Top Items:
Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:
Swindle of the year — Barack Obama won the great tax-cut showdown of 2010 - and House Democrats don't have a clue that he did. In the deal struck this week, the president negotiated the biggest stimulus in American history, larger than his $814 billion 2009 stimulus package.
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Paul Krugman / New York Times:
Obama's Hostage Deal — I've spent the past couple of days trying to make my peace with the Obama-McConnell tax-cut deal. President Obama did, after all, extract more concessions than most of us expected. — Yet I remain deeply uneasy — not because I'm one of those “purists” …
Discussion:
TPMCafe, Dennis the Peasant, Questions and Observations, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Prairie Weather, Firedoglake and NPR
Jackie Calmes / New York Times:
Obama Weighs a Broad Tax Overhaul — WASHINGTON — President Obama is considering whether to push early next year for an overhaul of the income tax code to lower rates and raise revenues in what would be his first major effort to begin addressing the long-term growth of the national debt.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, The Politico, Ezra Klein, Power Line, NPR, Commentary, Bloomberg, The New Republic, Hot Air, Law Blog, International Liberty, The Hill, Sky Dancing, JustOneMinute, TPMDC and Washington Post
Wall Street Journal:
Pelosi and the Hostage Fakers
Pelosi and the Hostage Fakers
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Right Turn, The New Republic and The Greenroom
Scott Horsley / NPR:
Obama ‘Confident’ Congress Will Pass Tax Deal
Obama ‘Confident’ Congress Will Pass Tax Deal
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Washington Monthly, Washington Wire, CNN, Guardian, Online NewsHour and Parker Spitzer
Glenn Thrush / The Politico:
Chuck Schumer vs. President Obama — It wasn't on the White House's official schedule, but on Nov. 22 Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) quietly slipped into the Oval Office on a self-appointed mission to steel Barack Obama for the tax cut fight. — Schumer, the newly anointed message guru …
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Ben Smith's Blog, The Huffington Post, The New Republic, RedState, The Foundry and Daily Kos
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Anna Palmer / Roll Call:
Profanity, Anger Spill Over in House Democratic Caucus Meeting — The frustration with President Barack Obama over his tax cut compromise was palpable and even profane at Thursday's House Democratic Caucus meeting. — One unidentified lawmaker went so far as to mutter “f— the president” …
Discussion:
Pajamas Media, Indecision Forever, Michelle Malkin, The Confluence, Scared Monkeys, Outside the Beltway, Right Turn, Wonkette, iowahawk, The Daily Caller, Patterico's Pontifications, JustOneMinute, Hot Air, The Reid Report, Wake up America, Weasel Zippers, iOwnTheWorld.com, South Capitol Street, No More Mister Nice Blog, DISSENTING JUSTICE, Mediaite, The Gateway Pundit and Ace of Spades HQ
Matea Gold / Los Angeles Times:
Obama's tax-cut deal upsets many major donors — Some say they will withhold funds for the next election. Even if they come around before the campaign kicks into gear, the initial backlash could hurt early Democratic efforts to counter GOP-allied groups. — Reporting from Washington …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Taylor Marsh, Clusterstock and National Review
Susan Crabtree / The Hill:
Dems show signs of abandoning Obama elsewhere after frustration with tax deal
Dems show signs of abandoning Obama elsewhere after frustration with tax deal
Discussion:
Hot Air
Noel Sheppard / NewsBusters.org:
Fineman To Olbermann: Democrats Said of Tax Plan 'F the President …
Fineman To Olbermann: Democrats Said of Tax Plan 'F the President …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and Big Government
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
How the White House will sell angry House Dems on tax cut deal
How the White House will sell angry House Dems on tax cut deal
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, TPMDC, The Reid Report and Ben Smith's Blog
Byron York / Washington Examiner:
BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL — Obama honors Nobel winner with statement about himself — There was an extraordinary scene at the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo Friday morning. The prize went to imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, who was barred by the Chinese government from attending the ceremony.
Discussion:
Michelle Malkin, South Capitol Street, Shot in the Dark, Commentary and JammieWearingFool
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Washington Wire:
The Number: $858 Billion — The Obama-McConnell tax compromise will cost $858 billion over the next 10 years, according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office. — In other words, the Republican-backed tax plan will cost more than the stimulus bill, which priced out at $787 billion.
Discussion:
The Other McCain and Dennis the Peasant
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Fox News:
Senate Tax Cut Package Filled With Sweeteners, Obama Predicts Passage — The sweeping tax cut bill introduced Thursday night by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is chock-full of sweeteners which could serve as a legislative pacifier for Democrats outraged over the concessions President Obama has handed to Republicans.
