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Drudge Report
Drudge banners: "IOU" and links to this LA Times story on the budget crisis in California. And the U.S. says North Korea does not appear to be readying a missile launch in this Bloomberg story is also highlighed on Drudge. ... READ MORE

Huffington Post
The Huffington Post banners: "Obama's first major military operation underway in Afghanistan" and links to this AP story. Unemployment to hit a 9.6 percent, a 26 year high, according to this AP report, highlighted on the HuffPo. And Jesse Berney ... READ MORE

HotAir
The Obama administration doesn't see the contradiction between calling for free elections in Honduras and staying out of the election in Iran, writes Allahpundit. And veteran White House reporter Helen Thomas went "nuclear" on the White House for controlling the ... READ MORE

DailyKos
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) wants to president but "she couldn't even get her own campaign's scheduling staff to give her enough time to run," writes Jed Lewison. And South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's (R) recent confessions have set off ... READ MORE

Townhall
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's (R) Republican enemies hope he stays in office, writes Matt Lewis. And, drawing on examples from other countries, Carol Platt Liebau writes what ObamaCare "really means." READ MORE

OpenLeft
Advancing the debate over torture is always going to be difficult, writes Daniel de Groot. And Mike Lux takes a look at the fight over a new Pecora commission. READ MORE

RedState
The press is "finally" calling out the Obama administration for controlling the press, writes Paint it Red. And Moe Lane takes a detailed look at the 2010 election and the ages of several Democratic committee chair people. READ MORE

MyDD
Mitt Romney appears to be urging Republicans to stand up to President Obama, writes Charles Lemos. And Lemos also writes that South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) must think the Associated Press is a "licensed therapist." READ MORE

Powerline
Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) appeared to open the door to the Obama administration making more demands Israel in the peace process while in the country, writes Paul. And new polling shows that support for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is ... READ MORE

Matthew Yglesias
The entire committee system in Congress "leaves a lot to be desired," writes Matthew Yglesias. And Yglesias also points out a general thought among the punditry right now: Congress is asserting its dominance in setting and controlling the agenda, not ... READ MORE

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Morning Read | Midday Blog Roundup | Day's End Roundup

November 19, 2008

MIDDAY ROUNDUP

@ 11:58 am by Hill Staff

The impending fight in the House over control of a key committee chairmanship draws input from liberal bloggers today, while calls for the Republican Party to exorcise itself of the religious right is debated on the left and the right.

Tomorrow’s showdown between Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and John Dingell (D-Mich.) for control of the House Energy and Commerce Committee is the first real test of the new Democratic majority, MyDD’s Jerome Armstrong writes, backing Waxman to assist climate change legislation. Waxman’s play is incredibly aggressive, but even if he does not win control of the committee, he may force Dingell to commit to global warming legislation, Ezra Klein declares. A threat to House Democrats’ seniority system, which would favor Dingell, pales in comparison to the threat of global warming and an energy crisis, digby argues at Hullabaloo.

A column by controversial pundit Kathleen Parker calling for the Republican Party to distance itself from the religious right is sage electoral advice, but it will not matter when groups like Focus on the Family make Parker public enemy number one, Washington Monthly’s Steve Benen blogs. The only thing that has changed between 2000 and 2008 is the Republicans’ electoral fortunes, which explains Parker’s change of heart, Steve M. declares at No More Mister Nice Blog. Given the damage the GOP’s relationship with the religious right had already caused, Athenae at First Draft is surprised it took Parker this long to figure out the problem.

Clumsiness in invoking matters of faith is more damaging to the GOP, Townhall’s Carol Platt Liebau asserts. There is nothing wrong with making arguments that Republicans should distance themselves from religion, but implying that those who cross the line are somehow of lesser intelligence undercuts those arguments, The Corner’s Jonah Goldberg says. The problem with the GOP is not too close a relationship with God, but too close a relationship with President Bush, Robert Stacy McCain claims.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Waxman Versus DingellEzra Klein
Kathleen Parker Has Left the Building – Athenae, First Draft
Maureen Dowd Wannabe – Robert S. McCain, The Other McCain
Boehner, Cleverest Republican in DC – Eve Fairbanks, The Stump
House GOP Leadership Elections – Jay Newton-Small, Swampland
Can GM Survive? Wall Street’s View – Jane Hamsher, firedoglake
Faith in Free Markets – Gary Andres, Weekly Standard
More on Michael Steele – Erick Erickson, RedState
Obama Reforming College Football? – Josh Levin, Slate
Quit It - Kathryn Lopez, The Corner

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Giving Up on God – Kathleen Parker, Washington Post
Clinton May Need to Pay Off Debt Before Taking PostBloomberg
Bill Clinton Said to Be in Talks to Ease Wife’s NominationNYTimes
Shelby: 'Somebody Has to Speak for the Taxpayer' - The Hill

-Michael O'Brien

Archived under: Midday Blog Roundup





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