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 …
Discussion:
Ezra Klein, New York Times, Right Turn, No More Mister Nice Blog, Swampland, Daily Kos, Outside the Beltway and National Review
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:
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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.
Ezra Klein:
An imperfect, but not-that-bad, deal on the tax cuts — The White House and the Republicans are pretty close to a final deal on the Bush tax cuts. Here are the specifics, though it's worth saying that as near as this is to completion, it's still not done, and so it could change:
Discussion:
Washington Post, Free exchange, National Review, Rortybomb, The Plum Line, Los Angeles Times, ThinkProgress, Swampland, New Deal 2.0, Commentary, Mother Jones, Balloon Juice, Brilliant at Breakfast, Zandar Versus The Stupid, Peter Daou, NPR, Feministing, Economist's View, CANNONFIRE, Felix Salmon, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Reaction, The Caucus, Firedoglake, The Note, FrumForum, The Huffington Post, Daily Kos, Crooks and Liars, The Politico, TalkLeft, Taylor Marsh, Philly.com, The New Republic, Hullabaloo and Outside the Beltway
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
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, The Hill, Washington Monthly, ABCNEWS, Washington Post, Roll Call, James Pethokoukis and Right Turn
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:
Washington Monthly, TPMDC, The Politico, Weasel Zippers, Donklephant and Eschaton
David Weigel / Slate:
Just How Big of a Dive is Obama Taking on Tax Cuts?
Discussion:
NationalJournal.com, The Daily Dish, Salon, Eunomia, South Capitol Street and AmSpecBlog
Sam Youngman / The Hill:
Left sees tax surrender, says Obama reelection bid now crippled
Discussion:
The Note and Pajamas Media
Scott Wilson / Washington Post:
Obama's tax cut extension part of strategy to show bipartisanship
Discussion:
The Fix, Right Wing News and Prairie Weather
Byron York / Washington Examiner:
In tax defeat, Dems pay the price for old tricks
Discussion:
Betsy's Page
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
MAKING THE BEST OF A BAD SITUATION.... At the surface …
Discussion:
The Politico, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, RedState, msnbc.com, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/* and Guardian
New York Post:
This pact may spell 1 & done for prez
Discussion:
The Plum Line, Hot Air, Project Syndicate and News Hounds
McClatchy Washington Bureau:
Democrats could scuttle Obama-GOP tax cut deal
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online and The Foundry
Peter Baker / New York Times:
In Deal With G.O.P., Portent for Next 2 Years
Discussion:
Swampland, Arkansas Blog, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/* and Suburban Guerrilla
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, Focal Point, The Other McCain, DISSENTING JUSTICE, Commentary, Gawker, AmSpecBlog and Don Surber, 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?
Christopher Hitchens / Slate:
The WikiLeaks founder is an unscrupulous megalomaniac with a political agenda.
Discussion:
Yahoo! News, The Daily Caller, The Other McCain and Tim Blair, more at Mediagazer »
Associated Press:
Judge denies WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange bail
Discussion:
Politics Daily, Guardian and Washington Post, more at Techmeme »
BBC:
Wikileaks' Visa payments suspended
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CNET News, The Huffington Post and TPMMuckraker, more at Techmeme »
NPR:
British Judge Denies Bail For WikiLeaks Founder
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, TheAustralian and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »
Naomi Wolf / The Huffington Post:
Julian Assange Captured by World's Dating Police
Discussion:
AMERICAblog News
Dianne Feinstein / Wall Street Journal:
Prosecute Assange Under the Espionage Act
Discussion:
Salon, New York Times, Guardian, BLACKFIVE, The New Republic, The Nation and Raw Story, more at Mediagazer »
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, TalkLeft, Feministing and Pam's House Blend
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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:
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
Sam Dillon / New York Times:
Top Test Scores From Shanghai 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.
Discussion:
Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, FrumForum and Prairie Weather
Wall Street Journal:
California's Parent Revolution — ‘Triggering’ school reform in Compton. — It could be a shot heard 'round the education world: This morning in Compton, California, more than 260 parents will pull the first ever “parent trigger” in a bid to transform a failing public school.
Discussion:
Chicago Boyz
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Bloomberg cheers D.C. for ‘coming together and doing something’ — Mike Bloomberg, who has made criticism of Washington partisanship a calling card, praises the tax deal: — I was very pleased to see the President and the Congress come together. It is exactly- number one …
Discussion:
FrumForum
David Brooks / New York Times:
Social Science Palooza — Every day, hundreds of thousands of scholars study human behavior. Every day, a few of their studies are bundled and distributed via e-mail by Kevin Lewis, who covers the social sciences for The Boston Globe and National Affairs.
Discussion:
ECHIDNE of the snakes, driftglass and Daniel W. Drezner
Andy Barr / The Politico:
Rebuffed by Sarah Palin, tea party group picks Saul Anuzis — After failing to persuade Sarah Palin to run for chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, the Tea Party Nation is throwing its support behind former Michigan state GOP Chairman Saul Anuzis.
Discussion:
USA Today
Aaron Blake / The Fix:
Georgia Democrats Barrow and Bishop confront an uncertain redistricting fate — This is the third in an occasional series that focuses on the decennial redistricting process in key states. We call it “Mapping the Future.” The series aims to look forward to how the maps in these states …
Discussion:
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