Top Items:
Jesse Helfrich / The Hill:
Obama honeymoon may be over — The second-term honeymoon for President Obama is beginning to look like it is over. — Obama, who was riding high after his reelection win in November, has seen his poll numbers take a precipitous fall in recent weeks. — A CNN poll released Tuesday showed …
Discussion:
neo-neocon and Prairie Weather
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Politico:
Robert Menendez donor courted President Obama, Harry Reid — Salomon Melgen had a knack for going straight to the top. — He posed for pictures with President Barack Obama, flew Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on his private jet and sought advice on a port security deal from an ex-CIA agent …
Zack Beauchamp / ThinkProgress:
Why Harry Reid Must Make Universal Background Checks Part Of Gun Law Reform
Why Harry Reid Must Make Universal Background Checks Part Of Gun Law Reform
Discussion:
The Raw Story, No More Mister Nice Blog, Prairie Weather and The Hill
ESPN:
Obama takes Indiana over Louisville for title — President Barack Obama is favoring the Big Ten in this year's NCAA tournament, ultimately selecting Indiana to win it all. — The president predicted that Louisville, Indiana, Ohio State and Florida will reach the Final Four …
Discussion:
White House.gov Blog, Politico, National Republican …, TheBlaze.com and Bleacher Report
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Associated Press:
PRESIDENT OBAMA MAKES HIS FINAL FOUR PICKS
PRESIDENT OBAMA MAKES HIS FINAL FOUR PICKS
Discussion:
The Lonely Conservative, “The Lid”, Weasel Zippers and The PJ Tatler
Matt Berman / NationalJournal.com:
Want to Win Your March Madness Pool? Don't Follow Obama's Bracket.
Want to Win Your March Madness Pool? Don't Follow Obama's Bracket.
Discussion:
Yahoo! News, The Daily Caller, Bleacher Report, BuzzFeed and Post Politics
McKay Coppins / BuzzFeed:
Religious Right Could Be Left Behind By New Republican Plan — Abandoned by the Establishment, beset by libertarians, the base is playing defense. — Image by John Gara/Buzzfeed — When the great Republican resurrection comes to pass, will conservative Christians be left behind?
Discussion:
American Prospect, Taylor Marsh, Daily Kos, The Daily Caller and The Week
Toddstarnes / Fox News:
Family's Home Raided over Facebook Photo of Child's Rifle — New Jersey police and Dept. of Children and Families officials raided the home of a firearms instructor and demanded to see his guns after he posted a Facebook photo of his 11-year-old son holding a rifle. — FOLLOW TODD ON FACEBOOK FOR CULTURE WAR NEWS.
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Ezra Klein / Bloomberg:
Mistakes, Excuses and Painful Lessons From the Iraq War — I supported the Iraq War, and I'm sorry. — I have my excuses, of course. I was a college student, young and dumb. I thought that if U.S. President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell and former President Bill Clinton …
Discussion:
The Dish, Booman Tribune, Hit & Run, Salon, A plain blog about politics and The Atlantic Online
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John Yoo / Ricochet Conversations Feed:
Considering Iraq: Another View
Considering Iraq: Another View
Discussion:
ThinkProgress and The Atlantic Online
Bruce Smith / Associated Press:
Sanford advances to GOP runoff in SC House race — CHARLESTON, S.C. — Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford advanced Tuesday to a runoff in the Republican contest for an open congressional seat, taking a step toward reviving a political career that was derailed by an extramarital affair while he was governor.
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Jonathan Easley / The Hill:
On first visit to Israel as president, Obama vows ‘eternal’ alliance — President Obama arrived in Israel on Wednesday and praised the “eternal” alliance between the U.S. and Mideast nation. — Obama was greeted at Ben Gurion airport at Tel Aviv by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on his first visit to Israel as president.
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Tara Culp-Ressler / ThinkProgress:
Sugary Drinks Linked To 180,000 Annual Deaths Around The World — New research finds that the consumption of sugary drinks and sodas contributes to about 180,000 obesity-related deaths around the world — including the deaths of about 25,000 adult Americans — each year.
Discussion:
Questions and Observations
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Drew Armstrong / Bloomberg:
Sugared Drinks Tied to 180,000 Deaths Worldwide Each Year — Sugary drinks and sodas may be associated with about 180,000 deaths a year worldwide, including 25,000 in the U.S., by exacerbating conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer, a study found.
