Top Items:
Byron York / Washington Examiner:
The GOP's astonishingly bad message on sequester cuts … In a Wall Street Journal op-ed Wednesday, House Speaker John Boehner describes the upcoming sequester as a policy “that threatens U.S. national security, thousands of jobs and more.” — Which leads to the question …
Discussion:
Booman Tribune, The Maddow Blog, AMERICAblog, Daily Kos, Hullabaloo, Speaker.gov, p m carpenter's commentary and msnbc.com
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John Boehner / Wall Street Journal:
The President Is Raging Against a Budget Crisis He Created — Obama invented the ‘sequester’ in the summer of 2011 to avoid facing up to America's spending problem. — A week from now, a dramatic new federal policy is set to go into effect that threatens U.S. national security, thousands of jobs and more.
Discussion:
ABCNEWS, Firedoglake, Washington Post, American Prospect, Talking Points Memo, Business Insider, CRFB.org, Rush Limbaugh, New York Times, The Plum Line, NO QUARTER USA NET, Taylor Marsh, Hit & Run, PERRspectives, Patterico's Pontifications, Washington Wire, Mother Jones, Hot Air, CNN, American Spectator, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, msnbc.com, Right Turn, Washington Examiner, The Gateway Pundit and Gretawire
John Avlon / The Daily Beast:
The PowerPoint That Proves It's Not Obama's Sequester After All — Republicans have taken to calling the deep cuts that could reverse our hard-won economic recovery 'Obama's Sequester.' But a July 2011 PowerPoint obtained by John Avlon shows the opposite may be true.
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
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:
Sky Dancing and Mother Jones
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Shutdown isn't fight GOP wants
Shutdown isn't fight GOP wants
Discussion:
p m carpenter's commentary, Washington Monthly, Wonkblog, Politico and First Read
Kori Schulman / White House.gov Blog:
Setting the Record Straight About the Sequester
Setting the Record Straight About the Sequester
Discussion:
Liberal Values and NBC Politics
Dan Friedman / NY Daily News:
‘Friends of Hamas’: My role in the birth of a rumor — A Daily News reporter explains how he inadvertently created the myth that Chuck Hagel spoke to a non-existent group. — Daily News reporter Dan Friedman recounts the origin of a rumor he unwittingly started about Chuck Hagel (pictured) …
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Maggie Haberman / Politico:
Schumer: Chuck Hagel ‘almost had tears’ in meeting — New York Sen. Chuck Schumer said Wednesday that Chuck Hagel “almost had tears in his eyes” as he explained to the former Nebraska senator that the expression “Jewish lobby” is rooted in a negative depiction of Jews.
Discussion:
Weekly Standard, Hot Air, Israel Matzav, Connecting.the.Dots and Weasel Zippers
Daniel Halper / Weekly Standard:
Despite Controversy, Hagel's Archives Sealed Shut
Despite Controversy, Hagel's Archives Sealed Shut
Discussion:
Politico, The Hill, Washington Free Beacon and American Spectator
Jim Rutenberg / The Caucus:
Conservative News Outlets Cite Fake Group in Opposition to Hagel
Conservative News Outlets Cite Fake Group in Opposition to Hagel
Discussion:
Prairie Weather and Daily Kos
Ben Shapiro / BREITBART.COM:
NY DAILY NEWS HACK POSITS HE'S SOURCE OF ‘FRIENDS OF HAMAS,’ LIES BY OMISSION
NY DAILY NEWS HACK POSITS HE'S SOURCE OF ‘FRIENDS OF HAMAS,’ LIES BY OMISSION
Michael Warren / Weekly Standard:
Graham to Hagel: Did You Say Israel Risked Becoming an Apartheid State?
Graham to Hagel: Did You Say Israel Risked Becoming an Apartheid State?
Discussion:
The Times of Israel and Washington Free Beacon
David Taintor / Talking Points Memo:
NY Daily News Reporter: It Seems I Created ‘Friends Of Hamas’ Hagel Rumor
NY Daily News Reporter: It Seems I Created ‘Friends Of Hamas’ Hagel Rumor
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, The Maddow Blog and Mother Jones
John Robertson / Albuquerque Journal:
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:
Washington Wire, Post Politics, Roll Call, CNN, Politico, Gretawire, Watchdog.org, Hullabaloo, Gawker, The Raw Story, The Hill, alan.com and Daily Kos
Wayne Slater / Trail Blazers Blog:
Ted Cruz says attacks on Marco Rubio are because he's a Hispanic Republican — Sen. Ted Cruz says some of the attacks on fellow Republican Sen. Marco Rubio by Democrats are motivated by race. Cruz said today the fact that Rubio is a Republican Latino poses a threat to political adversaries.
