memeorandum: Murkowski signals vote to repeal military's gay ban (Jordan Fabian/The Hill)

5:45 PM ET, December 8, 2010

Top Items:

Lydia Saad / Gallup:

Americans Support Two Major Elements of Tax Compromise — Liberal vs. Moderate/Conservative Democrats disagree on extending tax cuts for all — PRINCETON, NJ — Two major elements included in the tax agreement reached Monday between President Barack Obama and Republican leaders in Congress meet with broad public support.

David Dayen / Firedoglake:

Answering the Charge of “What's Plan B” for Tax Cut Deal — So, Steve Benen poses a serious question, and I'd like to give an answer. Maybe it's a moot point with the deal going down in flames, but nevertheless. … Certainly, there are those on the Hill who think “fight harder” …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Daily Kos, Zandar Versus The Stupid, Washington Post, Political Correction RSS, msnbc.com and TPMCafe

Brian Beutler / Talking Points Memo:

Dominoes — There was something strange to me about the GOP reaction yesterday to the tax cut news. Or at least something unexpected. I hadn't made clear sense of it until I got this news late last night, but all day yesterday I couldn't shake the feeling that the whole didn't add up.

Bloomberg:

Obama's Deal to Extend High-Earner Tax Cuts Unpopular in Poll — Americans don't approve of keeping the breaks for upper-income taxpayers that are part of the deal President Barack Obama brokered with congressional Republicans, a Bloomberg National Poll shows.

Discussion: Roll Call, Washington Post, The Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, South Capitol Street, No More Mister Nice Blog and Mother Jones

Tim Fernholz / American Prospect:

Four Ways To Make The Tax Deal Better. — Tax deal apologist that I am, it behooves me to offer some constructive criticism, too, along with a reminder that this deal isn't final until the legislative process makes it so: Congressional Democrats, unable to unify around an original proposal, may try and adapt this framework.

Discussion: The New Republic

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
LOOKING FOR PLAN B.... The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities …

Discussion: New York Times, Balloon Juice, Off the Charts Blog, The Reality-Based Community, Sky Dancing, The Hill, Democratic Strategist, The Impolitic, PostPartisan, cbpp.org, Suburban Guerrilla and The New Republic

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
White House says Democrats partly to blame for tax-cut deal with GOP

Discussion: The Politico and Weasel Zippers

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
How Do You Compromise With Stalin? — Brian Beutler explains the Republicans' dilemma:

Discussion: Eunomia

Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
Liberal leader suggests GOP House should handle tax cuts, unemployment benefits

Discussion: The Politico, CNN and Daily Kos

Nimda / The Nader Page:
Letter to President Obama On Extending Bush Tax Cuts

Discussion: The Hill, The Nation and Weasel Zippers

Jeremy P. Jacobs / Hotline On Call:
Dems Facing Tough Races In '12 Embrace Tax Deal

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …, TPMDC, South Capitol Street and The Online Office …

New York Times:
Biden and G.O.P. Leader Helped Hammer Out Bipartisan Tax Accord

Discussion: Firedoglake, JustOneMinute, The Hill, The Huffington Post, Suburban Guerrilla, The Note, Towleroad News #gay and Clusterstock

Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
Two Major Conservative Obstacles Emerge To Tax Cut Compromise

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Weigel, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Guardian, The Hill, Washington Monthly, Zandar Versus The Stupid, James Pethokoukis, The Reid Report, Club for Growth and ThinkProgress

Megan Carpentier / TPMDC:
Maddow And Olbermann Slam Obama's Tax Cut Compromise (VIDEO)

Discussion: The Powers That Be, Indecision Forever, The Gateway Pundit, msnbc.com and The Hill

David Leonhardt / New York Times:
In Tax Plan, a Boost for Jobs

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:

In blow to DADT repeal, talks with Senator Collins hit wall — Senior Senate Democratic aides are in a panic this morning about the prospects for repeal of don't ask don't tell, because talks with Senator Susan Collins over her procedural demands have hit a wall, with the Democratic leadership dismissing …

Discussion: The Politico, PostPartisan, Open Congress, Hot Air, Towleroad News #gay, The Daily Dish, Wonk Room, Wonkette, AMERICAblog Gay and Outside the Beltway

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:

Lisa Murkowski supports repeal of DADT — GOP Senator Lisa Murkowski has decided to support repeal of don't ask don't tell, her spokesman tells me, potentially adding another crucial GOP vote to the Yes column and putting 60 votes within reach. — “Her vote will depend on how free and open …

Discussion: TPMDC, Wonk Room, Raw Story, Prop 8 Trial Tracker, Towleroad News #gay and AMERICAblog Gay

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

COLLINS POSITIONED TO KILL DADT REPEAL.... We talked earlier Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) surprise move this morning: he's getting started tonight on the defense authorization act, which includes a provision on repealing “Don't Ask, Don't Tell.”

