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The Real Reason Republicans Hate Hagel — It has more to do with President Obama than the former senator from Nebraska. — It's good news that President Obama will nominate Chuck Hagel as his secretary of defense, despite the frantic campaign against him that's been mounted by certain Republicans.
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Exclusive: Hagel says critics distort his views on Israel, Iran — Chuck Hagel said Monday an accurate assessment of his record will demonstrate “unequivocal, total support for Israel” and endorsement of tough international economic sanctions against Iran. — Critics have “completely distorted” …
Discussion:
CNN, Politico, The Hinterland Gazette and Post Politics

Why Hagel Matters — According to various reports, Obama will nominate Chuck Hagel for defense secretary. Beinart puts the nomination in context: … To my mind, this is his core qualification. Unlike so many of the lemmings and partisans of Washington DC, Hagel actually called out the catastrophe of the Iraq War as it happened.
Discussion:
Business Insider, Mondoweiss, Mother Jones, Hullabaloo, Wired and Firedoglake


Why Hagel Matters — If the former senator is confirmed over Republican objections as Obama's new secretary of defense, it could signal the beginning of a new era in American foreign policy, says Peter Beinart. — If media reports are true, Barack Obama will soon nominate Chuck Hagel to be secretary of defense.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, PERRspectives, No More Mister Nice Blog, Weasel Zippers, AEIdeas, Crooks and Liars and The Daily Caller


Crack Pipe — I'm watching a lot of neoconservative policy activists …
Discussion:
Guardian and Balloon Juice

White House officials reach out to Jewish community to answer Hagel concerns
Discussion:
Politico, ABCNEWS, The Hinterland Gazette and Business Insider

Topsy-turvy Hagel politics
Discussion:
NationalJournal.com, Politico, Hot Air, Washington Free Beacon, Forbes, RNC Research, Power Line and neo-neocon

FLASHBACK: Bill Kristol Wanted Chuck Hagel To Be Vice President
Discussion:
J Street and Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes'

Obama Expected to Pick Chuck Hagel for Defense Post
Discussion:
NationalJournal.com, Politico, The Plum Line, CNN, American Prospect, Algemeiner.com, Washington Examiner, blogs.telegraph.co.uk, The Week, msnbc.com, Lawfare, emptywheel, Mondoweiss, JustOneMinute, Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, First Read, The BLT, The Atlantic Online, Quartz, Taylor Marsh, The Caucus and ThinkProgress

How The White House Is Selling Chuck Hagel
Discussion:
The Page and Post Politics

Obama picks Hagel for defense, Brennan for CIA
Discussion:
Salon, TalkLeft and Wall Street Journal

Mr. Hagel and the Jews — During the hearings on Chuck Hagel's …
Discussion:
Power Line and The Spectacle Blog

The critics' case against Chuck Hagel
Discussion:
BuzzFeed, Politico, Politicker and Washington Free Beacon

First Thoughts: Hagel — a man without a party
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The Moderate Voice, ABCNEWS, The Page, The National Memo, The Fix, Business Insider, New Atlanticist, msnbc.com, Capital New York and CNN

Counterterror Adviser to be Named Chief of C.I.A.
Discussion:
Guardian, The Plum Line, emptywheel, Taylor Marsh, Outside the Beltway and msnbc.com

FLASHBACK: GOP Senators Praised Chuck Hagel's Statesmanship, Foreign Policy Expertise
Discussion:
Little Green Footballs

Obama Taps ‘Patriot’ Hagel for Defense
Discussion:
Politico, Ricochet Conversations Feed, The Week and ABCNEWS

John Brennan tapped to lead CIA
Discussion:
CNN, Politics, Power …, Business Insider and Israel Matzav

Be Ready To Mint That Coin — Should President Obama be willing to print a $1 trillion platinum coin if Republicans try to force America into default? Yes, absolutely. He will, after all, be faced with a choice between two alternatives: one that's silly but benign, the other that's equally silly but both vile and disastrous.
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Hillary Clinton back at work - with a football helmet — Hillary Clinton went back to work as secretary of state this morning and was greeted by colleagues showing off their sense of humor. — First off, we got the official State Department photo of her hosting the weekly meeting of assistant secretaries of state.
Discussion:
Mediaite, Joe. My. God., The Immoral Minority and Sense of Events


The Education of John Boehner — Leverage for the next clash: GOP willingness to let the spending sequester take effect. — What stunned House Speaker John Boehner more than anything else during his prolonged closed-door budget negotiations with Barack Obama was this revelation …
Discussion:
Hit & Run, Guardian, The Fix, FOX News Radio, The Plum Line, The New Republic, Los Angeles Times, Washington Examiner, Mediaite, The PJ Tatler, Washington Wire, Ricochet Conversations Feed, Weasel Zippers, Business Insider, Daily Kos, Betsy's Page, Washington Monthly, Wall Street Journal Topics, Roll Call, Althouse, Outside the Beltway, p m carpenter's commentary, Post Politics, National Review, Our American Constitution, The Gateway Pundit, Booman Tribune and Taegan Goddard's …
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The conservative movement is still an elaborate moneymaking venture — The story of FreedomWorks' big Glenn Beck payout encapsulates the right-wing media — The conservative media movement exists primarily as a moneymaking venture. As Rick Perlstein explained in the Baffler …
Discussion:
Firedoglake, The Impolitic, Liberal Values, Lawyers, Guns & Money and The Immoral Minority

Sen. Warren: Barney Frank would do ‘extraordinary’ job as interim senator — Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) offered strong support for former Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) to act as interim senator if John Kerry (D-Mass.) is confirmed as secretary of State, calling him an “extraordinary” option for the seat.
Discussion:
Boston Herald and Daily Kos
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The Outside Man — Yes, I've heard about the notion that I should be nominated as Treasury Secretary. I'm flattered, but it really is a bad idea. — Part of the reason is that I am indeed the World's Worst Administrator — and that does matter. Someone else can do the paperwork …
Discussion:
Politico, Ballot Box, The Daily Caller, Hot Air, Outside the Beltway, Mediaite, Weasel Zippers, Weekly Standard and Economist's View

After Pinpointing Gun Owners, Paper Is a Target — WHITE PLAINS — Local newspapers across the country look for stories that will bring them national attention, but The Journal News, a daily nestled in a wooded office park in a suburb north of New York, may have gotten more than it bargained for.
Discussion:
Politico, No More Mister Nice Blog, Right Wing News, Weasel Zippers, Gothamist and Capital New York, more at Mediagazer »

Joe Arpaio Dispatches Armed Volunteer Posses To Begin School Patrols … REACT: — FOLLOW: — Arizona Politics, Video, Maricopa County, Arizona, Arpaio School Patrols, Joe Arpaio Armed Posse, Joe Arpaio School Patrols, Joe Arpaio Schools, Politics News
Discussion:
Little Green Footballs and Joe. My. God.

The Big Fail — It's that time again: the annual meeting of the American Economic Association and affiliates, a sort of medieval fair that serves as a marketplace for bodies (newly minted Ph.D.'s in search of jobs), books and ideas. And this year, as in past meetings …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, CANNONFIRE, Prairie Weather and Vox Popoli

Dems look for up to $1T in new revenues — Democrats say they want to raise as much as $1 trillion in new revenues through tax reform later this year to balance Republican demands to slash mandatory spending. — Democratic leaders have had little time to craft a new position …
Discussion:
Firedoglake, The Plum Line, The New Republic, Political Watch, Weasel Zippers, Hot Air, New York Times, Vodkapundit, The Gateway Pundit and The Reaction


Crowd laughs as Chicago Teachers Union president talks about killing the rich — CHICAGO - The Chicago Teachers Union is not just about looking out for its members' interests. The union wants to fundamentally change America, too. — That shift occurred when the radical Karen Lewis was elected as its president two years ago.
Discussion:
Michelle Malkin, FreedomWorks, Weasel Zippers and The Gateway Pundit


CASTING VOTES — Here's a safe prediction for 2013: few people will pine for the Presidential campaign of 2012. Even Barack Obama's most ardent supporters acknowledge that his victory provided little of the euphoria of four years ago. Not many Republicans have longed to hear …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly