Top Items:
Katrina vanden Heuvel / 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 …
Discussion:
The Politico, Greg Mankiw's Blog, Free exchange, The Huffington Post, The Note, CNN, Rortybomb, TPMDC, ThinkProgress, AmSpecBlog, New York Times, The Reality-Based Community, Pajamas Media, Ezra Klein, Real Time Economics, The New Republic, Swampland, New Deal 2.0, Ben Smith's Blog and Peter Daou
Ezra Klein:
How the White House cut its deal and lost its base — If you look at the numbers alone, the tax cut deal looks to have robbed Republicans blind. The GOP got around $95 billion in tax cuts for wealthy Americans and $30 billion in estate tax cuts. Democrats got $120 billion in payroll-tax cuts …
Discussion:
Zandar Versus The Stupid
New York Times:
Obama Defiant in Defending Tax-Cut Plan as ‘Good Deal’ — WASHINGTON — President Obama, facing a Democratic revolt over his tax accord with Republicans, defended the package on Tuesday, saying his party's lawmakers ought to support it as a “good deal for the American people” …
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 …
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:
The Hill, Roll Call, Outside the Beltway, Ben Smith's Blog, CNN, Wonkette, James Pethokoukis, Washington Monthly and Right Turn
The Huffington Post:
Mary Landrieu: ‘Obama-McConnell’ Plan Is ‘Almost Morally Corrupt’ — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? … WASHINGTON — Sen. Mary Landrieu, a conservative Democratic from Louisiana, lashed out Tuesday at President Obama's deal with congressional Republicans that allows tax cuts for the wealthy to be extended for two years.
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog, Firedoglake, Taylor Marsh, Colorlines, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Daily Kos
Jennifer Bendery / Roll Call:
Tax Deal Opponents Shut Down White House Phones — Liberal activists angry about President Barack Obama's concession on tax cuts for upper-income Americans crashed two phone lines at the White House and are gearing up for another onslaught of calls to Senate Democratic leaders in an eleventh-hour push to kill the deal.
Discussion:
Raw Story
The Hill:
Pelosi escalates criticism of tax-cut deal — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) escalated the Democratic criticism of the tax cut deal President Obama struck with Republicans and singled out the GOP-favored estate tax proposal as “a bridge too far.” — Pelosi, speaking to reporters …
Discussion:
National Review and FrumForum
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.
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:
New York Post, NationalJournal.com, Power Line, Slate, The Atlantic Online, TPMDC, Hot Air, Little Green Footballs and Eunomia
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Tax deal a good, not great, bargain for Republicans
Tax deal a good, not great, bargain for Republicans
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, Commentary, South Capitol Street, msnbc.com and driftglass
Patrick O'Connor / Washington Wire:
Landrieu: ‘Obama-McConnell Plan’
Landrieu: ‘Obama-McConnell Plan’
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's … and Cafe Hayek
First Read / msnbc.com:
Bush tax cuts just 37 percent of the total deal
Bush tax cuts just 37 percent of the total deal
Discussion:
The New Republic
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, Pundits Blog, PERRspectives, Daily Kos and The Page
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:
CNNMoney.com, McClatchy Washington Bureau, Washington Post, Commentary and The Note
The Note:
Dem Vows Filibuster of Obama Tax Deal
Dem Vows Filibuster of Obama Tax Deal
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, CNN and The Politico
Josh Gerstein / The Politico:
President Obama takes on deal's Democratic critics
President Obama takes on deal's Democratic critics
Discussion:
Hot Air, CNN, The Daily Caller, The Daily Dish and AmSpecBlog
Perry Bacon Jr / Washington Post:
Tax-cut deal has liberal Democrats fuming
Tax-cut deal has liberal Democrats fuming
Discussion:
The Politico, The Fix, ThinkProgress, Associated Press and PostPartisan
Raleigh News & Observer:
Cancer claims Elizabeth Edwards — Elizabeth Edwards, author of ‘Saving Graces’ , greets and autographs copies of her book for the community in 2006. — Elizabeth Anania Edwards, who became a national figure in her fight against cancer and as a partner in her husband John's political career, died today.
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's …, Crooks and Liars, Taylor Marsh and Mediaite
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Reuters:
Elizabeth Edwards dies — (Reuters) - Elizabeth Edwards, a best-selling author and the driving force behind her husband John Edwards's political career before it was destroyed by his infidelity, died on Tuesday at age 61. — Edwards died of cancer on Tuesday morning at her home in Chapel Hill …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice
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?
