Top Items:
New York Times:
Bush Tax-Cut Deal With Jobless Aid Said to Be Near — WASHINGTON — White House officials and Congressional Republicans said Sunday they were closing in on a deal to temporarily continue the Bush-era tax cuts at all income levels, while bitterly frustrated Democratic Congressional leaders …
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Paul Krugman / New York Times:
Let's Not Make a Deal — Back in 2001, former President George W. Bush pulled a fast one. He wanted to enact an irresponsible tax cut, largely for the benefit of the wealthiest Americans. But there were Senate rules in place designed to prevent that kind of irresponsibility.
Discussion:
Booman Tribune
James Fallows / The Atlantic Online:
An Effective Presentation of the Dems' Tax-Cut Case
Tom Cohen / CNN:
Senators say deal likely on extending tax cuts, jobless benefits
Senators say deal likely on extending tax cuts, jobless benefits
Discussion:
Parker Spitzer, Zandar Versus The Stupid, Shakesville and The Moderate Voice
Washington Post:
GOP leaders hint at compromise on tax cuts, jobless benefits
GOP leaders hint at compromise on tax cuts, jobless benefits
Discussion:
The Reaction and Daily Kos
Ian Millhiser / ThinkProgress:
Gingrich: Let Rich People Decide How Long Their Tax Cuts Last
Gingrich: Let Rich People Decide How Long Their Tax Cuts Last
Discussion:
Raw Story, Firedoglake, PERRspectives, Crooks and Liars, News Hounds and Wall Street Journal
Joseph Berger / New York Times:
G.O.P. Leader Sees Outline of Tax Deal
G.O.P. Leader Sees Outline of Tax Deal
Discussion:
Newshoggers.com, The Politico and Outside the Beltway
BBC:
List of facilities ‘vital to US security’ leaked — Ningbo port in south-eastern China, one of the facilities on the US list — A long list of key facilities around the world that the US describes as vital to its national security has been released by Wikileaks.
Discussion:
RedState, Guardian, The Gateway Pundit, New York Times, Harry's Place, Biased BBC, FrumForum and The Page
George Stephanopoulos / George's Bottom Line:
Exclusive: Gen. Petraeus Not ‘Sure’ Victory in Afghanistan by 2014 — In my exclusive interview with General David Petraeus he was encouraged by the progress made since President Obama's surge of forces into Afghanistan, but is he confident that the Afghan army can take the lead from U.S. forces by NATO's 2014 deadline?
Discussion:
Reuters, ABCNEWS, Raw Story and South Capitol Street
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Washington Post:
Afghan poll shows falling confidence in U.S. efforts to secure country — Afghans are more pessimistic about the direction of their country, less confident in the ability of the United States and its allies to provide security and more willing to negotiate with the Taliban than they were a year ago …
The Politico:
Mike Huckabee wants some respect — Dial down the deafening Sarah Palin buzz for just a moment: The most consequential decision in the 2012 Republican presidential sweepstakes could be whether Mike Huckabee decides to run again - and associates say the former Arkansas governor may well take the plunge.
Discussion:
Hotline On Call and GOP 12
Jesse McKinley / New York Times:
Same-Sex Initiative Reaches Next Hurdle — SAN FRANCISCO — It has been more than two years since voters outlawed same-sex marriage with a ballot initiative in California, and it may be two more before the legality of that measure — Proposition 8 — is finally decided, most likely by the Supreme Court.
Discussion:
South Capitol Street and FrumForum
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Ramin Mostaghim / Los Angeles Times:
Iran says it's now fully self-sufficient at producing uranium — An Iranian official announces that the country, suspected by the West and others of plans to build nuclear weapons, has produced yellow-cake uranium. The announcement may be meant to bolster Tehran's bargaining position at talks starting Monday in Geneva.
Discussion:
FrumForum
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Laura Rozen / The Politico:
Expectations low for Iran nuclear talks
Expectations low for Iran nuclear talks
Discussion:
Israel Matzav and The Page
John Bolton / Guardian:
WikiLeaks cables: Barack Obama is a bigger danger — WikiLeaks harms the US. But the president's refusal to acknowledge the threats we face is a bigger danger — WikiLeaks has yet again flooded the internet with thousands of classified American documents, this time state department cables.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, Little Green Footballs and Right Wing News
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Shane D'Aprile / The Hill:
Gingrich blames Obama on WikiLeaks; labels Assange a terrorist
Gingrich blames Obama on WikiLeaks; labels Assange a terrorist
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, Scared Monkeys, Nice Deb, CNN, Associated Press and Ballot Box
Claudia / iOwnTheWorld.com:
Lefties Hate Israel — Leading Leftist Website Urges Liberals Not to Donate to Israel's Fire Relief Fund — Maybe someday the Jews in America will wake up to the absolute hatred and hostility the left has for the State of Israel. — Fire in Israel Not Natural ... Terrorism?
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, Left Coast Rebel, The Jawa Report and Israel Matzav
Nina Mandell / NY Daily News:
Hugo Chavez blames massive flooding on capitalism as 70,000 remain homeless in Venezuela — Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez said he knows what's been causing the floods that have killed 32 people in his country and left 70,000 homeless: “criminal capitalism.”
Discussion:
Questions and Observations, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Weasel Zippers
Reason:
How to Balance the Budget Without Raising Taxes — The 19 Percent Solution — A value-added tax, a soda tax, a gas tax, banning earmarks, freezing a portion of federal spending at “pre-stimulus” levels - there's no shortage of ideas being thrown out to fix the country's disastrous balance sheet …
Discussion:
The Sundries Shack and Hit & Run
Thomas Beaumont / Des Moines Register:
Wide-open race means quiet start for GOP — While Sarah Palin left behind no clues about her plans during her recent trips to Iowa, most of the 2012 Republican presidential field's prospects have made initial contacts with GOP leaders in the leadoff caucus state this year.