memeorandum: The deficit commission's plan (Felix Salmon)

12:50 PM ET, November 11, 2010

Top Items:

White House Gives In On Bush Tax Cuts — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? … WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's top adviser suggested to The Huffington Post late Wednesday that the administration is ready to accept an across-the-board continuation of steep Bush-era tax cuts, including those for the wealthiest taxpayers.

Kevin Drum / Mother Jones:

Is the Deficit Commission Serious? — I've been trying to figure out whether I have anything to say about the “chairman's mark” of the deficit commission report that was released today. In a sense, I don't. This is not a piece of legislation, after all. Or a proposed piece of legislation.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Crooks and Liars, Democracy in America, CEPR, Firedoglake, Ross Douthat, The Impolitic, Achenblog, Felix Salmon, The Plum Line, TPMCafe, Open Left, Grasping Reality …, National Review, Yglesias, TPMDC, The Gavel and Balloon Juice

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:

The Morning Plum — UPDATE: White House denies giving in on Bush tax cuts: The White House is sharply denying the Huffington Post story I noted below claiming that David Axelrod signaled a willingness to accept a temporary extension of all the Bush tax cuts, claiming that their position remains unchanged.

Discussion: The Politico, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Washington Post, pandagon.net and AMERICAblog News

Carrie Budoff Brown / The Politico:

President Obama ready to deal on Bush tax cuts for the wealthy — The White House signaled Wednesday that President Barack Obama is ready to cut a deal on the Bush-era tax cuts - accepting a temporary extension of the cuts for the wealthiest Americans to win renewal of tax breaks for middle-class taxpayers.

Discussion: Hot Air, Indecision Forever and FrumForum

Katy O'Donnell / NationalJournal.com:

Axelrod Denies Obama Would Concede Tax Cuts — But he allows room for negotiations. — Senior White House adviser David Axelrod said this morning that President Obama has not caved to GOP demands on the extension of the Bush tax cuts, despite a report to the contrary.

Paul Krugman:
Unserious People — OK, let's say goodbye to the deficit commission.

New York Times:
Some Fiscal Reality — The draft proposal by the chairmen …

Discussion: Free exchange, National Review, The Confluence, Pirate's Cove and The New Republic

George Stephanopoulos / George's Bottom Line:
Sen. Conrad: Extend All Tax Cuts; Time to Get ‘Serious’ About Deficit

Discussion: Firedoglake

Alex Wagner / Politics Daily:
Obama Is Open to Extension of Bush Tax Cuts for All, Axelrod Says

Discussion: HotAirPundit

Alexander Mooney / CNN: Axelrod says Obama will agree to extend tax cuts for wealthy

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Pelosi, political left rip proposal from debt commission chairmen

Discussion: The Daily Dish, Wake up America, Questions and Observations, Political Punch, The Nation, The Hill, msnbc.com, Associated Press, Michelle Malkin and Hot Air

Felix Salmon:
The deficit commission's plan

Discussion: TaxVox, The Daily Dish, The New Republic and Guardian

David Jackson / USA Today:
Obama may consider extension of all Bush tax cuts

Discussion: The Mahablog, Mediaite and msnbc.com

Matthew Boyle / The Daily Caller:

Kentucky Republican Senator-elect Rand Paul is already making waves in Washington, D.C. with plans to organize either a Senate or bicameral Tea Party Caucus. — Paul said he's been chatting with several people from Kentucky about laying down a communications blueprint to keep …

Discussion: The Politico and USA Today

Ronald Grover / Bloomberg:

Bristol Palin Survives ‘Dancing’ Elimination Round With Help of Tea Party — Bristol Palin survived another elimination round on ABC's “Dancing With the Stars” as fans including Tea Party supporters mustered enough votes to overcome low scores from the talent show's judges.

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Taegan Goddard's …

Jill Lawrence / Politics Daily:

Tea Party Leader to Romney: Massachusetts Health Law ‘Absolutely’ Unacceptable … Likely Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, the former governor of liberal Massachusetts, is not a favorite of tea party activists for 2012. Now a tea party leader has made explicit one reason why.

Discussion: The Brody File

Jordan Fabian / The Hill:

Grassley: Health repeal will die in Senate — GOP Sen. Charles Grassley (Iowa) admitted Wednesday that a full repeal of President Obama's healthcare law will die in the Senate. — Speaking to Iowa radio station KCIM, the current ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee conceded …

Discussion: 1380 KCIM

Jake Sherman / The Politico:
Michele Bachmann drops leadership bid

Discussion: The Note, Zandar Versus The Stupid, msnbc.com, CNN, Gateway Pundit, New York Magazine, FrumForum and Taylor Marsh

Patrick O'Connor / Washington Wire:
Bachmann Bows Out of Leadership Race

Discussion: Wall Street Journal and DownWithTyranny!

Sean Cockerham / Anchorage Daily News:

98 percent of write-in votes go to Murkowski — SPELL CHECK: Despite objections from Miller's team, most Murkowski votes are being accepted. — scockerham@adn.com — JUNEAU — Almost 98 percent of write-in ballots opened Wednesday went to Lisa Murkowski on the first day of a count meant to decide Alaska's U.S. Senate race.

