Top Items:
Wall Street Journal:
Democrats to End Union Standoff — Playing a game of political chicken, Democratic senators who fled Wisconsin to stymie restrictions on public-employee unions said Sunday they planned to come back from exile soon, betting that even though their return will allow the bill to pass …
Discussion:
The Politico, The Hill, Firedoglake, WisPolitics Budget Blog, The Wisconsin Policy …, WLS-TV, ThinkProgress, Daily Kos, The Lonely Conservative, RedState, Examiner, Sky Dancing, AlterNet, Wonkette, Outside the Beltway, 620WTMJ, Betsy's Page, The Mahablog, “Badger 14”, Power Line, Balloon Juice, Freedom's Lighthouse, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Maggie's Notebook, TPMDC, Another Black Conservative, National Review, iOwnTheWorld.com and Gawker
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Domenico Montanaro / msnbc.com:
Reversal of fortune in Wisconsin — Domenico Montanaro writes:Over the weekend, liberal filmmaker Michael Moore said the fight in Wisconsin has “aroused a sleeping giant” for union rights across the country. — But the fight may have aroused a different “sleeping giant” …
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, The Daily Dish, Ben Smith's Blog and Taegan Goddard's …
JSOnline:
Top Senate Democrat wants meeting with Walker — By Jason Stein of the Journal Sentinel — Madison — The leader of Senate Democrats hiding out in Illinois is seeking a face-to-face meeting with Gov. Scott Walker and the Senate GOP leader. — Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller (D-Monona) …
Discussion:
Reuters, Althouse, Daily Kos, The Gateway Pundit and Wake up America
Ezra Klein:
Wonkbook: Are we nearing the endgame in Wisconsin? — The Wall Street Journal has a report that quotes extensively from the state's Senate Democrats and suggests they're feeling the pressure to come home. “I think we have to realize that there's only so much we can do as a group to make a stand,” said Sen. Bob Jauch.
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, Green and New York Times
Eric Kleefeld / TPMDC:
Wisconsin Dems Deny WSJ Report Of Imminent Return — Wisconsin state Senate Democrats, who have fled the state in order to block budget quorum on Gov. Scott Walker's anti-public employee union proposals, are walking back reports in the Wall Street Journal that they plan to return to the state.
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Wisconsin Dems demand probe of Walker's conduct on fake Koch call
Wisconsin Dems demand probe of Walker's conduct on fake Koch call
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, Washington Post, TPMDC, Big Government and Daily Kos
Monica Davey / New York Times:
Wisconsin Democrats Urge New Talks on Labor Bill
Wisconsin Democrats Urge New Talks on Labor Bill
Discussion:
The Maddow Blog, Wonk Room, JSOnline, New York Magazine, Wake up America and PolitiCal
Jackie Long / BBC:
Will Sarah Palin run for president and can she win? — Ms Palin outlines factors that will influence whether she enters the running — Sarah Palin, one of the best known and most controversial figures in American politics, told BBC Newsnight she was weighing up whether the US was ready for an …
Discussion:
The Daily Dish, Politics Daily, CNN, The Note, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Harry's Place, Mediaite, The Politico and Swampland
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Josh Gerstein / The Politico:
Obama's hard line on leaks — The Obama administration, which famously pledged to be the most transparent in American history, is pursuing an unexpectedly aggressive legal offensive against federal workers who leak secret information to expose wrongdoing, highlight national security threats or pursue a personal agenda.
Discussion:
Sister Toldjah, Weasel Zippers and Right Wing News
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Kevinliptak / CNN:
High court turns aside another lawsuit questioning Obama citizenship — WASHINGTON (CNN) - The Supreme Court has again rejected an appeal from a “birther” proponent questioning the citizenship of President Barack Obama. — The justices Monday turned aside without comment a request …
Discussion:
Indecision Forever
David Carr / New York Times:
The Fading Power of Beck's Alarms — Almost every time I flipped on television last week, there was a deeply angry guy on a running tirade about the conspiracies afoot, the enemies around all corners, and how he alone seemed to understand what was under way.
Discussion:
The Politico, The Hill, ThinkProgress, Wonkette, Examiner, nancynall.com, All American Blogger, New York Magazine, The Wire, Don Surber, No More Mister Nice Blog, Taylor Marsh, Liberty Pundits Blog, Washington Monthly, Prairie Weather, AlterNet, Talking Points Memo, Salon, Mediaite, Yglesias, NewsBusters.org, The Right Scoop, Daily Kos, AMERICAblog News, Philly.com, News Hounds and Oliver Willis, more at Mediagazer »
New York Times:
Holding Firm on the Budget — After letting a highly destructive budget fight fester far too long, the White House finally stepped in late last week to negotiate with the House, which wants to eviscerate nondefense spending. Senate leaders still seem shell-shocked by that breathtaking ruthlessness …
Discussion:
Hot Air, The Lonely Conservative and National Review
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E.J. Dionne Jr / Washington Post:
How Boehner is playing the Democrats
How Boehner is playing the Democrats
Discussion:
The Fix, TalkLeft, No More Mister Nice Blog, Connecting.the.Dots, Prairie Weather, Left Coast Rebel and Balloon Juice
Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Howard Dean: Boehner is a ‘good Speaker’
Kevinliptak / CNN:
Christie receives ‘hottest’ title — Washington (CNN) - Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie nabbed the “hottest politician” title among those in elected office, according to a new national survey. — First lady Michelle Obama received 60 degrees on the “feeling thermometer,” …
Discussion:
Washington Wire, Swampland, TPMDC and JammieWearingFool
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Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
In ‘thermometer poll,’ voters rank Sarah Palin at bottom with Pelosi, Reid
In ‘thermometer poll,’ voters rank Sarah Palin at bottom with Pelosi, Reid
Discussion:
The Politico and GOP 12
Tommy Christopher / Mediaite:
Sarah Palin Says The Wisconsin 14 Should Be Fired: 'They've Retreated, Not Reloaded'
Sarah Palin Says The Wisconsin 14 Should Be Fired: 'They've Retreated, Not Reloaded'
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Daily Caller and Hot Air
Colin Firth / CBS News:
Homeless children: the hard times generation — Scott Pelley reports on the growing number of children who are falling victim to the financial crisis — Unemployment improved a bit last month but it is still nearly nine percent and the trouble is job creation is so slow …
Discussion:
The Impolitic
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Paul Krugman / New York Times:
Degrees and Dollars — It is a truth universally acknowledged that education is the key to economic success. Everyone knows that the jobs of the future will require ever higher levels of skill. That's why, in an appearance Friday with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, President Obama declared that …
Discussion:
Yglesias, The Atlantic Online, econfuture, Ezra Klein, Mother Jones, Marginal Revolution, Economix, Vox Popoli, Odd Man Out, Daily Kos, Shakesville, European Tribune and Paul Krugman
Art Robinson / WorldNetDaily:
Democrats attack Republican candidate's children — In an effort to do my part in rescuing our country from the out-of-control Obama administration, last year I ran for Congress in Oregon's 4th District against 12-term incumbent, far-left Democrat Peter DeFazio, co-founder of the House Progressive Caucus.
Discussion:
protein wisdom, Watts Up With That? and The Gateway Pundit
myfoxdc WTTG FOX 5:
Brawl Mars DMV Music Awards Outside Washington — ARLINGTON, Va. - Arlington police say a brawl broke out during the DMV music awards ceremony, sending one person to a local hospital. — Police say five people were treated Saturday night at the scene of the awards ceremony, which honors local rap, hip-hop and R&B performers.
Discussion:
Fox Nation
Erik Wasson / The Hill:
Liberal group pushes for $382 billion stimulus — Liberals have come up with a counterpoint to House Republicans' “cut and grow” austerity plan: have the government spend billions to hire millions of the unemployed. — With conservatives clamoring to cut federal spending and public sector jobs …
StrategyPage:
Egypt Quietly Invades Libya — The rebellion against the Kadaffi dictatorship in Libya has not produced any official outside help, but Egypt has apparently sent some of its commandos in to help out the largely amateur rebel force. Wearing civilian clothes, the hundred or so Egyptian commandos …
JSOnline:
Recall drives could make history — Rarely have multiple lawmakers faced such action — By Craig Gilbert of the Journal Sentinel — As improbable as the last three weeks have been in state politics, Wisconsin is about to embark on another wild ride into the political unknown …
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online
Lydia Saad / Gallup:
Lack of GOP Front-Runner for 2012 Is Atypical — John McCain and Barry Goldwater the only GOP presidential nominees to emerge late — PRINCETON, NJ — The wide-open battle for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination — with nearly a three-way tie among Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin …
Discussion:
The Daily Dish, Politics Daily, TPMDC, Hot Air, Ballot Box and National Review
Stephen Dinan / Washington Times:
Government posts biggest monthly deficit ever — Glen Perkins delivers copies of the Fiscal Year 2012 Budget to the Senate Budget Committee hearing room in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Monday, Feb. 14, 2011. President Barack Obama will send Congress a $3.7 trillion budget that would reduce deficits …
Discussion:
UNCOVERAGE.net, The Gateway Pundit and Weasel Zippers
Rachel Rose Hartman / Yahoo! News:
John McCain claims iPad, iPhone made in U.S.A. — During a discussion of free trade Sunday on ABC's “This Week” Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) touted Apple iPads and iPhones as products made in America. There's just one problem, though: Both products are made in China.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Emptywheel, CNN, New York Magazine and TPMDC
Ross Douthat / New York Times:
Why Monogamy Matters — Social conservatives can seem like the perennial pessimists of American politics — more comfortable with resignation than with hope, perpetually touting evidence of family breakdown, social disintegration and civilizational decline. — But even doomsayers get the occasional dose of good news.
Discussion:
The Awl, Dana Goldstein, TBogg and Sadly, No!
Ezra Klein:
The conservatives' case for campaign finance reform — I've been listening to the conservative arguments against public-employee unions for the last few weeks, and it's left me with one big question: Why aren't more conservatives ferocious supporters of serious campaign-finance reform?
Discussion:
Yglesias
First Read / msnbc.com:
First Thoughts: Romney 3.0 — In New Hampshire on Saturday, Romney unveiled Romney 3. (a presidential candidate who focuses more on the economy than on social issues)... How that compares with Romney 1. (the socially moderate Massachusetts governor) and Romney 2. (the 2008 presidential candidate …
Discussion:
Taylor Marsh, Indecision Forever, Oliver Willis and Mother Jones