–Julian Assange fronts this week’s newsstand issue of TIME. Inside: Massimo on how overclassiffication created the secrecy beast, Fareed Zakaria on how the cables show competent diplomats in action, Crowley on the designs to slaughter sacred cows and Nancy Gibbs on Palin’s push to the past.
–Extending all the Bush tax cuts temporarily still looks like how the standoff is going to break.
–The White House will push numbers to back up its case on extending unemployment benefits.
–Andy Stern takes his turn on the deficit podium.
–Chatting with Jay Leno, Mitt Romney jokes about the Fox News primary and showcases an on-message TSA joke.
–Not a good sign for Tim Pawlenty’s national ambitions: most of his money is coming from within Minnesota.
–He’s getting proactive with his potential pardon problem.
–Ovide Lamontagne sets himself up as a Granite State player.
–Glen Bolger argues Republicans don’t have to worry about losing the House.
–Practicality and management, not optics, take center stage at an RNC chair candidate forum.
–The committee’s money woes pile up.
–John Ensign shakes loose the DOJ probe and probably feels much better about his looming re-elect.
–Ben Tribbett alleges string-pulling to get Virginia a delegate convention and Tim Kaine on the ballot to replace Jim Webb in ’12.
–Goldman Sachs sees sunny skies ahead.
–And Arnold Schwarzenegger is the second most famous immigrant in California.
What did I miss?