Top Items:
Carl Hulse / New York Times:
Ads Attacking Health Law Stagger Outspent Democrats — WASHINGTON — Democrats are increasingly anxious about an onslaught of television ads hitting vulnerable Senate and House candidates for their support of the new health law, since many lack the resources to fight back in the early stages of the midterm campaign.
Discussion:
Taylor Marsh, Facing South, The Plum Line, The Other McCain, The Fact Checker, Shakesville, Booman Tribune, Washington Free Beacon and Althouse
RELATED:
Politico:
Obama's plan to save the Senate — President Barack Obama has a plan to save the Senate's tenuous Democratic majority: Sell a populist message, try to make Obamacare work better and raise lots of cash. — And unlike previous years when Senate Democrats were mostly left to fight on their own …
Discussion:
CNN, The Hill, Capitol Report and WJLA-TV
Kathleen Hennessey / Los Angeles Times:
Obama's visit to North Carolina may be awkward for Democratic senator — President Obama comes to a struggling North Carolina with an economic message, but the state's Democratic senator, facing reelection, won't be there. — President Obama unveiled his jobs bill in Raleigh, N.C., in 2011.
Discussion:
The Reaction and Moe Lane
The Hill:
Democrats hope Obama meeting means more humility in 2014 — Frustrated Senate Democrats hope a meeting set to take place on Wednesday with President Obama will help them turn a corner with a White House they see as too distant and insular. — Aides say the new faces joining …
Discussion:
Hot Air, Mediaite and Jammie Wearing Fools
Sam Baker / NationalJournal.com:
White House Moves Obamacare Goalposts Again
White House Moves Obamacare Goalposts Again
Discussion:
Salon, Off the Charts Blog, Bloomberg, MetroTrends Blog and Business Insider
Associated Press:
First lady Michelle Obama won't rule out plastic surgery, Botox
First lady Michelle Obama won't rule out plastic surgery, Botox
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, TIME, CNN and Politico
Justin Sink / The Hill:
WH: North Carolina trip 'isn't a campaign event'
WH: North Carolina trip 'isn't a campaign event'
Discussion:
Politico, CNN, Talking Points Memo and Public Policy Polling
Jonathan Easley / The Hill:
WH delays another ObamaCare deadline — The Obama administration announced Tuesday that it was again extending the ObamaCare enrollment deadline for people with pre-existing conditions. — The administration said it will extend the Pre-Existing Conditions Insurance Plan (PCIP), slated to end January 31, until March 15.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, National Review, Scared Monkeys, Right Wing News, Betsy's Page, Jammie Wearing Fools, Viking Pundit, First Read and TheBlaze.com
RELATED:
New York Times:
N.S.A. Devises Radio Pathway Into Computers — WASHINGTON — The National Security Agency has implanted software in nearly 100,000 computers around the world that allows the United States to conduct surveillance on those machines and can also create a digital highway for launching cyberattacks.
Discussion:
Business Insider, The Daily Caller, AEIdeas, Slashdot, Mashable, The Switch, Techdirt, Gawker, TIME, Gigaom, Online NewsHour, Prairie Weather, The Verge, emptywheel and The Reaction
RELATED:
New York Times:
Obama to Place Some Restraints on Surveillance
Obama to Place Some Restraints on Surveillance
Discussion:
Techdirt, Hullabaloo, The Week, Guardian, Washington Free Beacon and Politico
Mario Trujillo / The Hill:
NSA can't say if it collected data on lawmakers, officials
NSA can't say if it collected data on lawmakers, officials
Discussion:
Firedoglake, RT, americanthinker.com and emptywheel
Washington Post:
Senate report: Attack on U.S. compound in Benghazi could have been prevented — A long-delayed Senate intelligence committee report released on Wednesday spreads blame among the State Department and intelligence agencies for not preventing attacks on two outposts in Libya that killed four Americans …
Washington Post:
Christie faces speculation about aides' real motives in New Jersey bridge scandal — TRENTON, N.J. — Embattled New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) struggled Tuesday to regain his footing, giving an address in which he called upon the state to refocus on his agenda.
