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CNN's Howard Kurtz takes FOX News to task for trying to pass off RNC propaganda as actual reporting....and then refusing to admit the egregious error in their so-called "correction" after getting caught red-handed by MediaMatters.

FOX ANCHOR: In compiling that story, our producers and researchers did what they always do, we verified the accuracy of the material. But in double-checking the newspaper quotes referenced in that news release, we made the same mistake they did: we labelled the Wall Street Journal article as having run in 2009, when in fact it was 2008. That was our error and we apologize.

KURTZ: Come on. You shouldn't be apologizing for that, even if we were to buy that it was a coincidence that you happened to make the same mistake on the date of the article. You should be apologizing for using partisan propaganda from the GOP without telling your viewers where it came from. Talk about missing the point.

Q: How do you know Barack Obama's presidency is succeeding so far?

A: The right-wing's most influential minds (?) are engaging in hysterical slapfights with each other.

US News & World Report:

You surprised people last year when you said you were impressed with Obama so far. How do you feel about him now, after several weeks in the White House?

He hasn't been as skillful in a number of areas. I think he's showing partisanship. What I said on CNN is that if he's not partisan and doesn't swing out at the left, he has the potential to be a great president. But look at his cabinet appointments. And the stimulus package is a disaster. He let [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi write the bill. He should have exerted more leadership about what went into the stimulus package. It's not over, but I still want to give him the benefit of every doubt, and I definitely hope he succeeds. It wouldn't be good for Americans for him not to. We don't want a president who fails at domestic and foreign policy.

So you don't subscribe to Rush Limbaugh's "I hope he fails" school of thought?

That was a terrible thing to say. I mean, he's the president of all the country. If he succeeds, the country succeeds. And if he doesn't, it hurts us all. Anybody who would pull against our president is not exactly thinking rationally.

I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but Pat Robertson is right: Like it or not, Barack Obama is our President. If he fails, America fails; the two are inseparable. Rush Limbaugh revealed a whole lot about his brand of "patriotism" when he made those ridiculously bone-headed remarks. It really is quite amazing that the GOP has turned so enthusiastically to him as their savior.

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President Barack Obama signs into law the massive $787 billion economic stimulus plan in Denver, CO...with 10 different pens!

Today does not mark the end of our economic troubles. Nor does it constitute all of what we must do to turn our economy around. But it does mark the beginning of the end - the beginning of what we need to do to create jobs for Americans scrambling in the wake of layoffs; to provide relief for families worried they won't be able to pay next month's bills; and to set our economy on a firmer foundation, paving the way to long-term growth and prosperity.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that I will sign today - a plan that meets the principles I laid out in January - is the most sweeping economic recovery package in our history. It is the product of broad consultations - and the recipient of broad support - from business leaders, unions, and public interest groups, the Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, Democrats and Republicans, mayors as well as governors. It is a rare thing in Washington for people with such different viewpoints to come together and support the same bill, and on behalf of our nation.

President Obama's full remarks below the fold...

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It seems like the GOP thinks that its best shot at gaining back the majority is standing in unison against everything President Obama does, even if it means delaying much-needed government aid to drowning Americans. This Toutube put out by Eric Cantor's office? Really? Contains the frequently debunked flat-out lie about funding for Acorn in the stimulus bill -- um, there isn't any.

It's really awesome of you GOP dudes to fail to help Americans suffering in this economy, and then boast about it!

Good luck with that, guys.

While playing tribute to his political hero Abraham Lincoln last night, President Obama took a humorous, subtle dig at Judd Gregg for withdrawing as his Commerce Secretary nominee.

“In 1854, Lincoln was simply a Springfield Lawyer. He’d served just a single term in Congress. Possibly in his law office, his feet on a cluttered desk, his sons playing around him, his clothes a bit to small to fit his uncommon frame...maybe wondering if someone might call him up and offer to be Commerce Secretary."

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Senator Gregg suddenly rediscovers his conservative roots and decides that he wouldn't be a "good fit" in the Obama administration. Who knew so much could change in the matter of a week?

GREGG: the president has been incredibly gracious. And none of this decision is related at all and in any way to his willingness to include diversity of thought and initiative within his cabinet. Just the opposite. He has been a person who has reached out -- and aggressively reached out across the aisle. And I immensely respect that and I immensely respect him. I know he's going to be a strong and effective and good president.

But for me, I just realized, as these issues started to come at us, that -- and they started to crystallize, that it really wasn't a good fit. You know, I wouldn't be comfortable doing this and that it wouldn't be fair to him to be part of a team and not be able to be 100 percent on the team.

