DAY'S END ROUNDUP

FROM THE BLOGS:

Bush: Gracious even now
Jennifer Rubin, writing at her Right Turn blog, argues President Obama is President George W. Bush's most "ungracious of successors" and that "Obama owes much to Bush, (all Americans do, in fact)."

If Syria really used sarin, Obama must use force
Jeffrey Goldberg at Bloomberg News describes the effects of the chemical sarin and Obama's "red line" that Syria must not cross.

65 percent of coal powered plants may close thanks to EPA
Jazz Shaw of Hot Air argues that recent industry investments are a "big, wet slap in the face," to the coal industry.

Why These 2016 Democratic hopefuls aren't shying away from gun control
The NRA looks stronger than ever after Congress voted down a proposal to expand background check legislation. David Catanese at The Atlantic asks, what do a trio of governors know that their party's senators don't?

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Reid: No ObamaCare 'exemption' for lawmakers, staff
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) shot down speculation about a possible "exemption" for lawmakers and staff from the central part of ObamaCare, The Hill's Sam Baker reports.

Judiciary to start piece-by-piece approach to immigration reform
Leaders of the House Judiciary Committee announced Thursday they would begin introducing a series of narrow immigration reform proposals, The Hill's Russell Berman reports.

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FROM THE BLOGS:

Jon Stewart's long War with CNN is getting bitter, petty
Jon Stewart lambasted CNN's Wednesday coverage of the Boston Marathon bombing, Esther Zuckerman writes at the Atlantic Wire.

The four Democrats who voted against background checks
At Talking Points Memo, Sahil Kapur highlights the Senate Democrats that voted against background check legislation.

Blumenthal on gun laws: 'Americans won't take no for an answer'
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) vowed to continue pushing to pass stricter gun laws after his chamber voted against a measure to expand background checks for gun purchases, Bloomberg's Jonathan Salant reports.

Two cheers for the Rubio-G8 immigration plan: Kind of kludgey but an improvement over the status quo
James Pethokoukis, writing for the American Enterprise Institute, praises the so-called Gang of Eight's immigration reform proposal. 

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Obama: Boston, US 'undaunted'
The nation remains "undaunted" after the Boston Marathon bombing, President Obama said Thursday, according to The Hill's Justin Sink.

Saudi student hurt in Boston bombing not a suspect, not being deported
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told a House panel Thursday that a student injured in the Boston bombing is not, contrary to some reports, being deported, The Hill's Julian Pecquet and Jordy Yager report.

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DAY'S END ROUND-UP

FROM THE BLOGS:

Hosni Mubarak can't detained for corruption, not killing
Ed Krayewski of Reason provides an update on the trial of the former Egyptian President.

Obama can't blame Bush for deficits any longer 
Marc Thiessen argues in the Washington Post that President Obama has enacted enough policies while in office that with regards to budget deficits, the buck stops with him.

Roy Blunt raises specter of federal gun registry, despite explicit ban
The Huffington Post's Amanda Terkel thinks the Missouri Senator's pointed criticism of the Manchin-Toomey bill has no basis in fact.

Why Obama's chained-CPI "protections" aren't good enough 
The Nation's George Zornick explains why added protections in President Obama's budget don't make up for the cuts to Social Security in the form of chained-CPI.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Two explosions reported at Boston Marathon finish line
The Hill's Daniel Strauss reports on the latest developments in the unexpected tragedy at the annual Boston Marathon.

Obama signs STOCK Act modification
The rolled-back provision would require high-ranking government employees to put their financial information online, The Hill's Peter Schroeder reports.

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DAY'S END ROUNDUP

FROM THE BLOGS:

How to talk about a woman's looks
Salon.com's Irin Carmon thinks President Obama's comments about California Attorney General Kamala Harris (D) were unnecessary.

US Army training manual: Catholics = al-Qaeda
Peter Kirsanow of National Review writes about how the Army Reserve's equal opportunity training brief associates Catholicism with religious extremism.

Show me da money
Talking Points Memo's Josh Marshall questions whether or not money has played a role in the decision by multiple Senate Democrats to come out in support of same-sex marriage.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

White House promises Obama budget will 'blow your mind'
White House press secretary Jay Carney said Friday that President Obama's soon-to-be unveiled budget will be far more detailed than the Republican counterproposal, reports The Hill's Amie Parnes.

