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, Outside the Beltway, Michelle Malkin, SEIU, TPMDC, The Politico, Wall Street Journal, Cato @ Liberty, Politics, POWIP, Althouse, New York Magazine, New York Times, The Hill, The Foundry, Prairie Weather, Taylor Marsh, Right Turn, Firedoglake, CNN, The Enterprise Blog, The Huffington Post, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, USA Today, Pajamas Media, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, Fox Nation, Pundit & Pundette, JSOnline, Shakesville, FrumForum, The Sundries Shack and The Hill
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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 …
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.
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, Da Techguy's Blog and Right Wing News
Stephen F. Hayes / Weekly Standard:
Scott Walker vs. Public Sector Unions
Scott Walker vs. Public Sector Unions
Discussion:
Fox News, AmSpecBlog, JSOnline, National Review, Power Line, NewsBusters.org and Da Techguy's Blog
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
Matthew Cooper / The Atlantic Online:
Wisconsin: A Critical Fight for the Labor Movement
Wisconsin: A Critical Fight for the Labor Movement
Discussion:
Indecision Forever and Wonkette
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 Plum Line, Althouse, PostPartisan, Cubachi, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Boehner, Crooks and Liars and Mother Jones
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 laborunionreport's Diary
Michael D. Shear / The Caucus:
Politics of Wisconsin Labor Fight Spread to Washington
Politics of Wisconsin Labor Fight Spread to Washington
Discussion:
The Politico, host.madison.com, USA Today and Towleroad News #gay
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, theblogprof, Big Government, Classical Values, The Jawa Report, Scared Monkeys, Confederate Yankee, Fire Andrea Mitchell!, Wonkette, Wake up America, The Sundries Shack, Hot Air, Marathon Pundit, WTMJ, Grim's Hall, Riehl World View, All American Blogger, Doug Ross, WISN Milwaukee's Channel 12, Pirate's Cove, Pajamas Media, Sister Toldjah, No More Mister Nice Blog, ABCNEWS, WKOW 27, iOwnTheWorld.com, GayPatriot, Althouse, JSOnline and The Daily Caller
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:
Hotline On Call and Swing State Project
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Ballot Box:
Sen. Bingaman to retire — Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) will retire from the Senate, a Democratic source with knowledge of Bingaman's plans confirmed Friday. — Bingaman is the fourth senator to caucus with the Democrats to announce his retirement this election cycle.
Discussion:
CNN, The Politico and The Note
Alexander Mooney / CNN:
Bingaman to retire — By: CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser
BBC:
Bahrain troops ‘fire on crowds’ — Bahraini security forces have opened fire on anti-government protesters, witnesses and opposition activists say. — The protesters were fired on after they had streamed into the centre of the capital Manama from the funerals of protesters killed in a security crackdown earlier this week.
Discussion:
Pajamas Media, Outside the Beltway and AOL News
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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 …
Discussion:
The Daily Dish, Ben Smith's Blog, Aljazeera, Guardian, The Daily Beast, Indecision Forever and AOL News, more at Mediagazer »
the CNN Wires / CNN:
New bloodshed in Bahrain — Are you there? Send your pictures, video via iReport.
New bloodshed in Bahrain — Are you there? Send your pictures, video via iReport.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Guardian, New York Times and AOL News
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
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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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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, The Politico, Washington Post and Mother Jones
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, The Hill, ThinkProgress, Mediaite and Tennessee Guerilla Women
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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
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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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:
Washington Monthly, FrumForum and New York Magazine
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, Left Coast Rebel, Patterico's Pontifications and protein wisdom
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:
Don Surber
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, The Daily Dish, Right Turn, Balloon Juice and JustOneMinute
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.
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
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:
The Huffington Post and DownWithTyranny!
Alex Alvarez / Mediaite:
David Paterson: If Eliot Spitzer Doesn't Work Out 'I'm Always There To Take His Place" — Former New York governor David Paterson called in to Don Imus' show, broadcast on Fox Business Network, and discussed new governor Andrew Cuomo's success as well as his own relationship with Eliot Spitzer …
Discussion:
Capital Tonight
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
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:
The Hill, Hot Air, Nice Deb and Don Surber