memeorandum: Cables Depict Heavy Afghan Graft, Starting at the Top (New York Times)

7:50 AM ET, December 3, 2010

Top Items:

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: The Moderate Voice, Arkansas Blog, Daily Kos, The Reality-Based Community, Guardian, Zandar Versus The Stupid, The Impolitic and FrumForum

Brian Montopoli / CBS News:

CBS News Poll: Most Oppose GOP Tax Plan — CBS News Poll analysis by the CBS News Polling Unit: Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Anthony Salvanto. — Republicans have argued that the midterm elections have given them a mandate on what they are calling one of the most …

Discussion: Politics Daily, Donklephant, The Hill and Balloon Juice

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

Freezing Out Hope — After the Democratic “shellacking” in the midterm elections, everyone wondered how President Obama would respond. Would he show what he was made of? Would he stand firm for the values he believes in, even in the face of political adversity?

Discussion: Brilliant at Breakfast, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, The Confluence, Daily Kos and Riehl World View

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, Connecting.the.Dots, The Daily Caller, AMERICAblog News and Hullabaloo

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, Daily Kos, Comments from Left Field and Crooks and Liars

Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
Over 30 Democrats defect as test vote on tax cuts passes

Discussion: Washington Post, CNN and Firedoglake

E.J. Dionne / The Moderate Voice:
Where Is Obama Going? — WASHINGTON — As I was passing through …

Discussion: CNN

Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
Boehner Blasts Dems' ‘Chickencrap’ Tax Cut Vote Gambit (VIDEO)

Discussion: Mediaite, National Review, Salon, Taylor Marsh, Ezra Klein, Fox Nation and The Moderate Voice

Kathleen Hunter / Roll Call:
House Passes Democratic Tax Bill

Discussion: Left Coast Rebel, CNN, Associated Press, Washington Monthly and EconomistMom.com

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

Discussion: Political Punch, Politics Daily, Washington Post, The Daily Caller and Daily Kos

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

Discussion: Babalú Blog, The Nation and New York Magazine

Bristol Palin / Facebook:

Mr. Olbermann—Sorry We Can't All Be As Perfect As You — Recently, a left wing commentator named Keith Olbermann attacked me for being a spokesperson for abstinence education and for being an Ambassador for the Candies Foundation, which promotes teen pregnancy awareness and prevention education.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, NewsBusters.org blogs, Wonkette and JammieWearingFool

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 …

Discussion: ABCNEWS

Matt Lewis / Politics Daily:

Why Mike Pence Could Steal Sarah Palin's Thunder … “If Mike Pence keeps talking, the left will soon have to stop talking about Sarah Palin.” — That's according to The Detroit News' Nolan Finley's latest editorial. Finley goes on to note that, “Mike Pence is no Sarah Palin.

Discussion: Detroit News, Hot Air and GOP 12

William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:
The Republican Party Can't Win Without The Support of Palin Supporters

Discussion: HillBuzz.org, The Gateway Pundit, Liberty Pundits Blog, Cubachi and Conservatives4Palin.com

Igor Volsky / Wonk Room:

McCain Exudes Grumpiness At DADT Hearing — Since President Obama announced his intent to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell in this year's State of the Union Address, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) — who had previously said that he was open to considering repeal if the military carefully studied …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Pam's House Blend, Daily Kos and Open Left

Fox News:

Mullen: Troops Who Balk at Change in Gay Service Policy Can Find Other Work — Military members who have a problem with a change in policy to allow gays to serve openly may find themselves looking for a new job, Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned Thursday.

Discussion: Hot Air and Weasel Zippers

Igor Volsky / Wonk Room:
The DADT Hearings In Six Minutes: GOP Talking Points Debunked

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

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

Discussion: Firedoglake, Reuters, Power Line, Maggie's Farm, CNN, FrumForum, The Daily Dish, A plain blog about politics and Towleroad News #gay

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: Gawker, DownWithTyranny!, JOSHUAPUNDIT, ABCNEWS, TPMMuckraker and The Gateway Pundit

Richard Simon / Los Angeles Times:
House censures Rep. Charles Rangel

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland

David Kocieniewski / New York Times:
As Rangel Stands Silently, Censure Vote Rings Loudly

Discussion: Washington Post, Gothamist and City Room

Devlin Barrett / Metropolis:
Rangel Censure Vote Is Rare Ritual

Discussion: Big Government and Weasel Zippers

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

Gizmodo / Wired Science:
NASA Finds New Life Form

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

Dennis Overbye / New York Times:
Microbe Finds Arsenic Tasty; Redefines Life

Discussion: Washington Post, Hot Air, newsfeed.time.com and The Awl

Elissa Fink / Tableau Software blogs:

Why we removed the WikiLeaks visualizations — Wednesday afternoon, Tableau Software removed data visualizations published by WikiLeaks to Tableau Public. We understand this is a sensitive issue and want to assure the public and our users that this was not an easy decision, nor one that we took lightly.

Discussion: Guardian, Boing Boing and TPMMuckraker, more at Techmeme »

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
More Joe Lieberman-caused Internet censorship

Discussion: Guardian, Hit & Run, Crooks and Liars, The Atlantic Online and American Power, more at Techmeme »

Bill Gertz / Washington Times:

Inside the Ring: Counterspies hunt Russian mole inside National Security Agency — NSA mole hunt — The National Security Agency (NSA) is conducting a counterintelligence probe at its Fort Meade, Md., headquarters in a top-secret hunt for a Russian agent, according to a former intelligence official close to the agency.

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and FrumForum

Terry / CNSNews:

Bachmann: ‘There Needs To Be an Insurrection’ Against GOP Leaders If They Don't Hold Straight Vote to Repeal Obamacare — (CNSNews.com) — Rep. Michele Bachmann (R.-Minn.), founder and chairman of the House Tea Party Caucus, told CNSNews.com that there will need to be an “insurrection” …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

Jim Abrams / Associated Press:

Ear relief: Congress acts to stifle loud TV ads — FCC will require adoption of industry standards for commercials — Below: — WASHINGTON — Here's a message TV viewers may not want to mute: The days of getting blasted out of one's easy chair by blaring TV commercials may soon be over.

Discussion: Gizmodo

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

JUAN WILLIAMS ON UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE — If we want people to work and keep up their work ethic, why are we keeping them on unemployment insurance to not work? — That seems to be Juan Williams take on the current situation. In this clip from Fox News today Juan Williams explains …

Eric Lach / TPMDC:
Juan Williams: Extended Jobless Benefits Hurt The Unemployed (VIDEO)

Discussion: Hullabaloo and Zandar Versus The Stupid

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:

Dems raise nearly $200 million for 2010 cycle — The Democratic National Committee (DNC) raised almost $200 million in total for the party's 2010 election efforts. — Democrats will report having raised $15.9 million between Oct. 13 and Nov. 22, the period covering the run-up to the election …

Discussion: CNN