Federal judge lifts restrictions on sale of morning-after pill
A federal judge has ordered the Food and Drug Administration to lift restrictions on sales of the morning-after pill, according to The Hill's Elise Viebeck.

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DAY'S END ROUNDUP

FROM THE BLOGS

Christ in a karmic age
Redstate's Erick Erickson argues that karmic thinking pollutes the mind and that people should instead focus on doing good things.

What to expect when Obama releases his budget
The Washington Monthly's Ed Kilgore explains why the tardiness of Obama's latest budget is meaningless.

The right-wing hucksters who dare not be named
The Atlantic's Conor Friedersdorf writes that the hyperbolic comments echoed by some pundits undermines the conservative movement.

Liz Cheney is even more bonkers than we suspected
New York magazine's Jonathan Chait argues that the former vice president's daughter's op-ed in The Wall Street Journal shows how and why Liz Cheney is out of touch.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Democrats seek to tie House Republicans to Don Young's racial slur
Democrats are trying to use Rep. Don Young's (R-Alaska) reference to "wetbacks" to their advantage, according to The Hill's Cameron Joseph.

Texas to pay to keep flight towers open
The Hill's Keith Laing reports on how the Lone Star State is trying to counter the consequences of the sequester.

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DAY'S END ROUNDUP

FROM THE BLOGS

Bobby Jindal slayed 'em at the Gridiron Club dinner
Mary Katherine Ham of Hot Air relays one of the funnier routines of the night by the current Louisiana governor.

Sequester is proof that Washington thinks we are all idiots
Daniel Gross of The Daily Beast writes that we don't need the sequester to make a dent in the deficit — we're already finding other quiet ways to do that.

The Feminine Mystique and feminists' mistake
The Foundry's Collette Caprara wonders if female "liberation" helped lead to the disintegration of marriage.

Rubio: Denying marriage rights to gays 'does not make me a bigot'
Igor Volsky of ThinkProgress believes the Florida senator is stuck in the past with his views on same-sex marriage and rights.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES

Obama tells Senate GOP he's not setting a trap to win back the House
According to The Hill's Alexander Bolton, the president tried to find common ground with Senate Republicans during Thursday's private meeting.

Jeb Bush asks to be left out of CPAC straw poll
The former governor thinks it's too early to be thinking about 2016 ambitions, The Hill's Cameron Joseph reports.

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DAY'S END ROUND-UP

FROM THE BLOGS:

Banning large sodas is legal and smart
Lawrence O. Gostin for CNN writes that banning the larges drinks should not only stand up in court, but would also be a major step in addressing the nation's obesity epidemic.

Can poor people be trusted with guns?
Fox News' John Lott believes Democrats only want guns in the hands of the wealthy.

Obama's nominees for Secretary of (illegal alien) Labor
Michelle Malkin is worried about a potential Secretary of Labor nominee's lobbying past.

Wonkbook: Everything you need to know about the Ryan budget
Evan Soltas of Wonkblog outlines Ryan's recently announced budget, and details the reactions that have already begun pouring in.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Ryan: Obama outreach not 'terribly charming'
The GOP congressman isn't convinced that Obama's outreach is entirely genuine, The Hill's Jonathan Easley reports.

DCCC outraises NRCC in February by $1.3M
The Hill's Alexandra Jaffe reports that the campaign arm of the House Democrats had its second record breaking month in a row.

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DAY'S END ROUNDUP

FROM THE BLOGS:

Reviewing the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline: the more we learn, the worse it looks
At The Huffington Post, Susan Casey-Lefkowitz claims that the State Department's draft environmental review of the Keystone XL pipeline underestimated the harmful impact of the pipeline's construction.

Fallout from 'Untouchables' documentary: another Wall Street whistleblower gets reamed
Matt Taibbi, in Rolling Stone, outlines two specific cases in which those responsible for the 2008 financial crisis were never brought to justice.

Brookings glosses over Amtrak's failings
Cato's Randal O'Toole questions the Brookings Institution's claims that Amtrak's passenger trains are "viable."

Vice President Joe Biden at AIPAC
The Washington Post's Jennifer Rubin argues that Vice President Biden exaggerated the successes of the Obama administration's policies with respect to Israel.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Obama nominates McCarthy for EPA, Moniz for Energy chief
The Hill's Justin Sink reports on President Obama's most recent cabinet appointments.

House government funding bill seeks to soften sequester's blow
The Hills Erik Wasson reports on a bill that attempts to diffuse the harsh defense cuts that will be taking place as a result of the sequester.