Discussion:
NationalJournal.com, Talking Points Memo, Taylor Marsh, Hot Air and CBS New York
RELATED:
Benjy Sarlin / msnbc.com:
This Democrat thinks he can win in 2016 as the anti-Obama — Brian Schweitzer, the former two-term Democratic governor of Montana, is rarely speechless. Once he gets going on a topic, he's almost impossible to stop. As he builds up steam, he'll slap his knee to emphasize his points.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Politico, No More Mister Nice Blog, Wonkblog, ABC News and The Daily Caller
The Atlantic Online:
What Happens When the President Sits Down Next to You at a Cafe — Before — Thursday into Friday, my head cold got worse, so on Friday morning I walked down to a bar-cafe-restaurant in my neighborhood. I had been there for a few hours when youthful, vigorous men and women wearing …
Discussion:
Yahoo! News, Capital New York, Business Insider and Althouse, more at Mediagazer »
Molly Redden / Mother Jones:
GOP Congressional Candidate: Spousal Rape Shouldn't Be a Crime — Virginia state Sen. Dick Black fought to block a statue of Lincoln and invited a video crew to film him watching violent rape porn on a library computer. Now he's looking for a promotion. — Republican attorney general …
Discussion:
The Daily Banter, Talking Points Memo, Liberaland, Wonkette and The Raw Story
Politico:
Jim Moran to announce retirement — Virginia Democratic Rep. Jim Moran will retire after 23 years in the House, according to multiple Democratic sources. — The retirement is the third for Democrats this week: On Monday, California Rep. George Miller said he would leave Congress after 40 years …
Discussion:
National Review, CNN and Twitchy
RELATED:
Adrian Vermeule / The New Republic:
The Filibuster Does Not Protect Minority Interests — And other reasons to reject supermajority requirements. — In the era of a polarized and stymied Congress, in which legislation is especially prone to be paralyzed by the filibuster and other supermajority devices …
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns & Money
Lydia Saad / Gallup:
Government Itself Still Cited as Top U.S. Problem — Narrowly leads the economy, unemployment, healthcare — PRINCETON, NJ — Americans start the new year with a variety of national concerns on their minds. Although none is dominant, the government, at 21%, leads the list …
Discussion:
ABC News, Firedoglake, Politico and CBS DC
Michael Wolff / Slate:
Gabriel Sherman's biography of Roger Ailes. — Gabriel Sherman is part of a group of young media reporters—many starting out at the New York Observer under the tutelage of then-Editor Peter Kaplan, an avowed media nostalgist—who have seen their subject, the power of the media, pulled out from under them.
Discussion:
Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »
Seema Mehta / Los Angeles Times:
Brown rules out presidential bid — Gov. Jerry Brown introduces his 2014-15 budget proposal at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Thursday. (Ken James / Bloomberg / January 9, 2014) — RIVERSIDE — Gov. Jerry Brown said Tuesday that he will not run for president in 2016 …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Washington Monthly, The Daily Caller, Sacramento Bee and PoliticusUSA
Eliza Newlin Carney / Roll Call:
Super PAC, Outside Spending Chiefs Make Big Bucks — Recently released tax forms shed light on the big salaries that an elite corps of political organizers earned during the 2012 elections — and those who made the most often boasted the fewest wins. — The new disclosures reveal fresh specifics …
RELATED:
Jacob Fenton / Sunlight Foundation Blog:
FEC lawyers: Reason to believe Crossroads broke law
FEC lawyers: Reason to believe Crossroads broke law
Discussion:
Washington Post and Talking Points Memo
Hunter Walker / Talking Points Memo:
NJ Democrat Swears He Didn't Mean To Fist Bump With Christie — New Jersey Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D) is disavowing a fist bump he gave to Gov. Chris Christie (R) during last year's State of the State address. — Sweeney, who has enjoyed an unusually cozy across-the-aisle relationship …
Discussion:
WNYC and Liberaland