Discussion:
protein wisdom, Outside the Beltway and The Gateway Pundit
Washington Post:
Senate delivers potentially fatal blow to 'don't ask, don't tell' repeal efforts — The Senate on Thursday dealt another punch - this one potentially fatal - to the legislative effort to end the military's “don't ask, don't tell” policy. The result infuriated gay rights groups and thwarted …
Discussion:
New York Times, Federal Eye, AMERICAblog Gay, Wall Street Journal, Law Blog, PostPartisan and The Plum Line
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Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Snowe, Collins pledge support for New START
Snowe, Collins pledge support for New START
Discussion:
The Politico, The Note and Washington Monthly
ABCNEWS:
Assange Lawyers Prepare for U.S. Spying Indictment — Attorney Says American Indictment Related to Espionage Act Imminent for Wikileaks Founder — Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, the man behind the publication of more than a 250,000 classified U.S. diplomatic cables …
Discussion:
TalkLeft, Guardian, Clusterstock, News: News blog, Foreign Policy, Mediaite, Raw Story, The Nation, Boing Boing and The Agonist
Bloomberg:
Americans in Poll Want Deficit Cut With Entitlements Secured — Americans want Congress to bring down a federal budget deficit that many believe is “dangerously out of control,” only under two conditions: minimize the pain and make the rich pay. — The public wants Congress to keep …
Discussion:
The Note, Capital Gains and Games blogs and Paul Krugman
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John McCormick / Bloomberg:
Democrats Beat Republicans in Poll With Opposition to Government Shutdown
Democrats Beat Republicans in Poll With Opposition to Government Shutdown
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's …
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
MAKING THE RANK-AND-FILE LOOK REASONABLE BY COMPARISON.... Jay Bookman notes a couple of interesting poll results this week, measuring Republican voters' attitudes on some key issues. — Gallup, for example, found that almost half of the country's GOP voters support repealing the existing “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” policy.
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Jay Bookman:
GOP voters often more reasonable than radicals they elect — Don't Ask, Don't Tell offers a telling illustration of how differently the modern Republican Party thinks and operates. In fact, I'm not aware of any other major political party behaving in this fashion in the nation's history …
Discussion:
Yglesias
Mori Dinauer / American Prospect:
Lightning Round: Isn't “Triangulation” Just Another Way of Saying “Makes Political Deals?” — No one knows what impact Ron Paul will have as the incoming chair of the House Domestic Monetary Policy Subcommittee, but this is one of those moments where it would be nice to have a consequence …
Discussion:
A plain blog about politics and South Capitol Street
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The Note:
Geithner to Undergo Surgery Today to Remove Kidney Stone — ABC News' Matthew Jaffe reports: — Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner will undergo surgery today for a kidney stone, a spokesman at the agency announced this morning. — Treasury spokesman Steve Adamske said Geithner was admitted …
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Cubachi:
Richard Wolffe mocks Palin and C.S. Lewis as just “a children's author” — I don't know if I should expect any better from ignoramuses from MSNBC, but this is supposedly a “respectable news organization” with shallow and arrogant individuals who only live to ridicule and belittle without thinking.
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Dennis the Peasant and Liberty Pundits Blog
Sarah Palin / Wall Street Journal:
Why I Support the Ryan Roadmap — Let's not settle for the big-government status quo, which is what the president's deficit commission offers. — The publication of the findings of the president's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform was indeed, as the report was titled, “A Moment of Truth.”
Discussion:
Hot Air, CNN, Conservatives4Palin.com, James Pethokoukis, TPMDC, Weekly Standard, iOwnTheWorld.com, AmSpecBlog, The Page, GOP 12, The Gateway Pundit and Israpundit
Richard Vedder / Innovations:
The Great College Degree Scam — With the help of a small army of researchers and associates (most importantly, Chris Matgouranis, Jonathan Robe, and Chris Denhart) and starting with help from Douglas Himes of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the Center for College Affordability and Productivity …
Discussion:
EconLog and Instapundit
WRTV-TV:
Daniels Backs Off Moratorium On Social Issue Legislation — Abortion, Same-Sex Marriage Expected To Be Raised Next Year — INDIANAPOLIS — Gov. Mitch Daniels has backed down on his request for a moratorium on social issues in the upcoming legislative session.
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog and GOP 12
Kyle Trygstad / Roll Call:
Cornyn: Alaskans Deserve Full Representation — An Alaska state court judge is expected to make a ruling on the Senate race by Friday, but with an appeal to the state Supreme Court likely, National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn said he hopes the court process concludes soon.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress and TPMDC
Wall Street Journal:
Big Patent Firm Sues Nine Tech Firms — Technology companies on Wednesday received troubling news that some had feared for years: Intellectual Ventures LLC has started suing. — The secretive firm co-founded by former Microsoft Corp. Chief Technology Officer Nathan Myhrvold has raised $5 billion …
Discussion:
Mother Jones, Yglesias and Felix Salmon
David Brooks / New York Times:
Obama's Very Good Week — Over the past week we've seen the big differences between cluster liberals and network liberals. Cluster liberals (like cluster conservatives) view politics as a battle between implacable opponents. As a result, they believe victory is achieved through maximum unity.
Discussion:
Booman Tribune and Sister Toldjah
Justin Lahart / Wall Street Journal:
Companies Cling to Cash — Coffers Swell to 51-year high as Cautious Firms Put Off Investing in Growth — Corporate America's cash pile has hit its highest level in half a century. — Rather than pouring their money into building plants or hiring workers, nonfinancial companies in the U.S …
Discussion:
Parker Spitzer and The Impolitic
Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Democrat: ‘Obamanomics’ like ‘Reaganomics’ — President Obama's economic plans seem too similar to President Reagan's, a Democratic critic of the president charged Friday. — Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) criticized Obama's plan to extend all tax rates for two years as following in the vein of …
Discussion:
Firedoglake, The Politico and JammieWearingFool