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DAY'S END ROUNDUP

FROM THE BLOGS:

Bob Woodward demands law-ignoring, mind-controlling presidential leadership
Salon.com's Alex Pareene says a Washington Post reporter's comments about President Obama's involvement in the sequester battle are unfounded.

The economic closet: the business case for gay marriage
The New Yorker's Amy Davidson argues that legalizing gay marriage can be good for businesses and the economy.

Christie shrugs off CPAC snub
Ed Krayewski writes at Reason's Hit and Run Blog about CPAC's shunning of the popular New Jersey Governor.

Hagel supporters suddenly singing different tune
Commentary's Seth Mandel thinks that original supporters of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel are coming to the realization that his critics were right.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Obama to meet with leaders on sequester the day cuts take effect
The Hill's Amie Parnes reports on the President's scheduled meeting with lawmakers in order to prevent dramatic cuts from going into effect.

Rubio urges administration to provide aid to Syrian opposition
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is suggesting sending ammunition and body armor to Syrian opposition forces, according to The Hill's Julian Pecquet.

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DAY'S END ROUNDUP

FROM THE BLOGS:

On Washington's birthday, a lesson in self-government
The Foundry's Matt Grinney makes a plea for less government in the name of President George Washington.??

Just how much gas are we actually sitting on?
Policy Shop's Mijin Cha argues that actually obtaining shale gas is very complicated and time-consuming even if a large supply of it is available.??

If you like your plan, you can keep your plan, unless you can't, in which case we'll see
John Hayward discusses in Human Events Rep. Eliot Engel's (D-N.Y.) response when he heard a Congressional Budget Office report that projected millions of Americans would lose their healthcare plans under the Affordable Care Act.

Why Black voters are critical for the GOP
The American Prospect's Jamelle Bouie argues that it may be strategically smarter for Republicans to focus their short-term outreach efforts on African-Americans rather than Hispanics.??

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

White House warns sequester will produce chaos at nation's airports.
The Hill's Keith Laing reports that sequester cuts could lead to major flight delays.??

GOP lawmakers call on Obama, Holder to enforce gun laws
The Hill's Jordy Yager reports on a letter both President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder received calling for stricter enforcement of current gun laws amidst talk of increased gun control.

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DAY'S END ROUNDUP

FROM THE BLOGS:

Homophobia in the GOP makes it hard for party to compete nationally
The Daily Beast's Peter Beinart says that despite the GOP's attempts to become more racially diverse, their eventual downfall lies in their refusal to accept LGBT citizens.

The marketing genius of Marco Rubio
Emily Zanotti of Daily Caller shows that Sen. Marco Rubio's (R-Fla.) power (and ability to connect with more voters) lies in his ability to make great entertainment out of politics.

Republicans go from daddy party to baby party
Cato's Doug Bandow worries that Republicans are spending too much time arguing over issues that don't matter.

GOP governor to Karl Rove: Take a hike
Mother Jones's Andy Kroll details the growing backlash again Karl Rove's new super-PAC.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES

Scott Brown blames phone for unusual "Bqhatevwr" tweet
The former senator claims he wasn't drinking when he accidentally sent out the strange tweets, The Hill's Justin Sink reports.

Sanford: 'I failed mightily' in personal life, but always defended the taxpayers
The former South Carolina governor is hoping voters will look past his indiscretions in office as they prepare to elect a replacement for Sen. Tim Scott's open House seat, The Hill's Meghashyam Mali reports.

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DAY'S END ROUNDUP

FROM THE BLOGS:

Haley vs. health care
South Carolina Gov. Nicki Haley (R) talks about her state's fight against healthcare reform and gun control with RedState's Breanne Howe.

The many Chuck Hagel positions of John McCain
David Weigel of Slate details the many changes of Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) feelings towards the former GOP senator.

GOP civil war
Read The Economist's take on the growing fault lines among Republican legislators.

Yes, Chuck Hagel is being filibustered. Yes, that's unprecedented.
Wonkblog's Dylan Matthews examines the refusal of Senate Republicans to use the word "filibuster," and the procedural definition of the word itself.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Rangel wants women to be drafted
The Hill's Geneva Sands reports on Rep. Charles Rangel's (D-N.Y.) request that women register for the Selective Service.

