memeorandum: George Allen launches early campaign … (Mike Allen/The Politico)

10:10 AM ET, January 17, 2011

Top Items:

David Nakamura / Washington Post:

Giffords's condition upgraded — TUCSON - Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was upgraded from critical to serious condition Sunday after doctors determined that there were no complications from having her ventilator removed a day earlier. — In a statement released Sunday afternoon …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Outside the Beltway and FrumForum

New York Times:

Husband's Message About Giffords: 'She's a Fighter' — Hundreds turned out on Sunday for a walk in memory of the shooting victims. The march ended at Gabrielle Giffords's office. More Photos » — TUCSON — On a day when Representative Gabrielle Giffords's condition was upgraded …

Discussion: AOL News and New York Magazine

Washington Post:

Giffords's border district symbolizes the heat of Arizona politics — DOUGLAS, ARIZ. - The congresswoman's grueling path to reelection took her from her Tucson base across the barren high desert, through an empty expanse of tumbleweed and mesquite trees, to this dusty town at the Mexican border …

Discussion: Examiner and Right Wing News

Associated Press:
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords condition improves

Discussion: ABCNEWS and Scared Monkeys

Jason Millman / The Hill:

House GOP lawmaker targeting key health reform provision — A powerful House Republican is setting in motion a congressional challenge to a key provision of the healthcare reform law. — Republican Conference Secretary John Carter (R-Texas) is trying to build momentum for a Congressional Review Act …

Discussion: Prairie Weather

Alex Seitz-Wald / ThinkProgress:

After Promising To ‘Repeal And Replace’ Obama's Health Law, Republicans Have No Replacement — As the first major legislative act with their new majority, Republicans are planning to hold a futile vote next week to repeal President Obama's health care law. The laughably named …

Discussion: Pam's House Blend, The Mahablog, Washington Post and AMERICAblog News

Paul Krugman / New York Times:
The War on Logic

Discussion: Balloon Juice and Daily Kos

E.J. Dionne Jr / Washington Post: GOP test: A civil and honest health-care discussion

Amy Goldstein / Washington Post:
GOP lacks clear health-care plan

Discussion: The Blotter and New York Magazine

New York Times:
The Truth and Consequences of Repeal

Discussion: Washington Monthly and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Mike Allen / The Politico:

George Allen launches early campaign - Loughner trial in San Diego — JDA Frontline grows — West Wing stars come out for Marissa Hopkins — First lady b'day — EXCLUSIVE: George Allen, the former U.S. senator and Virginia governor, plans to tell supporters within a week that he is mounting …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Jerry Markon / Washington Post:

Federal authorities plan to move trial of Tucson shooting suspect — Federal authorities are planning to move the trial of the alleged gunman in the Jan. 8 mass shooting in Tucson to San Diego because of extensive pretrial publicity in Arizona, federal law enforcement sources said Sunday night.

Discussion: New York Magazine, Guardian, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and FrumForum

Donald Sensing / Sense of Events:

Seahawks fall to climate of hate in Chicago — You should have known something like this was going to happen. The vitriol and anger in our nation's sports talk has never been harsher - and we may as well face it: most of it is coming from Chicago Bears Fans.

Discussion: theblogprof

Don Surber:

I do not want civil discourse — For a decade, from the election of Bush 43 forward, the Left has lied and cheated as it tried to return to power. Al Gore made a mockery out of the American electoral system by being a spoilsport over Florida, which Bush indeed won by 537 votes.

Discussion: Nice Deb, theblogprof, JustOneMinute, GayPatriot, Questions and Observations, Moe Lane and iOwnTheWorld.com

Freddie / L'Hôte:

the blindspot (updated) — I'm sorry, but I feel compelled. — The last week has seen an endless discussion, within the political blogosphere, about the meaning of rhetoric, extremism, and what is acceptable discourse. I'm on break now, so I've been more attentive than usual.

Discussion: Mother Jones, naked capitalism, Balloon Juice, A plain blog about politics and The League of Ordinary …

Kerry Lauerman / Salon:

Correcting our record — We've removed an explosive 2005 report by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about autism and vaccines. Here's why — In 2005, Salon published online an exclusive story by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that offered an explosive premise: that the mercury-based thimerosal compound present …

Discussion: Pajamas Media and Balloon Juice

Alan Fram / Associated Press:

House panel wants Homeland Security documents — WASHINGTON - A House committee has asked the Homeland Security Department to provide documents about an agency policy that required political appointees to review many Freedom of Information Act requests, according to a letter obtained Sunday by The Associated Press.

Discussion: The Politico, Weasel Zippers and The Hill

Billy Graham / msnbc.com:

Meet the Press Netcast — on msnbc.com - — More from: - TODAY - Nightly News - Meet the Press - Dateline - Morning Joe - Hardball - Countdown - Rachel Maddow - msnbc tv — MR. DAVID GREGORY: This Sunday, after the tragedy and the tributes, what now? — PRES. BARACK OBAMA: I want to live up to her expectations.

Discussion: Firedoglake and TPMDC