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He Wasn't The One We've Been Waiting For — Health care reform — which is crucial for millions of Americans — hangs in the balance. Progressives are desperately in need of leadership; more specifically, House Democrats need to be told to pass the Senate bill, which isn't what they wanted but is vastly better than nothing.
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U-Turn: Frank Says, With Assurances, He'll Vote For The Senate Health Care Bill — In an interview with TPMDC this evening, Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) reversed course—apologizing for a harsh statement he released last night in the wake of the Massachusetts special election, and saying …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The Hill, NO QUARTER, The Lonely Conservative, The New Republic, Kausfiles, The Hill, TPM LiveWire, Althouse, IntoxiNation, Ezra Klein, AmSpecBlog and The Page

On Next Steps for Health Reform — Right now there are a lot of discussions going on about the best path forward. But let's be clear that the President's preference is to pass a bill that meets the principles he laid out months ago: more stability and security for those who have insurance …
Discussion:
George's Bottom Line, Political Punch, AMERICAblog News, TPMDC, TPM LiveWire and The Atlantic Politics Channel


Do House Democrats Realize They Already Voted for Health Care Reform?
Discussion:
The Mahablog, Opinion L.A., The Reality-Based Community, New York Times and Talking Points Memo

The other health-care reform option
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Corrente, Crooks and Liars, Daily Kos, IntoxiNation, Hullabaloo, Open Congress, MyDD, Reclusive Leftist, The Impolitic, Washington Post, Associated Press and TPM LiveWire

TRANSCRIPT: George Stephanopoulos' Exclusive Interview with President Obama
Discussion:
The Note, ABCNEWS, The Fix, Real Clear Politics, The Awl, The Daily Caller, Pajamas Media, Prescriptions and NewsBusters.org

Clyburn: ‘Magic number on healthcare reform is 50, not 60’; measure not dead


Edwards admits fathering child with mistress — Former presidential candidate promises to support his 2-year-old daughter — John Edwards' attorneys say he's been providing financial support for 2-year-old Quinn for about a year, and just signed a child support agreement with Rielle Hunter.
Discussion:
The Fix, The Atlantic Politics Channel, New York Magazine, Politics Daily, Washington Post, Indecision Forever and Mediaite
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John Edwards Admits He Fathered Rielle Hunter's Child — Former Aide Says Edwards Had Him Steal Diaper to Secretly Check His Paternity — Former presidential candidate John Edwards abandoned his long denial that he had fathered a child during an affair with a campaign aide and admitted today …

Edwards: Yes, I'm the father — Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards admits in a written statement to NBC's “Today” that he is the father of Frances Quinn Hunter, the 1-year-old daughter of his former mistress, Rielle Hunter. — “I am Quinn's father.

John Edwards admits paternity — Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy — Former senator John Edwards on Thursday admitted paternity of a daughter with former mistress Rielle Hunter, despite his previous denials, in a statement given to the “Today” show.


Glenn Beck Destroys Scott Brown: “This One Could End With A Dead Intern” — You won't see TV Glenn Beck touch the things that Radio Glenn Beck sometimes says, as he edges toward Howard Stern levels of comedy and tone. — Today he absolutely obliterated Scott Brown over the 'my daughters …
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Mark Levin Responds To Glenn Beck's Crazed Tirade Against Scott Brown
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Gateway Pundit, Betsy's Page, Time, Riehl World View, JammieWearingFool, Stop The ACLU and Michael Calderone's Blog

Glenn Beck Scott Brown ‘Dead Intern’: Beck Slams Brown For …


Brown heads to Washington after upset Senate win — BOSTON — Massachusetts Republican Scott Brown, whose surprise win in the race to fill the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's seat created the sonic boom heard all the way to Washington, was visiting the nation's capital Thursday to pay a round of courtesy calls on his new colleagues.
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CNN, MSNBC Cut Republican Candidate's Mic!
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NewsBusters.org, The Lonely Conservative, Stop The ACLU, The Jawa Report and Weasel Zippers

Proposal Set to Curb Bank Giants — WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama on Thursday is expected to propose new limits on the size and risk taken by the country's biggest banks, marking the administration's latest assault on Wall Street in what could mark a return, at least in spirit …
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Obama to Propose Limits on Risks Taken by Banks — WASHINGTON — President Obama on Thursday will publicly propose giving bank regulators the power to limit the size of the nation's largest banks and the scope of their risk-taking activities, an administration official said late Wednesday.
Discussion:
The Hill, Think Progress, Beat the Press, Marginal Revolution, Mother Jones and Economist's View

Relieved — I want to recommend that everyone read the email we just got from a Senate staffer who will have to remain anonymous. Here's one part of the email that stood out to me. The whole thing is after the jump ... Here's the whole thing.

The Massachusetts Election — If anyone should have seen it coming in Massachusetts, it is President Obama — the long-shot candidate who rode to electoral victory on a wave of popular impatience and an ability to identify and address voters' core anxieties.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, New York Times, The Politico, Washington Post, Prairie Weather and Big Journalism
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Obama blames Massachusetts Senate loss on middle-class economic pain


Cindy McCain Poses for NOH8 — The NOH8 Campaign on Wednesday announced that Cindy McCain, the wife of former Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain, has posed to demonstrate her support of marriage equality. NOH8's Adam Bouska has photographed thousands of subjects since California passed Proposition 8 in 2008.
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog, The Huffington Post, Telegraph, American Power, New York Magazine, SFGate, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Truthdig and Althouse
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Cindy McCain Poses for Ad Supporting Gay Marriage
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Associated Press


An Explosive Afternoon: LDS Church — The transcripts from this afternoon read like an episode of Law and Order, with the attorneys arguing with the judge over what documents ought to be introduced as evidence. These aren't just any old documents, they are emails and letters sent …
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog, Box Turtle Bulletin, Pam's House Blend, Raw Story, American Foundation …, Emptywheel and LGBT POV
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Obama's first year: What went wrong — As the Obama administration marks its first birthday, there is no reason to shop around for the perfect present. What President Barack Obama needs most is obvious: a new political strategy — ideally one more grounded in the realities of governance than the one he embraced a year ago Wednesday.


Buffett Says He Can't See Rationale for Bank Levy — Jan. 20 (Bloomberg) — Warren Buffett opposes President Barack Obama's proposed levy on financial institutions because firms including Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Wells Fargo & Co. already repaid bailout funds.


Palin on Mass. Senate Shocker: ‘The Status Quo is Not Acceptable’ — This is a rush transcript from “On the Record,” January 19, 2010. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated. — GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, FOX NEWS HOST: Right now, former Alaska governor Sarah Palin joins us by phone.


Senate loss puts the burden on Pelosi — Scott Brown's stunning upset victory in Massachusetts has reshuffled the Senate, but its immediate consequences have fallen hardest on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who now faces perhaps the defining moment of her career.

House Liberals To Pelosi: “We Cannot Support The Senate Bill. Period.” — In a private meeting in the Capitol just now, a dozen or more House liberals bluntly told Nancy Pelosi that there was no chance that they would vote to pass the Senate bill in its current form …

Muslim police say Islam not to blame for terror attacks — Muslim police officers have rebelled openly against the Government's anti-terrorism strategy, warning that it is an “affront to British values” which threatens to trigger ethnic unrest. — The National Association of Muslim Police …


Dem Talking Points: We're Screwed! — New Senate Democratic talking points, distributed in response to last night's special election in Massachusetts show the party pre-emptively placing the blame for a lackluster agenda moving forward on Republicans, who Dems say they now need to pass legislation.