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IN Dem Misses The Deadline — Restaurant owner Tamyra d'Ippolito (D) has enough signatures to make the ballot in the race to replace Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN), she told Hotline OnCall in a brief interview, but an official in a key district says she has failed to reach the threshold.
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Evan Bayh's Retirement Leaves Democrats Scarred And Demanding Aggression — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — Senator Evan Bayh's abrupt announcement on Monday that he will retire at the end of his term has further united disparate voices within the Democratic Party behind the idea that legislative action …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Time, The Hill, SpeakEasy, Commentary, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and AMERICAblog News

Evan Bayh Blasts ‘Brain-Dead Partisanship’ — Indiana Senator Rules Out 2012 Presidential Run, Mum on 2016 Ambitions — Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, whose retirement announcement Monday stunned the political world, today assailed partisanship in Congress and said he could achieve much more in the private sector than as a senator.
Discussion:
Salon, USA Today, The Caucus, Real Clear Politics, Mediaite, The Moderate Voice, The Page, Donklephant, The Eye and The Politico


Winners and losers from Evan Bayh's retirement — Indiana Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh's decision not to run for re-election is a massive shock to the political system, the full ramifications of which won't be fully known for weeks or months. — But, Bayh's retirement did produce its fair share …

Would-Be Dem Replacement For Bayh: The “Machine” Is Out To Get Me! — In the wake of Evan Bayh's decision to retire, there's been a fair amount of hand-wringing among Dems over the possiblity that a little-known cafe-owner, Tamyra d'Ippolito, would collect the signatures necessary to run on the Dem line …

Democratic Indiana candidate says White House secretly backing Baron Hill

D'Ippolito: I Have Enough Signatures To Get On The Ballot For IN-SEN Dem Primary

Secret Joint Raid Captures Taliban's Top Commander — WASHINGTON — The Taliban's top military commander was captured several days ago in Karachi, Pakistan, in a secret joint operation by Pakistani and American intelligence forces, according to American government officials.
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Guardian, The Washington Independent, Michael Calderone's Blog, Newshoggers.com, Informed Comment, Registan.net, democracyarsenal.org, Michelle Malkin, The Long War Journal, Los Angeles Times, The Corner on National …, Washington Post, And So it Goes in Shreveport, NPR Blogs, Danger Room, Raw Story, ABCNEWS, Sister Toldjah, Neptunus Lex, Washington Monthly, Shakesville, Betsy's Page, Another Black Conservative, Scared Monkeys, GayPatriot, Daily Kos, Politics Daily, The Majlis, Financial Times, MyDD, Power Line, Prairie Weather, PoliBlog, TigerHawk, News Hounds, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Daily Beast, Flopping Aces, Wall Street Journal, The Vail Spot, FP Passport, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Daily Dish, The Moderate Voice, Enduring America, Political Punch, JustOneMinute, Hot Air and AMERICAblog News
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IN DEFENSE OF SHAMELESS EXPLOITATION.... The capture of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban's top military commander, is no small matter. It's a “major victory.” Given that Baradar is the most significant Taliban figure to be detained since the war began, and his role in leading …

It's Extremely Important We Don't Torture Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar


Tea Party Lights Fuse for Rebellion on Right — SANDPOINT, Idaho — Pam Stout has not always lived in fear of her government. She remembers her years working in federal housing programs, watching government lift struggling families with job training and education.
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Tea party leaders will meet with Steele and other Republican operatives — About 50 leaders of the grass-roots “tea party” movement will meet in Washington on Tuesday with Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele and other top GOP operatives to discuss campaign strategies and conservative principles.
Discussion:
The Atlantic Politics Channel, The Note, Hotline On Call, Politics Daily, Riehl World View, The Page and msnbc.com

FIRST THOUGHTS: BYE, BAYH
Discussion:
pa2010.com, Guardian, The Moderate Voice, The Fix, Shot in the Dark, The Caucus and Democratic Strategist

Does Dick Cheney Want to Be Prosecuted? — After he was indicted for the murder of Alexander Hamilton, vice president Aaron Burr fled to South Carolina, to hide out with his daughter. Another vice president, Spiro Agnew, kept completely silent before pleading nolo contendere on corruption charges.
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Maybe Eric Holder Should Pay Attention To Dick Cheney's Boasts — Yoo hoo, Mr. Holder! Gee, after reading this post by Scott Horton, it seems like Dick Cheney is just asking to be prosecuted - why not give him what he wants?

