Top Items:
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:
Crooks and Liars, blogs.telegraph.co.uk, Rortybomb, JustOneMinute, Left in the West, Taylor Marsh, CANNONFIRE, Balkinization, AMERICAblog News, Commentary, Shot in the Dark, The Confluence, Left Coast Rebel, Balloon Juice, Brilliant at Breakfast, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Washington Post, Prairie Weather, Suburban Guerrilla, The Impolitic, Riehl World View, Daily Kos, Connecting.the.Dots and The Atlantic Online
RELATED:
The Note:
Dem Senator: Negotiating with Republicans “Almost” like Negotiating with “Terrorists” — ABC News' Jonathan Karl reports: Did Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) just compare Republicans to terrorists? — Well, not really. But he did compare negotiating with Republicans to negotiating with terrorists.
Discussion:
CNN, theblogprof, The Politico, WyBlog, No More Mister Nice Blog, PoliPundit.com and The Gateway Pundit
The Huffington Post:
Harkin: If Obama Caves On Taxes, He Better Pray For Palin In 2012 — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? … WASHINGTON — The sense of frustration among Senate Democrats over the White House's handling of the tax cut debate has grown throughout the week, culminating in a series of articles …
Discussion:
Roll Call, Washington Post, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Daily Kos, Guardian, PERRspectives, USA Today, Washington Monthly and GOP 12
Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Collins says 'Don't ask, don't tell' repeal must wait for tax cuts — Democrats hoping to move forward with legislation other than tax cuts shouldn't look to centrist Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) to break the logjam. — Collins said again on Friday that, while she would vote with Democrats …
Discussion:
The Caucus, The Reality-Based Community, The Daily Dish, Box Turtle Bulletin and Balloon Juice
Brad Reed / Crooks and Liars:
Dear Democrats, please, please, please don't eff this up — An artist's rendition of me begging the Dems to not cave. Yes, in real life I am a dog. — I'm taking a break from the Opening Bell this morning to write a letter to the Democratic Party. — OK, guys, here's the deal.
Discussion:
Washington Post, JOSHUAPUNDIT, Squawk Box and The Hill
U.S. Senator Susan Collins:
SENATOR COLLINS' STATEMENT ON 'DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL' — Following the conclusion of today's Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the military's “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” policy, Senator Susan Collins released this statement: — “Like our closest allies, the United States' Armed Forces …
Discussion:
Firedoglake, scottbrown.senate.gov, Wonk Room, The Hill, Hot Air and Outside the Beltway
Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
Dem senator compares negotiating with GOP to talks with terrorists
Dem senator compares negotiating with GOP to talks with terrorists
Discussion:
The Politico, Cubachi, The Hill, Hot Air and Liberty Pundits Blog
Adam Sorensen / The Page:
Donkey Doozy — The Democratic Party spirals unidirectionally.
Donkey Doozy — The Democratic Party spirals unidirectionally.
Discussion:
Don Surber, Hot Air and Commentary
Chusa / ConservativeHome's Survey blog:
The top ten pundits among Republican activists — 1,152 Republican activists, as identified by YouGov America and polled by ConservativeHome.com, have chosen their favorite pundits. — These pundits, more than any other, will be the talking heads who will influence the choice of the GOP's nominee for 2012.
Discussion:
Salon, The Other McCain, Lean Left, The Enterprise Blog and The Daily Dish
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Scott Brown comes out in favor of DADT repeal — This is potentially important. The statement just out from Senator Scott Brown's office: … A few quick points on this. First, it shows beyond doubt — as I thought would happen — that Robert Gates's handling of this whole affair …
RELATED:
Josh Gerstein / The Politico:
Scott Brown backs 'don't ask' repeal measure
Scott Brown backs 'don't ask' repeal measure
Discussion:
Runnin' Scared and Prop 8 Trial Tracker
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Can we please have some nuance? — It's being widely reported right …
Can we please have some nuance? — It's being widely reported right …
Discussion:
Gawker and Washington Monthly
Motoko Rich / New York Times:
Disappointing Job Growth in U.S. as Jobless Rate Hits 9.8% — In a significant setback to the recovery and market expectations, the United States economy added just 39,000 jobs in November, and the unemployment rate rose to 9.8 percent, according to the Department of Labor.
Discussion:
Economix, The Huffington Post, Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Washington Monthly, McClatchy Washington Bureau, The Other McCain, The Moderate Voice, Indecision Forever, About.com US Liberal Politics, Wake up America, protein wisdom, New York Magazine, Don Surber, The Gateway Pundit, Wonkette, Questions and Observations, TalkLeft, Balloon Juice and Scared Monkeys
RELATED:
Douglas Holtz-Eakin / National Review:
The November Employment Report: A Wake-up Call
The November Employment Report: A Wake-up Call
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, Power Line and Mother Jones
Niraj Warikoo / Detroit Free Press:
Defiant Helen Thomas defends remarks that led to exit — Striking a defiant tone, journalist Helen Thomas, 90, said today she absolutely stands by her controversial comments about Israel made earlier this year that led to her resignation. But she stoked additional controversy with new remarks …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Moe Lane, FrumForum and The New Republic
RELATED:
Mark Joyella / Mediaite:
Karl Rove Slams Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee Over Bush-Bashing Comments — On Laura Ingraham's radio show, Karl Rove defended the Bushes against a series of comments, including Sarah Palin's reference to the Bushes as “blue-bloods” and Mike Huckabee saying the Bushes “weren't for me.”
RELATED:
Jeanne Sahadi / CNNMoney.com:
Debt plan draws bipartisan support — NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Defying expectations, more than 60% of President Obama's debt commission voted Friday in favor of the group's final recommendations for reducing the country's long-term debt. — In a strong bipartisan showing, 11 of 18 members voted yes.