Discussion: NationalJournal.com, TPMDC, Balloon Juice and Daily Kos

Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
Lieberman To Reid On DADT: Back Off, I Got This

Discussion: Washington Monthly and AMERICAblog Gay

Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
Murkowski signals vote to repeal military's gay ban

Discussion: The Politico, The Daily Caller and The Note

The Note:
Not So Fast: Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal In Peril As Talks With Collins Stall

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, The Hill, Salon and Maggie's Farm

Evan McMorris-Santoro / TPMDC:
Dem Aide: Fate Of DADT Rests With Susan Collins

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, msnbc.com and Swampland

Aaron Sorkin / The Huffington Post:

In Her Defense, I'm Sure the Moose Had it Coming — What's Your Reaction: — “Unless you've never worn leather shoes, sat upon a leather chair or eaten meat, save your condemnation.” — You're right, Sarah, we'll all just go f**k ourselves now. — The snotty quote was posted by Sarah Palin on …

Discussion: Big Hollywood, The Note, NewsBusters.org, Guardian, Philly.com, Outside the Beltway, National Review, Riehl World View, The Moderate Voice, The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit and Weasel Zippers

Maureen Dowd / New York Times:

Pass the Caribou Stew — The doomed caribou gazed calmly across the Alaska tundra at Caribou Barbie. — The female caribou could easily have escaped, since it took the Wasilla huntress six shots, two rifles and some help from her dad to bag her prey. (Giving credence to Levi Johnston's contention …

Discussion: NewsBusters.org, Right Turn, Confederate Yankee, Althouse and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Noam Scheiber / The New Republic:

Loose Change — Inside a shaken White House. — Of all the historical analogies urged on Obama following November's drubbing—Truman in '48, Reagan after '82, Clinton after '94—the one the White House has opted for is easily the most obscure. That would be Patrick in '10—as in Deval Patrick …

Discussion: The Angle, The Daily Dish and National Review

Discovery Channel:

MythBusters: Visit to the White House — President Barack Obama records an episode of the Discovery Channel's television show MythBusters with co-hosts Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage in the Library of the White House, July 27, 2010. — The president will be featured in the Dec. 8 episode …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and Balloon Juice

Glenn Thrush / The Politico:
For W.H., upside in fighting Hill Dems

Discussion: Commentary, Weasel Zippers, Hot Air and The Huffington Post

Esther Addley / Guardian:

MasterCard hacked in WikiLeaks protest — Operation: Payback hacks into MasterCard site over payment network's decision to cease taking donations to WikiLeaks — The website of MasterCard, the international credit card, has been hacked and partially paralysed by hackers …

Discussion: Associated Press, CNET News, Politics Daily, Little Green Footballs, Boing Boing and News: News blog, more at Techmeme »

Alexia Tsotsis / TechCrunch:
PayPal VP On Blocking WikiLeaks: State Department Said It Was Illegal

Discussion: New York Times, The Lede, Hit & Run, Guardian, War in Context, Boing Boing and The Nation, more at Techmeme »

New York Times:
Hackers Attack Companies That Hindered WikiLeaks

Discussion: Guardian, Clusterstock, The Lede, GigaOM, Boing Boing, Gizmodo, Raw Story, The Firewall and Online NewsHour, more at Techmeme »

Shane D'Aprile / Ballot Box:

O'Donnell calls extending jobless benefits a ‘tragedy’ — Christine O'Donnell on Tuesday compared the “tragedy” of extending unemployment benefits to Pearl Harbor and the death of Elizabeth Edwards. — “Today marks a lot of tragedy,” O'Donnell, the Tea Party-backed GOP Senate candidate from Delaware …

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, Prairie Weather, South Capitol Street, TPMDC, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, Pam's House Blend and Hit & Run

Alex Seitz-Wald / ThinkProgress:
Christine O'Donnell: Extending Unemployment Benefits A ‘Tragedy’ Like Pearl Harbor

Discussion: South Capitol Street, Wonkette and The Hill

Roberto G. Gonzales / The Huffington Post:

We Can Not Afford Not to Pass the DREAM Act: A Plea from Immigration Scholars — What's Your Reaction: — In the last days of this year's Congress our lawmakers have the opportunity to pass some form of immigration reform. The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) …

Discussion: ImmigrationProf Blog

Michelle Malkin:
Senate DREAM Act cloture vote today, 4pm Eastern; Update: New House bill introduced

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, NumbersUSA, Hot Air, Associated Press and Pirate's Cove

Janet Murguía / Congress Blog:
The DREAM Act: A watershed vote Latinos will not forget

Discussion: The Politico

TBD All News:

Baltimore terror plot arrest: Man accused of plotting to blow up military recruiting center — A Baltimore man was arrested Wednesday in connection with a plot to blow up an Armed Forces recruiting center in Catonsville, Md., a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office confirmed.

Discussion: Fox News, Politics Daily, CNN, Michelle Malkin, Weasel Zippers, TPMMuckraker and The Jawa Report

Chicago Tribune:
Arrest made in plot to blow up Baltimore-area military recruiting center

Discussion: Little Green Footballs, iOwnTheWorld.com, Atlas Shrugs and Sense of Events

Martin Wisckol / Orange County Register:

Ex-candidate Tan Nguyen found guilty of lying — Former congressional candidate Tan Nguyen was today found guilty of lying to investigators in a case stemming from 14,000 warning letters his campaign sent to Latinos in his failed 2006 challenge of Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Santa Ana.

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog and TPMMuckraker

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:

Bloomberg, in major speech, offers ‘a middle way’ — New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg this morning put economic substance to his pox-on-both-your-houses criticism of Democratic and Republican governance, offering his own “middle way” — and the clearest suggestion yet that he's positioning himself for the national stage.

Discussion: msnbc.com, Salon, NYC.gov and South Capitol Street

David Brown / Yahoo! Sports:

Answer Man: Luke Scott talks Nugent, hunting and Obama origin — stopped by baseball's winter meetings Tuesday and, after some harmless chatter about his team's offseason dealings, stated with conviction that President Barack Obama was not born in the United States. — Oh, yes, he did.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online and iOwnTheWorld.com