Discussion: Washington Post, The Note, Ballot Box, Hotline On Call, Associated Press, National Review, USA Today and NPR Topics

Matt Bai / New York Times:
Alaska May Offer a View to Future Elections

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, The Politico, CNN and Barcepundit

Dana Milbank / Washington Post:

Nostalgic for George W. Bush — I miss George W. Bush. — I don't miss him in the sense that I wish he were still president. If he were, we might be at war with Iran and North Korea by now, and perhaps Portugal. Neither do I miss the endless debates over waterboarding and the Iraq war …

Discussion: Prairie Weather, Balloon Juice, Top of the Ticket and TPMMuckraker

Gail Collins / New York Times:
What Everything Means — I can't stop thinking about the elections.

Discussion: Daily Kos

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:

2012 Contenders to Bet Against — I'm not quite sure whom I'd call the odds-on favorite to capture the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. But I have a pretty good idea of who I'd bet against. — The table below compiles a number of statistics related to prospective G.O.P. candidates in 2012.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, The Caucus, Booman Tribune, Associated Press and Wonkette

Huck PAC:
Huck PAC Releases Statement About Iowa Visit

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, Swampland, Right Wing Watch and Hotline On Call

Michael O'Brien / The Hill: Grassley: 2012 GOP candidates face blank slate with Iowa voters

Dan Mitchell / International Liberty:

Co-Chairmen of Obama's Fiscal Commission Unveil Real Tax Increases and Fake Spending Cuts — I have many pet peeves, but one that causes me endless frustration is the Washington “spending cut” scam. This happens when politicians increase spending, but claim that they're cutting spending …

Discussion: Liberty Pundits Blog

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Sen. Conrad: ‘If some of us have to sacrifice a political career ... then so be it’

Discussion: DownWithTyranny!

Washington Post:

Sources: Pentagon group finds there is minimal risk to lifting gay ban during war — A Pentagon study group has concluded that the military can lift the ban on gays serving openly in uniform with only minimal and isolated incidents of risk to the current war efforts, according to two people familiar …

Discussion: Politics Daily, Washington Monthly, News Desk, ATTACKERMAN, Salon, Outside the Beltway, Bark Bark Woof Woof, Federal Eye, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Poliglot, Raw Story, Wonk Room, New York Magazine, Prairie Weather, FrumForum and Shakesville

Digby / Hullabaloo:

Being a Tutsi — I just watched Glenn Beck's program “the Puppet Master” about the nefarious, money-changing, New World Order, self-hating Jew conspirator, George Soros. I don't think I could do it again. — I listened to an hour or so of Limbaugh and had to turn it off, when I heard this line …

Discussion: TPMCafe, News Hounds, Media Matters for America and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Steve Peoples / Roll Call:

Possible Rival Says He Has No Confidence in RNC's Steele — Connecticut GOP Chairman Chris Healy is strongly considering a bid to replace Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, and on Wednesday he unleashed a scathing critique of Steele's leadership.

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog and HotAirPundit

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:

The Establishment candidate — John Thune's presidential hopes got a gorgeous rollout in the Weekly Standard in September. The piece begins, vividly, with Thune in a small plane, looking down at his South Dakota hometown, Murdo. — “If he wins the nomination, it will be because he is …

Discussion: The American Independent, The Politico and Liberty Pundits Blog

Lt. Dan Choi / The Huffington Post:

Veterans Day: How Gay Veterans Are Fighting a War at Home — What's Your Reaction: — Every year on this day, military veterans are asked to “come home.” As they march down our city streets, it is clear that this day honors the service and sacrifice of those who survived, those who were lucky enough to come home.

Discussion: Advocate

The Politico:

Nancy Pelosi faces new resistance from Democrats — Nancy Pelosi is struggling to stand her ground as the effects of last week's Democratic debacle shift the political earth beneath her feet. — Pelosi announced Friday that she's running for minority leader in the new Congress, and her election still seems on track.

Discussion: Salon, Commentary, Outside the Beltway, Hot Air and Daily Kos

Sean J. Miller / Ballot Box:

Christine O'Donnell considers reality show — The Tea Party favorite who may have cost Republicans a Senate seat won't rule out another run for office. — Christine O'Donnell won't rule out making another run for office. The former Delaware Senate candidate told Jay Leno during an appearance on the …

Discussion: The Note and CNN

Jennifer Haberkorn / The Politico:

Phil Bredesen wants President Obama ‘mea culpa’ — CHICAGO - President Obama should come back to the health care bargaining table with a “mea culpa” if Democrats want to have a meaningful conversation about improving the future of health care, a key Democratic governor tells POLITICO.

Discussion: The Note

John Hawkins / Right Wing News:

Polling Conservative Bloggers On The 2010 Election And The Aftermath — Right Wing News polled more than 250 right-of-center bloggers on election 2010 and the aftermath. 70 bloggers responded (This one time, the respondents ARE NOT going to be listed. Expect them to be listed as per usual, on the next poll).

Discussion: Don Surber