Top Items:
Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
The Grand Strategy Behind Obama's Recess Appointment — Large American flags for all, Daily Show correspondent soundalikes for others! — President Obama's decision to use a recess appointment to seat Richard Cordray as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was a no-brainer …
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Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
A telling sign: Scott Brown comes out in support of Cordray recess appointment — Here's a pretty clear sign of which way the politics are moving in the fight over Obama's decision to employ a recess appointment to install Richard Cordray as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Investor's Business Daily:
Acting Like A King Isn't Among The President's Duties — Leadership: A spokesman says the president “can't wait for Congress to act” and promised that he's “going to take action.” This is the president who was “ready to rule” in 2008. Is he an elected chief executive or an emperor?
Discussion:
Sense of Events and The Hinterland Gazette
Edward Wyatt / New York Times:
New Chief at Consumer Bureau Promises Vigorous Agenda — WASHINGTON — The new director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Thursday outlined a vigorous oversight and enforcement agenda, saying that companies that take unfair advantage of consumers of financial products will face “real consequences.”
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Firedoglake, The Huffington Post and Daily Kos
John Yoo / National Review:
Richard Cordray & the Use and Abuse of Executive Power — Some think me a zealous advocate of executive power, and often I am when it comes to national security issues. But I think President Obama has exceeded his powers by making a recess appointment for Richard Cordray …
Discussion:
A plain blog about politics, Ricochet Conversations Feed, emptywheel, The Mahablog, Bloomberg, Wonkette, Campaign 2012 and Truthdig
Ezra Klein / Washington Post:
Wonkbook: The radical Republican tactic behind Obama's controversial nominations — The straightforward interpretation of Wednesday's controversial recess appointments is that they were just another salvo in the ongoing war being waged by the Obama administration and congressional Republicans over nominations.
Roger Pilon / Cato @ Liberty:
Playing Politics with the Constitution and the Law
Playing Politics with the Constitution and the Law
Discussion:
sunshinestatesarah's Diary, Ricochet Conversations Feed, Rortybomb, Big Journalism, Fausta's Blog and Instapundit
Justin Sink / The Hill:
Santorum says Senate should sue over Obama appointments
Santorum says Senate should sue over Obama appointments
Discussion:
Pat Dollard, The Hinterland Gazette and Weasel Zippers
Jacob Weisberg / Slate:
Face It: Romney's the Nominee — The media will desperately try to persuade you there is still a Republican race. Do not pay attention. — Is there anyone not annoyed by Mitt Romney's narrow win in the Iowa caucus? Conservatives are disappointed because they recognize …
Discussion:
neo-neocon, The Week, Ross Douthat, Washington Post, The Huffington Post, Rush Limbaugh, Hot Air, Washington Monthly and The Daily Beast
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The Politico:
Newt Gingrich suffers from super PAC buyer's remorse — Not long ago Newt Gingrich seemed to be a big fan of super PACs. — The former House Speaker two years ago called the new legal framework that gave rise to unlimited fundraising by outside groups a “great victory for free speech” …
Discussion:
CNN, Hot Air, Daily Kos and American Power
Katharine Q. Seelye / The Caucus:
New Hampshire Polls Show Small Movement
New Hampshire Polls Show Small Movement
Discussion:
msnbc.com and Indecision Forever
msnbc.com:
First Thoughts: Here come the attacks on Romney
First Thoughts: Here come the attacks on Romney
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, The Caucus, ABCNEWS, Online NewsHour and Washington Post
Karl Rove / Wall Street Journal:
A Big Win for Romney in Iowa
A Big Win for Romney in Iowa
Discussion:
GOP 12, NationalJournal.com, Dean's World, National Review, The Politico, Washington Post and Austin American-Statesman
Justin Sink / Ballot Box:
Gingrich directly attacks Romney in latest commercial
Gingrich directly attacks Romney in latest commercial
Discussion:
CNN, State of the Union and No More Mister Nice Blog
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Suffolk poll in NH: Romney 41, Paul 18, Santorum 8
Suffolk poll in NH: Romney 41, Paul 18, Santorum 8
Discussion:
Sabato's Crystal Ball, Gallup, The PJ Tatler and Outside the Beltway
Richard Stengel / Time:
Why Iowa Matters (Even If It Shouldn't)
Why Iowa Matters (Even If It Shouldn't)
Discussion:
CNN, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, The Politico, Swampland and msnbc.com
Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
Perry, Perry, Quite Contrary
Perry, Perry, Quite Contrary
Discussion:
The New Republic, Prairie Weather, Outside the Beltway, New York Times and The Caucus
Brian Stelter / New York Times:
Keith Olbermann Clashes With Current TV — The broadcaster Keith Olbermann is famous for estranging himself from his bosses, be it at ESPN, Fox or MSNBC. — At his new home, Al Gore's Current TV, he has done it in record time. — Mr. Olbermann, who was hired last year to be the top star …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Media Decoder and Balloon Juice
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The Wrap:
Rift Between Olbermann and Current TV Deepens: ‘Everybody Is Replaceable’
Rift Between Olbermann and Current TV Deepens: ‘Everybody Is Replaceable’
Discussion:
Mediaite, Ed Driscoll, Hot Air, Ricochet Conversations Feed and Verum Serum, more at Mediagazer »
Matthew Belloni / Hollywood Reporter:
Olbermann Attorney: 'Keith's Lawyers and Current's Lawyers Are Communicating'
Olbermann Attorney: 'Keith's Lawyers and Current's Lawyers Are Communicating'
Discussion:
Media Decoder, Mediaite, New York Magazine and Business Insider, more at Mediagazer »
Ben Smith / The Politico:
How to fight liberals: Imitate them — Impressed by the effectiveness of the liberal Center for American Progress, a group of conservative journalists and operatives is preparing to engage in their own sincerest form of flattery - launching their own advocacy group with a similar name and mission but very different target.
