memeorandum: Virginia Democrat Webb Won't Seek Re-Election to Senate (Danny Yadron/Wall Street Journal)

6:35 PM ET, February 9, 2011

Top Items:

Webb won't seek reelection — Virginia Democratic Senator Jim Webb plans to announce today that he won't seek reelection, the Senator confirmed Wednesday. — Webb appeared likely to face a rematch with former Senator George Allen, whom he beat in a bruising 2006 contest.

Discussion: The Politico, National Review, CNN, Raw Story, Hot Air, Outside the Beltway, The Washington Note, AmSpecBlog, Politics, Pajamas Media and JOSHUAPUNDIT

Danny Yadron / Wall Street Journal:

Virginia Democrat Webb Won't Seek Re-Election to Senate — WASHINGTON—Sen. Jim Webb (D., Va.) said Wednesday he won't seek re-election after serving a single term in Congress, dealing a blow to Democrats' efforts to hold the in 2012. — Mr. Webb, a centrist with a military background …

Discussion: Patterico's Pontifications

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Jim Webb's retirement (and what it means)

Discussion: Towleroad News #gay, msnbc.com and The Maddow Blog

Ben Pershing / Virginia Politics Blog:
Sen. James Webb won't run for reelection in 2012

Discussion: The Nation, Weasel Zippers, Wonkette, The Page, AMERICAblog News and Gawker

Daniel Strauss / The Hill:
Former Va. GOP chair: Webb retirement made race harder

Discussion: CNN

Maureen O'Connor / Gawker:

Married GOP Congressman Sent Sexy Pictures to Craigslist Babe — Rep. Christopher Lee is a married Republican congressman serving the 26th District of New York. But when he trolls Craigslist's “Women Seeking Men” forum, he's Christopher Lee, “divorced” “lobbyist” and “fit fun classy guy.”

Discussion: Fox News, Washington Monthly, Crooks and Liars, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Politics, AOL News, AMERICAblog News, Daily Kos, Wonkette, YNN, Your News Now, Taegan Goddard's … and Balloon Juice

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:

Democrats: Justice Thomas should recuse himself in healthcare reform case — A group of 73 House Democrats on Wednesday demanded U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas recuse himself from any case examining the constitutionality of healthcare reform. — Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) …

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, The Note and The Mahablog

Felicia Sonmez / Washington Post:

House Democrats say Justice Thomas should recuse himself in health-care case — Seventy-four House Democrats have signed a letter to Clarence Thomas asking the Supreme Court justice to recuse himself from any deliberations on the constitutionality of the national health care overhaul …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Patterico's Pontifications, SCOTUSblog, Weasel Zippers, Outside the Beltway and Election Law

Jennifer Haberkorn / The Politico:
Dems: Thomas should recuse himself

Discussion: Hot Air and The Note

The Politico:

Republicans endure another floor loss — House Republicans endured another embarrassing floor loss Wednesday, one day after a vote on the Patriot Act failed on their watch. — A bill that would retrieve money already paid to the United Nations failed Wednesday afternoon 259-169, 290 votes were needed for passage.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Hill, The Caucus and Prairie Weather

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
The Tea Party and civil liberties

Discussion: Washington Post, Daily Kos, Liberal Values, Balloon Juice, Hot Air and Barefoot and Progressive

Washington Post:
Patriot Act extension fails in the House by seven votes

Discussion: msnbc.com, The Atlantic Online, Daily Kos, Examiner, Politics Daily, The Foundry, Prairie Weather, National Review, Bloomberg, Washington Monthly, Sky Dancing, The Hill, Firedoglake, The Politico, Tammy Bruce and The Hill

Adam Serwer / The Plum Line:
Newsflash: Tea Party didn't kill Patriot Act

Discussion: Weigel, Cato @ Liberty, Firedoglake and PostPartisan

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:

At CPAC, the race for second place as Paul goes all out — The Conservative Political Action Conference's annual straw poll typically indicates three things: Whom CPAC's segment of the conservative base prefers for president; who bought tickets for their supporters; and whether Ron Paul is really trying.

Discussion: Wonkette and GOP 12

Mike / Rortybomb:
Monetary Policy Hearing Today, or: Ron Paul Versus the Kochtopus.

Discussion: Washington Post, Financial Services Committee, Paul Krugman, Raw Story and RedState

Myglesias / Yglesias:
The Strange Case of Pro-Confederate Monetary Policy

Discussion: LewRockwell.com Blog

Peter Schroeder / The Hill:
Dem accuses witness invited by Ron Paul of ‘hate group’ ties

Discussion: Oliver Willis

David Rogers / The Politico:

GOP cuts deep as right revolts — Faced with a revolt on the right, House Republicans began sketching out more than $40 billion in specific spending cuts Wednesday but may be forced to double their bets with a further across-the-board reduction to appease tea party supporters.

Discussion: Instapundit, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Proof Positive, The Reaction, The Nation and The Hill

appropriations.house.gov:

CR Spending Cuts to Go Deep — WASHINGTON, D.C. - House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers today announced a partial list of 70 spending cuts that will be included in an upcoming Continuing Resolution (CR) bill. The CR legislation will fund the federal government for the seven months remaining …

Discussion: The Politico, Politics Daily, Bloomberg, RHRealityCheck.org, Associated Press, The Hill, USA Today and CNN

Kent Hoover / Portfolio:
CAPITAL — The GOP Chainsaw Massacre — House Republicans …

Discussion: Daily Kos and TPMDC

Dana Milbank / Washington Post:

Arianna Huffington's ideological transformation — Did Arianna Huffington just sell out her fellow progressives? — In the literal sense, she undoubtedly has: The sale of Huffington Post to AOL for $315 million (including a large pile of cash going to Huffington herself) …

Discussion: The Politico, Los Angeles Times, The Wrap, his vorpal sword, The Other McCain, The New Republic, Pajamas Media, The Garlic, Online NewsHour and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »

New York Post:

AOL stock sheds $315M — HuffPo price tag — You pay for what you get. — Arianna Huffington and Ken Lerer, co-founders of the Huffington Post, are said to be walking away with a combined $80 million to $100 million from an original $2 million per person investment — but so far AOL stockholders aren't seeing that kind of return.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, more at Mediagazer »

Simmi Aujla / The Politico:
West: AOL-HuffPo merger threatens tea party groups

Discussion: Weigel, Washington Monthly, Ben Smith's Blog, No More Mister Nice Blog and Roger Ailes

Ta-Nehisi Coates / The Atlantic Online:

Labor — Surveying the GOP's latest efforts to usher forth a particular species of fiscal responsibility, I was recalled to a bit of personal history, which I try to not to think about. Like a lot of couples, the notice that our family would increase by a half was greeted with great joy.

Myglesias / Yglesias:
The Wages of Disengagement — Senator Barbara Boxer is outraged …

Discussion: Ann Friedman and Eschaton

Jennifer Steinhauer / New York Times:
Under Banner of Fiscal Restraint, Republicans Plan New Abortion Bills

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, TPMDC, Daily Kos, Sky Dancing, Shakesville, Washington Monthly, Wall Street Journal, Notes From Underground, Brilliant at Breakfast and The Politico

Lydia Saad / Gallup:

Obama's Approval Rating on Deficit Sinks to New Low — Egypt ranks among issues on which Obama is best rated — PRINCETON, NJ — President Barack Obama's approval rating for handling the federal budget deficit has gone from bad to worse in recent months, even as his ratings …

Discussion: Politics Daily, Left Coast Rebel, The Gateway Pundit, The Note, Taylor Marsh, Outside the Beltway, Liberty Pundits Blog, Commentary, Weasel Zippers, Wake up America, Hot Air and National Review

Andrew Malcolm / Top of the Ticket:
Just as things looked brighter for Obama, Americans' approval …

Discussion: Gallup

Quinnipiac University:
New Jersey Voters Say Christie's First Year A Success, Quinnipiac …

Discussion: The Hill, CNN and GOP 12

Marc Ambinder / NationalJournal.com:

EXCLUSIVE: White House to Cut Energy Assistance for the Poor — Budget proposal would cut billions from aid program. — President Obama's proposed 2012 budget will cut several billion dollars from the government's energy assistance fund for poor people, officials briefed on the subject told National Journal.

Discussion: Hot Air, Economist's View and Oliver Willis

Marin Cogan / The Politico:

Insurance reality hits House GOP — Ask any House Republican about repealing President Barack Obama's health care law, and you'll get the same fiery, self-assured talking points about tearing down what Speaker John Boehner has called a “monstrosity.” — But talk to some of the 16 freshman lawmakers …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Crooks and Liars, USA Today, Washington Monthly, Don Surber, The New Republic and msnbc.com

Jonathan Cohn / The New Republic:

In Defense of “Obamacare” — This morning on “Morning Joe,” the crew was debating about the word of “Obamacare” and whether it's appropriate. As you may have noticed, opponents of law love to use it and supporters don't. And it's safe to assume those opponents don't mean it as a compliment.

Discussion: Ezra Klein, A plain blog about politics and Mother Jones

CNN:

Aide: Giffords can speak — (CNN) — U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords, recovering from a gunshot wound to the head sustained January 8, is regaining part of her ability to speak, her spokesman said Wednesday. — C.J. Karamargin would not divulge what Giffords has said, other than saying she asked for toast.

Discussion: The Politico and Gawker

Josh Kraushaar / NationalJournal.com:

Bye-Bye Blue Dogs — With their ranks continuing to thin, Blue Dogs are struggling to retain influence in the House Democratic Caucus. — Election hit Blue Dog members Early Pomery of North Dakota and Allen Boyd of Florida. Now, California's Jane Harman is the latest to leave Congress.

Discussion: The Fix, Washington Examiner and The Atlantic Online

Christian M. Wade / TBO Politics:

RNC's former Tampa convention team spent $1 million — TAMPA - They rented an exclusive waterfront mansion, wined and dined at five-star restaurants and hired family members and friends, all on the taxpayers' dime. — Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele's 2012 convention team based …

Discussion: Mother Jones and National Review

Rachel Weiner / The Fix:

How a Palin nomination could expand Obama's playing field — A series of state polls released over the last few weeks suggest that if Republicans nominate former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in 2012 it could hand President Obama a considerable electoral vote margin next November.

Amanda Covarrubias / L.A. NOW:

100 UC Irvine faculty members ask district attorney to drop charges against Muslim students — A group of 100 faculty members at UC Irvine signed a letter asking the Orange County district attorney to drop criminal charges against 11 Muslim students who disrupted a speech by the Israeli ambassador to the United States.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and Jihad Watch