Top Items:
Charles P. Pierce / Esquire:
TODAY IN HAGEL BASHING — Former Senator Chuck Hagel testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee Thursday in what can only be described as nothing more than a show. — There really shouldn't be as much low farce in confirming a Cabinet appointment than was on display today …
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, The Reaction, Prairie Weather, The Right Scoop, The Plum Line, Power Line and CNN
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Winslow Wheeler / TIME:
Hagel's Hearing: Profoundly Depressing — Chuck Hagel at his confirmation hearing Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee. — Watching the Senate Armed Services Committee interact Thursday with former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel—President Obama's candidate to be secretary of defense …
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, Guardian, American Prospect and News Desk
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:
Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Betsy's Page, Weekly Standard, The Other McCain, Power Line and Slate
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, Algemeiner.com, Outside the Beltway, Twitchy, bigstory.ap.org, New York Post, Poynter, Atlas Shrugs, ABCNEWS, msnbc.com, ABCNEWS, Shakesville, The Reaction, Capital New York, New York Sun, The Week, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Fix, Taylor Marsh, Scared Monkeys, Discourse.net, The Hill, Capitol Confidential, Althouse, Deadline.com, Ricochet Conversations Feed, alan.com, Runnin' Scared, The PJ Tatler, Post Politics, Conservatives4Palin, Washington Wire and The Other McCain, 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 »
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:
The PJ Tatler, Weasel Zippers, Right Turn and Weekly Standard
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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 …
Discussion:
TBogg
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, The Daily Beast, NewsBusters blogs, Hot Air, NationalJournal.com, The Week and Washington Post
Kevin Robillard / Politico:
Hillary Clinton: ‘I am more optimistic today’ — Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said goodbye to the nation's diplomatic corps and aid workers on her last day on the job, and said she was more upbeat about the fate of the world than she had been at the start of her tenure.
Discussion:
ABCNEWS and Taylor Marsh
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Michael Tomasky / The Daily Beast:
Hillary Clinton Exits Politics: Her Enduring Legacy
Hillary Clinton Exits Politics: Her Enduring Legacy
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, The PJ Tatler, TheBlaze.com and Mediaite
Matthew Lee / Associated Press:
AP Interview: Clinton raps Benghazi critics
AP Interview: Clinton raps Benghazi critics
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, The Week, Washington Monthly, Taylor Marsh, Jammie Wearing Fools and Twitchy
Peter Nicholas / Washington Wire:
Interview: Axelrod on Hillary Clinton's Political Prospects
Interview: Axelrod on Hillary Clinton's Political Prospects
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, Washington Examiner and Wall Street Journal
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, Mother Jones, Hit & Run, The National Memo, The Maddow Blog and Say Anything
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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:
National Review, Washington Monthly, LifeNews.com, The Confluence, Hot Air, Business Insider and Weekly Standard
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.
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Kevin Drum / Mother Jones:
Conservatives Shocked to Discover Healthcare in America is Really Expensive — “Can you respond to this?” asks a reader via Twitter. “Conservative friends are posting it all over.” It turns out that “this” is a headline from CNS: … Apparently conservatives are outraged by this …
Discussion:
Shakesville and americanthinker.com
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.
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Alexis Simendinger / Real Clear Politics:
2nd Oval Office Readied in White House Rehab Project — This summer there will be two Oval Offices in the White House complex, and it won't be a case of double vision. — In preparation for a major, two-year renovation of the West Wing, the government is undertaking extensive work to complete …
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
Julie Watson / bigstory.ap.org:
APNEWSBREAK: MARINES ISSUE SURVEY ON WOMEN'S ROLE — You are here — Home » James F. Amos » APNewsBreak: Marines issue survey on women's role — SAN DIEGO (AP) — A Marine Corps survey found about 17 percent of male Marine respondents who planned to stay in the service …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, Say Anything and ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES
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:
BBC, Firedoglake, Wired, The Gateway Pundit, The Jawa Report, The Heritage Foundation, rubber hose, americanthinker.com, Viral Read and Taylor Marsh
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:
New York Times, Washington Wire, Wonkblog, The Daily Caller, Twitchy and Post Politics
Justin Sink / The Hill:
Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan to retire — Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan will retire effective Feb. 22, an agency spokesman confirmed Friday. — Sullivan, who has led the agency since 2006, began his career with the Secret Service in 1983.
Discussion:
CNN
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
Sam Baker / The Hill:
White House adviser: Obama willing to cut Medicare, but not Medicaid — Sperling said the White House is no longer willing to make even the Medicaid cuts it had previously supported, but acknowledged that puts more pressure on Medicare. — “We are not willing to accept even the Medicaid savings …
Discussion:
Firedoglake and Political Watch
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
Minnesota Legislature:
H.F. No. 243, as introduced - 88th Legislative Session (2013-2014) — 1.2 relating to public safety; establishing a crime for manufacturing, transferring, — 1.3or possessing large-capacity magazines; defining terms; providing criminal — 1.4penalties; amending Minnesota Statutes 2012 sections 624.712, by adding a
Discussion:
Power Line and Shot in the Dark