Top Items:
Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Komen caved. Or did it? — As you may have heard, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation just announced that it was reversing its decision to ban Planned Parenthood from applying for grants to cover breast cancer screenings — after a massive outcry that spread from women's groups to social media to Capitol Hill.
Discussion:
Nation Now, TBogg, LifeNews.com, Political Mojo, RedState, Off the Kuff, The Gateway Pundit, The Atlantic Online, emptywheel, LifeSiteNews.com Latest …, Right Wing Watch, Wonkette, GetReligion, US Politics, CatholicVote.org, Daily Kos, Firedoglake, msnbc.com, Poynter, Crooks and Liars, Weasel Zippers, The Scoop, Wake up America, Outside the Beltway, The Agonist, The Raw Story and Runnin' Scared, more at Mediagazer »
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Judd Legum / ThinkProgress:
EXCLUSIVE: Ari Fleischer Secretly Involved In Komen Strategy On Planned Parenthood — Ari Fleischer, former press secretary for George W. Bush and prominent right-wing pundit, was secretly involved in the Komen Foundation's strategy regarding Planned Parenthood.
Discussion:
TBogg, Daily Kos, Balloon Juice and Roger Ailes
Simon Maloy / Media Matters for America:
National Review Sees “Gangsterism” Behind Komen's Planned Parenthood Shift — Earlier today the Susan G. Komen Foundation released a statement “apologizing” for their decision earlier this week to cease grants to Planned Parenthood to pay for breast cancer screenings.
Discussion:
Daily Kos, Hullabaloo, Crooks and Liars, Booman Tribune, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Politico
Tom Benning / The Scoop:
Komen apologizes for ‘recent decisions,’ pledges to continue funding Planned Parenthood — UPDATE, 12:32 p.m.Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood, said during a Friday conference call that her understanding of Komen's announcement is that it's a complete reversal of the decision to bar funding to her group.
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, The Lede, Mediaite, Salon, Reuters, New Yorker, This Just In, American Prospect, Datechguy's Blog, Washington Post, The Atlantic Online, Political Mojo, AlterNet, Daily Kos, Washington Monthly, ThinkProgress, New York Times, The Mahablog, ECHIDNE of the snakes, Little Green Footballs, The Raw Story, Feministing, Taylor Marsh, The Impolitic, Gawker, Associated Press, Jammie Wearing Fools, Hot Air, The Loyal Opposition, Democracy in America, NewsBusters.org blogs, Campaign 2012, Balloon Juice, Shakesville, Jezebel, Outside the Beltway, Los Angeles Times, Pirate's Cove, Flopping Aces and LifeNews.com
Susan G. Komen for the Cure:
Statement from Susan G. Komen Board of Directors and Founder and CEO Nancy G. Brinker
Statement from Susan G. Komen Board of Directors and Founder and CEO Nancy G. Brinker
Discussion:
Associated Press, The Huffington Post, Planned Parenthood, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, southernstudies.org, Washington Post, blogs.wsj.com, National Review, CBS Philly, Gothamist, Nation Now, Epicenter, Mashable!, The Daily Caller, LifeSiteNews.com Latest …, Guardian, Big Government, The Mahablog, TIME Ideas, Colorlines, The New Republic, Pundit & Pundette, JustOneMinute and American Power
Daniel Foster / National Review:
You Should Find the Anti-Komen Backlash Disgusting, Even If You're Pro-Choice
You Should Find the Anti-Komen Backlash Disgusting, Even If You're Pro-Choice
Jennifer Bendery / The Huffington Post:
Susan G. Komen Foundation Says It Is Not Connected To Pink ‘Hope’ Handgun [UPDATE]
Susan G. Komen Foundation Says It Is Not Connected To Pink ‘Hope’ Handgun [UPDATE]
Discussion:
Gothamist, CBS Seattle, ThinkProgress, Mediaite, Religion Dispatches, Runnin' Scared, Gawker and Daily Kos
Tyler Durden / ZeroHedge:
Record 1.2 Million People Fall Out Of Labor Force In One Month, Labor Force Participation Rate Tumbles To Fresh 30 Year Low — A month ago, we joked when we said that for Obama to get the unemployment rate to negative by election time, all he has to do is to crush the labor force participation rate to about 55%.
Discussion:
CNBC, FreeEnterprise.com, The Big Picture, Rush Limbaugh, FiveThirtyEight, New York Times, The PJ Tatler, American Glob, Viking Pundit, Swampland, The Gateway Pundit, Michelle Malkin, Daily Pundit, Weasel Zippers, Wake up America, The Right Scoop, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, The Strata-Sphere and The Lonely Conservative
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Tyler Durden / ZeroHedge:
Implied Unemployment Rate Rises To 11.5%, Spread To Propaganda Number Surges To 30 Year High — Sick of the BLS propaganda? Then do the following calculation with us: using BLS data, the US civilian non-institutional population was 242,269 in January, an increase of 1.7 million month over month …
Discussion:
Doug Ross, ThinkProgress, The Spectacle Blog, Reuters, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Wizbang, Don Surber and Vodkapundit
James Pethokoukis / The Enterprise Blog:
Why the official 8.3 percent unemployment rate is a phony number—and what it means for Obama's reelection — The January jobs report is out and it seems pretty strong, at least superficially. The unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent from 8.5 percent, the lowest rate since February 2009.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and RedState
Lynn Vavreck / Washington Post:
For 2012, the unemployment rate doesn't matter. The change in it does.
For 2012, the unemployment rate doesn't matter. The change in it does.
Discussion:
Saint Petersblog
Newt Gingrich / CNN:
Gingrich sharpens attacks against Romney's wealth — Las Vegas, Nevada (CNN) - Newt Gingrich, intensifying his efforts to frame the Republican presidential race as a showdown between his populist insurgency and Mitt Romney's establishment-backed campaign, sharpened his criticisms Friday of Romney's wealth and corporate resume.
Discussion:
Politico, Political Mojo and Hot Air
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Ginger Gibson / Reuters:
Newt Gingrich's Nevada campaign unraveling — LAS VEGAS — Newt Gingrich is not on TV here. His daily events have slowed to a trickle. He's got a barebones staff working in a tiny space rented just 2 weeks ago. — The most attention he's received since arriving in Nevada came with his snub of the state's popular governor.
Discussion:
Campaign 2012, CNN and Politico
Newt Gingrich / CNN:
Gingrich: Romney didn't deserve congrats
Politico:
Mitt Romney splits with Brett O'Donnell — A GOP operative who won plaudits for bolstering Mitt Romney's recent debate performances is not being retained by the frontrunner's campaign, an apparent victim of internal tensions over staff receiving too much credit for the candidate's comeback, POLITICO has learned.
Discussion:
CNN, Naked Politics, Reuters, Taylor Marsh and The Huffington Post
Eric Berman / Indy's News Center:
Santorum Fails to Qualify for Indiana Ballot — Election officials still tallying signatures for Gingrich — Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum has failed to qualify for the Indiana ballot. — Listen: — Presidential candidates need 500 signatures in each of Indiana's nine congressional districts.
Discussion:
CNN, Politico, The Caucus, The Hill and HotAirPundit
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Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Faced with good news about economy, Romney dissolves into incoherence — Since Mitt Romney announced his candidacy last June, he has continually made two core claims about Obama's economic record, each of which contradicts the other. Depending on the moment, Romney has said either:
Discussion:
The Hill, A plain blog about politics, The Maddow Blog, Shakesville, Riehl World View and Political Mojo
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Vicki Needham / The Hill:
Reid: This year's budget is done — Senate Democratic leaders said they don't expect a fiscal 2013 budget to reach the floor this year because spending levels were set last summer under the debt-ceiling agreement. — “We do not need to bring a budget to the floor this year — it's done …
Discussion:
Politico, Hot Air, The Daily Caller, Weasel Zippers, Pat Dollard, Campaign 2012 and Daily Pundit
Neil Genzlinger / New York Times:
Ben Gazzara, a Risk-Taking Actor of Stage and Screen, Dies at 81 — Ben Gazzara, an intense actor whose long career included playing Brick in the original “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” on Broadway, roles in influential films by John Cassavetes and work with several generations of top Hollywood directors …
Discussion:
Inside Movies, msnbc.com and Big Hollywood
Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:
Santorum To Gay Man: You Don't Deserve ‘Privilege’ Of Marriage Because Gay Unions Don't ‘Benefit Society’ — Rick Santorum told a gay man in Fulton, Missouri Friday afternoon that he didn't deserve the “privilege” of marriage because his same-sex relationship does not “benefit” society in the same way that opposite-sex marriage does.
