Top Items:
David Brooks / New York Times:
The D.C. Dubstep — On July 26, 2011, Jack Lew, then the White House budget director, went to Harry Reid's office for a budget strategy session. According to Bob Woodward's book, “The Price of Politics,” Lew told the Senate majority leader that they had come up with a trigger idea to force a budget deal.
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Reuters:
Is Obama overplaying sequester hand? — President Barack Obama's greatest adversary in the latest budget battle isn't the Republican leadership in Congress — it's his confidence in his own ability to force a win. — He has been so certain of his campaign skills that he didn't open a line …
Discussion:
Associated Press, The Moderate Voice, CNN, NationalJournal.com, The Democratic Daily, The Hill, Right Wing News, Hot Air, Taylor Marsh and Politico
Peggy Noonan / Wall Street Journal:
Noonan: Government by Freakout — Obama's scare tactics aren't much of a long-term strategy. — The president's sequester strategy is like Howard Beale in “Network”: “Woe is us. . . . And woe is us! We're in a lot of trouble!” — It is always cliffs, ceilings and looming catastrophes with Barack Obama.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Ed Driscoll and No More Mister Nice Blog
White House Memo / New York Times:
For Obama and Team, Calm, Not Crisis, in Latest Fiscal Battle
For Obama and Team, Calm, Not Crisis, in Latest Fiscal Battle
Discussion:
The Week, The Reaction and The Plum Line
Patrick O'Connor / Wall Street Journal:
The GOP Splits Over Pressure to Slash Defense Budget
The GOP Splits Over Pressure to Slash Defense Budget
Discussion:
Right Turn and The Maddow Blog
Numbers / Pew Research Center for the People …:
As Sequester Deadline Looms, Little Support for Cutting Most Programs — OVERVIEW — As the March 1 deadline for a possible budget sequester approaches, a new national survey finds limited public support for reducing spending for a range of specific programs, including defense, entitlements, education and health care.
Discussion:
The Fix, Politico, CNN and Firedoglake
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New York Times:
Why Taxes Have to Go Up — Democrats and Republicans remain at odds on how to avoid a round of budget cuts so deep and arbitrary that to allow them now could push the economy back into recession. The cuts, known as a sequester, will kick in March 1 unless Republicans agree to President Obama's demand …
Discussion:
JustOneMinute, NewsBusters blogs and AEIdeas
Jane Mayer / News Desk:
Is Senator Ted Cruz our new McCarthy? — Last week, Texas Senator Ted Cruz's prosecutorial style of questioning Chuck Hagel, President Obama's nominee for Defense Secretary, came so close to innuendo that it raised eyebrows in Congress, even among his Republican colleagues.
Discussion:
The Maddow Blog, Daily Kos, A plain blog about politics, Taegan Goddard's …, Pressing Issues and Althouse
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Henry J. Gomez / Plain Dealer:
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz tells Cuyahoga County GOP it's time for new generation of leaders
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz tells Cuyahoga County GOP it's time for new generation of leaders
Discussion:
NBCNews.com and The Hill
Andrew Kirell / Mediaite:
Ann Coulter Battles Stossel, Calls Libertarians ‘Pussies,’ And Gets Booed By Room Full Of Students — What do you get when you invite outspoken conservative firebrand Ann Coulter to debate outspoken libertarian John Stossel in front of an audience of 1,000+ libertarian students? — Fireworks, that's what.
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, BuzzFeed, Salon, Hot Air, The Hinterland Gazette and The Raw Story
Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
Oscar Predictions, Election-Style — Twice before, in 2009 and 2011, I sought to predict the Academy Award winners in six major categories based on a mix of statistical factors. My track record? Nine correct picks in 12 tries, for a 75 percent success rate.
Discussion:
Pressing Issues and Towleroad News #gay
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Jason Kurtz / Piers Morgan:
Jimmy Carter on “Argo”: “It's a great drama, and I hope it gets the Academy Award for best film …
Jimmy Carter on “Argo”: “It's a great drama, and I hope it gets the Academy Award for best film …
Discussion:
Politico and Taegan Goddard's …
Greg Hinz / Chicago Business:
Emanuel's poll rating turns negative — Burdened by a wave of murders, dissension over proposed school closings and perhaps his own hard-ball image, Mayor Rahm Emanuel's job-approval rating has taken a big hit in recent months, according to a new Crain's/Ipsos Illinois Poll.
