memeorandum: Miller appeals ruling on write-in vote count (Becky Bohrer/Associated Press)

7:10 PM ET, December 13, 2010

Top Items:

Judge Voids Key Element of Obama Health Care Law — A federal district judge in Virginia ruled on Monday that the keystone provision in the Obama health care law is unconstitutional, becoming the first court in the country to invalidate any part of the sprawling act and ensuring that appellate courts …

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

Amazing — A year ago, no one took seriously the idea that a federal health care mandate was unconstitutional. And the idea that buying health care coverage does not amount to “economic activity” seems preposterous on its face. But the decision that just came down from the federal judgment in Virginia …

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Althouse, The Moderate Voice, Nice Deb, American Power and Don Surber

Rosalind S. Helderman / Washington Post:

Virginia health-care ruling strikes down key provision of Obama's plan — RICHMOND - A federal judge in Virginia ruled Monday that a key provision of the nation's sweeping health-care overhaul is unconstitutional, the most significant legal setback so far for President Obama's signature domestic initiative.

Ezra Klein:

Is the Hudson ruling good news for health reform? — District Court Judge Henry E. Hudson, a George W. Bush appointee, has, as expected, ruled the individual mandate unconstitutional. So why are health reformers so unexpectedly pleased? — There are two reasons, but first, let's put this into context.

Discussion: The New Republic, Washington Monthly, The American Independent, Ben Smith's Blog and Capital Tonight

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

CHEERING A VICTORY OVER THEIR OWN IDEA.... Many on the right are, not surprisingly, delighted with today's federal district court ruling on the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate. That's to be expected — they're hoping to gut the law. The two previous legal defeats notwithstanding …

Discussion: Political Correction RSS, Taegan Goddard's … and Outside the Beltway

Larry O'Dell / Associated Press:

Federal judge in Va. strikes down health care law — RICHMOND, Va. - A federal judge in Virginia has declared the Obama administration's health care reform law unconstitutional. — U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson is the first judge to rule against the law, which has been upheld by two others in Virginia and Michigan.

Discussion: Pajamas Media, Power Line, theblogprof, HillBuzz.org, Questions and Observations and Riehl World View

USA Today:

Obama's economic guru predicts low demand for years — Exiting White House economic advisor Lawrence Summers says a lack of consumer demand will bedevil the nation's economy for years to come. — In his final policy speech before returning to Harvard University in January …

Discussion: Liberty Pundits Blog and protein wisdom

Stephanie Cutter / White House.gov Blog Feed:

Today's Health Care Court Ruling — Today's narrow ruling in Virginia on the constitutionality of a provision of the Affordable Care Act is just one of many recent rulings on similar cases that have come down in recent months. Since the law passed, opponents of reform have filed more than 20 different legal challenges.

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, ACS Blog and TPMDC

The Politico:

Judge: Individual mandate is unconstitutional — A federal judge struck down the heart of the Obama administration's health reform law Monday, ruling that the individual mandate to buy health insurance is unconstitutional. — In the closely watched suit brought by Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli …

Discussion: CNN, Firedoglake, The Huffington Post, Sky Dancing, ABCNEWS and Scared Monkeys

The Numbers:
New Low in Support for Health Care Reform

Discussion: Fox News, ABCNEWS, Associated Press, The Daily Dish, Don Surber and Pajamas Media

Ryan J. Reilly / TPMDC:
Federal Judge In Va. Rules Part Of Health Care Law Unconstitutional

Discussion: ECHIDNE of the snakes, TPMMuckraker and The Moderate Voice

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:

Senate votes for tax cut deal. What's route through House? — In a victory for the White House, the Senate just passed a cloture motion on Obama's tax cut deal, getting it past a key procedural hurdle and moving it one step closer to law. This isn't the final straight up or down vote.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Caucus, Daily Kos and Hullabaloo

David M. Herszenhorn / New York Times:
In Tax Benefits to the Middle, Political Lift for Obama

Discussion: Time, CNN, The Atlantic Online, New Deal 2.0, Sky Dancing, Firedoglake, Daily Kos, Taylor Marsh and USA Today

Carl Hulse / New York Times:
Out of Power Soon, and Out of Sorts Now

Discussion: Moe Lane, The Politico and Betsy's Page

The Politico:
Tax deal advances in Senate

Discussion: The Note, Democracy in America and Pat Dollard

Mike Lillis / The Hill:
Hoyer sees ‘some room’ to amend tax package in House

Discussion: Political Punch and National Review

Jon Cohen / Washington Post:

Poll finds broad bipartisan support for tax package — About seven in 10 Americans back the tax deal negotiated last week by President Obama and congressional Republicans, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. — The high bipartisan support for the package masks …

Discussion: The Hill, The Plum Line, TPMDC, Ben Smith's Blog, USA Today, Wake up America, Gawker, Hot Air, The Daily Dish, Wonkette, No More Mister Nice Blog, Washington Monthly, Guardian, Outside the Beltway and Booman Tribune

Michael D. Shear / The Caucus:
Conservatives Attack Tax Deal as Vote Nears

Discussion: Washington Post, Eunomia, Outside the Beltway, A plain blog about politics, The American Independent, Commentary, Patterico's Pontifications and The Hill

People-Press.org:
Tax Cuts Win Broad Bipartisan Support

Discussion: Ross Douthat, The Politico, Wake up America, Daily Kos, The Fix, The Daily Caller, Politics Daily and Swampland

Doug McKelway / Fox News:

Sources Say Steele Will Seek Second Term As RNC Chair — Controversial Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, who last month presided over the GOP's biggest electoral gains since 1938, will announce tonight that he is running for re-election, Fox News has learned from two RNC members.

