Top Items:
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” …
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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:
msnbc.com, TaxVox, National Review and The New Republic
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, Colorlines, Firedoglake, Taylor Marsh and Daily Kos
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 …
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Poll: Obama supporters strongly opposed to deal extending Bush tax cuts — Okay, we now have our first poll measuring the impact on the Democratic base of Obama's support for a temporary extension of all the Bush tax cuts. Suffice it to say this is a major, make-or-break issue …
Discussion:
NationalJournal.com, New York Post, Power Line, Slate, TPMDC, Hot Air and Eunomia
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 …
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 Politico, Washington Post, The Hill, Roll Call, CNN, Outside the Beltway, Wonkette and Ben Smith's Blog
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 …
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, The Atlantic Online, CBS News, Pundits Blog, Commentary, PERRspectives, Daily Kos, The Page and Grasping Reality …
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Tax deal a good, not great, bargain for Republicans
Tax deal a good, not great, bargain for Republicans
Discussion:
Cubachi, Outside the Beltway, Commentary, Zandar Versus The Stupid, South Capitol Street, msnbc.com and driftglass
Greg Mankiw / Greg Mankiw's Blog:
The Tax Deal — I am generally pleased with the compromise …
The Tax Deal — I am generally pleased with the compromise …
Discussion:
Felix Salmon
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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The Politico:
Elizabeth Edwards dies of cancer — Elizabeth Edwards died at her Chapel Hill, N.C. home Tuesday. She was 61. Courtesy — Elizabeth Edwards, who remade the role of the political spouse for a new media age, died Tuesday after a six-year struggle with cancer at her home in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Discussion:
CNN, Ben Smith's Blog, theblogprof, Politics and CBS News
Robert D. McFadden / New York Times:
Elizabeth Edwards Dies of Cancer at 61 — Elizabeth Edwards, who as the wife of former Senator John Edwards gave America an intimate look at a candidate's marriage by sharing his quest for the 2008 presidential nomination as she struggled with incurable cancer and, secretly, with his infidelity …
Discussion:
American Power, Close Read and Raw Story
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
Elizabeth Edwards / WTVD-TV:
Elizabeth Edwards dead of cancer at 61
Elizabeth Edwards dead of cancer at 61
Discussion:
Hot Air, TalkLeft and Patterico's Pontifications
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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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:
TheAustralian, CNET News, Media Diary, The Lede, Right Turn, Newshoggers.com, South Capitol Street, Examiner and Guardian, 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, Guardian, Raw Story, AMERICAblog News and The Awl
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 …
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:
The Fix, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Ben Smith's Blog
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:
South Capitol Street and The Daily Dish
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 …
Nancy Altman / Nancy Altman's myFDL diary:
The End of Social Security — 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 the Making Work Pay Tax Credit, is a much better, more targeted stimulus.
Discussion:
Firedoglake and AMERICAblog News
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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.
Discussion:
Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog and The Hill
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.
James Pethokoukis:
Secret GOP plan: Push states to declare bankruptcy and smash unions — Congressional Republicans appear to be quietly but methodically executing a plan that would a) avoid a federal bailout of spendthrift states and b) cripple public employee unions by pushing cash-strapped states such as California and Illinois to declare bankruptcy.
Discussion:
National Review, Felix Salmon, Wonk Room and protein wisdom
David Gardner / Daily Mail:
Baywatch star claims she was singled out for a TSA full body scan because of her looks — Former Baywatch beauty Donna D'Errico claimed she was singled out for a full body scan because of her looks. — The actress and former Playboy Playmate says she was humiliated by a smirking airport security guard …
Discussion:
The Powers That Be
Mark Landler / New York Times:
U.S. Ends Push to Renew Israeli Freeze on Settlements — WASHINGTON — After three weeks of fruitless haggling with the Israeli government, the Obama administration has given up its effort to persuade Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to renew an expired freeze on the construction …
Discussion:
The Daily Dish, Ben Smith's Blog, CNN, Hot Air and Solomonia