Top Items:
Jeremy W. Peters / New York Times:
New York State Senate Votes Down Gay Marriage Bill — ALBANY — The State Senate defeated a bill on Wednesday that would legalize same-sex marriage, after an emotional debate that touched on civil rights, family and history. The vote means that the bill, pushed by Gov. David A. Paterson …
RELATED:
Rick Karlin / Capitol Confidential:
This just in: Gay marriage on tap in Senate — Senate Democrats have just put out a notice: yes they do plan to debate the same-sex marriage bill — passed again by the Assembly last night — today. — They will vote on the DRP, Tier V pension plan, public authority reform and marriage equality.
nationformarriage.org:
National Organization For Marriage Reacts To New York Win …
National Organization For Marriage Reacts To New York Win …
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog
Kenneth Lovett / NY Daily News:
New York Senate votes against legalizing gay marriage by a large margin, 38-24
New York Senate votes against legalizing gay marriage by a large margin, 38-24
Andy Towle / Towleroad News #gay:
New York Marriage Equality Bill Defeated 38-24: Updated with Full Roll Call Vote
New York Marriage Equality Bill Defeated 38-24: Updated with Full Roll Call Vote
Discussion:
The Daily Politics
CNN:
McCain challenges Obama in private meeting — Washington (CNN) - Hours before he was set to address the nation on his new Afghanistan strategy, President Obama and members of his war council spent about an hour briefing senior members of Congress at a White House meeting that multiple sources described as businesslike and sobering.
Discussion:
Matthew Yglesias, Washington Post, Riehl World View, Wonk Room, The Hill, MyDD and Wonkette
RELATED:
Fred Kaplan / Slate:
But where does it end? — The war that President Barack Obama laid out at West Point Tuesday night—its rationale, strategy, tactics, and resources—is different, in ways large and small, from the war that George W. Bush fought (and didn't fight) in Afghanistan.
RELATED:
Tiger Woods:
Tiger comments on current events — I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family.
RELATED:
Robin Givhan / Washington Post:
Rogers's unwanted new guest: Scrutiny — Social secretary's managerial style faces criticism in wake of her first state dinner — On the night of the Obamas' first state dinner, White House social secretary Desirée Rogers glided past the rope line of press and photographers at 6:53 p.m. …
RELATED:
Josh Rogin / The Cable:
Exclusive: White House aides insisted F-22 be removed from Obama speech venue
Exclusive: White House aides insisted F-22 be removed from Obama speech venue
Discussion:
Weekly Standard
John Ingham / Daily Express:
CLIMATE CHANGE ‘FRAUD’ — THE scientific consensus that mankind has caused climate change was rocked yesterday as a leading academic called it a “load of hot air underpinned by fraud”. — Professor Ian Plimer condemned the climate change lobby as “climate comrades” keeping the “gravy train” going.
RELATED:
Katherine Goldstein / The Huffington Post:
ClimateGate: The 7 Biggest Lies About The Supposed “Global Warming Hoax”
ClimateGate: The 7 Biggest Lies About The Supposed “Global Warming Hoax”
Gabor Steingart / Spiegel Online:
Searching in Vain for the Obama Magic — Never before has a speech by President Barack Obama felt as false as his Tuesday address announcing America's new strategy for Afghanistan. It seemed like a campaign speech combined with Bush rhetoric — and left both dreamers and realists feeling distraught.
RELATED:
Brad / Think Progress:
Lou Dobbs Explodes: ‘Who The Hell Does This President Think He Is!?!’ — Birther Lou Dobbs and climate denier Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) are concerned that President Barack Obama is trying to turn America into a monarchy. Appearing on Dobbs' radio show on Tuesday, Inhofe argued President Obama …
Scott McLemee / Inside Higher Ed:
Decline of the West — Ten years ago, in the final pages of a collection of his selected writings, Cornel West gave readers a look at the work he had in progress, or at least in mind, for the years ahead. One would be “a major treatment of African-American literature and modern Greek literature.”
Discussion:
First Thoughts
Jason / The Tolbert Report:
HuckPAC Resignation — As I mentioned this morning, I resigned my position as Arkansas coordinator for HuckPAC today where I served in a volunteer capacity. My departure was with a heavy heart but was done after serious prayer and consideration. Some have asked about the timing.
Discussion:
CNN, The Hill, Human Events, Don Surber, Ben Smith's Blog, Washington Post, Raw Story, Hot Air, The Other McCain and Washington Times
Vidya Rao / msnbc.com:
‘Family Ties’ mom: ‘I am a lesbian’ — Meredith Baxter says she has been dating women for the past seven years — For seven years, actress Meredith Baxter has been hiding a secret. — Now Baxter, who played the devoted hippie mom constantly butting heads with her conservative kids on “Family Ties,” is making a public admission.
Michael Calderone / Michael Calderone's Blog:
WashTimes cutting staff up to 40 percent — Jonathan Slevin, acting publisher and president of the Washington Times, outlined a new plan for the beleaguered newspaper and spoke of “significant staff reductions” at a meeting this afternoon. — Staff are receiving notices at the meeting …
Thomas L. Friedman / New York Times:
This I Believe — Let me start with the bottom line and then tell you how I got there: I can't agree with President Obama's decision to escalate in Afghanistan. I'd prefer a minimalist approach, working with tribal leaders the way we did to overthrow the Taliban regime in the first place.
John Koblin / New York Observer:
Watch Out, Times! Murdoch Plans $15 M. N.Y.C. Edition — “Good journalism is an expensive commodity,” said Rupert Murdoch at a Federal Trade Commission conference in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Dec. 1. — We'll say! — Mr. Murdoch is ready to roll out a budget of $15 million …
Discussion:
City Room, Media Decoder, Gawker, Mediaite, Michael Calderone's Blog, At-Largely and Silicon Alley Insider
Manu Raju / The Politico:
Franken fallout has GOP fuming — Republican senators feel burned by Al Franken — and not by his old jokes. — The Republicans are steamed at Franken because partisans on the left are using a measure he sponsored to paint them as rapist sympathizers — and because Franken isn't doing much to stop them.
Discussion:
Daily Kos
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
THERE ARE 39 OTHER GOP SENATORS.... NBC News announced the line-up for this week's “Meet the Press.” Take a wild guess who'll be on. … I especially loved the “Exclusive!” with the exclamation point, as if this were a rare, special occurrence. — For those keeping score at home …
Ezra Klein:
If you give away the public option, what do you get? — Most of the energy in the Senate right now is being directed into a mad rush for compromise proposals on the public option. This reflects the sense that the right compromise on the public option is a compromised public option.
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
GOP memo counsels tactics to impede health care vote — New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg today circulated to his Republican colleagues a detailed guide to parliamentary procedures aimed at delaying the passage of health care legislation. — “I think that we can all agree that the Democrats' bill …
John Poirier / Reuters:
Govt will need to help shape U.S. media: Waxman — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A top Democratic lawmaker predicted on Wednesday that the government will be involved in shaping the future for struggling U.S. media organizations. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman …