Top Items:
Rachel Weiner / Washington Post:
Karl Rove ‘offended’ by Clint Eastwood's Chrysler ad — A Chrysler ad aired during the Super Bowl Sunday night has inspired ire among some Republicans and admiration among some Democrats — with both sides seeing a political message that boosts President Obama.
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Atlantic Wire, The Nation, New York Magazine, Wonkette, Hollywood Reporter, nation.foxnews.com, The Hill, The Moderate Voice, Christian Science Monitor, Los Angeles Times, National Review, PopWatch, emptywheel, Poynter, ABCNEWS, Taylor Marsh, Outside the Beltway, The Raw Story, The Daily Caller, Hullabaloo and Daily Kos
RELATED:
Sorourke / nation.foxnews.com:
Clint Eastwood: ‘I am Certainly Not Affiliated with Mr. Obama’ — FoxNation.com — Following the fall out over the controversial Chrysler Super Bowl halftime ad, Clint Eastwood spoke exclusively with O'Reilly Factor producer Ron Mitchell... Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod tweeted his support for the ad last night.
Discussion:
Politico, Reuters, NewsBusters.org blogs, Pat Dollard, Verum Serum, Weasel Zippers and Mediaite
Dino Grandoni / The Atlantic Wire:
Congressman Falls for The Onion's Planned Parenthood ‘Abortionplex’ Story — Meet John Fleming, the unfortunate Republican U.S. Representative from Louisiana who made that wonderful and all-too-common mistake of thinking that an Onion article was real and telling his Facebook followers to read it.
RELATED:
Dorsey Shaw / BuzzFeed:
Congressman Sources An Onion Article As Fact On Facebook — Partner Buzz — Hot Buzz — This is my sister's beagle and weenie, dressed up as a dragonborn... The Single Most Awkward Photo Of Madonna During Her Halftime Show — She's really concentrating here. — In Your Inbox
Discussion:
Jezebel, CBS Washington and Right Wing Watch
David Frum / The Daily Beast:
Is the White Working Class Coming Apart? — Charles Murray's new book does not provide an adequate explanation for the collapse of the white working class. — Charles Murray's Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010 is an important book that will have large influence.
Discussion:
Brad DeLong, The New Republic, Outside the Beltway and Angry Bear
RELATED:
Jennifer Schuessler / New York Times:
A Lightning Rod in the Storm Over America's Class Divide — WASHINGTON — When Charles Murray and Richard J. Herrnstein's book “The Bell Curve” appeared in 1994, it was denounced by social scientists, liberal pundits and a little-known Chicago civil-rights lawyer named Barack Obama …
Discussion:
New York Magazine, No More Mister Nice Blog and Booman Tribune
Amanda Peterson Beadle / ThinkProgress:
Santorum Longs For Good Old Days Of ‘Shadow Abortions’ When Women Obtained Back-Alley Procedures — On the campaign trail, Republican Rick Santorum has made attacking the Affordable Care Act a cornerstone of his stump speech. During an event on Friday, the former Pennsylvania senator supported a …
Discussion:
Right Wing Watch, The Loyal Opposition and Little Green Footballs
RELATED:
Rick Santorum / CNN:
Santorum: Romney ‘unqualified’ and ‘dead wrong’ on healthcare
Santorum: Romney ‘unqualified’ and ‘dead wrong’ on healthcare
Discussion:
The Hill, The Reaction, Politico and GOP 12
Washington Post:
Obama holds edge over Romney in general election matchup, poll finds — Boosted by improved public confidence in his economic stewardship, President Obama for the first time holds a clear edge over Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in a hypothetical general-election matchup, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
Discussion:
msnbc.com, The Huffington Post, neo-neocon, ThinkProgress, The New Republic, USA Today, Runnin' Scared, New York Times, Washington Monthly, The American Independent, Political Watch, Crooks and Liars, THEROOT.COM, The Maddow Blog, Media Research Center, Prairie Weather, Jay Bookman, Shakesville, No More Mister Nice Blog, Balloon Juice, livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com, Minneapolis Star Tribune, The Political Carnival, Ballot Box and ABCNEWS
RELATED:
Mike McIntire / New York Times:
Major Obama Donors Tied to Fugitive Who Fled to Mexico — Two American brothers of a Mexican casino magnate who fled drug and fraud charges in the United States and has been seeking a pardon enabling him to return have emerged as major fund-raisers and donors for President Obama's re-election campaign.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and Election Law Blog
Niall Ferguson / The Daily Beast:
Israel and Iran on the Eve of Destruction in a New Six-Day War — There are plenty of arguments against an Israeli attack on Iran. And all of them are bad. — Jerusalem—It probably felt a bit like this in the months before the Six-Day War of 1967, when Israel launched …
Discussion:
PERRspectives, The Hill, Opinion L.A., The Atlantic Online, Israel Matzav, The Daily Caller, Mondoweiss, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Noah Millman and ABCNEWS
Justin Sink / The Hill:
Bachmann: ‘I was the perfect candidate’ — Rep. Michele Bachmann thinks that America missed its opportunity with “the perfect candidate.” — The Minnesota congresswoman was asked by Bloomberg TV's Al Hunt which of the remaining candidates was the most conservative during an interview Friday …
Discussion:
CNN and Washington Post
Byron Tau / Politico:
Clean energy loan recipient lays off staff — In another setback for President Obama's clean energy loan programs, the recipient of more than a half-billion dollars in federal loans is laying off workers at their Delaware and California operations. — Delaware's News Journal reports …
Discussion:
delawareonline, Pirate's Cove, Weasel Zippers and The Lonely Conservative
RELATED:
Chris Geidner / Poliglot:
BREAKING: Ninth Circuit Prop 8 Ruling on Tuesday — A Guide to Understanding What's Happening — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit's public information office expects a ruling on Tuesday, Feb. 7 by 10 a.m. Pacific/1 p.m. Eastern Time in the Perry v. Brown case challenging the constitutionality of Proposition 8.