House committee to hold hearing on asteroid threat
House Science, Space and Technology Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) is holding a committee hearing on the threat of asteroids hitting Earth, according to The Hill's Jonathan Easley.

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DAY'S END ROUNDUP

FROM THE BLOGS:

Does subsidized preschool pay off?
The Economist's Will Wilkinson writes on why President Obama's plan for universal preschool may not be entirely effective. 

Rubio's thirst was the best thing that could have happened to him
Talking Points Memo's Brian Beutler thinks Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) gave an unimpressive response to Obama's State of the Union address.

The schizophrenic State of the Union
S.E. Cupp argues in the New York Daily News that Obama's State of the Union address was vague and inconsistent.

Obama issues cybersecurity order, does not seize control of internet
Mother Jones' Dana Liebelson discusses why the President's recent executive order on cybersecurity is more moderate than some had originally thought.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Lew defends Cayman investment
Jack Lew, Obama's nominee for Treasury secretary, on Wednesday defended his $56,000 investment in a Cayman Islands fund, according to The Hill's Peter Schroeder.

Lawmakers say they're 'very close' to deal on post office overhaul
The Hill's Bernie Becker reports on potential legislation that could help the U.S. Postal Service get back on a sound financial footing.

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DAY'S END ROUND-UP

FROM THE BLOGS:

Assassination rocks Tunisia
Commentary's Michael Rubin worries the so-called Arab Spring may not being going according to plan, using Tunisia as a recent example.  

Republicans hit Obama, Jack Lew for violating the law on Medicare 
The Weekly Standard's Jeffrey Anderson argues that the Obama administration broke the law by not outlining changes to increase Medicare's solvency.

Postal cuts are austerity on steroids
The Nation's John Nichols opines on why cutting funding for the United States Postal Service is a bad idea

Tim Geithner now a "distinguished fellow" at CFR
Slate's Matthew Yglesias offers his take on the former Treasury Secretary's next career move.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Obama to nominate REI chief executive Jewell for Interior Secretary
The Hill's Daniel Strauss and Ben Geman report on President Obama's latest cabinet appointee.  

Dems propose bill decriminalizing pot 
The Hill's Pete Kasperowicz reports on the Democrats' latest plan to deregulate the purchase and consumption of marijuana.  

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DAY'S END ROUNDUP

FROM THE BLOGS:

Drones targeting Americans abroad raises questions
Hot Air's Ed Morrissey highlights an Obama administration memo arguing the legal case for drone strikes on Americans.

Obama will never please the 'Skeeters'
CNN contributor LZ Granderson says President Obama should stop trying to appease his critics with photographic evidence.

Fixing US foreign relations
Right Turn's Jennifer Rubin writes an open letter to Secretary of State John Kerry: "Republicans are rooting for you."

GOP Senators obstruct CFPB
Pat Garofalo of Think Progress notes that 43 senators signed a letter vowing opposition to any new nominee to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 

OTHER NEWS SOURCES

White House playing defense
The Hill's Amie Parnes reports on White House press secretary Jay Carney's defense of the targeting of Americans with drone strikes as "fully consistent" with the Constitution.

Pentagon extends benefits to same-sex couples
The Pentagon will announce later this week that military same-sex spouses will receive some additional benefits. The Hill's Justin Sink reports.

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DAY'S END ROUNDUP

FROM THE BLOGS:

Hagel's experience as a grunt
At War's Don Gomez wonders if Chuck Hagel's experience as a sergeant in Vietnam gives him enough experience to lead the Pentagon.

NRA loses congressional supporter
Huffington Post's Chelsea Klene reports former Rep. Debbie Halvorson (D-Ill.) is backing away from the NRA and is supporting President Obama's gun-control proposals.

GOP gets Tech-savvy 
Red State's Ned Ryun says conservatives are giving themselves a more technologically competitive edge to muster votes in 2014.

A big thank you to Israel
According to the New York Post's editorial board, the White House owes Israel a big thank you for their air strike in Syria this morning.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Chuck Hagel comes under fire at hearing
Former colleagues of Sen. Hagel demand answers to tough questios on the former Senator's past votes and remarks, The Hill's Jeremy Herb reports.

House GOP want answers
House Republicans are drafting a bill that will force President Obama to estimate when federal budget will be balanced, The Hill's Pete Kasperowicz reports.

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DAY'S END ROUNDUP

FROM THE BLOGS:

Catering to both sides on immigration reform
The Plum Line's Greg Sargent asks why the current $18 billion border security budget is not enough.