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, RedState, Balloon Juice, Fortune, The Huffington Post and AmSpecBlog
RELATED:
Erik Wasson / The Hill:
Deficit panel's plan goes down to defeat
Deficit panel's plan goes down to defeat
Discussion:
Washington Post, CNN, Ezra Klein, Ross Douthat, The Note, Swampland, FrumForum and Hot Air
Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
FAIL: Fiscal Commission Adjourns Without Holding Official Vote
FAIL: Fiscal Commission Adjourns Without Holding Official Vote
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Daily Kos, Wonk Room and ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*
Jamelle Bouie / American Prospect:
What's So Hard About Hardball? — Kevin Drum on the Democratic Party's congenital inability to play hardball politics: … The bigger issue, I think, is that Republicans have an astounding level of ideological unity and a keen understanding of the political dynamics at work.
RELATED:
Kevin Drum / Mother Jones:
Hardball — From First Read: … Maybe a reluctance to play hardball is the issue here.
Hardball — From First Read: … Maybe a reluctance to play hardball is the issue here.
Discussion:
msnbc.com and The New Republic
Praveen Swami / blogs.telegraph.co.uk:
The sight of women's breasts won't deter Islamists - they're obsessed with sex — Denmark's government is being called upon to employ a lethal new weapon in the fight against Islamist extremism: bare breasts. — No, I'm not making this up - and also deny outrageous suggestions that I'm looking …
Discussion:
iOwnTheWorld.com and The Gateway Pundit
Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:
Obama Using Unemployed as an Excuse to Get What He Wanted All Along — It's been clear for some time that President Obama made the political calculation that he does not want any of the Bush tax cuts to expire. He doesn't have to be the guy in 2012 running for President on having “raised taxes during a time of recession.”
Discussion:
The Confluence, The Atlantic Online, Mother Jones and Hullabaloo
J. Taylor Rushing / The Hill:
Durbin: DREAM Act will come to the Senate floor next week — Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) on Friday predicted a Senate vote on the DREAM Act will be held next week. — “Sen. Reid is going to call it,” Durbin told The Hill shortly after the chamber adjourned at 3:30 p.m. Friday.
Discussion:
White House.gov Blog Feed
Marc Lacey / New York Times:
Arizona Cuts Financing for Transplant Patients — PHOENIX — Even physicians with decades of experience telling patients that their lives are nearing an end are having difficulty discussing a potentially fatal condition that has arisen in Arizona: Death by budget cut.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The Incidental Economist, Daily Kos, The Reality-Based Community and Gawker
Kara Swisher / BoomTown:
Groupon Annual Revenues Actually $2 Billion — According to sources close to the situation, Groupon's actual run rate for this year is clocking in at $2 billion in revenue, rather than the widely quoted $500 million. — Who knew hawking spa treatments and stripper-pole lessons could be so lucrative?
Discussion:
GigaOM, TechCrunch and ReadWriteWeb, more at Techmeme »
Doug Powers / Michelle Malkin:
UN Climate Summit Leader Prays to Mayan Moon Goddess — Watch out, Al Gore, your moonbat congregation is starting to direct their prayers elsewhere: … It just makes sense: When you're pushing a myth, there's no more appropriate entity to pray to than a mythical goddess. Why be inconsistent?
Discussion:
Oliver Willis
Barry Eichengreen / voxeu.org:
Ireland's rescue package: Disaster for Ireland, bad omen for the Eurozone — Irish interest spreads did not fall and contagion continues. Here one of the world's leading international economists explains why. Short-sighted, wishful thinking by EU and German leadership designed a package …
Discussion:
Marginal Revolution
Andy Barr / The Politico:
Ron Paul stands up for Julian Assange — Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) is taking a stand as one of Julian Assange's few defenders in Washington, arguing that the WikiLeaks founder should get the same protections as the media. — Attorney General Eric Holder said this week that the Justice Department …
Discussion:
AmSpecBlog, Ben Smith's Blog and Lawfare
Ryan Singel / Threat Level:
Feds Warrantlessly Tracking Americans' Credit Cards in Real Time — Federal law enforcement agencies have been tracking Americans in real-time using credit cards, loyalty cards and travel reservations without getting a court order, a new document released under a government sunshine request shows.
David Dayen / Firedoglake:
After Catfood Commission Fails to Meet Mandate, Dem Senators Rally for Austerity — Fourteen Democratic Senators have asked Harry Reid for action on reining in the budget deficit, on the same day that the Catfood Commission failed to reach the threshold to deliver an official report.
Discussion:
Hullabaloo, The Hill and The Atlantic Online
Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:
Montana Republican Numbers — On the Montana poll that we released a couple weeks ago we also had some numbers on who Republicans in the state wanted as their candidates for President and Senate in 2012 and we just never got around to releasing them. So here goes:
Discussion:
GOP 12 and Conservatives4Palin.com
Terry / CNSNews:
Michele Bachmann: Jesus Had a Right to Life from the Moment of Conception — In response to a question from CNSNews.com, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R.-Minn.) said this week that Jesus Christ had a right to life from the moment of conception and that all human beings deserve legal protection from the moment of conception.
Discussion:
Breitbart.tv and GOP 12
Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Obama issues first pardons of presidency, four in cocaine cases — President Obama issued the first pardons of his presidency, excusing the convicts of crimes, many of which were drug-related. — Obama made nine pardons, four of which were in cases related to cocaine convictions.
Discussion:
The Politico
Myglesias / Yglesias:
For the Record... I really wonder what's happening, subjectively, inside the heads of people who oppose repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell. Do any of them think they're on the right side of history here? That people are going to look back from 2040 and say “if only we'd listened to John McCain thirty years ago?”
Discussion:
The Plum Line and The Daily Dish