Discussion:
Mercury News, Sky Dancing, Towleroad News #gay, Firedoglake, ThinkProgress and Guardian
David Catron / American Spectator:
Who Castrated Ann Coulter? — There is no conservative writer that I admire more than Ann Coulter. She's smart as hell and, more importantly, she is courageous. She has always been willing to write what other conservatives believe but don't have the guts to say in print.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Daily Pundit and Riehl World View
Eric Lichtblau / The Caucus:
Jack Abramoff Hints at Untold Scandals — WASHINGTON — Jack Abramoff hinted Monday that he knows of still more skeletons that are buried on Capitol Hill, but he's not saying where. — The disgraced lobbyist said he wouldn't want to make anyone else go through the experience …
CNN:
Gingrich spokesman defends Wikipedia edits — (CNN) - As recently as last week, Newt Gingrich's communications director has been criticized by editors on Wikipedia for dozens of edits he has made and requested in defense of his candidate. — While some of the changes were minor …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress
John Hinderaker / Power Line:
In the Pocket of the Gas Lobby? — Liberals (and, to be fair, some non-liberals) often assume that any organization or politician who gets donations from a company, organization or industry must be in the pocket of the donor. In general, that assumption is unfair: what actually happens …
Gabriel Sherman / New York Magazine:
The End of Wall Street As They Knew It — After surprisingly successful financial reform, public vilification, and politics that have turned against them, the Masters of the Universe are masters no longer. — On Wall Street, bonus season is a sacred ritual.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, The Huffington Post, The Awl, Washington Monthly, The Big Picture and The Impolitic
Keith Laing / The Hill:
Senate sends FAA bill to Obama's desk — The Senate on Monday approved a bill to fund the Federal Aviation Administration through 2015, ending a years-long battle on Capitol Hill. — The House previously approved the measure, which will now go to President Obama's desk. The president supports the legislation.
Discussion:
Politico, Blog of Rights, CNN and The Raw Story
Sharyl Attkisson / CBS News:
“Hidden” mortgage fee paying for payroll tax cut — PLAY CBS NEWS VIDEO — Just before Christmas, American workers got a rare gift from Washington politicians - the current payroll tax cut would be extended for two more months. — At the time, both President Barack Obama …
Discussion:
Hot Air, Questions and Observations, Conservatives4Palin and The Lonely Conservative
David Freddoso / Campaign 2012:
Occupy mudbowl: What's left of McPherson Square — With the partial eviction of Occupiers over the weekend, McPherson Square is no longer full to the point that the local community cannot enjoy it. Instead, it is a mud-bowl that no one can really enjoy. Occupiers managed to undo …
Discussion:
Pat Dollard, Weasel Zippers and Doug Ross
Paul Marks / New Scientist:
Civilian drones to fill the skies after law shake-up — Law changes mean uncrewed aerial vehicles aren't just for the military any more - civilian uses are taking off, too — Editorial: “High time to welcome the friendly drones” — THE hobbyist was testing the camera on board …
Discussion:
The Volokh Conspiracy
Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Ari Fleischer and Komen — On Friday, Think Progress reported that former Bushie Ari Fleischer had “secretly” been helping to guide Susan G. Komen Center for the Cure's media response to the Planned Parenthood public relations disaster that has engulfed the organization.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, TBogg, US Politics, DownWithTyranny! and Daily Kos
Adam Liptak / New York Times:
‘We the People’ Loses Appeal With People Around the World — WASHINGTON — The Constitution has seen better days. — Sure, it is the nation's founding document and sacred text. And it is the oldest written constitution still in force anywhere in the world. But its influence is waning.
Discussion:
Fox News, Global Public Square, Hullabaloo and Public Secrets
CBS New York:
Catholic League Poised To Go To War With Obama Over Mandatory Birth Control Payments — NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Catholic leaders upped the ante Monday, threatening to challenge the Obama administration over a provision of the new health care law that would require all employers …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, Doug Ross and NewsBusters.org blogs
The Smoking Gun:
Atlanta Street Gang Members Videotaped Brutal Hate Crime Attack On “Faggot” — Buster — Members of an Atlanta street gang were filmed beating a man who was brutally assaulted because “faggots” were not allowed in their neighborhood, according to a videotape of the apparent hate crime.
Discussion:
Towleroad News #gay and The Raw Story
McKay Coppins / Politics:
Bloomberg Report Takes Aim At Mormon Church For Online Gun Sales — “One would think that a church would feel a special obligation to make sure that they weren't fueling a black market for a particularly deadly form of commerce,” a source involved in the report says. — (Reuters / ANDREW BURTON)