Discussion:
The AHA/ASA Newsroom, The Daily Caller and Alan Colmes' Liberaland
Howard Kurtz / The Daily Beast:
Roger Ailes Couldn't Care Less What You Think About His Obama Comments — The Fox News chief tells Howard Kurtz he stands by the laziness charge and says Sarah Palin made ‘mistakes’ and that Dick Morris looked like a ‘jerk’ when he predicted a Romney landslide. Plus, read the 16 juiciest bits from the new Ailes biography.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, Mediaite, New Republic and TVNewser, more at Mediagazer »
Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:
Americans Widely Back Government Job Creation Proposals — Seven in 10 favor business tax breaks and infrastructure repair programs — PRINCETON, NJ — Americans widely support each of three job creation proposals, including offering tax breaks to businesses that create jobs in the U.S …
Reuters:
Cyprus seeks Russian bailout aid, EU threatens cutoff — (Reuters) - Cyprus pleaded for a new loan from Russia on Wednesday to avert a financial meltdown, but won no immediate relief after the island's parliament rejected the terms of a European bailout, raising the risk of default and a bank crash.
Discussion:
The Week, Hot Air and Wall Street Journal
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Ian Deitch / ABCNEWS:
Israeli Official: Chemical Weapons Used in Syria — A senior Israeli official said Wednesday that it is “apparently clear” that chemical weapons were recently used in Syria, and that the alleged attack will be a main topic of conversation with visiting President Barack Obama.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Yahoo! News, The Dish, ABCNEWS, Foreign Policy and Talking Points Memo
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Mike Lupica / NY Daily News:
Spineless pols spit on the graves of Newtown victims by not pushing for assault weapons ban — The words of a teary-eyed President and other politicians meant nothing, because they didn't turn into action, as a ban on assault weapons won't be included in gun legislation that's shaping up in the U.S. Senate.
Washington Post:
Ken Cuccinelli's airbrushed policies — VIRGINIA ATTORNEY General Ken Cuccinelli II (R) casts himself as a no-apologies conservative. But when it comes to his campaign for governor, Mr. Cuccinelli isn't beyond a little airbrushing. — As recently as November, Mr. Cuccinelli's campaign Web site boasted …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo and The Maddow Blog
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Daniel Klaidman / The Daily Beast:
Exclusive: No More Drones for CIA — Three senior officials tell Daniel Klaidman that the Obama administration is poised to shift the CIA's drone program to the Pentagon. — At a time when controversy over the Obama administration's drone program seems to be cresting …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, FP Passport, Wired, emptywheel, Lawfare, Mashable! and The Raw Story
Christine Haughney / New York Times:
Journalism Professor Sues Columbia, Claiming Misuse of Endowment Funds — A tenured professor at Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism and co-director of that school's business program filed a lawsuit on Tuesday accusing the university of misdirecting $4.5 million in funds over the last decade.
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon, more at Mediagazer »
Fox News:
DHS questioned over decision to let Saudi passengers skip normal passport controls — A Department of Homeland Security program intended to give “trusted traveler” status to low-risk airline passengers soon will be extended to Saudi travelers, opening the program to criticism for accommodating …
Discussion:
Jihad Watch, The Jawa Report, Weasel Zippers, Blazing Cat Fur and American Spectator
Associated Press:
Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper signs gun control bills — DENVER — Gov. John Hickenlooper signed bills Wednesday that place new restrictions on firearms and signaled a change for Democrats who traditionally shied away from gun control debate in Colorado - a state with a moderate streak …
Discussion:
CNN, The Gateway Pundit and Business Insider
James Hohmann / Politico:
No, wait — could Rand Paul actually win? — A few weeks ago, Rand Paul was far down the list of 2016 GOP presidential prospects — a freshman senator with a devoted but mostly marginal following of young libertarians. — Now he's being mentioned in the same breath as Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush.
Discussion:
Hit & Run and New Republic
Erik Wasson / The Hill:
Durbin: Grand bargain odds less than 50-50 — A debt-ceiling hike could be a “catalyst” for a deal, but the Senate majority whip isn't terribly optimistic. — Durbin said that the need to raise the nation's $16.6 trillion debt ceiling this summer will provide an “opportunity” …
Discussion:
Firedoglake