Top Items:
Murphy / The Beast:
Koch Whore — Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker answers his master's call — “David Koch”: We'll back you any way we can. What we were thinking about the crowd was, uh, was planting some troublemakers. — Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker: You know, well, the only problem with that—because we thought about that...
Discussion:
JSOnline, Ballot Box, TPMMuckraker, host.madison.com, The Huffington Post, The Moderate Voice, The Atlantic Online, The Caucus, Wonkette, Little Green Footballs, The New Republic, No More Mister Nice Blog, AOL News, Salon, The Raw Story, Sky Dancing, CANNONFIRE, blue cheddar, One Wisconsin Now, AMERICAblog News, The Right Sphere, Ben Smith's Blog, WisPolitics Budget Blog, Daily Kos, driftglass, Muckety, Confederate Yankee and Gawker
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Adam Weinstein / Mother Jones:
Did Scott Walker Get Crank-Call Pwned? (AUDIO) — Is that really Scott Walker? A New York-based alt-news editor says he got through to the embattled Wisconsin governor on the phone Tuesday by posing as right-wing financier David Koch...then had a far-ranging 20-minute conversation about the collective bargaining protests.
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Governor Walker's office confirms prank Koch call — The Internet is burning up with the news that Governor Scott Walker may have been pranked by a caller claiming to be David Koch, and a spokesman for the Governor, Cullen Werwie, emails a statement confirming the call is legit:
Discussion:
The Nation, Mediaite, Daily Kos, Crooks and Liars, Hullabaloo, Althouse and New York Magazine
Ezra Klein:
What a prank call proves about Wisconsin — Gonzo journalist Ian Murphy noticed one of Wisconsin's Senate Democrats complaining that Gov. Scott Walker was impossible to reach on the phone. So Murphy came up with a prank call: He posed as right-wing financier David Koch and called Walker's receptionist.
Discussion:
Yglesias and Alan Colmes' Liberaland
The Huffington Post:
Top Six Revelations in the Call Between Fake David Koch and Governor Scott Walker … The call made by a Buffalo blogger pretending to be billionaire right-wing activist David Koch to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is quickly making an impact on the news cycle. (You can listen to the call on YouTube: Part 1 |
Discussion:
campaignmoney.org, JSOnline, The Blaze, Verum Serum, Booman Tribune and msnbc.com
David Weigel / Slate:
Did Scott Walker Reveal His Crisis-Ending Ruse to a Prank Caller? — MADISON, Wisc. — The governor's main line is busy, so I'll have to grab an in-person spokesman confirmation or denial in a bit. * Until then: Ian Murphy of the Buffalo Beast claims to have posed as “David Koch” …
Discussion:
CNN, Associated Press, The Hill, AmSpecBlog and Wonkette
Michelle Malkin:
The Howard Stern-ing of the Wisconsin showdown
The Howard Stern-ing of the Wisconsin showdown
Discussion:
Salon, AOL News, WFRV-TV, Ben Smith's Blog and Whiskey Fire
ABCNEWS:
Wis. Gov. Duped by Impostor Reporter
Wis. Gov. Duped by Impostor Reporter
Discussion:
The Note, No More Mister Nice Blog, Prairie Weather and American Power
David Dayen / Firedoglake:
Wisconsin Governor Walker Punked by Fake Koch Call
Jason Linkins / The Huffington Post:
Scott Walker Gets Punked By Journalist Pretending To Be David Koch
Scott Walker Gets Punked By Journalist Pretending To Be David Koch
Discussion:
Mediaite, Washington Monthly and Balloon Juice
The United States Department of Justice:
Statement of the Attorney General on Litigation Involving the Defense of Marriage Act — WASHINGTON - The Attorney General made the following statement today about the Department's course of action in two lawsuits, Pedersen v. OPM and Windsor v. United States, challenging Section 3 of the Defense …
Discussion:
The Plum Line, TPMDC, Salon, PostPartisan, ThinkProgress, The Huffington Post, msnbc.com, The Volokh Conspiracy, Crooks and Liars, Washington Monthly, The Atlantic Online, The Daily Caller, The Bilerico Project, Ben Smith's Blog, Jay Bookman, AMERICAblog Gay, PointOfLaw Forum, ACS Blog, Pam's House Blend, Wonk Room, New York Magazine, Daily Kos, Sky Dancing, The Right Sphere, Mother Jones, Hit & Run, Wonkette, Booman Tribune, Blog of Rights, AOL News, Christianity Today and The American Independent
RELATED:
Marc Ambinder / NationalJournal.com:
Obama Won't Go to Court Over Defense of Marriage Act — An opponent of California's Prop 8 holds an American flag and gay pride flag during a demonstration outside of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Dec. 6, 2010 in San Francisco. — President Obama believes that the Defense …
Discussion:
Box Turtle Bulletin, JOSHUAPUNDIT, Emptywheel, National Review, The Daily Dish and Indecision Forever
New York Times:
U.S, in Shift, Sees Marriage Act as Violation of Gay Rights — WASHINGTON — President Obama, in a major legal policy shift, has directed the Justice Department to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act — the 1996 law that bars federal recognition of same-sex marriages — against lawsuits challenging it as unconstitutional.