Discussion:
nation.foxnews.com and Taegan Goddard's …
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Edward McClelland / nbcchicago.com:
Mayor Emanuel's Approval Rating In The Tank
Mayor Emanuel's Approval Rating In The Tank
Discussion:
Capitol Fax.com and Washington Examiner
Rush Limbaugh:
For the First Time in My Life, I Am Ashamed of My Country — RUSH: To be watching all of this, to be treated like this, to have our common sense and intelligence insulted the way it's being insulted? It just makes me ashamed... Panic here, fear there: Crisis, destruction, no meat inspection …
Discussion:
Scared Monkeys, Hot Air, KDVR.com, Examiner, The Gateway Pundit and BuzzFeed
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Charlie Spiering / Washington Examiner:
Did Rush Limbaugh just launch a Tea Party revival effort?
Did Rush Limbaugh just launch a Tea Party revival effort?
Discussion:
Washington Monthly
Donovan Slack / Politico:
Obama meets with African American leaders — President Obama dropped in on a meeting with African American leaders at the White House Thursday to discuss his “plan to strengthen the economy for the middle class and continue to build ladders of opportunity for those striving to get there,” the White House said.
Discussion:
Weekly Standard and Weasel Zippers
RedFlagNews.com:
DISTURBING REPORT: VETERANS ARE RECEIVING LETTERS FROM VA PROHIBITING THE OWNERSHIP OR PURCHASE OF FIREARMS... DEVELOPING... Written By Constitutional Attorney Michael Connelly, J.D. — How would you feel if you received a letter from the U.S. Government informing you that because of a physical …
Discussion:
protein wisdom and The Gateway Pundit
Scott Conroy / Real Clear Politics:
Can Democrats Mess With Texas in 2016? — AUSTIN, Texas — From its modest headquarters on the first floor of a local union building about five miles from the State Capitol, the Democratic Party of Texas is trying to turn demographics into destiny. — With white, non-Hispanic voters …
Discussion:
Hot Air, The Rightnewz, Mediaite and Booman Tribune
Justin Sink / Ballot Box:
Colbert hopes jokes don't ‘sully’ sister's congressional bid — Comedian Stephen Colbert said Thursday that he hopes his late-night television persona parodying conservative talk-show hosts doesn't “sully” his sister's congressional bid in South Carolina's first district.
Megan McArdle / Asymmetrical Information:
America's New Mandarins — The paths to power and success are narrowing. So is the worldview of the powerful. — Yesterday, I wrote about the silliness of requiring a file clerk to have a college degree. This morning, a friend sent me the following note about the narrowing of opportunity in modern America:
Discussion:
The American Mind and Mother Jones
David Taintor / Talking Points Memo:
Aurora Victim's Mom Calls McCain Town Hall ‘Appalling’ — The mother of a young man killed in the Aurora, Colo. movie theater massacre told TPM on Thursday she was appalled at the way Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) handled her question about an assault weapons ban at a town hall event in Phoenix.
Discussion:
msnbc.com, nation.foxnews.com, Daily Kos, Washington Free Beacon, Prairie Weather and Balloon Juice
John Hooper / Guardian:
Papal resignation linked to inquiry into ‘Vatican gay officials’, says paper — Pope's staff decline to confirm or deny La Repubblica claims linking ‘Vatileaks’ affair and discovery of ‘blackmailed gay clergy’ — A potentially explosive report has linked the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI …
Discussion:
Wonkette, The Dish, Outside the Beltway and The Hinterland Gazette
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Pelosi to GOP: You oppose minimum wage hike at your peril — As I reported here yesterday, Democrats are drawing up plans to run hard on Obama's proposal to raise minimum wage in the 2014 Congressional elections. What few people remember is that there's precedent for this …
Discussion:
Prairie Weather, The Daily Caller and Hot Air