Top Items:
Rachel Donadio / New York Times:
Frail Pope Breaks Tradition and Resigns — VATICAN CITY — Citing advanced years and infirmity, but showing characteristic tough-mindedness and unpredictability, Pope Benedict XVI shocked Roman Catholics on Monday by saying that he would resign on Feb. 28, becoming the first pope to do so in six centuries.
Discussion:
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Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:
What Did Pope Benedict Do, Anyway? — Pope Benedict XVI, who took office in 2005, announced on Monday that he will resign on Feb. 28, the first pope to leave the papacy since Pope Gregory XII in 1415. The 85-year-old pontiff is in poor health and has been advised by doctors “not to take any more transatlantic trips.”
Discussion:
NBCNews.com, en.radiovaticana.va, NPR, ProfessorBainbridge.com, NewsHounds blog, msnbc.com, Law Blog and FIRST DRAFT
David Willey / BBC:
Pope Benedict XVI — Born in Germany in 1927, joined Hitler Youth during WWII and was conscripted as an anti-aircraft gunner but deserted — As Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger spent 24 years in charge of Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith - once known as the Holy Office of the Inquisition
Discussion:
Twitchy, The Week, The Anchoress, The Daily Beast, Reuters, Telegraph, Guardian, The Moderate Voice, NBCNews.com, Babalú Blog, Da Tech Guy's Blog, Klavan On The Culture, his vorpal sword, Hot Air, Agence France Presse, The PJ Tatler, Red Alert Politics, The Other McCain and Scared Monkeys
Max Fisher / WorldViews:
The bizarre stories of the four other popes to have resigned in the last 1,000 years
The bizarre stories of the four other popes to have resigned in the last 1,000 years
Discussion:
Guardian, Washington Post, The Fix, Poynter, Hit & Run and FIRST DRAFT
ncronline.org:
Can a pope resign? — Yes, a pope can resign — up to 10 popes …
Can a pope resign? — Yes, a pope can resign — up to 10 popes …
Discussion:
NPR, Firedoglake and The Dish
Reid J. Epstein / Politico:
Biden praises Pope Benedict's integrity, jokes he won't run to succeed him
Biden praises Pope Benedict's integrity, jokes he won't run to succeed him
Discussion:
CNN, ABCNEWS and Weasel Zippers
John Stanton / BuzzFeed:
Catholic Left Looks For An Opening With A New Pope
Duck of Minerva:
What Political Science Says About Papal Elections
What Political Science Says About Papal Elections
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Washington Post, Spectator, The Dish, Daniel W. Drezner, Hot Air, National Review and Blazing Cat Fur
USA Today:
Pope Benedict XVI to resign
Pope Benedict XVI to resign
Discussion:
The Reaction, The Awl, The Agonist and The Latest Word
Phil Bronstein / Esquire:
The Man Who Killed Osama bin Laden... Is Screwed — For the first time, the Navy SEAL who killed Osama bin Laden tells his story — speaking not just about the raid and the three shots that changed history, but about the personal aftermath for himself and his family.
Discussion:
The Jawa Report, CNN, Wonkblog, The Moderate Voice, Truthdig, Hot Air, Washington Examiner, The Impolitic, Guardian, Newser, NO QUARTER USA NET, Weasel Zippers, Mediaite, AMERICAblog, The Week, Politico, The Raw Story, The Gateway Pundit, alan.com, NPR, BuzzFeed, emptywheel, Gawker, The Daily Caller and Jammie Wearing Fools
Glenn Thrush / Politico:
Obama's State of the Union: Aggressive — President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech will be less a presidential olive branch than a congressional cattle prod. — Emboldened by electoral victory and convinced the GOP is unwilling to cut deals, Obama plans to use his big prime …
Discussion:
CNN, alan.com, NBCNews.com, New York Times, American Prospect, USA Today, Shakesville, The Plum Line, First Read, Hot Air, The Huffington Post, msnbc.com and The Hill
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Jonathan Allen / Politico:
Gabrielle Giffords stars in gun control ad
Gabrielle Giffords stars in gun control ad
Discussion:
The Caucus, NPR and The Week
Meghashyam Mali / The Hill:
Sen. Inhofe threatens filibuster to block Hagel — Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) on Sunday threatened to filibuster former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.)'s nomination for Defense secretary, if necessary to prevent his confirmation. — “I want a 60-vote margin and you don't have to filibuster to get that …
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Tim Mak / Politico:
GOP threatens walkout on Chuck Hagel vote
GOP threatens walkout on Chuck Hagel vote
Discussion:
The Hill, CBS News, Israel Matzav, National Review, Washington Monthly, The Week, Lawfare and Taylor Marsh
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Don't Believe the Hype — Let's just say it: Marco Rubio is the Wes Clark of 2013. Only with many fewer accomplishments. — It pains me to say this because I'm an admirer of Gen. Wesley Clark. I think he would have made a good president. He was an extremely accomplished career military officer.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Crooks and Liars, The Daily Caller, Booman Tribune and The Raw Story
Stephen Dinan / Washington Times:
Ted Nugent to be guest at State of the Union — While other members of Congress are hosting gun-control advocates for Tuesday's State of the Union address, Rep. Steve Stockman has given one of his visitor's gallery tickets to Ted Nugent, the conservative gun-rights supporter.