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Breaking: Obama to abandon DOMA defense — Hey, why not? With the nation focusing on union influence in the public sector and a debate on public spending, what better time to reverse course on gay marriage? Marc Ambinder reported it for National Journal:
Discussion:
Breitbart.tv, National Review, Fire Andrea Mitchell! and theblogprof
Associated Press:
Gov't drops defense of anti-gay marriage law
Gov't drops defense of anti-gay marriage law
Discussion:
Box Turtle Bulletin and Little Green Footballs
Adam Weinstein / Mother Jones:
Indiana Official: “Use Live Ammunition” Against Wisconsin Protesters — A conservative deputy AG let his emotions get out of hand. It wasn't the first time. — Post Comment — On Saturday night, when Mother Jones staffers tweeted a report that riot police might soon sweep demonstrators …
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WLFI-TV:
Deputy AG loses job after tweet drama — INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - The Indiana Attorney General's office announced Wednesday afternoon its deputy attorney general is no longer employed by the agency, after reviewing political website Mother Jones' published allegations that he advocated the use of force against protesters in Wisconsin.
Discussion:
TPMDC
George Zornick / ThinkProgress:
Indiana Official On Wisconsin Protestors: ‘Use Live Ammunition’
Indiana Official On Wisconsin Protestors: ‘Use Live Ammunition’
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland
Zaid Jilani / ThinkProgress:
Fox Reverses Results Of Gallup Poll To Claim Americans Oppose Union Collective Bargaining Rights — Yesterday, USA Today and Gallup released a new poll that found that a whopping 61 percent of Americans oppose efforts like those of Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) to strip public sector unions of collective bargaining rights.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Balloon Juice and AFL-CIO NOW BLOG
RELATED:
Sam Stein / Reuters:
Gov. Walker Informed That Bill Targeting Unions May Cost State $46 Million In Federal Funds
Gov. Walker Informed That Bill Targeting Unions May Cost State $46 Million In Federal Funds
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Outside the Beltway, AFL-CIO NOW BLOG and Daily Kos
Mary Beth Schneider / Indianapolis Star:
Indiana Senate leader says right-to-work bill is dead — Daniels clarifies statements on pending legislation — Gov. Mitch Daniels this morning toughened his words about House Democrats who have fled the state is protest of Republican legislative proposals.
RELATED:
Jennifer Epstein / The Politico:
Indiana kills ‘right-to-work’ bill
Indiana kills ‘right-to-work’ bill
Discussion:
The American Independent and Politics
Lesley Stedman Weidenbener / Courier-Journal:
Indiana Senate won't resurrect right-to-work bill
Indiana Senate won't resurrect right-to-work bill
Discussion:
GOP 12, National Review, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Taegan Goddard's …
Jonathan Allen / The Politico:
Republicans float $2 billion a week in cuts — House Republicans plan to pass a two-week stopgap spending bill next week that would keep the government running past March 4 at reduced levels, GOP aides told POLITICO Wednesday. — The measure comes on the heels of last week's seven-month appropriation bill …
Discussion:
FrumForum
RELATED:
Sarah Babbage / American Prospect:
Government Shutdown? Don't Count on It
Government Shutdown? Don't Count on It
Discussion:
Swampland and Taegan Goddard's …
Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Tea Party senator: House GOP funding bill ‘not even close’ on cuts
Tea Party senator: House GOP funding bill ‘not even close’ on cuts
Discussion:
Cubachi and Liberty Pundits Blog
Fred Barnes / Wall Street Journal:
How the GOP Can Win the Budget Battle
How the GOP Can Win the Budget Battle
Discussion:
The New Republic, Liberty Pundits Blog, National Review and Washington Post
Emily Schultheis / The Politico:
Newt Gingrich confronted over affair — PHILADELPHIA — Newt Gingrich's speech at the University of Pennsylvania Tuesday night quickly took a turn for the dramatic when the first student to question him brought up his admitted extra-marital affair and accused him of being “hypocritical” for espousing moral values.
John McCormack / Weekly Standard:
Video: The Daily Show Tortures a Camel in Madison — Madison, Wisc. — No joke: The Daily Show brought a camel to the protests in Madison the other day, presumably to help make fun of the Cairo/Madison comparisons. As this video shows, the gag didn't turn out so well:
Discussion:
JSOnline, iOwnTheWorld.com, The Jawa Report and Breitbart.tv
Linda Borg / Providence Journal:
Providence plans to pink slip all teachers — PROVIDENCE — The school district plans to send out dismissal notices to every one of its 1,926 teachers, an unprecedented move that has union leaders up in arms. — In a letter sent to all teachers Tuesday, Supt.
Discussion:
AOL News, HazZzMat, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Greenroom, JONATHAN TURLEY, msnbc.com and Sweetness & Light
Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:
Huckabee, Palin, Romney Tie for Lead in GOP '12 Preferences — Huckabee's support up six points since September — PRINCETON, NJ — Republicans and Republican-leaning independents have no clear favorite for the party's 2012 presidential nominee at this point, with Mike Huckabee (18%) …
Discussion:
GOP 12, Politics Daily and The Hill
William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:
All Your Thoughts Are Belong To U.S. — That seems to be the import of the ruling by federal Judge Gladys Kessler in upholding the Obamacare mandate in a suit brought by a group of private plaintiffs in Mead v. Holder (pg. 45, emphasis mine): … Our thoughts are now actions.
Andy Barr / The Politico:
Santorum hits left on Crusades — Rick Santorum launched into a scathing attack on the left, charging during an appearance in South Carolina that the history of the Crusades has been corrupted by “the American left who hates Christendom.” — “The idea that the Crusades and the fight …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and FrumForum