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1:05 AM ET, April 29, 2009

memeorandum

 Top Items: 
Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Specter To Switch Parties  —  UPDATED, 2:10 p.m. Continue following the story here.  —  Original Post  —  Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter will switch his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat and announced today that he will run in 2010 as a Democrat, according to a statement he released this morning.
RELATED:
PoliticsPA:
Statement by Senator Arlen Specter  —  I have been a Republican since 1966.  I have been working extremely hard for the Party, for its candidates and for the ideals of a Republican Party whose tent is big enough to welcome diverse points of view.  While I have been comfortable being a Republican, my Party has not defined who I am.
Lisa Lerer / The Politico:
Two Republicans blame conservatives  —  Two leading Republicans say Sen. Arlen Specter's decision to become a Democrat highlights the hostility moderates feel from an increasingly conservative GOP.  —  “You haven't certainly heard warm encouraging words about how [the GOP] views moderates …
William Kristol / PostPartisan:
Good News for Republicans!  —  On May 24, 2001, I wrote an op-ed for The Post in the wake of Vermont Sen. James Jeffords's party switch.  I argued that the switch, which cost Republicans control of the Senate, could well turn out to be good for President Bush.
Amanda Terkel / Think Progress:
CNN's Rick Sanchez calls out DeMint's vapid talking point: ‘What the hell does that mean?’  —  Today, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) appeared on CNN to talk about Sen. Arlen Specter's switch to the Democratic party.  Host Rick Sanchez asked DeMint about Specter's statement that the Republican party …
Discussion: Washington Monthly
The Huffington Post:
Snowe: GOP Has Abandoned Principles; Specter Switch “Devastating”  —  Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine, one of the few remaining moderate Republicans in the Senate, said Tuesday that Arlen Specter's abandonment of the GOP is “devastating,” both “personally and I think for the party.”
The New Republic:
Unprincipled Hack (D-PA)  —  When a politician switches parties, it's customary for the party he's abandoned to denounce him as an unprincipled hack, and the party he's joined to praise him as a brave convert who's genuinely seen the light.  But I think it's pretty clear that Specter is an unprincipled hack.
Newt Gingrich / Washington Post:
Arlen Specter's Switch  —  The Post asked politicians, former officials and others about the Pennsylvania senator's defection from the Republican Party.  —  Former Republican speaker of the House  —  Arlen Specter's decision to leave the Republican Party in name as he left it in spirit …
Discussion: The Moderate Voice and D-Day
The New Majority:
Another Triumph for the Club for Growth  —  With Arlen Specter's defection, all that stands between the Democrats and a 60-seat Senate majority are Norman Coleman's lawyers.  I wish them every success - but they have not exactly been on an winning streak to date.
CNN:
Limbaugh to Specter: Please take McCain with you  —  (CNN) — Conservative host Rush Limbaugh said Tuesday he isn't sorry to see Arlen Specter leave the GOP — and that many Republicans wish the Pennsylvania senator would take a few others with him when he goes.
Discussion: Hot Air
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
What Specter's switch says about him, the Democrats and our political spectrum  —  (updated below - Update II)  —  I just contributed my thoughts on Arlen Specter's party switch to the New York Times' “Room for Debate” segment, so I'll post the link to that once that is available (see Update II) …
David Waldman / Daily Kos:
Memo to GOP: Seat Franken or we'll keep Specter's committee seats
Ramesh Ponnuru / The Corner:
Specter on Jeffords  —  When Jim Jeffords became an “Independent” …
Discussion: The New Republic
The Huffington Post:
Limbaugh To Specter: Take McCain And His Daughter With You
Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
Specter and the Flat Tax
Discussion: Open Left and Marginal Revolution
Glenn Thrush / Glenn Thrush's Blog:
Specter tried to block party switching
Discussion: Los Angeles Times
CNN:
Sen. Arlen Specter to become Democrat
Timothy P. Carney / www.washingtonexaminer.com:
Did DeMint's endorsement of Toomey set off Specter?
Discussion: Eschaton and Joshua Treviñ
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Specter switching parties
The Politico:
GOP is Specter of its old self
Discussion: Townhall.com
CNN:
Snowe calls Specter move ‘devastating’
Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog and NO QUARTER
Katharine Q. Seelye / The Caucus:
Specter Speaks, Defends Decision to Leave Republican Party
Discussion: CNN
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Specter move caught GOP leaders by surprise
RELATED:
JammieWearingFool:
Wonderful: Feds Knew NYC Flyover Would Cause Panic, Proceeded Anyway  —  One of those rare times I'm in agreement with Chuckie Schumer. … The idea Obama had no knowledge of what was happening with his own plane is nonsense.  It's just not plausible.  —  He deliberately allowed this to happen.
Discussion: GretaWire, Hot Air and Betsy's Page
Emily Kaiser / City Pages:
Bachmann: ‘Interesting coincidence’ that Dems in power during swine flu outbreak  —  Rep. Michele Bachmann came up with another doozy during her interview Monday with Pajamas TV.  Does anyone think it's “interesting” that the last time we saw swine flu was during another Democratic president?
Discussion: Respectful Insolence
RELATED:
Eric Kleefeld / TPMDC:
Bachmann: Swine Flu Happens Under Dem Presidents
Discussion: Congress Matters
Avidor / Dump Michele Bachmann:   Bachmann Interview on Pajamas Television
Ryan Powers / Think Progress:
Bachmann: It's ‘interesting’ …
Discussion: Toronto Star
Declan McCullagh / CBS News:
DHS Sets Guidelines For Possible Swine Flu Quarantines  —  The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has sent a memo to some health care providers noting procedures to be followed if the swine flu outbreak eventually makes quarantines necessary.  —  DHS Assistant Secretary Bridger McGaw circulated …
Discussion: Raw Story and Associated Press
RELATED:
Andie Coller / The Politico:
Dems put swine flu to good use
Discussion: The Swamp
Andrew Blankstein / L.A. Now:
Two L.A. County deaths possibly related to swine flu, coroner says [Updated]
Spencer S. Hsu / Washington Post:   With Eye on Industry, Ag Secretary Stops Calling Outbreak ‘Swine Flu’
CNN:
HHS secretary confirmed in midst of outbreak  —  (CNN) — The Senate confirmed former Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as secretary of Health and Human Services Tuesday on a 65-31 vote.  —  The timely vote will put Sebelius in office as the Obama administration is up against its first public health outbreak.
RELATED:
Martin Kady II / The Politico:
Sebelius wins Senate confirmation
Discussion: The Swamp
Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
Sebelius Confirmed To Health & Human Services, With Specter's Support
Joseph Abrams / Fox News:
Despite Reports, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Was Not Waterboarded 183 Times  —  The number of times Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was waterboarded was the focus of major media attention — and highly misleading.  —  FOXNews.com  —  The New York Times reported last week that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed …
Bill Vlasic / New York Times:
Holdouts Jeopardize Debt Plan for Chrysler  —  DETROIT — The Obama administration is prepared to force Chrysler into bankruptcy by the end of the week unless it gets unanimous consent from a group of banks and hedge funds to retire the automaker's debt.  —  The Treasury Department has told …
Discussion: The New Republic and Gawker
RELATED:
Bloomberg:
UAW Said to Get 55% Chrysler Ownership, Board Seats
Discussion: Wizbang
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
Major defeat for Bush/Obama position on secrecy  —  [updated below (interview with lead counsel Ben Wizner of the ACLU) - Update II]  —  The first sign that the Obama DOJ would replicate many of the worst and most radical arguments of the Bush DOJ was in the Jeppesen case …
 
 
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 More Items: 
Mark Murray / MSNBC:
Poll: Obama gets high marks for first 100 days
Discussion: Macsmind
Peter Kirsanow / The Corner:
Specter, Democrats, Labor and EFCA
Discussion: Commentary
Adam Doster / Progress Illinois:
Manzullo On Waterboarding: “Apparently Doesn't Work,” “More Torture Than Not”
Brian Montopoli / CBS News:
Poll: Support For Same Sex Marriage Grows
Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …
MSNBC:
Bush-era endangered species rule revoked
Sylvia A Smith / The Journal Gazette:
Lugar to support IU law professor's nomination
Discussion: TPMDC, Think Progress and The BLT
Sharon Waxman / The Wrap:
Exclusive: Fox Pollster Goes Hollywood
Discussion: Silicon Alley Insider
 Earlier Items: 
The Huffington Post:
Bankruptcy Bill Watered Down, Still Fiercely Opposed By Banks
Discussion: Washington Post and Calitics
Sam Dillon / New York Times:
Persistent Racial Gap Seen in Students' Test Scores
Discussion: Room for Debate and Cato @ Liberty
Robert Tait / Guardian:
Ahmadinejad tells voters: Yes, we can
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Miraculous Compromise  —  TPM Reader FB may be on to something ...
Discussion: D-Day
WDBJ-TV:
News7 Poll: Terry McAuliffe holds double digit lead over Brian Moran & Creigh Deeds
Discussion: Blue Virginia
Washington Times:
Barack's in the basement  —  Obama is less popular than Nixon and Carter