New York Times:
Obama Describes Refocused Strategy for Leaner Military — WASHINGTON — President Obama outlined a broad new military strategy for the United States on Thursday, one that refocuses the armed forces on threats in Asia and the Pacific region, continues a strong presence in the Middle East …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Guardian, Los Angeles Times, utsandiego.com, democracyarsenal.org, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog and Truthdig
RELATED:
Aamer Madhani / USA Today:
Obama announces Pentagon budget cuts
Obama announces Pentagon budget cuts
Discussion:
Associated Press, The Hill, The Raw Story, New York Magazine and New York Times
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Obama to cut “tens of thousands of ground troops” from military
Obama to cut “tens of thousands of ground troops” from military
Discussion:
The Right Scoop
CNBC:
Jobs Picture: Claims Fall, Job Creation Surges; Layoffs Ease — The news is all good for the jobs market so far in 2012: Separate reports Thursday showed a surge in private-sector job creation, a sharp drop in weekly unemployment claims and planned layoffs at their lowest level in six months.
Discussion:
Hot Air and Outside the Beltway
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Jason DeParle / New York Times:
Harder for Americans to Rise From Lower Rungs — WASHINGTON — Benjamin Franklin did it. Henry Ford did it. And American life is built on the faith that others can do it, too: rise from humble origins to economic heights. “Movin' on up,” George Jefferson-style, is not only a sitcom song but a civil religion.
Tdaedalus / The American Conservative Union:
Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin Announced as CPAC 2012 Closing Speaker — Contacts: Kristy Campbell, (202) 347-9388, KCampbell@conservative.org — Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin Announced as CPAC 2012 Closing Speaker — Former Vice-Presidential Candidate will Conclude Three …
Discussion:
Big Government, Washington Post, Florida Independent and GOP 12
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Shushannah Walshe / ABCNEWS:
Sarah Palin to Make Keynote Speech at CPAC
Sarah Palin to Make Keynote Speech at CPAC
Discussion:
M.JOSEPH SHEPPARD'S … and Outside the Beltway
Washington Monthly:
What If Obama Loses? — Imagining the consequences of a GOP victory. — Facebook Twitter Digg Reddit StumbleUpon Delicious — It's a common complaint—we've certainly made it over the years—that too much political campaign coverage focuses on the horse race.
Discussion:
Hullabaloo, The New Republic and A plain blog about politics
Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
Mitt Romney out of control — MANCHESTER, N.H. — If this is Mitt Romney's idea of a victory rally, one shudders to think what would have happened if he had lost the Iowa caucuses. — The day after his impossibly thin eight-vote victory, the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination flew …
Discussion:
The Daily Dish, The Huffington Post, The Politico, The Page, Prairie Weather and Bangor Daily News
Scott Brown / Boston Globe:
Gingrich off base on judiciary — GOP PRESIDENTIAL hopeful Newt Gingrich recently made disturbing comments regarding the judiciary. He proposed that Congress should be able to impeach judges whose decisions he believes to be wrong. If elected, he would abolish courts that displease him …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Ballot Box, Outside the Beltway, Weasel Zippers, Addicting Info, Pat Dollard and ThinkProgress
Jamie Weinstein / The Daily Caller:
Santorum commits Republican sacrilege: Attacks Ronald Reagan — BRENTWOOD, N.H. — Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum committed one of the gravest sins in Republican politics on Wednesday evening by knocking the revered former President Ronald Reagan at a packed town hall meeting.
Discussion:
Little Green Footballs and Weasel Zippers
Alex Seitz-Wald / ThinkProgress:
Santorum Denies Making Racially-Charged Claim After Apparently Acknowledging Saying It — The NAACP and the Urban League have condemned GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum for reportedly saying in a rant against welfare this week, “I don't want to make black people's lives better by giving them somebody else's money.”
Discussion:
The Hill, CBS News, ECHIDNE of the snakes, Indecision Forever, nul.org and Mediaite