So with that in mind, I said I'm going to withdraw from this process. And I realize that to withdraw at this point is really unfair, in many ways. But to go forward and take this position and then find myself sitting there and not being able to do the job the way it should be done on behalf of the president -- 100 percent -- that would have been an even bigger mistake.

You also have to wonder if it might not have something to do with that Abramoff connection and how Tom Daschle had to stand down as well. Though it would have been funny to watch Republicans restrain themselves from attacking Obama by proxy through Gregg.

Full transcript below the fold:

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I really have no problem with executives getting bonuses when they do a good job. But when they apply for government assistance, by definition they aren't perfoming up to standards that merit extra pay. It's really not a tough concept to understand, but apparently it's over the heads of our elected representatives.

Washington Post:

Congressional efforts to impose stringent restrictions on executive compensation appeared to be evaporating yesterday as House and Senate negotiators worked to fine-tune the compromise stimulus bill.

Provisions to impose a penalty on banks that paid hefty bonuses and to cap pay at $400,000 for all employees at firms applying for additional government funds did not survive the compromise, sources said.

The situation was in flux last night, but provisions in the Senate bill that called for a ban on bonuses for all companies receiving government funds also appeared to be headed to the chopping block, congressional sources said.

That was quick.

Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire has withdrawn his nomination to become President Barack Obama's commerce secretary.

In a statement released by his office, the New Hampshire senator cites "irresolvable conflicts" on issues including the economic stimulus package.

Gregg was named the Commerce nominee a week ago after the withdrawal of former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

Read Gregg's full statement here.

Politico is reporting that the WH is "blindsided" by the news:

Republican Sen. Judd Gregg abruptly withdrew his nomination as President Barack Obama’s commerce secretary Thursday, telling Politico that he “couldn’t be Judd Gregg" and serve in the Cabinet.

The harsh response from a White House caught off guard: Gregg was the one who asked for the job – and he repeatedly promised that, “despite past disagreements about policies, he would support, embrace, and move forward with the president’s agenda.”

White House aides described themselves as “blindsided” by what White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs described as Gregg’s change of heart.”

Is Diane Feinstein trying to sneak draconian internet control legislation into the stimulus bill? It sure looks that way.

The Register:

US Senator Dianne Feinstein hopes to update President Barack Obama's $838bn economic stimulus package so that American ISPs can deter child pornography, copyright infringement, and other unlawful activity by way of "reasonable network management."

Clearly, a lobbyist whispering in Feinstein's ear has taken Comcast's now famous euphemism even further into the realm of nonsense.

According to Public Knowledge, Feinstein's network management amendment did not find a home in the stimulus bill that landed on the Senate floor. But lobbyists speaking with the Washington DC-based internet watchdog said that California's senior Senator is now hoping to insert this language via conference committee - a House-Senate pow-wow were bill disputes are resolved.

"This is the most backdoor of all the backdoor ways of doing things," Public Knowledge's Art Brodsky told The Reg. "Conference committees are notorious for being the most opaque of all legislative processes."

This is unacceptable for any of you who value a free and open internet, which I assume is 99.9% of C&L readers. Please contact your representatives and urge them to fight back against this shady backdoor violation of the spirit of the internet.

I'm with John Cole 100% on this:

As baseball season is getting close, I would like to propose a trade. We give the Republicans Dianne Feinstein and a PTBNL and they give us Olympia Snowe. This is a solid trade for us. With Judd Gregg at commerce, we would almost complete the New England rout, and Feinstein, as a newly minted Republican, will go down to certain defeat in California. Additionally, there is nothing in this agreement that says the PTBNL can’t be Nelson or Lieberman.

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Terrible news out of Afghanistan, as CNN is reporting that 19 people were killed in a coordinated suicide attack on various government buildings.

CNN:

Eight Taliban suicide attackers struck Afghan government buildings and a prison Wednesday killing 19 people in a coordinated attack that the Taliban said was in retaliation for the mistreatment of prisoners, according to Afghan officials.

The deadliest strike happened at the Ministry of Justice where five of the attackers stormed the building here, prompting a three-hour firefight with Afghan soldiers and police, defense ministry spokesman Gen. Mohammed Zahir Azimi said.

"This attack shows the real face of the Taliban," said Gen. David D. McKiernan, with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force. "This is another example of the Taliban impeding progress for Afghans."

It was the same type of attack carried out by the Taliban in October, also against Afghan government buildings in Kabul in broad daylight.

The exact breakdown of the 19 deaths and 45 injuries from Wednesday's strike was not clear, but Azimi said most of the casualties were at the justice ministry, including civilians and guards.