memeorandum: Government finds up to half of Americans under 65 have preexisting conditions (Amy Goldstein/Washington Post)

2:20 PM ET, January 18, 2011

Top Items:

Toward a 21st-Century Regulatory System — If the FDA deems saccharin safe enough for coffee, then the EPA should not treat it as hazardous waste. — For two centuries, America's free market has not only been the source of dazzling ideas and path-breaking products, it has also been the greatest force …

The White House:

Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review - Executive Order — By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to improve regulation and regulatory review, it is hereby ordered as follows: — Section 1.

Discussion: Sunlight Foundation Blog, The Atlantic Online, Rortybomb and Mandel on Innovation …

Elizabeth Williamson / Wall Street Journal:
Obama Launches Rule Review, Pledging to Spur Jobs, Growth

Discussion: protein wisdom, msnbc.com, FrumForum and Althouse

Joe Scarborough / The Politico:

Moving past right-wing rhetoric — We get it, Sarah Palin. You're not morally culpable for the tragic shooting in Tucson, Ariz. All of us around the “Morning Joe” table agree, even if we were stunned that you would whine about yourself on Facebook as a shattered family prepared to bury their 9-year-old girl.

Discussion: Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, The Gateway Pundit, Sister Toldjah, Liberty Pundits Blog, Pirate's Cove, Outside the Beltway, Scared Monkeys, Taylor Marsh, Right Wing News, The Other McCain, American Power, Salon, CNN, The Moderate Voice and Ben Smith's Blog

Jeff Zeleny / The Caucus:
Palin Defends Use of ‘Blood Libel’ Phrase

Discussion: Jezebel, The Atlantic Online, Conservatives4Palin, msnbc.com, Connecting.the.Dots and FrumForum

Alexander Mooney / CNN:
Palin: ‘I am not going to shut up’

Discussion: Mediaite, Indecision Forever, Wake up America, Ballot Box, Washington Monthly, Reuters, TPM LiveWire, Shakesville, Media Matters for America, Taylor Marsh and The Reaction

Colby Hall / Mediaite:
Donny Deutsch Explains America's Fascination With Sarah Palin: 'She's Snooki!'

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Hot Air

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Even Republicans say media handled shooting better than Sarah Palin did

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog and TPMDC

Frances Martel / Mediaite:
A Livid Sarah Palin Preaches To The Choir (But No One Else) On Tucson Massacre

Discussion: Z on TV, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Outside the Beltway, The Moderate Voice, No More Mister Nice Blog, American Conservative Values and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Ed Koch / Real Clear Politics:
Palin Holds High Ground Over Harsh and Unfair Critics

Discussion: National Review and AmSpecBlog

Ben Armbruster / ThinkProgress:
Gingrich: Palin Has To ‘Be More Careful’ And 'Think Through What She's Saying'

Discussion: Mediaite and Raw Story

Quin Hillyer / AmSpecBlog:
Palin Was Terrific — I continue to believe that Sarah Palin …

Discussion: Da Techguy's Blog and Nice Deb

Amy Goldstein / Washington Post:

Government finds up to half of Americans under 65 have preexisting conditions — As many as 129 million Americans under age 65 have medical problems that are red flags for health insurers, according to an analysis that marks the government's first attempt to quantify the number of people …

Discussion: Online NewsHour, The Politico, Washington Monthly, cab drollery, AOL News, Comments from Left Field, FrumForum, AlterNet, Prairie Weather, Don Surber, Truthdig and Fox Nation

George Stephanopoulos / George's Bottom Line:

Newt Gingrich to Sarah Palin: ‘Slow Down’ — Former speaker of the House and potential 2012 presidential contender had some words of advice for Sarah Palin on “GMA” this morning. — “I think that she has got to slow down and be more careful and think through what she's saying and how she's saying it,” Newt Gingrich told me.

Discussion: Washington Wire, USA Today, Outside the Beltway and TPMDC

HealthCare Notes:
Protecting Americans with Pre-existing Conditions

Discussion: The Caucus

Myglesias / Yglesias:
Free Market Health Care

Discussion: Ezra Klein and TPMDC

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:

Kent Conrad to retire in 2012 — North Dakota Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad is retiring. Photo by Melina Mara/The Washington Post — North Dakota Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad announced today that he will not seek reelection, creating a potentially prime pickup opportunity for Republicans in a GOP-leaning state.