Discussion: Hotline On Call, Ballot Box, FrumForum, National Review, DownWithTyranny!, Hot Air, The American Independent, ABCNEWS and msnbc.com

Fox News:
RNC Chairman Steele to Announce He Won't Run for Second Term

Discussion: Right Wing News, The Fix, Ballot Box, Salon, Hot Air, Weasel Zippers, Commentary, Wonkette, The Moderate Voice, Gawker, Politics Daily and Raw Story

The Note:
Gentry Collins Officially Announces RNC Chairman Bid

Discussion: CNN and The Politico

Mike Allen / The Politico:

Michelle Obama has new warning on obesity — First lady Michelle Obama plans to warn in remarks Monday that the nation is seeing “a groundswell of support” for curbing childhood obesity, and she is unveiling new ammunition from current and retired military leaders.

Discussion: Cubachi, Weasel Zippers, Pajamas Media, Michelle Malkin, theblogprof and Liberty Pundits Blog

Mchapman / CNSNews: Michelle Obama on Deciding What Kids Eat: 'We Can't Just Leave it Up to The Parents'

Tim Pawlenty / Wall Street Journal:

Government Unions vs. Taxpayers — The moral case for unions—protecting working families from exploitation—does not apply to public employment. — When Americans think of organized labor, they might think of images like I saw growing up in a blue-collar meatpacking town: hard hats, work boots, tough conditions and gritty jobs.

Discussion: Swampland, PostPartisan, The American Independent, Commentary, Hot Air, Conservatives4Palin.com, Wonk Room, The Note, The Politico, Ben Smith's Blog and The Hill

Kate Zernike / New York Times:

Rep. Ron Paul, G.O.P. Loner, Comes In From Cold — WASHINGTON — As virtually all of Washington was declaring WikiLeaks's disclosures of secret diplomatic cables an act of treason, Representative Ron Paul was applauding the organization for exposing the United States' “delusional foreign policy.”

Discussion: The Hill, CNN, Hit & Run, The American Independent, The Daily Caller, NewsBusters.org blogs, Hair Balls, LewRockwell.com Blog, ThinkProgress and msnbc.com

Jennifer Rubin / Right Turn:
Tax deal: purists vs. dealmakers

Discussion: The Sundries Shack and Hotline On Call

Becky Bohrer / Associated Press:

Miller appeals ruling on write-in vote count — Republican Joe Miller is taking his challenge to Alaska's U.S. Senate race to the state Supreme Court. — Miller filed his appeal Monday, three days after a lower court ruled against his lawsuit challenging how the state counted write-in ballots for his rival, Sen. Lisa Murkowski.

Discussion: The Note, Ballot Box and USA Today

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:

Breyer: Madison wrote 2nd Amendment to appease the states — It's not just the Constitution that is a “living document,” as Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer proved yesterday when discussing the Second Amendment. Breyer argued that James Madison only included the right to bear arms reluctantly …

Discussion: Cold Fury and Verum Serum

Fox News:
Breyer: Founding Fathers Would Have Allowed Restrictions on Guns

Discussion: Left Coast Rebel, SCOTUSblog, RedState, Betsy's Page, Instapundit and Right Wing News

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

Block Those Metaphors — Like it or not — and I don't — the Obama-McConnell tax-cut deal, with its mixture of very bad stuff and sort-of-kind-of good stuff, is likely to pass Congress. Then what? — The deal will, without question, give the economy a short-term boost.

Discussion: Rortybomb, Online NewsHour, Latest Open Salon Blog, Questions and Observations, The Confluence, Democratic Strategist, Pushing Rope, Ezra Klein, Daily Kos, National Review and TalkLeft

David Dayen / Firedoglake:

More Talk of Severe Budget Cuts to Follow Tax Deal — The very long cloture vote is happening right now in the Senate on the motion to proceed to the tax cut bill. Because some Senators have had issues getting to Washington, particularly from the snowed-in Midwest, the vote will be held open a while.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, TPMDC and The Plum Line

Ben Armbruster / ThinkProgress:

Boehner: ‘I Reject The Word’ Compromise — During an interview with incoming House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) last night on 60 Minutes, host Leslie Stahl noted that President Obama has said Boehner will “have a responsibility to govern” as Speaker. “You can't just stand on the sidelines and be a bomb thrower,” Obama said.

Discussion: TPMDC, Left Coast Rebel, PERRspectives, Crooks and Liars and Connecting.the.Dots

Lynn Sweet:

Senate has votes to ratify START treaty: To floor this week — WASHINGTON—The Obama White House has the votes to ratify the New START nuclear arms treaty with Russia, with the Senate preparing for a vote this week, the Sun-Times has learned. The vote could come as early as Wednesday …

Discussion: National Review

ABCNEWS:

Obama Hails Senate Vote on Tax Deal — Obama Calls on House to ‘Act Quickly’ on Vote in Order to ‘Grow the Economy’ — President Obama praised the Senate today for taking the important first step toward passing the controversial tax plan he hashed out with Republicans …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Megan McArdle / The Atlantic Online:

Judge Rules Health Reform Mandate Unconstitutional — This has naturally attracted a lot of electrons, and ink, but it's not a surprise—his earlier comments on the mandate, when he ruled against the government's motion to dismiss, seemed to indicate that this was coming.