Top Items:
Joe Biden / Washington Post:
Obama: On the way to a failed presidency? — Ronald Reagan famously quipped that the Democratic Party left him before he left the party. Like many progressive supporters of Barack Obama, I'm beginning to have the same feeling about this president. — Consider what we've seen since …
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Paul Krugman:
The Deal — So the tax deal is out. Obama extracted some concessions, with the big surprise being a payroll tax cut. How much better do these concessions make the thing? — Well, for starters we have the two-year extension of the Bush tax cuts. As I pointed out yesterday …
Jake Tapper / Political Punch:
Senior White House Official: ‘We Wanted a Fight,’ too. Congressional Dems 'Wouldn't Throw a Punch' — Vice President Biden heads to Capitol Hill today to lobby Senate Democrats to support the tax cut compromise, as President Obama faces criticism from congressional Democrats …
Jennifer Rubin / Right Turn:
Obama sells out the left: a Republican win on taxes — There really is no other way to say it: the Republicans won, the liberal Democrats lost, and the president sided with the Republicans. The subject, of course, is an agreement to extend all the Bust tax cuts.
Discussion:
Hot Air, A Chequer-Board of Nights …, NY Daily News, International Liberty, The Daily Beast, PoliPundit.com, TPMDC, National Review, RedState, Commentary, The Politico, Power Line, iOwnTheWorld.com, Betsy's Page, The Foundry, Pajamas Media, Classical Values, JustOneMinute and Firedoglake
New York Times:
Tax Deal Suggests New Path for Obama — WASHINGTON — President Obama announced a tentative deal with Congressional Republicans on Monday to extend the Bush-era tax cuts at all income levels for two years as part of a package that would also keep benefits flowing to the long-term unemployed …
Discussion:
The Note, The Politico, Capital Gains and Games blogs, ThinkProgress, Associated Press, CNNMoney.com, Ben Smith's Blog, Economix, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, Indecision Forever, Sky Dancing, The Reality-Based Community, NBC Chicago, Fox News, Swampland, Online NewsHour, Arkansas Blog, Hot Air, New York Magazine, The Hill, South Capitol Street, Wonkette, The Confluence, The Atlantic Online, The Huffington Post, Guardian, Firedoglake, FiveThirtyEight, Hullabaloo, Wall Street Journal, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Sundries Shack, New York Times, The Hill and The Baseline Scenario
Ezra Klein:
Wonkbook: Everything you need to know about the Bush tax cut deal — I'll admit it: I didn't think they had it in them. A temporary extension of the Bush tax cuts? Sure, they could manage that. Fear is a powerful motivator in Washington, and nothing scares politicians like the threat of a tax hike on their constituents.
Discussion:
Immigration Chronicles, The American Scene, PERRspectives, TPMDC, Washington Monthly, Suburban Guerrilla and The Politico
Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
Sen. Durbin: Dems could ‘walk out’ on tax cut deal — A bloc of Senate Democrats could decide not to support a White House-brokered deal on tax cuts and unemployment benefits, thereby putting the plan in danger, according to the second-ranking Senate Democrat.
Discussion:
CNN, Ben Smith's Blog, Roll Call, Washington Post, Washington Monthly, ABCNEWS, The Hill and James Pethokoukis
Center for American Progress:
Tax and Unemployment Agreement Leads to Jobs Growth — Agreement Will Create or Save 2.2 Million Jobs Despite Wasteful Tax Policies — A job seeker fills out an application while attending a job fair in Livonia, MI. The Obama administration clearly had its eye on job creation …
Discussion:
Ezra Klein and The Politico
The Politico:
Liberal Dems to Obama: Fight harder — Resentments between President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats that began simmering even before their midterm disaster are nearing the boiling point on Capitol Hill, as liberals make clear that Obama's efforts to strike a lame-duck deal …
Discussion:
The Fix, The Atlantic Online, Top of the Ticket, Hot Air, Taylor Marsh and The Other McCain
New York Times:
Obama Seeks to Deflect Anger in Party on Tax Deal
Obama Seeks to Deflect Anger in Party on Tax Deal
Discussion:
Firedoglake and National Review
Sam Youngman / The Hill:
Left sees tax surrender, says Obama reelection bid now crippled
Left sees tax surrender, says Obama reelection bid now crippled
Discussion:
The Note
Ezra Klein:
An imperfect, but not-that-bad, deal on the tax cuts
An imperfect, but not-that-bad, deal on the tax cuts
Discussion:
National Review, Free exchange, Washington Post, Rortybomb, Los Angeles Times, The Plum Line, Swampland, Mother Jones, Commentary, Balloon Juice, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, Brilliant at Breakfast, Zandar Versus The Stupid, New Deal 2.0, Peter Daou, NPR, ThinkProgress, CANNONFIRE, Feministing, Economist's View, The Reaction, No More Mister Nice Blog, Felix Salmon and Firedoglake
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Poll: Obama supporters strongly opposed to deal extending Bush tax cuts
Poll: Obama supporters strongly opposed to deal extending Bush tax cuts
Discussion:
Hot Air and South Capitol Street
Pat Garofalo / Wonk Room:
Comparing Priorities In The Tax Deal
Comparing Priorities In The Tax Deal
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, USA Today, Capital Gains and Games blogs and Right Turn
Byron York / Washington Examiner:
In tax defeat, Dems pay the price for old tricks
In tax defeat, Dems pay the price for old tricks
Discussion:
Betsy's Page
David Weigel / Slate:
Just How Big of a Dive is Obama Taking on Tax Cuts?
Just How Big of a Dive is Obama Taking on Tax Cuts?
