memeorandum: A show that Springer couldn't even conceive (John Kass/Chicago Tribune)

8:30 AM ET, January 5, 2009

Top Items:

Obama Eyes $300 Billion Tax Cut — WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama and congressional Democrats are crafting a plan to offer about $300 billion in tax cuts to individuals and businesses, a move aimed at attracting Republican support for an economic-stimulus package and prodding companies to create jobs.

Discussion: The Volokh Conspiracy, Jules Crittenden, naked capitalism, Maggie's Farm, TigerHawk, Talking Points Memo and Dean's World

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

Fighting Off Depression — “If we don't act swiftly and boldly,” declared President-elect Barack Obama in his latest weekly address, “we could see a much deeper economic downturn that could lead to double-digit unemployment.” If you ask me, he was understating the case.

Discussion: Real Clear Politics, Angry Bear and Kevin Drum

Carl Hulse / New York Times:
Speaker Makes Room for New No. 1 Democrat

Discussion: TIME.com

Mike Allen / The Politico:
Obama plans to unveil big tax cuts

Discussion: Reuters, The Corner, TIME.com, The Foundry and Cafe Hayek

New York Times:
Obama Plan Includes $300 Billion in Tax Cuts

Discussion: Washington Post, The Politico, Paul Krugman, Prairie Weather, Washington Monthly, Economist's View, The Jed Report, Bark Bark Woof Woof, THE LIBERAL JOURNAL, Associated Press and AMERICAblog News

William Kristol / New York Times:

Why Israel Fights — The Israeli assault on Hamas in Gaza is going to be a replay, we're told, of the attempt to subdue Hezbollah in southern Lebanon in the summer of 2006. And the outcome, it's asserted, will be the same: lots of death and destruction, no strategic victory for Israel …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Soccer Dad, Bark Bark Woof Woof and Informed Comment

John R. Bolton / Washington Post:

The Three-State Option — War in the Gaza Strip demonstrates yet again that the current governance paradigm for the Palestinian people has failed. Terrorists financed and supplied by Iran control Gaza; the Palestinian Authority is broken, probably irretrievably; and economic development is stalled in Gaza and the West Bank.

Discussion: Israel Matzav, Soccer Dad, Sadly, No! and Atlas Shrugs

Scott Shane / New York Times:

For Israel, Chance to Strike Before an Ally Departs — For nine days, as European and United Nations officials have called urgently for a cease-fire in Gaza, the Bush administration has squarely blamed the rocket attacks of the Palestinian militant group Hamas for Israel's assault …

Discussion: The Strata-Sphere, Wall Street Journal and Balkinization

Michael Lerner / Times of London:
It breaks my heart to see Israel's stupidity

Discussion: Elder of Ziyon and Progressive Alaska

Simon Tisdall / Guardian:
Barack Obama's silence on Gaza is damaging his reputation

Discussion: Moe_Lane's blog and Daily Pundit

Chris Welch / CNN:

Panel to declare Franken winner of Senate race — MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (CNN) — A state election board on Monday will announce Democrat Al Franken has defeated Republican incumbent Norm Coleman in Minnesota's U.S. Senate race, state officials told CNN Sunday.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, The Sundries Shack, Macsmind and Liberal Values

CNN:
MN board to certify Franken's win in tight senate race

Discussion: The Washington Note and Don Surber

Eric Kleefeld / TPM Election Central:
Reid To Coleman: It's Over. Concede.

Discussion: AMERICAblog News

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight.com:
Can Franken Give Burris His Daily Affirmation?

Discussion: Majikthise, The Jed Report, Kausfiles, TPM Election Central and Washington Monthly

Dschabner / Political Punch:

Obama Team Feels Richardson Wasn't Forthcoming About Investigation Before Being Offered Commerce — Sources tell ABC News that officials on the Obama Transition Team feel that before he was formally offered the job of commerce secretary, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson was not forthcoming …

Discussion: Associated Press, American Spectator, NECN, Federal Eye, Pajamas Media, Betsy's Page, Hot Air, The Moderate Voice, MoJoBlog, The Sundries Shack, Weekly Standard, Macsmind, Wizbang, NO QUARTER and Stop The ACLU

Andrew Malcolm / Top of the Ticket:
Billygate: Why Obama dumped Gov. Richardson now

Discussion: Reason, BitsBlog, Washington Post, Wizbang, Runnin' Scared, Commentary, Transterrestrial Musings, Wonkette and Ed Driscoll.com

Jonathan Martin / The Politico:
Team pressed Richardson, got nothing

Discussion: The Swamp, Associated Press, Commentary, Political Machine, George's Bottom Line, Reuters, TIME.com and Washington Post

Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:
Richardson Won't Pursue Cabinet Post

Discussion: Liberal Values, The Politico, Ben Smith's Blogs, Open Left, Cafe Hayek, The Confluence, Swing State Project, The Caucus, The Raw Story, TalkLeft, Weekly Standard and Scared Monkeys

John Kass / Chicago Tribune:

A show that Springer couldn't even conceive — Roland “Tombstone” Burris goes to Washington this week as part of the Illinois political freak show, and many of us back home will watch it and feel like cringing, at least at the beginning. — Who among us could not wince at the prospect …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Shailagh Murray / Washington Post:
Reid Defends Right to Fight Burris Appointment

Discussion: Associated Press

Pajamas Media:

Some Differences Between Hamas and the Nazi Party — I find the current situation deeply sorrowful, harrowing. There is one aspect of it that I think needs clarification, a clarification that will help thinking about the situation as a whole, and that is the analogies between Hitler, the Nazis and Hamas.

Discussion: Power Line

Patrick Ruffini / The Next Right:

Good Questions to Vote for in the ATR Debate — Tomorrow is the RNC candidates debate hosted by ATR. You can submit your question for the candidates and vote here. — Perhaps not surprisingly, Ron Paul activists have voted up the majority of questions con the site.

Discussion: Whiskey Fire

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs: Paul-ites, still rolling

Gili Izikovich / Haaretz:

Foreign journalists vie for the few slots to get into Gaza — Since the Israel Defense Forces operation began in the Gaza Strip late last month, Sderot has become a communications hub, mainly for journalists from around the world. Earlier this week the IDF agreed to allow eight journalists …

Discussion: Yaacov Lozowick's Ruminations, Associated Press and Mondoweiss

Colin Moynihan / New York Times:

Activist Unmasks Himself as Federal Informant in G.O.P. Convention Case — When the scheduled federal trial begins this month for two Texas men who were arrested during the Republican National Convention on charges of making and possessing Molotov cocktails, one of the major witnesses …

Discussion: The Huffington Post and Sweetness & Light

Stable Hand / The Jawa Report:

SF: Interesting Pro-Hamas Protest Banner — Pro Hamas rally on Jan. 2nd “Queers for Palestine”. — Hmmm, I wonder if these people realize what Hamas would do to them?

Discussion: Dodgeblogium

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

NOW THE TRUTH CAN BE TOLD — Al Franken, in tights, impersonating Mick Jagger. I'm just going to leave it at that.

Discussion: Washington Monthly and Boing Boing

Gideon Levy / Haaretz:

And there lie the bodies — The legend, lest it be a true story, tells of how the late mathematician, Professor Haim Hanani, asked his students at the Technion to draw up a plan for constructing a pipe to transport blood from Haifa to Eilat. The obedient students did as they were told.

Discussion: Chris Floyd Online, theheretik.us, Truthdig, Comments from Left Field and War in Context

Mike Snyder / Houston Chronicle:

New sheriff says he wants more deputies — Garcia also presses for new ‘cold case’ squad — Harris County needs more “boots on the ground” to arrest criminals, prevent crime and help residents of its far-flung neighborhoods feel safer, newly instated Sheriff Adrian Garcia said Sunday.

Discussion: Off the Kuff