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New York Times:
British Court Denies Bail to Assange
British Court Denies Bail to Assange
Discussion:
Guardian, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Salon, The Other McCain, Law Blog, Raw Story, Fausta's Blog, Taylor Marsh, NewsBusters.org, South Capitol Street, FP Passport, msnbc.com, The Hill, Wonkette, Indecision Forever, The Awl, pandagon.net, Gizmodo, The Nation, At-Largely and Politics Daily, more at Mediagazer »
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
Anti-WikiLeaks lies and propaganda - from TNR, Lauer, Feinstein and more
Anti-WikiLeaks lies and propaganda - from TNR, Lauer, Feinstein and more
Discussion:
Media Diary, Guardian, Right Turn, Newshoggers.com, Towleroad News #gay, The New Republic, AlterNet, The Daily Dish, LewRockwell.com Blog and CNN
Guardian:
WikiLeaks: US Senator Joe Lieberman suggests New York Times could be investigated
WikiLeaks: US Senator Joe Lieberman suggests New York Times could be investigated
Discussion:
Slate, Media Diary, CNN, Firedoglake, National Review, Threat Level, ThinkProgress, Salon, Mediaite, Raw Story, Hullabaloo and Techdirt, more at Mediagazer »
Julian Assange / TheAustralian:
Don't shoot messenger for revealing uncomfortable truths
Don't shoot messenger for revealing uncomfortable truths
Discussion:
NPR, The Moderate Voice, New York Times, Guardian, Examiner and The Nation, more at Techmeme »
BBC:
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange arrested in London
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange arrested in London
Discussion:
News: News blog, Guardian, Slate, CNN, Close Read, Sky News, TalkLeft, JOSHUAPUNDIT, Politics Daily, DISSENTING JUSTICE and Commentary, more at Mediagazer »
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, The Awl and AMERICAblog News
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Obama administers a stern scolding to lefty critics — I noted this morning that Obama's strategy going forward will be to position himself as Washington's lone resident adult in a town full of squabbling children on right and left, and at his presser just now, Obama offered a surprisingly stern …
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Ben Smith's Blog
The Smoking Gun:
Palin Success Triggered FCC Complaints — Voting, hug angered “Dancing with the Stars” viewers … In the days after Bristol Palin was voted into the finals of “Dancing with the Stars,” viewers from across the country wrote to the Federal Communications Commission accusing the ABC show …
Discussion:
Cubachi, Don Surber, Mediaite and Liberty Pundits Blog
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Andy Barr / The Politico:
Rebuffed by Sarah Palin, tea party group picks Saul Anuzis
Rebuffed by Sarah Palin, tea party group picks Saul Anuzis
Discussion:
USA Today
Simmi Aujla / The Politico:
GOP taps Hal Rogers for House Appropriates Committee Chair — House Republicans have tapped Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) to be chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, setting up an old bull appropriator with a history of earmarking to deliver on the anti-spending tea party platform that carried the GOP to victory this fall.
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Molly K. Hooper / The Hill:
Rep. Hal Rogers wins chairmanship of powerful Appropriations Committee
Michelle Malkin:
So much for bipartisanship: Obama calls GOP “hostage-takers,” Boehner a “bomb-thrower;” attacks lib critics, too — President Obama looks haggard and peeved and petulant at his White House press briefing on the tax deal, still underway as I type. — Exuding his typical gracelessness …
Discussion:
The Right Scoop, Pundit & Pundette, National Review, RedState, Nice Deb and Commentary
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Jake Tapper / Political Punch:
President Obama to Democrats: It's Not Enough to Have 'a Purist …
President Obama to Democrats: It's Not Enough to Have 'a Purist …
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's …
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.
Discussion:
Salon
Sam Dillon / New York Times:
Shanghai Test Scores Stun Educators — With China's debut in international standardized testing, students in Shanghai have surprised experts by outscoring their counterparts in dozens of other countries, in reading as well as in math and science, according to the results of a respected exam.
David Kurtz / Talking Points Memo:
Seminal Moment — Let's be honest with each other here: Presidential press conferences are usually news voids into which a lot of ink and chatter are dumped. — But Obama's press conference this afternoon will be seen as a turning point if not in his Presidency then in how we understand and perceive him and his approach to politics.
Discussion:
The Daily Dish and South Capitol Street