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

6:15 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: ThinkProgress, 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.

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

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:

White House says Democrats partly to blame for tax-cut deal with GOP — The White House said Wednesday that Capitol Hill Democrats are partly to blame for the tax-cut deal they have criticized the president for negotiating. — The tax-cut package has been scorned by Democrats livid …

Discussion: CNN, The Politico and Weasel Zippers

Bloomberg:
Obama's Deal to Extend High-Earner Tax Cuts Unpopular in Poll

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

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, The Hill, Democratic Strategist, Sky Dancing, The Impolitic, PostPartisan, cbpp.org, Daily Kos, Suburban Guerrilla and The New Republic

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

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

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

Discussion: The Politico, Firedoglake, JustOneMinute, The Hill, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, The Huffington Post, Suburban Guerrilla, The Note and Clusterstock

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

Discussion: Eunomia

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

Discussion: The Hill, The Nation and Weasel Zippers

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

Discussion: The Politico, CNN and Daily Kos

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

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

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, Wonk Room, AMERICAblog Gay, The Daily Dish, Outside the Beltway and Wonkette

Brian Beutler / TPMDC:

Lieberman To Reid On DADT: Back Off, I Got This — Senate Democrats are on the precipice of getting a Don't Ask, Don't Tell repeal past a key procedural hurdle tonight. But key negotiators have grown frustrated by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his staff for upping the pressure at a fragile moment …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Moderate Voice and AMERICAblog Gay

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: Wonk Room, Prop 8 Trial Tracker, Raw Story, TPMDC, 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

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

Discussion: The Politico, The Daily Caller and The Note

Joe Sudbay / AMERICAblog Gay:
Reid: Senate ‘likely’ to consider Defense Authorization ‘this evening’

Discussion: Joe. My. God. and Open Left

Evan McMorris-Santoro / TPMDC:
Team Collins: We're Making Progress On DADT Negotiations

Discussion: Salon, Guardian and Talking Points Memo

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 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, Confederate Yankee, 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

Cubachi:
Ridiculous: ADN asks whether Palin actually knows how to use a gun

Discussion: Liberty Pundits Blog and Riehl World View

Jake Tapper / Political Punch:

Exclusive: Sarah Palin Under Cyber-Attack from Wikileaks Supporters in ‘Operation Payback’ — The website and personal credit card information of former Gov. Sarah Palin were cyber-attacked today by Wikileaks supporters, the 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate tells ABC News in an email.

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, Mediaite, Clusterstock, msnbc.com and BBC, 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, Gawker and Online NewsHour

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:

Is this triangulation? — A White House official e-mailed yesterday to dispute my labeling President Obama's rebuke to liberal critics yesterday “triangulation.” — Obama, the official noted, was “responding to several very loud voices from the left.” Triangulation, by contrast …

Discussion: The Plum Line

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Is Obama triangulating? Naah, not really.

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, The New Republic and Hullabaloo

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

Discussion: Commentary, Weasel Zippers, Hot Air, The Huffington Post and Towleroad News #gay

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 …