Most Americans think Congress should start over on healthcare reform, poll says — In a brutal assessment of the Democratically authored healthcare reform bills pending in Congress and the party's approach to healthcare, more than half of the respondents to a new Zogby International-University …
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Sens. seek Obama boost on campaign trail — GOP hopes to see him on stump — President Obama kicks off what might be called his “Save the Senate” tour this week, heading west to campaign for two embattled Democrats trailing badly against Republican challengers - including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.
Discussion:
NewsBusters.org, The Politico, AmSpecBlog, QandO, GayPatriot, The Lonely Conservative and USA Today
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What's the Deal? — One of the most intriguing news stories of the past week is the murder of Hamas terrorist Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai. The team that carried out the assassination allegedly included eleven members, ten men and a woman. They were evidently traveling on fake passports …
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Romney Assaulted on Flight Leaving Olympics — A passenger became “physically violent” when the former Massachusetts governor asked him to move his seat upright for take-off.
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FAIL... Just 6% of Americans Believe Obama's $787 Billion Stimulus Created Jobs — In December the Obama Administration announced they had “saved or created” 1.1 million jobs. — In January the Obama Administration announced they had “saved or created” 2 million jobs.

Milbank writing Beck book: ‘Tears of a Clown’ — Dana Milbank recently wrote how a Fox News star has really “captured the moment,” before posing the question: “Is Glenn Beck America?” — Milbank, who only had about 750 words to tackle that question in his Washington Post column …

Now IPCC hurricane data is questioned — Open science: Got Excel? Debunk this — More trouble looms for the IPCC. The body may need to revise statements made in its Fourth Assessment Report on hurricanes and global warming. A statistical analysis of the raw data shows that the claims …


Beware fear's racist temptation — Don't blame your fear of the future on Obama's skin color — SPECIAL COMMENT — Finally tonight, as promised, a Special Comment on this Presidents' Day celebrating George Washington, and the Founding Fathers he represents and Abraham Lincoln, and the Emancipation he represents.

Democrats' Chance to Win in Florida in 2010 — Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart's announcement on Thursday that he would not seek re-election this November set off one of the rarest games of musical chairs in American politics. Within minutes of Diaz-Balart's announcement, his brother …
Discussion:
Washington Wire


“Support Our Troops” slogan falls foul of Olympic rules — Trouble is brewing over United States ice hockey goalie Jonathan Quick and the “Support Our Troops” slogan on his helmet. Slogans of this sort are banned under Olympic rules and Quick will be told to remove it, the International Ice Hockey Federation has told Reuters.

Ned Lamont Officially Announces For Governor; Touts His Experience In Creating Jobs As A Television Entrepreneur — HARTFORD - Touting his experience in creating jobs in his own small business, Democrat Ned Lamont announced Tuesday that he is running for governor in a state that ranks poorly for job creation and expanding businesses.

Oh, Canada for HRC if Pres. Palin? — From NBC's Courtney KubeSecretary of State Hillary Clinton could not escape U.S. politics during her trip to Saudi Arabia. Early this morning during a town hall meeting with students at Dar Al Hekma College, a student asked Clinton if she thinks Sarah Palin …


In California, Exhibit A in Debate on Insurance — LOS ANGELES — When Bernhard Punzet opened the dreaded envelope from Anthem Blue Cross one recent Saturday, it ruined his weekend. — Although he had no known medical problems, the company was raising the premium on his individual health insurance policy …