Discussion:
The Daily Dish, NationalJournal.com, Salon, Eunomia, alicublog and South Capitol Street
Scott Wilson / Washington Post:
Obama's tax cut extension part of strategy to show bipartisanship
Obama's tax cut extension part of strategy to show bipartisanship
Discussion:
The Plum Line, The Fix, Right Wing News and Prairie Weather
Russell Berman / The Hill:
Pelosi attacks Obama-GOP tax plan as House Dems signal fight
Pelosi attacks Obama-GOP tax plan as House Dems signal fight
Discussion:
The Hill, Daily Kos and Open Congress
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
MAKING THE BEST OF A BAD SITUATION.... At the surface …
MAKING THE BEST OF A BAD SITUATION.... At the surface …
Discussion:
New York Times, The Note, The Politico, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, msnbc.com and RedState
New York Post:
This pact may spell 1 & done for prez
This pact may spell 1 & done for prez
Discussion:
Yglesias, Project Syndicate and News Hounds
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Obama sends Biden to Capitol Hill to sell tax deal to angry Dems
Obama sends Biden to Capitol Hill to sell tax deal to angry Dems
Discussion:
CNN, Wonkette, Right Turn and Firedoglake
New York Times:
British Court Denies Bail to Assange in Sex Inquiry — LONDON — Julian Assange, the founder of the beleaguered WikiLeaks anti-secrecy group, was denied bail by a London court on Tuesday and said that he would resist extradition to Sweden where he faces questioning in connection with alleged sex offenses.
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BBC:
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange arrested in London — Julian Assange denies sexually assaulting the two women — The founder of the whistle-blowing website Wikileaks, Julian Assange, has been arrested by police in London. — The 39-year-old Australian, who was the subject of a European arrest warrant …
Discussion:
TalkLeft, CNN, Sky News, Guardian, Close Read, Little Green Footballs, Politics Daily, Focal Point, The Other McCain, DISSENTING JUSTICE, Commentary, AmSpecBlog and Gawker, more at Mediagazer »
Richard Pendlebury / Daily Mail:
The Wikileaks sex files: How two one-night stands sparked a worldwide hunt for Julian Assange — A winter morning in backwoods Scandinavia and the chime of a church bell drifts across the snowbound town of Enkoping. Does it also toll for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange?
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
Anti-WikiLeaks lies and propaganda - from TNR, Lauer, Feinstein and more — (updated below - Update II) — (1) In The New Republic today, Todd Gitlin writes an entire anti-WikiLeaks column that is based on an absolute factual falsehood. Anyone listening to most media accounts would believe …
Discussion:
Guardian, Newshoggers.com, The Daily Dish, The New Republic, AlterNet, The Excavator and Yahoo! News, more at Mediagazer »
Christopher Hitchens / Slate:
The WikiLeaks founder is an unscrupulous megalomaniac with a political agenda.
The WikiLeaks founder is an unscrupulous megalomaniac with a political agenda.
Discussion:
New Atlanticist and The Daily Caller
Julian Assange / TheAustralian:
Don't shoot messenger for revealing uncomfortable truths
Don't shoot messenger for revealing uncomfortable truths
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, NPR, New York Times, Guardian and Examiner
Dianne Feinstein / Wall Street Journal:
Prosecute Assange Under the Espionage Act
Prosecute Assange Under the Espionage Act
Discussion:
Guardian, ThinkProgress, BLACKFIVE, Raw Story and Associated Press
Guardian:
Julian Assange is remanded in custody
Julian Assange is remanded in custody
Discussion:
Media Diary, Threat Level, msnbc.com, Raw Story, The Firewall, Techdirt, CNN, CNET News, The Moderate Voice, Mediaite, Gizmodo, Towleroad News #gay, Politics Daily, The Nation, American Thinker, Sky Dancing, Scared Monkeys, Telegraph, National Review, Boing Boing, TwitLonger and Unfogged, more at Techmeme »
Naomi Wolf / The Huffington Post:
Julian Assange Captured by World's Dating Police
Julian Assange Captured by World's Dating Police
Discussion:
Associated Press, Raw Story and AMERICAblog News, more at Techmeme »
Associated Press:
Elizabeth Edwards gravely ill with cancer — WASHINGTON (AP) — Elizabeth Edwards over the past six years has seen her husband's presidential ambitions thwarted, retreated from public life as their marriage disintegrated over his affair, then emerged to advocate for changes …
Discussion:
WTVD-TV, The Jawa Report and TalkLeft
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The Star-Ledger Editorial Page:
Christie's bully act getting old — Two years ago, when Chris Christie announced he was running for governor, he dismissed questions about his days as the Godzilla freeholder — when he breathed fire on almost every issue, insulted Morris County colleagues and needlessly stomped on countless toes.
Wall Street Journal:
U.S. Unloads Citi Stake for a $12 Billion Profit — The U.S. Treasury sold the last of its Citigroup Inc. common shares in a $10.5 billion offering that capped the government's biggest bank bailout of the financial-market meltdown. — The stock sale, which was finalized Monday evening …
Discussion:
The Political Carnival and msnbc.com
Condoleezza Rice / Wall Street Journal:
New Start: Ratify, With Caveats — The treaty helpfully reinstates on-site verification of Russian nuclear forces, but senators should make it clear to Moscow that they don't see it as limiting U.S. missile defenses. — When U.S. President Bush and Russian President Putin signed the Moscow Treaty in 2002 …
Discussion:
The Politico, Washington Monthly, ThinkProgress and Wonk Room
Nancy Altman / Firedoglake:
The End of Social Security — photo: Fabricator of Useless via Flickr — President Obama and the Republicans will say that the payroll tax holiday is all about stimulating the economy. But don't be fooled. According to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities,extending …
Discussion:
Hullabaloo, AMERICAblog News and naked capitalism