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Gov. Rick Scott, feds reach Medicaid deal — TALLAHASSEE — Hours after the federal government agreed to grant Florida a conditional waiver to privatize Medicaid statewide, Gov. Rick Scott appears ready to endorse a plan to conditionally expand the health care program to about 1 million Floridians or more.
Discussion:
msnbc.com, Naked Politics, Washington Examiner, Daily Kos, Joe. My. God. and Mother Jones
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I Am Very Disappointed in Governor Rick Scott
Discussion:
Hot Air and The Raw Story


Florida Gov. Rick Scott proposes expansion of Medicaid to add 1 million uninsured
Discussion:
Mother Jones


Obama Rated at 3-Year High in Poll, Republicans at Bottom — President Barack Obama enters the latest budget showdown with Congress with his highest job- approval rating in three years and public support for his economic message, while his Republican opponents' popularity stands at a record low.
Discussion:
The Maddow Blog, Taegan Goddard's …, The Hill, Politico, Prairie Weather, The Moderate Voice, Daily Kos and alan.com
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On issues, public is more aligned with Obama than GOP — SETTING A NATIONAL AGENDA: WHAT NEEDS TO GET DONE THIS YEAR? — In a USA TODAY/Pew Research Center Poll, Americans were asked how urgent it was for President Obama and Congress to pass major legislation on some top issues this year.
Discussion:
Balloon Juice


G.O.P. Resisting Obama on Tax Increase — WASHINGTON — House Republicans, shrugging off rising pressure from President Obama, are resolutely opposing new tax increases to head off $85 billion in across-the-board spending reductions, all but ensuring the cuts will go into force March 1 …
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New study badly undermines GOP position on sequester — In a rational world, a new study that came out today on income equality would constitute a major blow to the GOP argument on the sequester. — The new study was performed by Thomas Hungerford of the non-partisan Congressional Research Service.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, ThinkProgress, Mother Jones, Washington Examiner and AMERICAblog

The GOP's astonishingly bad message on sequester cuts
Discussion:
americanthinker.com, ABCNEWS, CRFB.org, Booman Tribune, msnbc.com, American Prospect, Liberal Values, NO QUARTER USA NET, Talking Points Memo, Washington Wire, Business Insider, Hit & Run, The Maddow Blog, AMERICAblog, Rush Limbaugh, Taylor Marsh, Patterico's Pontifications, CNN, Daily Kos and Hullabaloo

PowerPoint Presentation Shows Boehner Selling The Sequester To His Members In 2011
Discussion:
Slate, DownWithTyranny!, The Great Debate and PoliticusUSA


Majority of U.S. citizens say illegal immigrants should be deported — (Reuters) - More than half of U.S. citizens believe that most or all of the country's 11 million illegal immigrants should be deported, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday that highlights …
Discussion:
Boston Herald, Right Wing News, Weasel Zippers and American Power
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Sen. Cruz: Obama trying to ‘scuttle’ immigration reform — Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) on Wednesday charged that President Obama was seeking to “scuttle” efforts at immigration reform by pushing for a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the country.
Discussion:
Politico and Trail Blazers Blog

Stuff gets in the way — Why would a couple risk so much — respect and even their freedom — for furs, furniture and a fedora? — This was the question that came to my mind when I read the federal charges against Jesse L. Jackson Jr., the former congressman from Illinois.
Discussion:
NewsBusters, Roll Call, The Fix and Althouse
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Jesse Jackson Jr., wife plead guilty to charges involving campaign funds
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, The Other McCain, Washington Times, NewsBusters and Michelle Malkin

Jackson Jr. faces 47-57 months in prison
Discussion:
NewsBusters blogs and The Moderate Voice

Release Detail — February 21, 2013 - Donor Controversy Takes Toll On NJ Senator, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Booker Tops Rivera 2-1 In 2014 Senate Race — New Jersey voters disapprove 41 - 36 percent of the job U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez is doing, a 15-point drop in less than a month …
Discussion:
Politico and NBC Latino


Ex-Sen. Domenici discloses son born in secrecy — Former New Mexico Sen. Pete Domenici told the Journal on Tuesday he fathered a son outside of his marriage over 30 years ago, revealing a secret kept for decades. — Statements given to the Journal by Domenici and the son's mother …
Discussion:
The Atlantic Wire, The Other McCain, Post Politics, Truthdig, Hullabaloo, Washington Wire, Talking Points Memo, Roll Call, Daily Kos, The Raw Story, CNN, Politico, The Hill, Gretawire, Gawker and alan.com

The More Things Change ... Despite spending a lot of time reading and thinking about the Voting Rights Act case the Supreme Court will hear next week, there's a puzzle I'm still trying to crack: — How can it be that one of the crowning achievements of the civil rights movement …
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Will Supreme Court End Federal Limits on Campaign Donations?
Discussion:
The Raw Story, Hit & Run, The Reaction, The Week, Hot Air and New York Times


George Galloway in anti-Israel storm — Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash Player. — To view the video directly, please click here — Video: Eylon Aslan-Levy — George Galloway, the Respect MP for Bradford West, has been accused by Oxford students of anti-semitism.
Discussion:
Guardian, Telegraph and Michael J. Totten's blog


First on EWN: Pistorius cop facing ‘drunken’ shooting charges — JOHANNESBURG - Eyewitness News has learnt that the investigating officer in Oscar Pistorius' criminal case is in fact facing seven counts of attempted murder. — The charges are related to a shooting incident which occurred …
Discussion:
TalkLeft, BBC, Gawker and No More Mister Nice Blog

Ted Cruz a Lifeline for the Conservative Party? — HOUSTON — Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is one of the few Republicans these days described as a potential “rock star” for the party. As a freshman, he is already starting to shake things up in Washington. — So, what makes this Lone Star lawmaker tick?
Discussion:
Salon, The Huffington Post, Trail Blazers Blog, Crooks and Liars and myfoxaustin.com
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Cruz Plays the Race Card
Discussion:
Patterico's Pontifications, Power Line, Hot Air and American Prospect

Lawyers on Abuse Suits in Milwaukee Depose Dolan — A week before Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan is set to leave New York for Rome, where his name is being floated as a candidate for pope, he was questioned for three hours on Wednesday behind closed doors in a legal deposition concerning the sexual abuse of children by priests.
Discussion:
Joe. My. God., Hullabaloo, americanthinker.com and The Dish

State reps propose repealing 17th Amendment — The 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was adopted on May 31, 1913, and provided for the direct election of U.S. Senators by popular vote. — Now, 100 years later, a group of Georgia state representatives would like to repeal the 17th Amendment …
Discussion:
TheBlaze.com and The National Memo


Sen. Graham: I Support Drone Strikes — Senator Lindsey Graham on judicial approval of drone use: “We're not fighting a crime, we're fighting a war.” — Senator Lindsey Graham said he supports the president's use of drone strikes in the Middle East. — Graham spoke to Easley Rotary …
Discussion:
The Hill, Politics, Power …, Wired and CNN

AAA reports largest increase in gasoline prices in three years — The 44-cent jump in gasoline prices over the past four weeks was the largest in well over three years, according to AAA. — “The 44-cent month-over-month increase is the most dramatic since June 2009.