Top Items:
Tucker Reals / CBS News:
Obama: GOP tried to “sneak” agenda into budget — In what he thought was a private chat with campaign donors Thursday evening, President Obama offered the most revealing behind-the-scenes account to date of his budget negotiations with GOP leaders last week.
Discussion:
The Hill, New York Times, Hot Air, Washington Post, The Moderate Voice, Pajamas Media, The Caucus, The New Republic, The Gateway Pundit, Ben Smith's Blog, The Raw Story, TPMDC, Weasel Zippers, Washington Wire, The Lonely Conservative, JammieWearingFool, Political Punch, Taegan Goddard's …, Moe Lane, FrumForum, The Impolitic and Associated Press
RELATED:
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
White House to Gang of Six: Wrap up work on deficit-reduction plan — Senate Democrats and the White House are pressuring Republican members of the Gang of Six to reach an agreement on a deficit-reduction package so it can be used as a credible alternative to the budget unveiled last week …
Discussion:
Associated Press, Right Wing News, FrumForum, New York Times and Fox Nation
David Brooks / New York Times:
Ultimate Spoiler Alert — President Obama and Paul Ryan are two of the smartest, most admirable and most genial men in Washington. It is sad, although not strange, that in today's Washington they have never had a serious private conversation. The president has never invited Ryan over even for lunch.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The New Republic, Washington Post, National Review, Balloon Juice and Shakesville
RELATED:
Myglesias / Yglesias:
The David Brooks Lunch Date Plan For Solving America's Hard-Fought Fiscal Policy Dilemmas — If you asked me why the country can't come together over a long-term fiscal fix, I would say it has to do with the fact that Paul Ryan is an Ayn Rand devotée who wants to minimize taxes …
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
Who's Serious Now? — Paul Ryan, the chairman of the House Budget Committee, sounds upset. And you can see why: President Obama, to the great relief of progressives, has called his bluff. — Last week, Mr. Ryan unveiled his budget proposal, and the initial reaction of much of the punditocracy …
Discussion:
NewsBusters.org, Prairie Weather and Daily Kos
RELATED:
Steven L. Taylor / Outside the Beltway:
The Ryan Plan's Political Problem
The Ryan Plan's Political Problem
Discussion:
The Mahablog, Connecting.the.Dots and Balloon Juice
Roger Ebert / Chicago Sun Times:
Atlas Shrugged — I feel like my arm is all warmed up and I don't have a game to pitch. I was primed to review “Atlas Shrugged.” I figured it might provide a parable of Ayn Rand's philosophy that I could discuss. For me, that philosophy reduces itself to: “I'm on board; pull up the lifeline.”
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Weigel, Outside the Beltway, Hit & Run and Shakesville
RELATED:
The Daily Caller:
Jon Huntsman's love letters — Jon Huntsman, President Obama's outgoing ambassador to China, is considering running against his boss in 2012 as a Republican. — But two handwritten letters from Huntsman obtained by The Daily Caller raise the question of why he's not campaigning for Obama instead.
Discussion:
GOP 12, Ben Smith's Blog, Taegan Goddard's … and msnbc.com
Alia Beard Rau / Arizona Republic:
Arizona lawmakers OK requiring proof of citizenship to run for president — The Arizona Legislature has become the first in the nation to pass a measure requiring presidential candidates to provide proof of citizenship in order to get on the state's ballot. — House Bill 2177 got final approval Thursday night from the House.
Discussion:
UrbanGrounds and Gawker
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Andy Barr / The Politico:
Arizona birther bill in Gov. Jan Brewer's hands
Arizona birther bill in Gov. Jan Brewer's hands
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, No More Mister Nice Blog, Towleroad News #gay and FrumForum
George Stephanopoulos / George's Bottom Line:
Obama Exclusive: I Was Born in Hawaii and I Don't ‘Have Horns’ — I thought the president would take a pass when I asked him about Donald Trump's rise to the top of the Republican field in my exclusive interview today. — Far from it. — He grabbed at the chance with a big smile …
Discussion:
Don Surber, ThinkProgress, The Raw Story, Mediaite, Wonkette, Weasel Zippers, Hot Air, FrumForum, JustOneMinute and MyDD
RELATED:
George Stephanopoulos / George's Bottom Line:
Exclusive Interview with Obama: Video and Part One of the Transcript
Exclusive Interview with Obama: Video and Part One of the Transcript
Discussion:
protein wisdom and Washington Wire
Jonathan Schwarz / A Tiny Revolution:
Then They Came for Dana Milbank — For the past 20 years, as the U.S. middle class has quietly collapsed, Dana Milbank has made a great living as a media liberal who constantly ridicules liberals. But recently it seemed as though he'd suddenly noticed something was going on. Why?
Christian Heinze / GOP 12:
Trump defends Democratic donations — On Fox last night, Donald Trump defended his history of substantial donations to prominent Democrats. … Open Secrets notes that Trump has given more to Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) since the 1990 election cycle than he has any other politician.
Discussion:
FrumForum
RELATED:
Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:
Trump takes the lead — Only 38% of Republican primary voters say they're willing to support a candidate for President next year who firmly rejects the birther theory and those folks want Mitt Romney to be their nominee for President next year. With the other 62% of Republicans- 23% of whom …
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog, Taegan Goddard's … and Weigel
New York Times:
Libya's Pathway to Peace — Together with our NATO allies and coalition partners, the United States, France and Britain have been united from the start in responding to the crisis in Libya, and we are united on what needs to happen in order to end it. — Even as we continue …
Discussion:
CNN, Danger Room, Eunomia, Aljazeera, Reuters, JONATHAN TURLEY, Questions and Observations, Wonkette, Hot Air, normblog and AmSpecBlog
RELATED:
Landon Thomas Jr / New York Times:
Pain of British Fiscal Cuts Could Inform U.S. Debate
Pain of British Fiscal Cuts Could Inform U.S. Debate
Discussion:
Yglesias and New Deal 2.0
New York Times:
This Lady Liberty Is a Las Vegas Teenager — As if further proof were needed that New York is not the center of the universe. — The United States Postal Service has issued a new stamp featuring the Statue of Liberty. Only the statue it features is not the one in the harbor …
Discussion:
Gothamist, AOL News, Reuters and nancynall.com
Economist:
The rise and rise of the princelings, the country's revolutionary aristocracy — “THERE are some sour and smelly literati these days who are utterly abominable,” a retired military officer reportedly told a recent gathering in Beijing. “They attack Chairman Mao and practise de-Maoification.
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, Daniel W. Drezner and China Digital Times
Jeffrey Kluger / Ecocentric:
How the Ice in Your Drink is Imperiling the Planet — Want to save the Earth? Easy, just buy a couple of ice trays. To the long list of human inventions that are wrecking global climate—the internal combustion engine, the industrial era factory—add the automatic ice maker.
Discussion:
Right Wing News
Anna M. Tinsley / Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
Another one of Ron Paul's children may run for Congress — First it was just Ron Paul. — An obstetrician-gynecologist and libertarian-leaning Republican from Lake Jackson, Paul was elected to the U.S. House more than 20 years ago and maintains a devout following of those who share his anti-war, anti-tax, limited-government beliefs.
Discussion:
Ballot Box, The Politico, Ron Paul 2012 and Taegan Goddard's …
Associated Press:
Obama Disappointed With Lack of ‘Cool’ Phone in Oval Office — WASHINGTON — Turns out President Obama would like a phone upgrade. — The president, in an unscripted moment with donors in Chicago, was talking about the need to innovate in technology. — “The Oval Office …
Discussion:
Scared Monkeys, The Powers That Be, Weasel Zippers and Pajamas Media
quarrygirl.com:
RANT: VegNews is putting the MEAT into vegan issues — Do you like looking at pictures of meat? How about a juicy beef burger, covered in egg mayonnaise with cow fat dripping off? Perhaps some soft, meaty chunks of chicken breast in chicken stock and cream?
Discussion:
Gothamist, Diner's Journal, The Awl and Slashfood
Hoekstra Global Strategies:
2012 U.S. Senate Announcement — After serious consideration and many discussions with friends and supporters, Diane and I have made the decision that I will not be a candidate for the United States Senate in 2012. This was an extremely difficult decision for us to make as we saw strong points both for and against running.
Discussion:
Ballot Box, Detroit News and Hotline On Call
Wall Street Journal:
Obama Is Likely to Lose — But Republican unseriousness may be his trump card. — Suppose everything we think we know about the president's political position is wrong? That's what I think became clear this week. — You know the conventional wisdom.
Discussion:
Power Line and The Daily Caller
Jonathon M. Seidl / The Blaze:
OLBERMANN: S.E. CUPP SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN BORN, PROVES ‘NECESSITY’ OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD — Keith Olbermann is not known for his candor. In a sense, it's what's made him a popular figure on the left. And sure, he makes off-the-wall comments sometimes in order to evoke a response.