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:
Little Green Footballs, TalkLeft, The Atlantic Online, The Caucus, Crooks and Liars, National Review, Left Coast Rebel, Hit & Run, Wall Street Journal, TPMDC, Outside the Beltway, SEIU, The Politico, Michelle Malkin, Politics, POWIP, The Foundry, New York Magazine, The Daily Caller, Cato @ Liberty, The Note, Boehner, New York Times, Althouse, The Hill, Right Turn, Firedoglake, Prairie Weather, Taylor Marsh, CNN, USA Today, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, The Huffington Post, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, AmSpecBlog, Pajamas Media, The Enterprise Blog, Pundit & Pundette, Fox Nation, JSOnline, WTMJ, FrumForum, Shakesville, 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.
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 …
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 …
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:
Left Coast Rebel, JSOnline, Moonbattery, Da Techguy's Blog and Right Wing News
New York Times:
Gov. Walker's Pretext — In a year when governors across …
Gov. Walker's Pretext — In a year when governors across …
Discussion:
Mother Jones, PostPartisan, Althouse, Cubachi, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Boehner, Crooks and Liars, The Plum Line and Daily Kos
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
Stephen F. Hayes / Weekly Standard:
Scott Walker vs. Public Sector Unions
Scott Walker vs. Public Sector Unions
Discussion:
Fox News, The Other McCain, National Review, AmSpecBlog, JSOnline, UrbanGrounds, Right Wing News, Althouse, Power Line, Da Techguy's Blog and NewsBusters.org
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
msnbc.com:
Vote on Wis. union bill faces more delays
Vote on Wis. union bill faces more delays
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog, JSOnline, The Page, Questions and Observations, Associated Press and Truthdig
Monica Davey / New York Times:
Wisconsin Bill in Limbo as G.O.P. Seeks Quorum
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, Hotline On Call, The Raw Story, Moe Lane, Swampland, Daily Kos 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.
Kevinliptak / CNN:
Obama to Florida for Nelson fundraiser
Alexander Mooney / CNN:
Bingaman to retire — By: CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser
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:
GayPatriot, FrumForum and New York Magazine
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Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
THEY MAY ACTUALLY BE ‘A BUNCH OF YAHOOS’.... A month before the midterm elections, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said, “I don't think the country needs or wants a shutdown.” He added that when it comes to pursuing their agenda, Republicans “have to be careful” or they'll be “seen as a bunch of yahoos.”
Discussion:
Booman Tribune, ThinkProgress, Daily Kos and The Politico
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:
msnbc.com, Salon, Chicago Boyz and AMERICAblog 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 …
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Ned Parker / Los Angeles Times:
Bahrain troops open fire on demonstrators
Bahrain troops open fire on demonstrators
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and AOL News
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, Washington Post, Mother Jones and Alas, a Blog
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Paul Krugman / New York Times:
Willie Sutton Wept
Willie Sutton Wept
Discussion:
The Future of Capitalism, Paul Krugman, The Confluence, Sky Dancing, Balloon Juice and Washington Post
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:
The Hill, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, 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
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 Note, iOwnTheWorld.com and Don Surber
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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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.
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, PoliPundit.com and Scared Monkeys
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, JustOneMinute and Balloon Juice
Mitt Romney / National Review:
Obama Turns His Back on Israel — The Obama administration has been seeking a way to avoid vetoing a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israel. It has floated the idea of meeting Israel's critics halfway with a U.N. “presidential statement” calling Israeli settlements “illegitimate.”
Discussion:
GOP 12
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