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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

December 11, 2008

MIDDAY ROUNDUP

@ 12:00 pm by Michael O'Brien

News that Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) will hold up Eric Holder’s confirmation as attorney general brings complaints from liberal bloggers, while conservatives contemplate the role of certain party leaders in their future. Also, President-elect Obama’s most recent cabinet appointments say a lot about his approach to governing, centrist and liberal bloggers claim.

Though Holder deserves tough questioning for his role in pardoning financier Marc Rich, Specter is breaking new ground in political opportunism by trying to hold up his Senate confirmation, Josh Marshall alleges at TalkingPointsMemo. Specter seems to want a delay for the sake of grandstanding, trying to prepare for a Republican primary in his 2010 reelection, Washington Monthly’s Steve Benen blogs. That Specter voted to confirm Alberto Gonzales but is putting the brakes on Holder screams of showmanship, Big Tent Democrat writes at TalkLeft.

A piece today by political guru Karl Rove is a reminder that pundit-driven debates over the “future of conservatism” are not very helpful in rebuilding a Republican majority, Commentary’s Jennifer Rubin writes. Rove’s piece takes aim at one potential GOP leader—former Lt. Gov Michael Steele (R-Md.)—for his leadership of GOPAC since former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) abandoned it, The Campaign Spot’s Jim Geraghty notes. Steele showed courage sticking up for the centrist Republican Leadership Council, though it will likely doom his bid to lead the Republican National Committee, Dennis Sanders says at The Moderate Voice.

Obama’s choice of former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) as Health and Human Services Secretary is rooted in the pair’s deep relationship, and Daschle will be better integrated into Obama’s political team than other appointees, Ezra Klein says. Daschle is passionate about healthcare reform and will get an opportunity to take on a broader role in the administration overseeing it, The Plank’s Jonathan Cohn declares. Obama’s circle of advisers in policy areas resembles the role of a National Security Advisor in the different fields, Marc Ambinder writes.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Reducing the National DebtEugene Volokh
Yowza – Amanda Carpenter, Townhall
Free Ride – M.J. Rosenberg, TPMCafe
Have You Rehabbed Your Blog? – Natasha Chart, MyDD
Michael Steele Shows…Steele – D. Sanders, The Moderate Voice
Pawlenty: Plunge U.S. Into DepressionMatthew Yglesias
More Bailout Pressure? – Michelle Cottle, The Plank
Fitz’s Priorities Prudent This Time – H. von Spakovsky, The Foundry
Bush Legacy Watch – Ben Armbruster, Think Progress
Specter Picks Fight Over Holder – Steve Benen, Political Animal
Bad Policy from GOP's Policy Chairman - Rob Bluey, RedState
Obama: Checking Staff Contacts - Byron York, The Corner

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
The Unreal Bill Ayers – Charles Lane, Washington Post
Tuskegee Airmen Get Inaugural InviteDetroit News
Hoekstra Vows 'Aggressive Oversight' of Obama - The Hill

Archived under: Midday Blog Roundup





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