Sandy Relief Bill still gets 'no' votes in the Senate
ThinkProgress's Josh Israel breaks down 31 senators who voted 'no' to a Hurricane Sandy relief bill after requesting disaster relief for their own states.

Gang of Eight's immigration reform remains questionable
The Daily Caller's Mickey Kaus says "Washington fakery" is at work regarding amnesty in the new Senate proposals for 11 million illegal immigrants.

A fond farewell
"I did not belong at CNN," Erick Erickson said as he bid goodbye to three years at CNN.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES

NRA chief to call for arming schools
Wayne LaPierre, the vice president of the National Rifle Association, will call for strengthening current gun laws and mental health care at a Senate hearing on Wednesday, The Hill's Mike Lillis reports.

Sen. Graham to withhold Hagel nomination
Until Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta testifies on the Benghazi attack, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is threatening to block former Sen. Chuck Hagel's (R-Neb.) nomination to succeed the outgoing Defense secretary, according to The Hill's Jeremy Herb.

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DAY'S END ROUNDUP

FROM THE BLOGS:

'Full court press'
J.F. of The Economist's Democracy in America blog asks what the full legacy of Roe v. Wade is.

A few notes on Obama's second inauguration
The New Yorker's David Remnick writes that if President Obama's second inaugural speech is followed by action, it will be considered "among the most important American political addresses of the modern era."

A few Senate Dems who are 'squeamish' on new gun measures
A number of Senate Democrats in competitive states seem a little nervous about passing some of President Obama's new gun measures, according to Greg Sargent.

Obama's questionable decision to use the phrase 'peace in our time'
Thomas Ricks at his Foreign Policy blog picks out the "WTF" moment in Obama's second inaugural address.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Obama's hardline on immigration reform
President Obama subtly drew a hard line on immigration reform in his second inaugural address, according to Bloomberg Businessweek's Elizabeth Dwoskin.

The least interesting about Elizabeth Colbert-Busch is she's Stephen Colbert's sister
Bryce Donovan of the South Carolina Post and Courier profiles Elizabeth Colbert-Busch, candidate for Congress in South Carolina.

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DAY'S END ROUNDUP

FROM THE BLOGS:

Senate Reform 101: The case against the constitutional option
Gregory Kroger at The Washington Monthly makes the case against senators changing their chamber's rules on the first legislative day of Congress.

The gun control bubble pops
Evidence suggests the White House has been trying to lower the bar on what it could achieve on gun reform, writes Jonathan S. Tobin at Commentary.

Through a glass darkly
Nobody seems to agree with what's wrong with "Zero Dark Thirty," David Cole writes at Foreign policy.

Fracking industry calls foul on EPA extension
Jillian Kay Melchior at The Corner reports on the Environmental Protection Agency extending its period for public comments on a new report on franking.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Senate Dems: We'll back Obama if he raises debt limit unilaterally
Senate Democrats say they will support President Obama if he decides to increase the debt limit unilaterally, reports The Hill's Alexander Bolton.

Kirsten Gillibrand and the Hagel lobby
Chuck Hagel, Obama's nominee for secretary of Defense, reached out to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand earlier in the week, according to Capital New York's Reid Pillifant.

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DAY'S END ROUNDUP

FROM THE BLOGS:

In Illinois, redefining marriage threatens marriage and religious freedom
New legislation legalizing gay marriage in Illinois "neither protects religious liberty nor treats marriage fairly," Ryan T. Anderson argues at The Foundry.

'Disciplinary fees' show the trouble with charter schools and privatization
At MSNBC's Lean Forward blog, Ned Resnikoff notes Chicago charter schools are making money "on the side" through "disciplinary fees."

Meet the bosses of the National Education Association
According to union filings for the U.S. Department of Labor, more than 400 National Education Association employees were paid over $100,000 from Sept. 2011 to Aug. 2012, according to Jason Hart at Redstate.

Oh yes, please! Please, please, please!
Tom Levenson of Balloon Juice welcomes the prospect of former Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) serving as interim senator from Massachusetts.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

House approves $9.7 billion in Sandy relief
The House approved $9.7 billion in funding for Sandy relief efforts, reports The Hill's Pete Kasperowicz.

Powerful Tea Party group's internal docs leak — read them here
Andy Kroll of Mother Jones gets his hands on internal documents from the Tea Party group FreedomWorks. Read Kroll's report here.

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