Top Items:
New York Times:
Delaying Vote, Debt Panel Splits on Taxes and Spending — WASHINGTON — The chairmen of President Obama's debt-reduction commission have been unable to win support from any of the panel's elected officials for their proposed spending cuts and tax increases, underscoring the reluctance …
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John Stanton / Roll Call:
House May Block Food Safety Bill Over Senate Error — A food safety bill that has burned up precious days of the Senate's lame-duck session appears headed back to the chamber because Democrats violated a constitutional provision requiring that tax provisions originate in the House.
Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:
Fiscal Commission Final Report — Get your fresh catfood! — FDL has obtained a copy of the Catfood Commission final report in advance of its official 9:30 release. — It can be downloaded here: PDF — Their reigning spirit of self-importance comes through on the very first page: “The Moment of Truth.”
Discussion:
Paul Krugman and Lawyers, Guns & Money
Lori Montgomery / Washington Post:
Commission's final deficit report preserves controversial spending cuts; panel to vote Friday on whether to endorse plan — The leaders of President Obama's fiscal commission released a final report Wednesday that is full of political dynamite, including sharp cuts in military spending …
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Bloomberg, Firedoglake, Hot Air, National Review, Taylor Marsh, FrumForum, Daily Kos and ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*
David Leonhardt / New York Times:
In Tax Cuts, the Options Run Short — Democrats have left themselves in a tough spot on the Bush tax cuts. After delaying the issue until after the election and then being trounced in that election, they find themselves with little leverage. — If they cannot come up with a plan …
Discussion:
The Politico, Wake up America, TalkLeft, The Caucus, Unfogged, The Hill and Prairie Weather
David Espo / Associated Press:
Senate GOP letter calls for blocking most bills — WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans intend to block action on virtually all Democratic-backed legislation unrelated to tax cuts and government spending in the current postelection session of Congress, officials said Tuesday …
Alan Silverleib / CNN:
Senate GOPers: Take up tax cuts first — Washington (CNN) — Senate Republicans promised Wednesday to block legislative action on every issue being considered by the lame-duck Congress until the dispute over extending the Bush-era tax cuts is resolved and an extension of current government funding is approved.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and Economist's View
Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
DADT No More? Republicans Threaten To Block All Dem Initiatives
DADT No More? Republicans Threaten To Block All Dem Initiatives
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Guardian, TPMMuckraker, Wonkette and Joe. My. God.
Chris Stirewalt / Fox News:
Today's Power Play: Republicans and Democrats Play Chicken With Lame Duck
Today's Power Play: Republicans and Democrats Play Chicken With Lame Duck
Discussion:
Pam's House Blend
Lydia Saad / Gallup:
Vast Majority Wants Some Aspect of Bush Tax Cuts Extended
Vast Majority Wants Some Aspect of Bush Tax Cuts Extended
Discussion:
Hotline On Call, Politics Daily, CNN and Washington Post
David Kurtz / Talking Points Memo:
Why The GOP Is Like Bear Bryant
Why The GOP Is Like Bear Bryant
Discussion:
TalkLeft and The Caucus
Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Senate GOP vows to halt action in lame-duck session until tax deal
Senate GOP vows to halt action in lame-duck session until tax deal
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway and The Page
Walter Shapiro / Politics Daily:
After the White House Summit: Towel-Snapping Partisanship Lives On
After the White House Summit: Towel-Snapping Partisanship Lives On
Discussion:
The Note and The Politico
James P. Rubin / The New Republic:
The Irony of Wikileaks — By threatening U.S. diplomacy, the hard left is undercutting its own worldview. — There's no question that many of the Wikileaks documents are a great read. These diplomatic conversations between American officials and leaders from the Arab world, China …
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online and Booman Tribune
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Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
The moral standards of WikiLeaks critics
The moral standards of WikiLeaks critics
Discussion:
TalkLeft, Swampland and The Caucus
Howard Chua-Eoan / Time:
WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Tells TIME: Hillary Clinton ‘Should Resign’
WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Tells TIME: Hillary Clinton ‘Should Resign’
Discussion:
CNN, The Politico, New York Times, Gothamist, msnbc.com, The Hill, The Confluence, Mediaite, The Gateway Pundit, NewsReal Blog, Washington Post, Associated Press, GOP 12, Politics Daily, FrumForum, The Page, Hot Air, Gawker, DealBook, Weekly Standard, McClatchy Washington Bureau and Swampland
Mike Baker / Associated Press:
Bill Clinton expects leak of files to cost lives
Bill Clinton expects leak of files to cost lives
Discussion:
Politics Daily, FrumForum and Washington Post
Guardian:
Call for WikiLeaks culprit to be executed
Call for WikiLeaks culprit to be executed
Discussion:
Reuters, LOON, The Daily Beast, The Nation and News: News blog
Julian Pecquet / The Hill:
Judge upholds healthcare reform law — A federal judge in Virginia on Tuesday rejected a legal challenge to the healthcare reform law, the second time the law's mandate that people buy insurance has been ruled constitutional. — The lawsuit was brought by Liberty University …
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Kevin Sack / New York Times:
Judge Rejects Health Law Challenge
Judge Rejects Health Law Challenge
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Washington Monthly, Law Blog and Outside the Beltway
Tara Palmeri / New York Post:
Co-host spittin' mad over Spitzer — Tweet — Eliot Spitzer's TV sidekick is so fed up with playing second fiddle to the hooker-loving ex-gov that she's threatening to walk, sources told The Post yesterday. — Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker actually stormed off the set of the …
Discussion:
NewsBusters.org blogs and JammieWearingFool, more at Mediagazer »
Michael Falcone / ABCNEWS:
Is GOP Breaking Silence on Sarah Palin for President? — Among Potential GOP Contenders, Politeness Still Rules — When the television host and former Florida congressman Joe Scarborough published a scathing op-ed piece in Politico against Sarah Palin on Tuesday, he was not only trying to put a dent in her presidential ambitions.
Discussion:
Donklephant, CNN and Tammy Bruce
RELATED:
Evan McMorris-Santoro / TPMDC:
Cantor Urges ‘Open Mind’ On VA Legislature Plan To Blow Up The Constitution — Incoming House Majority Leader Eric Cantor is part of a class of Republicans who say they want to change the country fundamentally — and to that end, Cantor isn't dismissing a plan by legislators in his home state …
Discussion:
Comments from Left Field, Firedoglake, Zandar Versus The Stupid, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and FrumForum
Derek Thompson / The Atlantic Online:
30 Most Dynamic Cities in the World — What is the most dynamic city in the post-recession world? — The surprising answer is Istanbul, according to a new report that shows the developing world is leading the way out of the Great Recession. — Grading each metropolis by the growth …
Discussion:
Brookings Institute and Prairie Weather
Jim Myers / Tulsa World:
Inhofe refuses to participate in ‘holiday’ parade — WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe said Tuesday that he won't participate in Tulsa's Holiday Parade of Lights until organizers put “Christ” back in the event's title. — “Last year, the forces of political correctness removed the word 'Christmas …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress and Right Wing Watch
Alexander Mooney / CNN:
Cheney to co-host fundraiser for Cino in RNC race — Washington (CNN) - Former Vice President Dick Cheney and a clutch of former George W. Bush advisers have a horse in the Republican National Committee chairman race: Maria Cino. — CNN has learned that Cheney will be among the hosts next Thursday …
Discussion:
The Hill, The Politico, Ben Smith's Blog, The Daily Caller, FrumForum and TPMDC
Wall Street Journal:
Europe's Crisis Widens — Italy, Spain See Bonds Sink, Portugal Faces Rating Cut as Faith in Rescue Ebbs — In Rome, students protesting spending cuts clashed with police — Investors dismissed European leaders' latest attempt to restore market calm, raising doubts about whether governments …
Discussion:
New York Times and The Page
Susan Crabtree / The Hill:
Rangel asks Pelosi to delay his censure vote — Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) asked House Democratic leaders to hold a vote to determine his sanction Thursday rather than Wednesday, according to two caucus sources. — On Tuesday, the 20-term House veteran asked Speaker Nancy Pelosi …
Discussion:
The Politico, USA Today and JammieWearingFool
Thomas L. Friedman / New York Times:
From WikiChina — While secrets from WikiLeaks were splashed all over the American newspapers, I couldn't help but wonder: What if China had a WikiLeaker and we could see what its embassy in Washington was reporting about America? I suspect the cable would read like this:
Discussion:
Hit & Run, Betsy's Page, National Review, Guardian and China Digital Times
New York Times:
As Debt Panel Releases Plan, Two Senators Commit — WASHINGTON — The Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate Budget Committee, Judd Gregg and Kent Conrad, said on Wednesday that they endorsed the package of long-term tax increases and spending cuts put forward by the co-chairmen …
Discussion:
Commentary
Michael J. Boskin / Wall Street Journal:
Why the Spending Stimulus Failed — New economic research shows why lower tax rates do far more to spur growth. — President Obama and congressional leaders meeting yesterday confronted calls for four key fiscal decisions: short-run fiscal stimulus, medium-term fiscal consolidation, and long-run tax and entitlement reform.
Discussion:
AmSpecBlog, NewsBusters.org and Shot in the Dark
Edward Wyatt / New York Times:
F.C.C. Chairman Outlines Broadband Framework — WASHINGTON — Thwarted by the courts, by lawmakers on Capitol Hill and by some of his fellow commissioners, the Federal Communications Commission chairman will try again on Wednesday to devise a new strategy for regulating broadband Internet service providers.
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Bloomberg and Balloon Juice, more at Mediagazer »