Top Items:
David Sanger / The Caucus:
On Iran, Hagel Muddles the Message — Dealing with Iran is complicated, but President Obama's policy on the question of whether a nuclear-armed Iran could be successfully “contained” - the way the Soviet Union was during the cold war - is simple. — His answer is no.
Discussion:
Right Turn and Weekly Standard
RELATED:
Drew Brees / CBS News:
Schieffer: Hagel's nomination “may be in trouble” — (CBS News) White House officials told CBS' Major Garrett that they're disappointed with defense secretary nominee Chuck Hagel's performance at his confirmation hearing before the Senate on Thursday. — One of the most damaging exchanges during …
Discussion:
neo-neocon
William Kristol / Weekly Standard:
Any Profiles in Courage? — On October 3, 2005, President George W. Bush announced his intention to nominate his White House counsel, Harriet Miers, to succeed Sandra Day O'Connor as an associate justice of the Supreme Court. On October 27, after vigorous statements of opposition …
Jennifer Rubin / Right Turn:
Hagel sinking — It's fascinating, actually, to see a nominee …
Hagel sinking — It's fascinating, actually, to see a nominee …
Discussion:
Weekly Standard, Roger L. Simon, NationalJournal.com, The Daily Beast, NewsBusters blogs, Hot Air, The Week and Washington Post
Charles P. Pierce / Esquire:
TODAY IN HAGEL BASHING
TODAY IN HAGEL BASHING
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, The Reaction, The Right Scoop, Prairie Weather, The Plum Line, Power Line and CNN
David Weigel / Slate:
The Hagel Vote: Counting to 51 or Counting to 60?
The Hagel Vote: Counting to 51 or Counting to 60?
Discussion:
The Daily Caller
John Podhoretz / New York Post:
Hagel was so bad ... Chuck just stunk up Senate
Hagel was so bad ... Chuck just stunk up Senate
Discussion:
Betsy's Page, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Weekly Standard, The Other McCain, Slate and Power Line
Matthew Duss / American Prospect:
The Senate-Hearing Circus Is in Session
The Senate-Hearing Circus Is in Session
Discussion:
TIME, Guardian, ThinkProgress and The Atlantic Online
Robert D. McFadden / New York Times:
Edward Koch, Former Mayor of New York, Dies at 88 — Edward I. Koch, the master showman of City Hall, who parlayed shrewd political instincts and plenty of chutzpah into three tumultuous terms as mayor of New York with all the tenacity, zest and combativeness that personified his city of golden dreams, died Friday morning at age 88.
Discussion:
Gawker, Associated Press, New York Post, Poynter, Twitchy, ABCNEWS, Capital New York, New York Sun, msnbc.com, ABCNEWS, Shakesville, The Week, The Reaction, Algemeiner.com, Scared Monkeys, Outside the Beltway, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Fix, Taylor Marsh, The Hill, Althouse, alan.com, Discourse.net, Capitol Confidential, Deadline.com, Ricochet Conversations Feed, Runnin' Scared, The PJ Tatler, Post Politics, The Other McCain, Conservatives4Palin and Washington Wire, more at Mediagazer »
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Julie Moos / Poynter:
Ed Koch's grave marker is inscribed with journalist Daniel Pearl's last words — Former New York City mayor Ed Koch died Friday morning at the age of 88. He plans to be buried in Manhattan, the three-term mayor said in 2008. His headstone and a memorial bench, placed at Trinity Church Cemetery in 2009 …
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog, Boing Boing, Joe. My. God. and Capital New York, more at Mediagazer »
Post Politics:
Scott Brown won't run for Senate — Former Massachusetts Republican senator Scott Brown will not run in the special election for outgoing Democratic Sen. John Kerry's seat, according to a Republican source familiar with his plans. Brown's decision means Kerry's seat is very likely to remain in Democratic hands.
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, Firedoglake, The Boston Globe, The Fix, Daily Kos, Weasel Zippers, Mediaite, Prairie Weather, Viral Read and DownWithTyranny!
RELATED:
Alexandra Jaffe / Ballot Box:
Scott Brown rules out another Senate bid in Massachusetts
Scott Brown rules out another Senate bid in Massachusetts
Discussion:
Political Watch
Hillary Chabot / Boston Herald:
Charlie Baker rules out U.S. Senate run
Charlie Baker rules out U.S. Senate run
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online and Salon
Dan Merica / CNN:
Opt out option expected for religious insurers who oppose contraceptives — Washington (CNN) — Religiously affiliated organizations will be able to opt out of providing their employees with insurance coverage for contraceptives under updates to an Obama administration mandate that the Department …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, National Review, Weekly Standard, Business Insider, LifeNews.com, The Confluence and Hot Air
RELATED:
Sarah Kliff / Wonkblog:
The White House's contraceptives compromise — The Obama administration proposed broader latitude Friday for religious nonprofits that object to the mandated coverage of contraceptives, one that will allow large faith-based hospitals and universities to issue plans that do not directly provide birth control coverage.
