Top Items:
Jake Tapper / ABCNEWS:
Obama to Offer ‘Accomodation’ on Contraception Rule — With the White House under fire for its new rule requiring employers including religious organizations to offer health insurance that fully covers birth control coverage, ABC News has learned that later today the White House …
RELATED:
Wall Street Journal:
Low Turnout and the Big Tune-Out — Voters aren't bothering with the GOP, but Obama has lost their attention too. — The Romney campaign is better at dismantling than mantling. They're better at taking opponents apart than building a compelling candidate of their own.
Discussion:
GOP 12 and Business Insider
Washington Post:
White House to announce adjustment to birth-control rule — Seeking to allay the concerns of Catholic leaders, the White House is planning to announce an adjustment to its health care rule requiring religious employers to provide women access to contraception, a senior administration official said.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Big Government and The Atlantic Online
Ian Swanson / The Hill:
Obama retreats on birth control — The White House will announce a retreat from its controversial rule requiring religious organizations like charities and hospitals to include contraception in their healthcare plans. — President Obama has come under heavy criticism from the Catholic Church …
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's …
Laurie Kellman / Associated Press:
They're back: Social issues overtake US politics
They're back: Social issues overtake US politics
Discussion:
The Hill
Nick Baumann / Mother Jones:
Most of Obama's “Controversial” Birth Control Rule Was Law During Bush Years
Most of Obama's “Controversial” Birth Control Rule Was Law During Bush Years
Discussion:
Balloon Juice, Political Mojo, THEROOT.COM, Daily Kos, The Last Tradition, Feministing, ThinkProgress and MoJo Articles
Jake Tapper / ABCNEWS:
Fierce White House Debate Over Contraception Mandate
Fierce White House Debate Over Contraception Mandate
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Washington Post, Don Surber, The Hill, Pundit & Pundette, Shakesville, Hot Air, 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com, The Lonely Conservative, The PJ Tatler, CBS New York, Hullabaloo, The Moderate Voice, Taylor Marsh, The Daily Beast, The Atlantic Online, Opinionator and GetReligion
Michael Muskal / Nation Now:
No Child Left Behind: Obama administration grants 10 waivers
No Child Left Behind: Obama administration grants 10 waivers
Discussion:
Politicker, Campaign 2012, Hot Air, The PJ Tatler, Washington Post and The Lonely Conservative
Jon Ward / The Huffington Post:
Mitt Romney's Struggles Take Republican Angst To New Heights … Barack Obama , Mitt Romney , Republican Presidential Primary , Rick Santorum , Cpac , Elections 2012 , Newt Gingrich , Rick Perry , Video , Politics News — WASHINGTON — The angst within the Republican Party …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Chicago Tribune, New York Magazine, Politico and Wall Street Journal
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Jonathan Easley / The Hill:
Rep. King predicts critical day for GOP presidential candidates — Influential Tea Party conservative Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) said the speeches given by the GOP presidential candidates at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday will be critical in determining who returns to the campaign trail with the momentum.
Discussion:
CNN
CNN:
Romney meets privately with conservative leaders at CPAC
Romney meets privately with conservative leaders at CPAC
Discussion:
Politico, Washington Post, NationalJournal.com, Yahoo! News, New York Times, Campaign 2012, National Review and Hot Air
Josh Lederman / Ballot Box:
Santorum, Romney to face off at CPAC in high-stakes appeal to party faithful
Santorum, Romney to face off at CPAC in high-stakes appeal to party faithful
Discussion:
ABCNEWS, New York Times, GOP 12, msnbc.com, Boston Globe and Wall Street Journal
Debra Erdley / PittsburghLIVE.com:
Pa. GOP voters quit Gingrich for Santorum
Pa. GOP voters quit Gingrich for Santorum
Discussion:
Hot Air, Erick's blog, Washington Post, The Moderate Voice, US Politics, Washington Wire and Wall Street Journal
Washington Post:
Rep. Spencer Bachus faces insider-trading investigation — The Office of Congressional Ethics is investigating the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee over possible violations of insider-trading laws, according to individuals familiar with the case.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, The Maddow Blog, CBS News, Politico and Big Government
John Hinderaker / Power Line:
Is 2012 Slipping Away From the GOP? — For a long time, I was confident that Republican voters would oust Barack Obama in 2012, hold the House and, in all likelihood, take the Senate. Obama is a weak incumbent, who has been chronically unpopular since early in his term.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice
Russell Berman / The Hill:
Pelosi might have skirted House ethics rules on campaign solicitations — House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) might have briefly run afoul of congressional ethics rules at a Capitol press conference on Thursday when she made a statement that could be construed as a solicitation for campaign contributions.
