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 …
Discussion:
JustOneMinute, Outside the Beltway, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, National Review and The New Republic
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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 …
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:
ThinkProgress, The Politico, Ben Smith's Blog, CNNMoney.com, CNN, Wall Street Journal, Wonk Room, The Reality-Based Community, NBC Chicago, Swampland, Capital Gains and Games blogs, Firedoglake, Fox News, Hot Air, Online NewsHour, Connecting.the.Dots, Wonkette, New York Magazine, The Huffington Post, The Hill, Guardian, The Atlantic Online, The Confluence, FiveThirtyEight, Hullabaloo, The Sundries Shack, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, Open Congress, The Baseline Scenario, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, New York Times, The Note, AMERICAblog News, Yglesias and The New Republic
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, Outside the Beltway and National Review
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:
The Plum Line, National Review, Free exchange, Rortybomb, Swampland, Commentary, New Deal 2.0, Balloon Juice, Mother Jones, Feministing, NPR, Economist's View, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, Brilliant at Breakfast, Zandar Versus The Stupid, Peter Daou, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Caucus, Firedoglake, The Huffington Post, Felix Salmon, FrumForum, Daily Kos, The Politico, Philly.com, Taylor Marsh, Hullabaloo and The New Republic
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 Atlantic Online, Top of the Ticket, Hot Air, Taylor Marsh and The Other McCain
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 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, The Hill, Washington Monthly, ABCNEWS, Roll Call, Washington Post, James Pethokoukis and Right Turn
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 and Pajamas Media
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:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, RedState, msnbc.com, The Politico, Guardian and Eschaton
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
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 Fix, Right Wing News and Prairie Weather
McClatchy Washington Bureau:
Democrats could scuttle Obama-GOP tax cut deal
Democrats could scuttle Obama-GOP tax cut deal
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online and The Foundry
Peter Baker / New York Times:
In Tax Deal With G.O.P., a Portent for the Next 2 Years
In Tax Deal With G.O.P., a Portent for the Next 2 Years
Discussion:
Swampland, Arkansas Blog, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/* and Suburban Guerrilla
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:
Eunomia, Salon, South Capitol Street and AmSpecBlog
David Leonhardt / Economix:
A Second Stimulus — The apparent deal over the Bush tax cuts …
A Second Stimulus — The apparent deal over the Bush tax cuts …
Discussion:
NationalJournal.com, The Plum Line and ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*
Pejman Yousefzadeh / A Chequer-Board of Nights …:
Extending the Bush Tax Cuts
Extending the Bush Tax Cuts
Discussion:
International Liberty
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:
CNN, Sky News, Politics Daily, Close Read, Commentary, The Other McCain, DISSENTING JUSTICE, Guardian, Gawker 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?
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, The Gateway Pundit, AMERICAblog News, New York Magazine and LewRockwell.com Blog
Christopher Hitchens / Slate:
The WikiLeaks founder is an unscrupulous megalomaniac with a political agenda. — In my most recent book, I reprint some words from a British Embassy cable, sent from Baghdad to the Foreign Office in 1976. The subject is Iraq's new leader. His quiet coup d'etat is reassuringly described as …
Discussion:
Yahoo! News and The Daily Caller, more at Mediagazer »
NPR:
British Judge Denies Bail For WikiLeaks Founder
British Judge Denies Bail For WikiLeaks Founder
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, TheAustralian and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »
BBC:
Wikileaks' Visa payments suspended
Wikileaks' Visa payments suspended
Discussion:
CNET News, The Huffington Post and TPMMuckraker, more at Techmeme »
Dianne Feinstein / Wall Street Journal:
Prosecute Assange Under the Espionage Act
Prosecute Assange Under the Espionage Act
Discussion:
Salon, New York Times, Guardian, BLACKFIVE, The New Republic, The Nation and Raw Story, more at Mediagazer »
Jill / Feministe:
Some thoughts on “sex by surprise”
Some thoughts on “sex by surprise”
Discussion:
Whiskey Fire, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Focal Point, Poynter, Crooks and Liars, The Other McCain, AmSpecBlog, Threat Level and Shakesville
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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CBS News:
Elizabeth Edwards Living End of Life “Her Way”
Elizabeth Edwards Living End of Life “Her Way”
Discussion:
CNN, The Moderate Voice, First Draft and ABCNEWS
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
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
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
Roll Call:
Democrats Resist Retirement Pull — Several veteran House Democrats insist that a return to the minority won't push them into retirement, even though historical trends suggest a wave of Democrats won't seek re-election in 2012. — After the GOP lost the majority in 2006 …
Adam Serwer / American Prospect:
Taibbi On The Prospect. — Matt Taibbi explains Matt Bai by...taking a shot at The Prospect? … Yeah, in Taibbi's world, the best way to get your hand on some of that Bob Rubin $$$ is to get a job at a magazine founded by someone who has basically declared himself to be a mortal enemy of Bob Rubin.
Discussion:
Yglesias, Suburban Guerrilla and Rolling Stone