Top Items:
CNN:
Top White House Lawyer Pushed Out — TOKYO (CNN) - In the first major shakeup among President Obama's senior staff, CNN has learned that White House Counsel Greg Craig is being pushed out in favor of veteran Democratic lawyer Bob Bauer because of a dispute over the struggle to close the U.S. Military prison at Guantanamo.
Discussion:
Laura Rozen's Blog, Michelle Malkin, Townhall.com, The Politico, The Confluence and Moe Lane
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The Politico:
After spending binge, W.H. says it will focus on deficits — President Barack Obama plans to announce in next year's State of the Union address that he wants to focus extensively on cutting the federal deficit in 2010 - and will downplay other new domestic spending beyond jobs programs, according to top aides involved in the planning.
Discussion:
Clusterstock
Mark Murray / msnbc.com:
Craig out as WH counsel — From NBC's Chuck ToddNBC News has learned the long-rumored departure of White House Counsel Greg Craig will likely be made official tomorrow. Craig will be replaced by veteran Democratic Party campaign attorney Bob Bauer. This is the highest-level departure in the Obama White House this year.
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog
Wall Street Journal:
Craig to Leave White House Counsel Job — WASHINGTON — White House Counsel Greg Craig is expected to announce as soon as Friday that he plans to depart his post following a rocky tenure, two people familiar with the matter said. — Mr. Craig, the top lawyer at the White House and a close aide …
The Politico:
RNC to opt out of abortion coverage — The Republican National Committee will no longer offer employees an insurance plan that covers abortion after POLITICO reported Thursday that the anti-abortion RNC's policy has covered the procedure since 1991. — “Money from our loyal donors …
RELATED:
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:STUPAK STARTS MAKING THREATS.... Remember when it seemed …
Discussion:
MyDD, Swampland, The Huffington Post, New York Times, First Draft, Taylor Marsh and Shakesville
Associated Press:
Palin: Couric was “Badgering” and Biased — Sarah Palin Writes in Book That There Were Tensions With McCain Aides; Criticizes “Evening News” Anchor Over Interview — (AP) The rumors are true, according to Sarah Palin: The McCain-Palin campaign was not a happy family.
Discussion:
Mediaite, Hot Air, Conservatives4Palin.com, Washington Wire, Ben Smith's Blog, Texas for Sarah Palin and msnbc.com
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Peter Hamby / CNN:
McCain official: Palin claim ‘one hundred percent untrue’ — WASHINGTON (CNN) - A former senior campaign adviser to John McCain is rejecting Sarah Palin's claim that she was billed for the costs of vetting her before she was selected as the Republican vice presidential nominee.
Discussion:
Raw Story
Marc Ambinder / The Atlantic Politics Channel:
Sarah Palin And The Case Of The $500,000 Legal Bill — The Associated Press obtained a copy of Sarah Palin's new book, and came away with several scooplets, including the following: … Without having read the book, and without knowing precisely what the AP is summarizing, it's hard to know what this charge entails.
Discussion:
Mediaite
ABCNEWS:
Major Hasan: Soldier of Allah; Many Ties to Jihad Web Sites — Officials Say Accused Fort Hood Shooter Used Multiple Hotmail, AOL Accounts for Overseas Contacts — United States Army Major Nidal Hasan proclaimed himself a “soldier of Allah” on private business cards he obtained over the Internet …
RELATED:
Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:Charles Krauthammer on the media coverage of the Fort Hood shooting
Karl Frisch / Media Matters for America:
UPDATED: So, what really happened to Lou Dobbs? — So, what really happened to Lou Dobbs? According to The New York Times: “Months ago the president of CNN/U.S., Jonathan Klein, offered a choice to Lou Dobbs ... [he] could vent his opinions on radio and anchor an objective newscast on television, or he could leave CNN.”
Discussion:
At-Largely, Jack & Jill Politics, Paul Krugman, Crooks and Liars, Drop Dobbs, The Plum Line, TBogg and New York Times
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Matt Welch / Hit & Run:
Get Us to 500 Donors, Or That's the Last You'll See of Lobster Girl — Take a good long look at this blog post. Do you notice a woman kissing a lobster? For longtime readers of the site, Lobster Girl is a familiar, even comforting presence. Now move your eyes to the upper right-hand corner of the main blog page.
Elisabeth Bumiller / The Caucus:
Gates Angry About Defense-Related Leaks — OSHKOSH, Wis. — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is normally a mild-mannered man, at least in public, but he unleashed a torrent on his plane on Thursday morning about leaks during the investigation of the Foot Hood shootings and President Obama's deliberations …
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Paul Krugman / New York Times:
Free to Lose — Consider, for a moment, a tale of two countries. Both have suffered a severe recession and lost jobs as a result — but not on the same scale. In Country A, employment has fallen more than 5 percent, and the unemployment rate has more than doubled.
Tom A. Peter / Christian Science Monitor:
Irish priest kidnapped in Philippines released by MILF — Filipino militants released an elderly Irish priest late on Wednesday night after holding him in captivity for 32 days. Father Michael Sinnott had worked in the Philippines for nearly 33 years when six armed gunmen kidnapped …
New York Times:
Among Obama Aides, Debate Intensifies on Troop Levels — WASHINGTON — The disclosure that the United States ambassador in Kabul has expressed written opposition to deploying more American troops to Afghanistan lays bare the fierce debate within the Obama administration over the direction of the war …
Andrew Breitbart / Big Government:
ACORN: The LA Story, Part I — Today I received a phone call from my friend, Gary H., who said that ACORN was staging a protest outside the Fox News studios in West Los Angeles. I called someone at the Fox News bureau to find out that there were no protesters there, but quickly realized ACORN had gotten that wrong too.
Associated Press:
9/11 Suspect to Face Trial in New York, Official Says — WASHINGTON (AP) — Self-proclaimed Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other Guantanamo Bay detainees will be sent to New York to face trial in a civilian federal court, an Obama administration official said Friday.
Bob Willis / Bloomberg:
Home-Purchase Index in U.S. Plunges to Lowest Level Since 2000 — Nov. 12 (Bloomberg) — Mortgage applications to purchase homes in the U.S. plunged last week to the lowest level in almost nine years as Americans waited for the outcome of deliberations to extend a government tax credit.
Discussion:
Clusterstock
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
We Have A President — The news that Obama has refused to sign off on any of the four major options presented to him in Afghanistan reminds me of why he was elected president. This critical decision - arguably the most critical of his young presidency - is one that will not be rushed the way such decisions often are.
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