Top Items:
Washington Post:
House Passes $819 Billion Economic Stimulus — Republicans Wary of Package's Price Tag, Spending Priorities — With no Republican support, the House approved an $819 billion stimulus plan that will serve as the cornerstone of President Obama's efforts to resuscitate the economy …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Hot Air, Weekly Standard, The Reaction, Taegan Goddard's …, Macsmind and QandO
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Jackie Calmes / New York Times:
House Passes Obama's Stimulus Package — WASHINGTON — Without a single Republican vote, President Obama won House approval on Wednesday for an $819 billion economic recovery plan as Congressional Democrats sought to hold down their own difference over the enormous package of tax cuts and spending.
Associated Press:
OBAMA TO HOST COCKTAIL PARTY FOR LAWMAKERS — WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama has invited Republican and Democratic lawmakers for drinks at the White House as they consider his economic recovery bill that still faces opposition. — White House aides say about two dozen key members …
Byron York / The Corner:
“Overwhelming” GOP Opposition to Stimulus Bill — Just talked to a very clued-in Republican on the Hill. This person wouldn't predict a unanimous Republican vote against the Democratic stimulus package, but said there would be “minimal” GOP support of the bill.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Tennessean.com, About.com US Liberal Politics, Kevin Drum, Right Wing News, QandO, The Caucus, Political Machine, PoliGazette and TPMDC
Eli Lake / Washington Times:
EXCLUSIVE: Holder assures GOP on interrogation prosecution — President Obama's choice to run the Justice Department has assured senior Republican senators that he won't prosecute CIA officers or political appointees who were involved in the Bush administration's policy of “enhanced interrogations.”
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Elana Schor / TPMDC:
Holder Aide: We Made No Special Promises to Bond — My colleague Zack at TPMmuck just heard from an aide to Attorney General nominee Eric Holder. The aide definitively denied Sen. Kit Bond's (R-MO) claim that Holder had given him “assurances” of avoiding future prosecutions …
Elana Schor / TPMDC:Leading Senate Dems Dismiss Report That Holder Promised No Torture Prosecutions
Discussion:
Emptywheel
David Sirota / Open Left:
There's something happening here — I think it's time we stop, children, what's that sound — Almost exactly a year ago, I wrote an article for In These Times predicting that congressional progressives would be emboldened to assert themselves in an unprecedented way under an Obama administration …
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Wall Street Journal:
A 40-Year Wish List — You won't believe what's in that stimulus bill. — “Never let a serious crisis go to waste. What I mean by that is it's an opportunity to do things you couldn't do before.” — So said White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel in November, and Democrats in Congress are certainly taking his advice to heart.
Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:
State of the States: Political Party Affiliation — Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Hawaii, and District of Columbia are most Democratic — USA - Democrats - Government and Politics - Party Affiliation - Republicans - Americas - Northern America … PRINCETON, NJ — An analysis …
Discussion:
Washington Wire, Democracy in America, Open Left, D-Day, Liberal Values, Outside The Beltway and Public Policy Polling
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ABCNEWS:
Exclusive: CIA Station Chief in Algeria Accused of Rapes — “Ugly American”? Spy Boss Allegedly Drugged Muslim Women, Made Secret Sex Videos — The CIA's station chief at its sensitive post in Algeria is under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department for allegedly raping at least …
The Huffington Post:
GOP Leader Pushes Back Against Limbaugh Line — Over the past few days, talk radio host Rush Limbaugh has been, far and away, the most combative critic of Barack Obama. As Republicans on the Hill compliment the president for his willingness to talk and compromise on the stimulus …
Discussion:
Matthew Yglesias, The Plum Line, Think Progress, Media Matters for America, Washington Monthly, Open Left and D-Day
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Liisa O'Neill / NY Daily News:
Hey Bam, that's not the door! — It looks like President Obama hasn't gotten acquainted to his White House surroundings. On the way back to the Oval Office Tuesday, the President approached a paned window, instead of the actual door — located a few feet to his right.
Discussion:
Political Machine
Courtney Hazlett / MSNBC:
Alba schools Fox's O'Reilly in WW II history — Plus: Simpson won't spin weight loss; Anderson finds trailer-park love — Jessica Alba is setting the record straight: Sweden was neutral during World War II. — Alba and Fox TV show host Bill O'Reilly traded punches last week after the presidential inauguration.
RELATED:
Karl Frisch / Media Matters:O'Reilly don't know much about (WWII) history
Discussion:
Matthew Yglesias
David Alpert / Greater Greater Washington:
Nadler transit amendment passes on voice vote — The House just approved Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY)'s amendment to add $3 billion in transit capital funding to the stimulus. They approved it on a voice vote instead of a roll call. — According to Nadler's floor speech …
RELATED:
Think Progress:
REPORT: GOP Lawmakers Outnumber Democratic Lawmakers 2 To 1 In Stimulus Debate On Cable News — As Media Matters has documented, during the Bush administration, the media consistently allowed conservatives to dominate their shows, booking them as guests far more often than progressives.
Guardian:
Revealed: the letter Barack Obama's team hope will heal Iran rift — Officials of Barack Obama's administration have drafted a letter to Iran from the president aimed at unfreezing US-Iranian relations and opening the way for face-to-face talks, the Guardian has learned.
WTOP.com:
Obama pokes fun at D.C. area's reaction to snow — WASHINGTON — After his daughters got a snow day Wednesday, President Barack Obama wants to see a little bit of “flinty, Chicago toughness” applied locally. — “When it comes to the weather, folks in Washington don't seem to be able to handle things …
Discussion:
Political Machine
RELATED:
Frank Ahrens / Washington Post:Obama: Snowy Washington Needs ‘Chicago Toughness’
Discussion:
MoJoBlog
Marc Ambinder:
The Political Case For The Stimulus, If You're A Vulernable Republican — Over a 48 hour period when 100,000 job layoffs have been announced, Hill Republicans have decided to take a stand against the stimulus. — Now - President Obama's approval rating is about 70%; — Congressional approval is still around 20%;
RELATED:
Michelle Malkin:
GOP holds the line: 244-188. This crap sandwich is all yours, Dems — Own it. Embrace it. Swallow it. The House version of the $1.1 trillion Generational Theft Act of 2009 is all the Democrats' doing now. — Not one Republican voted for it. (1 Republican had to leave early).
Discussion:
GayPatriot
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System:
For immediate release — The Federal Open Market Committee decided today to keep its target range for the federal funds rate at 0 to 1/4 percent. The Committee continues to anticipate that economic conditions are likely to warrant exceptionally low levels of the federal funds rate for some time.
RELATED:
Edmund L. Andrews / New York Times:Fed Signals It's Ready to Expand Assistance as Needed
Discussion:
Marginal Revolution
The Politico:
Go big or go home — The $825 billion economic stimulus bill is easily the costliest ever considered in U.S. history. Some economists are dismayed by its size - they think it's simply way too small. — Their case is simple: the only way to save a massive economy with massive problems …
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The New Republic:
Scott McClellan's Advice for Robert Gibbs — Yesterday, we asked President Bush's former press secretary, Scott McClellan, if he had any hard-won suggestions for Robert Gibbs. — My view is that the press-briefing model that is used now is kind of outdated.
Discussion:
The Hill's Blog Briefing Room
Maura Dolan / Los Angeles Times:
School can expel lesbian students, court rules — An appeals panel finds California Lutheran High School in Riverside County is not a business and therefore doesn't have to comply with a state law barring discrimination based on sexual orientation. — Reporting from San Francisco …
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