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon
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Alicia M. Cohn / The Hill:
Pelosi: ‘Colbert used to be my friend’
Pelosi: ‘Colbert used to be my friend’
Discussion:
nation.foxnews.com, CNN, Reuters and Politico
David Brooks / New York Times:
The Crowd Pleaser — At first glance, President Obama and Mitt Romney share some similar traits. Both Harvard Law School grads are smart and analytical. Both are emotionally reserved rather than touchy-feely. Both are traditionalist in their family and personal lives.
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog
Bloomberg:
Foreclosure Deal to Spur U.S. Home Seizures — The $25 billion settlement with banks over foreclosure abuses may result in a wave of home seizures, inflicting short-term pain on delinquent U.S. borrowers while making a long-term housing recovery more likely.
Discussion:
Hot Air and Wall Street Journal
Nicole Neroulias / Reuters:
Washington state governor to sign gay marriage bill on Monday — (Reuters) - Governor Christine Gregoire plans to sign newly passed legislation on Monday to legalize gay marriage in Washington state, making it the seventh with a law on the books to recognize same-sex nuptials, her office said on Thursday.
Discussion:
Towleroad News #gay, Feministing and BuzzFeed
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Romney ‘glitter bomber’ fired from internship — DENVER — The college student accused of “glitter bombing” Mitt Romney after the Colorado caucuses has been fired from his unpaid internship with state Senate Democrats. — Police say 20-year-old Peter Smith threw glitter at Romney …
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon
Faiz Shakir / ThinkProgress:
Fox Pundit Tells CPAC Crowd That Rachel Maddow Is ‘The Best Argument In Favor Of Her Parents Using Contraception’ — In the “closed circuit world on the right,” MSNBC's Rachel Maddow is often the subject of ugly denigrations. Whether it's being mocked for her sexual orientation, her name …
Discussion:
The Last Tradition, No More Mister Nice Blog, Towleroad News #gay, The Moderate Voice and The Raw Story
Joe Battenfeld / Boston Herald:
Poll: Joe Kennedy III has huge lead in U.S. Rep race — Joseph P. Kennedy III's famous family ties have handed him a huge early lead in the race to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, a new UMass Lowell/Boston Herald poll reveals. — Kennedy, the son of former U.S. Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers
Ben Geman / The Hill:
Evangelical group holds firm on ‘pro-life’ link to EPA rule — A green evangelical group won't bow to conservative anti-abortion-rights leaders or Republicans who are pressuring them to stop casting support for new EPA pollution rules as a “pro-life” position.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress
Christian Heinze / GOP 12:
Romney previews CPAC speech — On Fox News last night, Mitt gave a brief outline of what he'll say during his 12:55 PM speech at CPAC today. — The two most important things. — a. He'll talk about his record in Massachusetts — something he hasn't been trumpeting from every rooftop.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly
Maggie Haberman / Politico:
Santorum: Combat concerns — Rick Santorum, in an interview with CNN's John King a bit ago, was asked whether he thinks it's a good idea or a bad idea for the Pentagon to relax some of the rules about women taking frontline roles in combat, “perhaps opening the door to a broader role for, ultimately, women in combat.”
Discussion:
Firedoglake and Hullabaloo
Sabrina Tavernise / New York Times:
Education Gap Grows Between Rich and Poor, Studies Say — WASHINGTON — Education was historically considered a great equalizer in American society, capable of lifting less advantaged children and improving their chances for success as adults. But a body of recently published scholarship suggests …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress and Rod Dreher