Discussion:
BuzzFeed, Hit & Run, The National Memo, The Maddow Blog and Say Anything
Matt Cover / CNSNews:
IRS: Cheapest Obamacare Plan Will Be $20,000 Per Family — (CNSNews.com) - In a final regulation issued Wednesday, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) assumed that under Obamacare the cheapest health insurance plan available in 2016 for a family will cost $20,000 for the year.
RELATED:
Kevin Drum / Mother Jones:
Conservatives Shocked to Discover Healthcare in America is Really Expensive
Conservatives Shocked to Discover Healthcare in America is Really Expensive
Discussion:
Shakesville and americanthinker.com
Suzan Fraser / Associated Press:
POLICE: SUICIDE BOMBING AT US EMBASSY, 2 DEAD … ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A suspected suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at the entrance of the U.S. Embassy in the Turkish capital on Friday, killing himself and one other person, officials said. — U.S. Ambassador Francis Ricciardione …
Discussion:
Firedoglake, BBC, Wired, The Gateway Pundit, The Jawa Report, The Heritage Foundation, rubber hose, americanthinker.com, Viral Read and Taylor Marsh
RELATED:
Jonathon Burch / Reuters:
Suicide bomber kills guard at U.S. embassy in Turkey
Suicide bomber kills guard at U.S. embassy in Turkey
Discussion:
Associated Press, WorldViews, Weasel Zippers, Ricochet Conversations Feed and Mashable!
Energy.gov:
Letter from Secretary Steven Chu to Energy Department Employees Announcing His Decision Not to Serve a Second Term — U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu during an online town hall to discuss President Obama's clean energy and innovation agenda on January 11, 2011. Photo by Charles Watkins, Contractor, Energy Department
Discussion:
CNN, Washington Wire, Wonkblog, The Daily Caller, New York Times, Twitchy and Post Politics
RELATED:
Darius Dixon / Politico:
Energy Secretary Steven Chu to resign
Energy Secretary Steven Chu to resign
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online and This Just In
Matthew Lee / Associated Press:
AP Interview: Clinton raps Benghazi critics — WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is leaving office with a slap at critics of the Obama administration's handling of the September attack on a U.S. diplomatic mission in Libya. She told The Associated Press that critics …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, The Week, Washington Monthly, Taylor Marsh, Jammie Wearing Fools and Twitchy
RELATED:
Terence P. Jeffrey / CNSNews:
State Dept. Publicized Names, Photos of Stevens' Benghazi Security Detail Before 9/11/12 …
State Dept. Publicized Names, Photos of Stevens' Benghazi Security Detail Before 9/11/12 …
Discussion:
protein wisdom
Wall Street Journal:
Economy Adds 157,000 Jobs — WASHINGTON—The job market plodded along in January, signaling slow economic growth to start the year. — Employers added 157,000 jobs last month, the Labor Department said Friday. The unemployment rate, obtained by a separate survey of U.S. households …
Discussion:
americanthinker.com and Taegan Goddard's …
RELATED:
Catherine Rampell / New York Times:
U.S. Adds 157,000 Jobs; Jobless Rate Edges Up to 7.9%
U.S. Adds 157,000 Jobs; Jobless Rate Edges Up to 7.9%
Discussion:
Wonkblog, White House.gov Blog, Economix, Quartz, AMERICAblog, The Week, Outside the Beltway and Angry Bear
Scott Keyes / ThinkProgress:
Hannity Explodes After Being Confronted By ThinkProgress About Previous Offer To Be Waterboarded For Charity — Fox News host Sean Hannity is so adamant that waterboarding is not torture that he once offered to be waterboarded at a charity event and donate the proceeds to soldiers' families.
Discussion:
NewsHounds blog and Mediaite
Frank Newport / Gallup:
Alabama, North Dakota, Wyoming Most Conservative States — Americans slightly less conservative, slightly more liberal — PRINCETON, NJ — Alabama, North Dakota, and Wyoming were the most conservative states in the union in 2012, with between 49% and 50% of residents in each identifying their ideology as conservative.
Discussion:
Politico, Say Anything and Weasel Zippers
Politico:
Secret donors back new Obamacare push — Several former White House staffers have found a new way to promote Obamacare: They're spending millions of dollars in secret corporate and union cash, and they're harnessing grass-roots tactics to some of the biggest names in the health care industry.
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon and First Read
Lauren Weber / Wall Street Journal:
Americans Rip Up Retirement Plans — Nearly Two-Thirds of Those Between 45 and 60 Plan Delays, a Steep Rise From Two Years Ago — Matt Stern, 51, a former hedge-fund analyst, says he may have to rethink retirement. He had expected to be able to retire at 62. — The American workplace is about to get grayer.
Discussion:
The PJ Tatler and Via Meadia