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:
Arkansas Blog, Guardian, The Reality-Based Community, Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo, The Impolitic and FrumForum
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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, Ezra Klein, National Review, New York Times, Salon, The Moderate Voice, Fox Nation and Hullabaloo
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:
CBS News and Balloon Juice
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, Comments from Left Field, Crooks and Liars and Daily Kos
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
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:
Washington Post, CNN and Firedoglake
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, AMERICAblog News and Hullabaloo
EconomistMom.com:
Can We Do the Non-Crazy Thing with the Bush Tax Cuts?
Can We Do the Non-Crazy Thing with the Bush Tax Cuts?
Discussion:
Mother Jones, Economix, Obsidian Wings, iOwnTheWorld.com, Yglesias, Grasping Reality …, The Caucus and Roll Call
Gschwarzcnn / CNN:
Boehner rips House Democrats tax vote as ‘chicken crap’
Boehner rips House Democrats tax vote as ‘chicken crap’
Discussion:
The Note, Firedoglake, Los Angeles Times, Political Correction RSS, The Politico, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Page, Reuters and American Power
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Andy Stern will vote No on deficit commission
Andy Stern will vote No on deficit commission
Discussion:
Political Punch, Washington Post, The Politico and Daily Kos
Ezra Klein:
Why did the Democrats falter on the tax cuts?
Why did the Democrats falter on the tax cuts?
Discussion:
The New Republic, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Plum Line, Washington Post, Taylor Marsh and ABCNEWS
Gschwarzcnn / CNN:
Tax deal getting close, Democrats worried Obama may cave
Tax deal getting close, Democrats worried Obama may cave
Discussion:
Firedoglake, The Politico, TPMDC and Guardian
Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
House passes legislation to extend only some tax cuts
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.
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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, National Review, Alas, a blog, TechCrunch, ironlisa.com, Hit & Run and Marginal Revolution, more at Mediagazer »
Dennis Overbye / New York Times:
Microbe Finds Arsenic Tasty; Redefines 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.
RELATED:
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
Molly K. Hooper / The Hill:
Tea Partiers resist GOP healthcare repeal tactic
Tea Partiers resist GOP healthcare repeal tactic
Discussion:
The Politico, Big Government, The Sundries Shack, Zandar Versus The Stupid, Washington Monthly and msnbc.com
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
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William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:
The Republican Party Can't Win Without The Support of Palin Supporters
The Republican Party Can't Win Without The Support of Palin Supporters
Discussion:
HillBuzz.org, Cubachi, Liberty Pundits Blog, Conservatives4Palin.com and AmSpecBlog
Elisabeth Bumiller / New York Times:
McCain Questions Pentagon on Repeal of Gay Ban — WASHINGTON — Senator John McCain stuck to his tough position against repealing the “don't ask, don't tell” law, telling the military's leaders that many combat troops foresaw problems if gay men and women are allowed to serve openly.
Discussion:
CNN, Power Line, The Daily Dish, FrumForum, Maggie's Farm, A plain blog about politics and Towleroad News #gay
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Igor Volsky / Wonk Room:
The DADT Hearings In Six Minutes: GOP Talking Points Debunked
The DADT Hearings In Six Minutes: GOP Talking Points Debunked
Discussion:
The Plum Line, Prop 8 Trial Tracker, ThinkProgress, Washington Monthly, Joe. My. God., Towleroad News #gay and Open Left
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:
msnbc.com, techPresident, Guardian, TPMMuckraker and Salon, more at Techmeme »
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Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
More Joe Lieberman-caused Internet censorship
More Joe Lieberman-caused Internet censorship
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, TPMMuckraker, Hit & Run and The Atlantic Online
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, Gawker, JOSHUAPUNDIT, TPMMuckraker and The Gateway Pundit
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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
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Manu Raju / The Politico:
Jim DeMint assures GOP senators a pass — South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint is privately reassuring his Republican colleagues up for reelection that he won't recruit or endorse any primary opponent against them, vowing to raise more than $10 million aimed mainly at taking down Democratic incumbents.
Discussion:
GOP 12
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Jeremy P. Jacobs / Hotline On Call:
DeMint Sets Sights On Four Dems
DeMint Sets Sights On Four Dems
Discussion:
Hot Air, The Atlantic Online, TPMDC and Riehl World View
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 …
RELATED:
Eric Lach / TPMDC:
Juan Williams: Extended Jobless Benefits Hurt The Unemployed (VIDEO)
Juan Williams: Extended Jobless Benefits Hurt The Unemployed (VIDEO)
Discussion:
Zandar Versus The Stupid and Hullabaloo
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 …
Discussion:
The BRAD BLOG
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:
Jihad Watch, JOSHUAPUNDIT, The Gateway Pundit and Knowledge is Power
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 …