Discussion:
Mediaite, The Gateway Pundit and The Right Scoop
Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
New Rove Group Could Backfire on G.O.P. — The strategist Karl Rove and his allies last week announced the formation of Conservative Victory Project, a new “super PAC” designed to lend support to what they see as more electable candidates in Republican Senate primaries.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly and Prairie Weather
Neil Irwin / Washington Post:
Is Congress really going to miss its free lunch on infrastructure? — Since the election, there have been hints that we could be entering a period with some actual productive, bipartisan dealmaking, most explicitly on immigration reform. But the Republican reaction to Obama's expected proposals …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, American Prospect, Mother Jones and No More Mister Nice Blog
New York Times:
Quietly Killing a Consumer Watchdog — If you'd like to know why Republicans are trying to shut down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, take a look at three things the agency has already accomplished in its first 18 months: — ¶ It called a halt to predatory practices by mortgage lenders …
Discussion:
Hillman Foundation blogs, Prairie Weather, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Daily Kos
Ian Millhiser / ThinkProgress:
Justice Ginsburg: The Senate Is ‘Destroying The United States’ Reputation... As A Beacon of Democracy' — Two years ago, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg lamented that if she were nominated today to her current job on the Supreme Court, her “ACLU connection would probably disqualify” her from being confirmed.
Annie-Rose Strasser / ThinkProgress:
Virginia Cuts State Employees' Hours To Avoid Providing Obamacare Coverage — As part of his state's new budget, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) and his administration are trying to force potentially tens of thousands of public sector employees in the state to work fewer hours so that the government …
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, Mock, Paper, Scissors and Balloon Juice
Ben Smith / BuzzFeed:
Obama Prepares To Screw His Base — Young people reelected the president. Now they get to pay disproportionately for ObamaCare. — President Obama talks with college students while waiting for an order of fries at OMG Burgers in Coral Gables, Florida last September. — Image by C.W. Griffin/Miami Herald/MCT
Ben Terris / NationalJournal.com:
The Curse of the State of the Union Aisle Seat — Lawmakers wait for hours to get one of these coveted seats, but at what cost? — Some members wait for hours just for a chance to be in this picture. (Richard A. Bloom/Photo illustration) — It was supposed to be one of the best seats in the House.
Discussion:
Michelle Malkin, Weasel Zippers, The Atlantic Online and TheBlaze.com
Kate Sheppard / Mother Jones:
“We're Not Going to Be Pushed Around by the Antis” — Julie Burkhart is working to bring abortion care back to Wichita. — Wichita, Kansas, has been without a local abortion provider since an anti-abortion extremist murdered Dr. George Tiller in his church in May 2009.
Wall Street Journal:
The Absentee Commander in Chief — The Defense secretary told the president that Americans in Benghazi were under attack. Then: nothing. — We've both had the honor to work in the White House. We've seen presidents, vice presidents, chiefs of staff and national security advisers during moments of international crisis.
Discussion:
Althouse, americanthinker.com and msnbc.com
Donovan Slack / Politico:
W.H.: We have a spending problem — White House press secretary Jay Carney said Monday that Washington does have a spending problem and the main driver of that problem is health-care costs. — The remarks followed a statement by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Sunday that …
Discussion:
Weekly Standard, The National Memo, Hot Air, AEIdeas and Weasel Zippers