memeorandum: Andy Stern will vote No on deficit commission (Greg Sargent/The Plum Line)

7:55 PM ET, December 2, 2010

Top Items:

Brian Beutler / TPMDC:

Boehner Blasts Dems' ‘Chickencrap’ Tax Cut Vote Gambit (VIDEO) — This afternoon, House Democrats will hold an up or down vote on vote on President Obama's plan to extend tax cuts to income below $250,000, and they've figured out a way to prevent the Republicans from pulling procedural tricks …

Discussion: Mediaite, The Moderate Voice, Fox Nation and Hullabaloo

Brian Beutler / TPMDC:

House Dems Pass Only Middle Class Tax Cut Bill — Using a wily procedural maneuver to tie Republican hands, House Democrats managed to pass, by a vote of 234-188, legislation that will allow the Bush tax cuts benefiting only the wealthiest Americans to expire. — Democrats were not united on the issue.

Discussion: Arkansas Blog, Guardian, Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo, The Reality-Based Community and FrumForum

Ezra Klein:

‘Chicken crap’ by the numbers — Soon-to-be-House Speaker John Boehner is not happy to see the House Democrats pushing a bill that includes only the tax cuts for income under $250,000. “I'm trying to catch my breath so I don't refer to this maneuver going on today as chicken crap, all right?”

Discussion: The Politico, Crooks and Liars, Comments from Left Field and Daily Kos

Jordan Fabian / The Hill:

Over 30 Democrats defect as test vote on tax cuts passes — Thirty-three House Democrats broke with their party Thursday on a key test vote on a bill that would extend only some of the expiring Bush era tax cuts. — The House narrowly passed debate rules on the proposal 213-203.

Discussion: CNN, Firedoglake and Washington Post

Jake Sherman / The Politico:

Boehner: Dem tax bill ‘chicken crap’ — Why don't you tell us what you really think? Mr. Incoming Speaker. — On Wednesday, John Boehner (R-Ohio) said House Democrats were playing political games for forcing a vote on extending the lower- and middle-income tax rates while Obama administration officials …

Discussion: Wonkette, The Note, FrumForum, Daily Kos and The Hill

Richard E. Cohen / The Politico:

GOP to upend spending process — House Republicans seem intent on blowing up the staid appropriations process when they take power in January — potentially upending the old bulls in both parties who have spent decades building their power over the federal budget.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Hot Air, Questions and Observations, Sister Toldjah, Outside the Beltway, The Enterprise Blog, Wake up America and Reuters

E.J. Dionne / The Moderate Voice:

Where Is Obama Going? — WASHINGTON — As I was passing through security at Boston's Logan Airport on Tuesday night, a TSA worker discovered a penny in one of the bins that had just gone through the screener. — He picked up the coin, turned to a colleague and said with a grim smile: “This is your Obama bonus.”

Discussion: Connecting.the.Dots

EconomistMom.com:

Can We Do the Non-Crazy Thing with the Bush Tax Cuts? — I am no longer going to “let the perfect be the enemy of the good.” I am no longer going to try to talk people into seeing that the “right” thing to do with the Bush tax cuts would be to let them all expire.

Discussion: Economix, Mother Jones, Yglesias, Obsidian Wings, iOwnTheWorld.com, Grasping Reality …, Roll Call and The Caucus

The Huffington Post:

Bush Tax Cuts: Fears Mount Of White House Cave On Top Priority — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? … WASHINGTON — Democrats and Republicans tentatively agreed late Thursday to hold four “test votes” on Friday to see who holds the balance of power and what the final details of a tax-cut compromise will be …

Discussion: TPMDC, Hullabaloo and AMERICAblog News

Kathleen Hunter / Roll Call:
House Passes Democratic Tax Bill

Discussion: Washington Monthly and Associated Press

Gschwarzcnn / CNN:
Tax deal getting close, Democrats worried Obama may cave

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Politico and TPMDC

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Andy Stern will vote No on deficit commission

Discussion: Political Punch, Washington Post and The Daily Caller

David M. Herszenhorn / New York Times:
Senate Republicans Threaten Tax Dispute Blockade

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Politico, Ezra Klein, New York Times, The Hill, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, DownWithTyranny!, TPMCafe, Washington Monthly, The Caucus, Wall Street Journal, Booman Tribune, Guardian, The Other McCain and CNN

Patricia Murphy / Politics Daily:
John Boehner Calls Vote on Middle-Class-Only Tax Cut ‘Chicken Crap’

Discussion: Los Angeles Times and American Power

Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
House passes legislation to extend only some tax cuts

Discussion: New York Magazine

Jesus Diaz / Gizmodo:

NASA Finds New Life (Updated) — NASA has discovered a new life form—called GFAJ-1—that doesn't share the biological building blocks of anything currently living in planet Earth. It's capable of using arsenic to build its DNA, RNA, proteins, and cell membranes. This changes everything.

Discussion: Little Green Footballs, Zandar Versus The Stupid, Ò", New York Magazine, Hit & Run, Towleroad News #gay, Maggie's Farm, Raw Story, Runnin' Scared and Gawker

Gizmodo / Wired Science:

NASA Finds New Life Form — By Jesus Diaz, Gizmodo — Hours before its special news conference today, the cat is out of the bag: NASA has discovered a completely new life form that doesn't share the biological building blocks of anything currently living on planet Earth. This changes everything.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Commentary, Alas, a blog, National Review, TechCrunch, ironlisa.com, Hit & Run and Marginal Revolution, more at Mediagazer »

Dennis Overbye / New York Times:

Subsisting on Arsenic, Microbe May Redefine Life — Scientists said Thursday that they had trained a bacterium to eat and grow on a diet of arsenic, in place of phosphorus — one of six elements considered essential for life — opening up the possibility that organisms could exist elsewhere …

Discussion: newsfeed.time.com, Hot Air, Watts Up With That? and The Awl

Reid Wilson / Hotline On Call:

Tea Party Caucus Takes $1 Billion In Earmarks — Members of the Congressional Tea Party Caucus may tout their commitment to cutting government spending now, but they used the 111th Congress to request hundreds of earmarks that, taken cumulatively, added more than $1 billion to the federal budget.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Daily Kos, iOwnTheWorld.com, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Washington Monthly, Wonkette, Raw Story, TPMDC, Swampland, Political Insider and Florida Independent

Molly K. Hooper / The Hill:
Tea Partiers resist GOP healthcare repeal tactic

Discussion: The Politico, Big Government, The Sundries Shack, Washington Monthly, Zandar Versus The Stupid and msnbc.com

Igor Volsky / Wonk Room:

The DADT Hearings In Six Minutes: GOP Talking Points Debunked — This morning, during a hearing about the impact of repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mike Mullen, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Open Left, Washington Monthly, Joe. My. God. and Towleroad News #gay

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
The military leadership's challenge to GOP Senators

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Hullabaloo and PostPartisan

Elisabeth Bumiller / New York Times:
McCain Questions Pentagon on Repeal of Gay Ban

Discussion: Power Line, Maggie's Farm, A plain blog about politics and Towleroad News #gay

John Maggs / The Politico:

GOP deficit commission members split — In a sign of the possible conflict next year between the incoming Republican majority in the House and the GOP minority in the Senate, two senators said Thursday they would put aside partisan concerns to embrace the proposal put forward by the co-chairmen …

Discussion: The Hill and Daily Kos

Washington Post:
Presenting plan to cut deficit, commission members offer surprising compromises

Discussion: The New Republic, Yglesias, Boston Globe, The Huffington Post, Right Turn, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, The Hill, Daily Kos, Wall Street Journal and New York Times

Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
Sen. Conrad predicts fiscal panel won't pass plan

Discussion: National Review

Lbentzterp / CNN:

TRENDING: An Unscripted Moment on Palin's book tour — Spirit Lake, Iowa (CNN) - It was an unscripted moment on Sarah Palin's tour to promote her new book, “America by Heart.” As hundreds of Palin's fans filed inside a cordoned off area of a northern Iowa Walmart today …

Kendra Marr / The Politico:

Newt Gingrich wants immigration overhaul — Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has a bold goal for the next decade: Overhaul the country's immigration system so that every worker in the United States is legal. — “We are not going to deport 11 million people,” Gingrich said Thursday as he kicked off his first forum on Latino issues.

Discussion: Washington Post and Politics Daily

Lbentzterp / CNN:
Gingrich calls for shake-up at the RNC

Discussion: The Politico, GOP 12 and TPMDC

Dana Milbank / Washington Post:

A strange way to honor the founding fathers — Republicans gained control of the House last month on a promise to “restore the Constitution.” So it is no small irony that one of their first orders of business is an attempt to rewrite the Constitution. — On Tuesday, Rep. Rob Bishop …

Discussion: JustOneMinute, Althouse, Outside the Beltway, Hit & Run, The Mahablog, The Atlantic Online, Crooks and Liars, Wake up America, Washington Monthly, Instapundit and Wonk Room

Sam Roberts / City Room:

A Month After Elections, 200,000 Votes Found — The city's Board of Elections routinely reminds New Yorkers that the election night vote count is unofficial and preliminary. — Still, the difference in the results from Nov. 2 and in the returns formally certified by the board on Wednesday seems striking …

Allan Hall / Daily Mail:

Muslim imam who lectures on non-violence in Germany is arrested for beating up his wife — A Muslim imam who lectures on non-violence and advises the German government on interfaith issues has been arrested in Germany for beating up his wife. — Sheikh Abu Adam, 40, is now on remand …

Discussion: JOSHUAPUNDIT, The Gateway Pundit and Knowledge is Power

David Kocieniewski / New York Times:

House Votes Rare Censure of Rangel in Ethics Case — WASHINGTON — With his gaze steady and his hands clasped in front of him, Representative Charles B. Rangel stood silently on the floor of House of Representatives on Thursday afternoon as the House speaker read a formal resolution …

Discussion: Gothamist and City Room

The Politico:

Black Caucus whips for Charlie Rangel reprimand — The Congressional Black Caucus snapped into action in defense of Charles Rangel Thursday as the House prepared to censure him for 11 ethics violations. — Using whip cards produced by the office of House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) …

Discussion: ABCNEWS, TPMMuckraker and The Gateway Pundit

Kevin O'Rourke / Eurointelligence:

LETTER FROM DUBLIN — It is one thing to know that someone you love is terminally ill; their death still comes as a shock. — I certainly don't want to compare the arrival of the EU-IMF team in Dublin last week to a bereavement. But I was surprised at how upsetting I found it, given that it came as no surprise.

Discussion: Grasping Reality …, The Atlantic Online, Crooked Timber and The Irish Economy

Charlie Savage / New York Times:

U.S. Weighs Prosecution of WikiLeaks Founder, but Legal Scholars Warn of Steep Hurdles — WASHINGTON — Calls to prosecute the founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, mounted this week as his organization began releasing documents from a cache of 250,000 State Department cables …