The Huffington Post:

Bill Frist: Health Care Is ‘Law Of The Land,’ GOP Should Drop Repeal And Build On It … WASHINGTON — As congressional Republicans ready themselves for a largely symbolic effort to repeal President Obama's health care reform law, at least one former GOP leader is urging them to drop the charade and build on the legislation instead.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, USA Today, Taegan Goddard's …, The Politico, American Conservative Values, Raw Story and FrumForum

David Lightman / McClatchy Washington Bureau:
Experts doubt GOP claim that health care law's a ‘job killer’

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Associated Press, Angry Bear and AMERICAblog News

CNN:
CNN poll: Half favor repealing health care law

Discussion: The Politico, The Note and Washington Monthly

Tom Junod / Esquire:

Why Does Roger Ailes Hate America? — An exclusive and unbiased investigation into the highly paid operative of a foreign-born tycoon, a man who reengineered political and media culture and fomented a revolt that threatens the very stability of our country — Today, here at Esquire …

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, Runnin' Scared, New York Magazine, Mediaite, The Wire, Gawker and Suburban Guerrilla, more at Mediagazer »

ABCNEWS:

Obama Approval Rises, But Hazards Remain — Obama's Job Approval Has Matched his Highest in More Than a Year — Aided by his response to the Tucson shootings, popular lame-duck legislation and a hint of economic relief, Barack Obama has matched his highest job approval rating in more than a year …

Discussion: The Daily Dish, CNN, The Note, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Political Punch, Hot Air, Taegan Goddard's …, NewsBusters.org blogs, HotAirPundit and Outside the Beltway

Mark Pazniokas / ctmirror.org:

Bysiewicz declares for U.S. Senate — Susan Bysiewicz today declared herself a candidate for U.S. Senate, trying to put the disasters of 2010 behind her by getting an early jump on 2012, when U.S. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman is up for re-election. — Bysiewicz, 49, a Democrat whose career derailed …

Discussion: Ballot Box, TPMDC and Hotline On Call

Patrick J. Michaels / Washington Times:

China-style dictatorship of climatologists — NASA's Hansen prefers rule by decree to fight ‘global warming’ — November's election made it quite clear that the people of the United States do not want to radically change our society in the name of global warming.

Discussion: Moonbattery, blogs.telegraph.co.uk, YID With LID and Pajamas Media

Helene Cooper / New York Times:
For Chinese Leader's Visit, U.S. to Take a Bolder Tack

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Foreign Policy, Aljazeera, Commentary, Wonk Room, Associated Press, Right Turn, msnbc.com, FP Passport, USA Today, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, China Digital Times, AOL News and China Real Time Report

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:

The vindication of Dick Cheney — In the early months of Obama's presidency, the American Right did to him what they do to every Democratic politician: they accused him of being soft of defense (specifically “soft on Terror") and leaving the nation weak and vulnerable to attack.

Discussion: The Hill, The Politico and TalkLeft

msnbc.com:
Cheney: Obama finding we were right about terror

Discussion: Washington Wire, TPMMuckraker and Washington Post

David White / The Birmingham:

Gov.-elect Robert Bentley intends to be governor over all, but says only Christians are his ‘brothers and sisters’ — MONTGOMERY — Gov.-elect Robert Bentley in a speech at a Baptist church this afternoon said he plans to be the governor of all Alabamians and be color-blind …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Gawker, Guardian, TPMMuckraker, Salon, Taegan Goddard's … and Religion Dispatches

Sara Rimer / McClatchy Washington Bureau:

Study: Many college students not learning to think critically — NEW YORK — An unprecedented study that followed several thousand undergraduates through four years of college found that large numbers didn't learn the critical thinking, complex reasoning and written communication skills …

Discussion: Achenblog, Booman Tribune, JammieWearingFool, Althouse and Mother Jones

Associated Press:

Court rejects appeal over DC gay marriage law — WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from opponents of same-sex marriage who want to overturn the District of Columbia's gay marriage law. — The court did not comment Tuesday in turning away a challenge from a Maryland pastor …

Discussion: Box Turtle Bulletin, Lez Get Real, TPMMuckraker, AMERICAblog Gay and Joe. My. God.

David Brooks / New York Times:

Amy Chua Is a Wimp — Sometime early last week, a large slice of educated America decided that Amy Chua is a menace to society. Chua, as you probably know, is the Yale professor who has written a bracing critique of what she considers the weak, cuddling American parenting style.

Discussion: The Huffington Post

Manu Raju / The Politico:

Rookie Rand Paul tackles budget head-on — President Barack Obama will soon lay out his vision for federal spending when he releases his annual budget, setting in motion months of debate over the size and scope of government. — Rand Paul is doing the same thing.

Discussion: Little Green Footballs, The Note, Cubachi and National Review

Myglesias / Yglesias:

Hispanic Intermarriage — Jeb Bush tries to make the case for a pro-immigration, pro-immigrant, pro-Latino posture for conservatives: … Jon Chait objects to this twice in response to Ezra Klein who defends Bush. I want to recommend Jamelle Bouie on this subject who makes excellent points …

Discussion: American Prospect, TalkLeft, The New Republic and Ezra Klein

MiamiHerald.com:

Ex-dictator Jean-Claude ‘Baby Doc’ Duvalier taken into custody — PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haitian police took ex-dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier to a courthouse in downtown Port-au-Prince early Tuesday afternoon after he was taken into custody — though the charges remain unknown.

Discussion: The Jawa Report, Little Green Footballs, Guardian and Washington Post