Amanda Terkel / The Huffington Post:
Koch Brothers, Allies Pledge $100 Million At Private Meeting To Beat Obama … Barack Obama , Newt Gingrich 2012 , Barack Obama 2012 , Newt Gingrich , Obama , President Obama , Video , Charles Koch , David Koch , Koch Brothers , Sheldon Adelson , Winning Our Future , Ken Griffin …
Discussion:
Republic Report, The Hill, Political Mojo, ThinkProgress, The BRAD BLOG and Politico
Kevin Bogardus / The Hill:
Senate Republicans to challenge recess appointments in court — Republican senators announced Friday that they plan to challenge President Obama's recent controversial appointments in court. — Thirty-nine GOP senators have signed onto a letter announcing their intention to file …
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Erick Erickson / RedState:
Danger Will Robinson . . . or Ann Coulter — This week is a career milestone for me. I appear in Time magazine writing about the state of the conservative movement. As a kid living overseas, my American history teacher subscribed us all to Time and U.S. News and World Report.
Discussion:
Daily Pundit, Riehl World View, The Daily Caller and Conservatives4Palin
Brian Beutler / tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com:
TPMDC — Bait And Switch: GOP Leaders Renege On Debt Limit Deal Defense Cuts — Republican leaders in Congress have all but reneged on a key agreement they reached with the White House last summer rather than reconsider their unwavering stance against new tax revenue.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, The Maddow Blog, Daily Kos and Talking Points Memo
Kathryn Jean Lopez / National Review:
Army Silenced Chaplains Last Sunday — In Catholic Churches across the country, parishioners were read letters from the pulpit this weekend from bishops in their diocese about the mandate from the Department of Health and Human Services giving Catholics a year before they'll be required …
Discussion:
Ricochet Conversations Feed
Alan Colmes' Liberaland:
Anti-Abortion Komen VP Also Anti-Gay — Karen Handel had some choice words for gays when she ran last year for Governor of Georgia, from this interview with the Jim Galloway at the AJC. — KH: I've been very clear. And you know, as a Christian, marriage is between a man and a woman.
Discussion:
Gay Politics, Little Green Footballs and Daily Kos
Jonathan Easley / The Hill:
GOP lawmaker walked out on Obama's speech at National Prayer Breakfast — Republican Rep. Phil Gingrey (Ga.) walked out of President Obama's speech at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, his spokesman confirmed to The Hill. — Jen Talaber said the five-term lawmaker “left quietly” in the middle of the president's remarks.
Discussion:
Right Wing Watch, Weasel Zippers and Randy's Roundtable
OFFICE OF THE NEW YORK STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL:
A.G. SCHNEIDERMAN ANNOUNCES MAJOR LAWSUIT AGAINST NATION'S LARGEST BANKS FOR DECEPTIVE & FRAUDULENT USE OF ELECTRONIC MORTGAGE REGISTRY — Complaint Charges Use Of MERS By Bank Of America, J.P. Morgan Chase, And Wells Fargo Resulted In Fraudulent Foreclosure Filings
Discussion:
Washington Post, Firedoglake, Daily Kos, Business Insider and TalkLeft
David Leonhardt / New York Times:
The 2016 Election, Already Upon Us — DISTANT as it may now seem, with the Republican race dominating the news and President Obama sitting in the White House, the Democrats are not all that far from the tumult of another nominating contest themselves. — No matter what happens on Election …
Eric Lichtblau / New York Times:
Gingrich's Deep Ties to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — WASHINGTON — On a trip to Ireland in 1998, Speaker Newt Gingrich researched his Irish roots, discussed the prospects for peace in Northern Ireland and entertained speculation about his presidential ambitions.
Discussion:
Hot Air
Anne Gearan / Associated Press:
AP sources: Taliban leader sent letter to Obama — WASHINGTON - Reclusive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar wrote to President Barack Obama last year indicating an interest in talks key to ending the war in Afghanistan, current and former U.S. officials told The Associated Press.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and The Jawa Report