Discussion:
American Prospect, Pew Research Center, Hot Air, The Hill and Post Politics
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Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Why Congress won't win a sequester showdown with President Obama — in 3 easy steps
Why Congress won't win a sequester showdown with President Obama — in 3 easy steps
Discussion:
Washington Post, Roll Call, PostPartisan, Outside the Beltway, Washington Examiner and The Hill
David Brody / CBN.com:
Ted Cruz a Lifeline for the Conservative Party?
Ted Cruz a Lifeline for the Conservative Party?
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, The Huffington Post and Trail Blazers Blog
Ed Kilgore / Washington Monthly:
Cruz Plays the Race Card
Michael Spurlin / myfoxaustin.com:
Senator Cruz tours Leander weapons manufacture
Senator Cruz tours Leander weapons manufacture
Discussion:
Salon, Reuters, The Rightnewz, Washington Examiner and Freedom's Lighthouse
The New York Times Company:
The New York Times Company Announces Plan to Sell the Boston Globe and Related Properties — The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT) today announced that it plans to sell its New England Media Group, including The Boston Globe and its related properties, and that it has retained Evercore Partners …
Discussion:
Guardian, Mashable!, Capital New York, AllThingsD and Poynter, more at Mediagazer »
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Robert Costa / National Review:
Romney to Speak at CPAC — Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney will appear at the Conservative Political Action Conference next month, according to two sources familiar with the event's itinerary. Romney's speech, which will be delivered at the Gaylord National hotel …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Politico, CNN, Post Politics, Daily Kos, Truthdig, The Hill, Hot Air and Outside the Beltway
Sam Baker / The Hill:
Florida governor backs Medicaid expansion under ‘ObamaCare’ — Florida Gov. Rick Scott endorsed the Medicaid expansion in President Obamas healthcare law on Wednesday, delivering a political coup for the White House. — Scott isn't the first high-profile GOP governor to accept the Medicaid expansion …
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Tia Mitchell / Tampa Bay Times:
Gov. Rick Scott, feds reach Medicaid deal
Gov. Rick Scott, feds reach Medicaid deal
Discussion:
Washington Examiner and Daily Kos
Cindy Adams / New York Post:
Soledad headed out at CNN — High-profile morning anchor Soledad O'Brien is on her way out at CNN as new boss Jeff Zucker moves Erin Burnett into her morning slot, Page Six has exclusively learned. — We're told award-winning journalist O'Brien has indicated she is ready to leave …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, The Other McCain, The Impolitic and American Power, more at Mediagazer »
Jeremy Herb / The Hill:
Pentagon informs Congress of plans to furlough 800K civilian workers — The Pentagon notified Congress on Wednesday it will be furloughing its civilian workforce of 800,000 employees if sequestration goes into effect March 1. — Defense officials have warned lawmakers that sequestration …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner
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Winston Jones / Douglas County Sentinel:
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, The National Memo and Taegan Goddard's …
Newt Gingrich / Human Events:
WHY KARL ROVE AND STUART STEVENS ARE PLAIN WRONG — RESIZE: — I am writing this newsletter in a very direct, no baloney, effort to get across how much trouble we Republicans are in and how real the internal party fight is going to be. — I strongly support RNC Chairman Reince Priebus' effort …
Discussion:
Hot Air, The Other McCain, Politico, neo-neocon, p m carpenter's commentary and TheBlaze.com
Mark Gokavi / Dayton, Ohio, News and Information:
Woman claims she was fired for voting for Obama — DAYTON — A Kettering woman alleges in a lawsuit that she was fired for voting for President Obama, a charge the company denies. — Patricia Kunkle is seeking in excess of $25,000 from Dayton-based defense contractor Q-Mark …
Discussion:
Mediaite, Outside the Beltway, msnbc.com, Associated Press and KDVR.com
The Great Debate:
The future of free-market healthcare — Over nearly a century, progressives have pressed for a national, single-payer healthcare system. When it comes to health reform, what have conservatives stood for? — For far too long, conservatives have failed to coalesce around a long-term vision …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Ross Douthat, AEIdeas and TheBlaze.com
Rosie Gray / BuzzFeed:
Hillary Clinton's Speaking Fee North Of $200K — It puts her in the stratosphere of the speaking circuit, along with her husband and Arnold Schwarzenegger. — Image by Win McNamee / Getty Images — WASHINGTON — Now that she's out as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton isn't going to be hurting …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, CBS DC and Washington Examiner
Alexander Burns / Politico:
The GOP star you've never heard of — You haven't seen a YouTube video of Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam berating a constituent at a town hall meeting. You probably haven't watched him on Fox News. In fact, if you search the headlines for his name, you're just as likely to turn up coverage of his brother …