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Steele backs off abortion remarks — RNC Chairman Michael Steele said today that despite telling an interviewer he supports “individual choice” and state-level decisions on abortion, he in fact opposes abortion and supports a Constitutional ban. — Steele said in a statement through an RNC spokesman:
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The Reconstructionist — Michael Steele, the embattled new head of the Republican Party, on whether he'd be in this job if he were white, why he left the seminary for the GOP, and where his diminished party goes from here — I met Michael Steele in his office at the RNC several weeks into his new job …
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The Fix, The Moderate Voice, The Note, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, Washington Monthly, The Corner, Pam's House Blend, Hot Air, Beltway Confidential, Political Machine, AmSpecBlog, Think Progress, Daily Kos, Salon, Talking Points Memo, RedState, #gay, Taegan Goddard's …, TPMDC, Townhall.com, AMERICAblog News, PoliticalBase.com Blog, MyDD, DownWithTyranny!, PoliPundit.com and Conservatives4Palin.com


TIMEBOMB, POSTDATED THREE WEEKS? — Ever since I read Michael Steele's trainwreck interview with GQ that came out yesterday, I've been wondering, he thought this was a good moment to give a let it all hang out interview? — Remember, this is the one where he appeared to forget in real …

Steele: Abortion an ‘individual choice’
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Political Machine, marbury, Salon, Hot Air, Alas, a blog, Talking Points Memo and Think Progress

Blame the ‘Lobby’ — FORMER ambassador Charles W. Freeman Jr. looked like a poor choice to chair the Obama administration's National Intelligence Council. A former envoy to Saudi Arabia and China, he suffered from an extreme case of clientitis on both accounts.
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Israel Matzav, Israpundit, PostPartisan, Commentary, Yourish.com, NPR, Weekly Standard, The New Republic, The Cable, Political Punch, Gates of Vienna and Capital J | JTA
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Allow Me to Twirl My Evil Moustache (or Payess, If You Know What I Mean)
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Media Blog

Influence of Israel Lobby Debated as Intelligence Pick Casts Blame for Pullout


Obama's honeymoon bliss fading — President Obama's honeymoon is beginning to fade. — Members of Congress and old political hands say he needs to show substantial progress reviving the economy soon. — Some Democrats have started to worry that voters don't and won't understand …
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Obama, Geithner Get Low Grades From Economists — U.S. President Barack Obama and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner received failing grades for their efforts to revive the economy from participants in the latest Wall Street Journal forecasting survey. — The economists' assessment stands …
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MSNBC, The Note, QandO, George's Bottom Line, Commentary, Fausta's Blog, Fox News, JustOneMinute and Garden State Patriot


Obama Makes Use of Signing Statements — WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama signed a $410 billion spending bill Wednesday that includes thousands of pet projects inserted by lawmakers, even as he unveiled new rules to restrict such so-called earmarks. — At the same time …
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QandO, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, New York Times, The Next Right, Washington Post and Wizbang
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Alaska Gov. Palin's daughter, fiance break up — WASILLA, Alaska — Levi Johnston and Bristol Palin, the teenage daughter of Gov. Sarah Palin, have broken off their engagement, he said Wednesday, about 2 1/2 months after the couple had a baby. — Johnston, 19, told The Associated Press …
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Bristol Palin & Fiancé Split
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The Swamp, Debbie Schlussel, Associated Press, Star, Conservatives4Palin.com, Hotline On Call and The Politico


Iraqi jailed for Bush shoe attack — An Iraqi journalist hailed as a hero in the Arab world for throwing his shoes at former US President George W Bush has been jailed for three years. — Muntadar al-Zaidi had pleaded not guilty as his trial resumed in Baghdad, telling the judge: “My reaction was natural, just like any Iraqi.”
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Obama: Troop move to Mexican border under consideration — WASHINGTON — President Obama weighed in Wednesday on the escalating drug war on the U.S.-Mexico border, saying that he was looking at possibly deploying National Guard troops to contain the violence but ruled out any immediate military move.

RPT-FEATURE-Corporate oil booms in low-tax Switzerland — * Companies seek Swiss domiciles despite tax row — * U.S. political climate may be helping — * Appeal as corporate location may outlast offshore dispute — The tidy towns and mountain vistas of Switzerland are an unlikely setting for an oil boom.


Hersh: ‘Executive assassination ring’ reported directly to Cheney — Investigative reporter Seymour Hersh dropped a bombshell on Tuesday when he told an audience at the University of Minnesota that the military was running an “executive assassination ring” throughout the Bush years …
Discussion:
Weekly Standard, Outside The Beltway, The Atlanticist, PoliGazette, Jules Crittenden, The Reaction, AlterNet.org, protein wisdom and Needlenose
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Pelosi Travel Abuse? Case Not Proved — Watchdog Group Criticizes House Speaker for Travel Perks, but Records Don't Agree — The treasure trove of documents obtained by Judicial Watch from the Department of Defense regarding Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's use of military aircraft …

Gingrich visits new hospital in West Bloomfield — WEST BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP — Former U.S. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich arrived to tour the Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital at 3 p.m. today — a facility he heard about in a speech two years ago and wanted to visit after meeting …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly


Kerry: Climate change delay is ‘suicide pact’ — A leading US senator warned on Wednesday that deferring potentially costly actions to combat climate change because of the global economic slump amounted to “a mutual suicide pact.” — “Climate change is not governed by a recession …