memeorandum: US blocks access to WikiLeaks for federal workers (Ewen MacAskill/Guardian)

11:45 PM ET, December 4, 2010

Top Items:

J. Taylor Rushing / The Hill:

Senate rejects million-dollar tax-cut compromise in Saturday session — United Senate Republicans joined a small handful of Democrats on Saturday to defeat a pair of proposals to extend some of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts signed into law by President George W. Bush.

Discussion: The Democratic Daily, Sky Dancing, Outside the Beltway, Booman Tribune and Connecting.the.Dots

David M. Herszenhorn / New York Times:

Senate Rejects Obama's Plan on Extending Tax Cuts — WASHINGTON — The Senate on Saturday rejected President Obama's proposal to let tax rates rise for the highest-income Americans, as Republicans held firm in their push to continue all of the expiring Bush-era tax cuts.

Discussion: RedState

The Politico:

Now it's all or nothing on tax cuts — Democrats failed to break a Republican filibuster Saturday of two measures that would have ended Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, forcing both parties back to the negotiating table if they want to avert a tax hike next year for most Americans.

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Raw Story, Associated Press, Taylor Marsh, Liberal Values, Mediaite, Zandar Versus The Stupid, The Moderate Voice, Wake up America, Scared Monkeys, Washington Monthly and iOwnTheWorld.com

The Politico:

Now it's all or nothing on tax cuts — “It became apparent the second time we met that actually there weren't going to be any bipartisan negotiations to reach a decision until there had been a political catharsis on the Democratic side,” said Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), who was tapped for a bipartisan working group led by the administration.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and Power Line

J. Taylor Rushing / The Hill:
Reid on schedule: No Christmas work

Discussion: The Politico

CNN:
Democratic procedural votes on extending Bush tax cuts fail in Senate

Discussion: TPMDC, Mediaite and New York Magazine

Patricia Murphy / Politics Daily:
Senate Blocks Democrats on Middle Class Tax Cut; Obama Still Confident of Deal

Discussion: ThinkProgress

Washington Post:

Hollywood myth-making on Valerie Plame controversy — WE'RE NOT in the habit of writing movie reviews. But the recently released film “Fair Game” - which covers a poisonous Washington controversy during the war in Iraq - deserves some editorial page comment, if only because of what its promoters are saying about it.

Discussion: protein wisdom, Wonk Room, Pajamas Media, Balloon Juice, NO QUARTER, TBogg, NewsBusters.org blogs, Fausta's Blog, Moe Lane, Grasping Reality …, Pirate's Cove and Sister Toldjah

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

WHY COMPROMISE WITH THESE GUYS IS IMPOSSIBLE, PART MCCXVII.... I can only hope folks in the West Wing take a moment to consider what incoming House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) told Slate's John Dickerson the other day. … Ryan went on to say Republicans sent some letters …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Talking Dog and Balloon Juice

Daily Mail:

Narnia fans' fury after Liam Neeson claims Aslan - the symbol of Christ - could also be Mohammed — The much-loved children's stories have an unapologetic Christian message. — C. S. Lewis was clear that the character of Aslan in his Chronicles of Narnia is based on Christ.

Discussion: Firedoglake, Cubachi, Big Hollywood, Jihad Watch, Right Wing News and Liberty Pundits Blog

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:

Graham: GOP ‘made some pretty poor choices’ for Senate candidates this fall — Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said that Republicans “made some pretty poor choices” in choosing their Senate candidates this fall. — Graham, in a Senate floor speech on Saturday, made an aside comment underscoring …

Discussion: Reuters, Scared Monkeys and Weasel Zippers

Townhall.com:

Chris Christie — national security jobs economy finance MSM defense education Hollywood Founding Fathers Islam foreign affairs — Read the latest conservative news and political commentary from the #1 conservative news source - Townhall.com. Stay up to date with news headlines …

Discussion: Power Line

New York Times:

Cables Discuss Vast Hacking by a China That Fears the Web — As China ratcheted up the pressure on Google to censor its Internet searches last year, the American Embassy sent a secret cable to Washington detailing one reason top Chinese leaders had become so obsessed with the Internet search company: they were Googling themselves.

Discussion: VentureBeat, TechCrunch, Mashable!, The Peking Duck and New York Magazine, more at Techmeme »

Michael Lerner / Washington Post:

Save Obama - by running against him — People who used to say, “Give President Obama more time” when the president was criticized for capitulating to the right, or who argued that Obama must have a plan to turn things around, are now largely depressed and angry.

Discussion: Sky Dancing, Eunomia and Vox Popoli

Zaid Jilani / ThinkProgress:

Merkley Lays Out A Course For Reforming The Filibuster In The Next Senate: ‘Mark This Date On Your Calendar’ — Earlier this year, Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) delivered an address about conservative obstruction at the Center for American Progress Action Fund titled “Deliberation, Obstruction or Dysfunction?

Discussion: Zandar Versus The Stupid