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.
RELATED:
Politico:
The GOP's Obama obsession
The GOP's Obama obsession
Discussion:
CNN, American Prospect, The Hill, Daily Kos and First Read
Alex Roarty / NationalJournal.com:
NRCC Blacklists Conservative Firm Jamestown for Fighting Republican Incumbents
NRCC Blacklists Conservative Firm Jamestown for Fighting Republican Incumbents
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo
Politico:
Obama's plan to save the Senate
Obama's plan to save the Senate
Discussion:
CNN, Forbes, The Hill, Talking Points Memo, WJLA-TV and Capitol Report
The Hill:
Democrats hope Obama meeting means more humility in 2014
Democrats hope Obama meeting means more humility in 2014
Discussion:
Hot Air, Mediaite and Jammie Wearing Fools
Kathleen Hennessey / Los Angeles Times:
Obama's visit to North Carolina may be awkward for Democratic senator
Obama's visit to North Carolina may be awkward for Democratic senator
Discussion:
Weekly Standard, Hot Air, The Reaction and Moe Lane
The Hill:
Armed Services Chairman McKeon retiring — House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) will announced his retirement on Wednesday, according to two sources close to McKeon. — “Mr. McKeon will be making his announcement tomorrow morning that he'll be retiring,” a source close to McKeon tells The Hill.
Discussion:
CNN, American Spectator and Trail Blazers Blog
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Erick Erickson / RedState:
Wendy Davis's Campaign Mocks Greg Abbott for Being Paralyzed — Wendy Davis's campaign spin on her fundraising numbers is impressive. She wants you to know that she raised $12 million to Republican Greg Abbot's $11.5 million. What she is hoping you will ignore, and which much of the press will ignore …
Discussion:
WILLisms.com, The Hill, TIME, LifeNews.com, Unfair Park and Trail Blazers Blog
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Catalina Camia / Associated Press:
Wendy Davis outraises Greg Abbott in Texas gov race
Wendy Davis outraises Greg Abbott in Texas gov race
Discussion:
Salon, The Gateway Pundit and National Review
Mark Murray / firstread.nbcnews.com:
Poll: Christie cruising through bridge scandal (so far) — Nearly 70 percent of Americans say the bridge-closure scandal engulfing Chris Christie has not changed their opinion about the New Jersey governor, according to a new NBC News/Marist poll. In addition, 44 percent …
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's …, Althouse, Post Politics, Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo, National Review and NBCNews
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 would extend the Pre-Existing Conditions Insurance Plan (PCIP), slated to end Jan. 31, until March 15.
RELATED:
CNN:
Special counsel named in New Jersey bridge probe — (CNN) - The New Jersey General Assembly, which is investigating the George Washington Bridge controversy, on Wednesday named the same prosecutor that went after former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich as its own special counsel for a committee that will lead the bridge probe.
Discussion:
Politico, BuzzFeed and Talking Points Memo
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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:
Washington Monthly, Firedoglake, Talking Points Memo, Hot Air, Wonkblog, Mediaite, No More Mister Nice Blog, Politico, The Daily Caller and ABC News
RELATED:
Seema Mehta / Los Angeles Times:
Brown rules out presidential bid
Brown rules out presidential bid
Discussion:
NBCNews, Sacramento Bee, Daily Kos, PoliticusUSA, Talking Points Memo, The Daily Caller, Liberal Values and Washington Monthly
Laura Bassett / The Huffington Post:
GOP Congressman: Limiting Abortion ‘Promotes Job Creation’ — Democratic opponents of a new anti-abortion bill moving through the House of Representatives criticized Republicans on Wednesday for fast-tracking a socially divisive piece of legislation that “does not create a single job.”
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo and Hullabaloo
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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, TechCrunch, Business Insider, Capital New York and Althouse, more at Mediagazer »
Dylan Byers / Politico:
Marijuana politics — So the POLITICO homepage has gone to pot: Darren Samuelsohn and Byron Tau report on how states are taking the lead on the legalization campaign; Reid Cherlin investigates the legal nightmare this creates between state and federal law — the consequences are far-ranging …
Discussion:
Hullabaloo, Business Insider and This Is Brad DeLong's …
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Fawn Johnson / NationalJournal.com:
Inside Boehner's Election-Year Immigration Strategy — The speaker's looking to test the waters ahead of primaries, and he'll score a political win no matter how it turns out. — John Boehner is planning to unveil a set of Republican principles for immigration reform before President Obama's State …
Discussion:
Hot Air, Washington Monthly, The Plum Line, Daily Kos and National Review
Rebecca Ballhaus / Washington Wire:
Gates: Syria Red Line Was ‘Serious Mistake’ — Video: Gates on why it was a mistake to declare a red line in Syria. — Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates said it was a “serious mistake” for the Obama administration to declare a red line on chemical weapons use in Syria …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo and Post Politics
WikiLeaks:
Secret Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) - Environment Chapter — WikiLeaks released the secret draft text for the entire TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) Environment Chapter and the corresponding Chairs' Report. The TPP transnational legal regime would cover 12 countries initially …
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Compass, New York Times, Corrente, EcoWatch and Techdirt
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 »
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 Raw Story, The Daily Banter, Americans Against the …, Wonkette, Talking Points Memo and Liberaland
TMZ.com:
Pics of Marines Burning Bodies Trigger U.S. Military Investigation [PHOTOS] — PICS OF MARINES BURNING BODIES — Trigger U.S. Military Investigation [PHOTOS] — EXCLUSIVE — The United States military is conducting a formal investigation into American soldiers burning the dead bodies of what appear to be Iraqi insurgents.
Discussion:
Liberaland, Guardian and RT
Norma Love / Associated Press:
NH House effort to legalize pot faces long odds — CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire's House gave preliminary approval Wednesday to legalizing up to 1 ounce of marijuana for recreational use for anyone age 21 and older, but the measure faces long odds of becoming law.
Discussion:
Liberaland and Mashable