kucinich must pay $50,000 for improperly using campaign expenses — The Federal Election Commission has ordered Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) to repay more than $50,000 that that the agency says was improperly used for campaign expenses in 2004. — In a ruling issued Thursday …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and FrumForum
Igor Volsky / Wonk Room:
VIDEO ROUND-UP: In NH, Opponents Claim Marriage Equality Would Facilitate ‘Sharia Law’ — Yesterday, New Hampshire's House Judiciary Committee held an eight-hour hearing to consider three proposals to rescind the state's 2009 same-sex marriage law. More than 600 people attended the marathon session …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Boston Globe, Pam's House Blend, Joe. My. God. and Towleroad News #gay
Alexander Mooney / CNN:
Bingaman to retire — By: CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser — (CNN) - CNN confirms that Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico will announce later Friday that he will not run for re-election next year. — That will bring to 4 the number of Democratic senators not running for re-election next year.
Philip Rucker / Washington Post:
Sen. John Thune says he could offer GOP more than just a fresh face in 2012 — Why does a guy like John Thune think he could be president of the United States? — In the seven years since the South Dakotan was labeled a Republican golden boy after unseating Senate Democratic leader Thomas A. Daschle …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly and SENATUS
Dean Baker / The Politico:
Unions badgering Wisconsin's finances? — Co-director, Center for Economic and Policy Research : — You have to give Gov. Walker and his wealthy patrons credit. Here we have a situation where Wall Street fat cats wrecked the economy - people like Richard Fuld, Robert Rubin, and Angelo Mozilo …
Discussion:
DownWithTyranny!
Stephen Lowman / Political Bookworm:
Rand Paul on Sarah Palin, Dostoevsky and dad — Rand Paul may still be green to the ways of the U.S. Senate (he only assumed office in January) but he's got a lot to say about the political state of the country. Most of his new book, “The Tea Party Goes to Washington,” …
Discussion:
Cubachi, Liberty Pundits Blog, National Review, FrumForum and Conservatives4Palin