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DeMint will force readings of START Treaty and omnibus bill — Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) will force readings of both a nuclear arms treaty and $1.1 trillion spending bill that could eat up hours of the remaining lame-duck Congress. — DeMint will invoke a senatorial privilege to ask …
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Harry Reid's Holiday Jam — What the Senate wants to pass while you're not paying attention. — In the famous formulation often attributed to George Washington, the U.S. Senate is the saucer designed to cool the drink before it becomes law. In Majority Leader Harry Reid's rush to beat …
Discussion:
Right Turn, Washington Post, protein wisdom, National Review and Betsy's Page


Tax-cut plan clears Senate easily — The Senate voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to advance President Barack Obama's tax package to the House, where the $858 billion bill is expected to receive a final vote Thursday. — The Senate vote was 81-19, with 13 Democrats, five Republicans and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) voting no.
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland


DeMint calls votes before Christmas ‘sacrilegious’ — Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) called Democrats' push to force through an arms control treaty and an omnibus spending bill right before Christmas “sacrilegious,” and warned he'd draw the process out to wage his objections.
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Washington Monthly, CNN and FP Passport

Senate GOP leaders take heat over earmarks
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ABCNEWS and The Gateway Pundit

McCain cools to ratifying New START this year
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Wonk Room, The Foundry and TPMDC

Dreaming of a Post-Christmas Congress
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TPMDC, The Politico, Ben Smith's Blog, Washington Monthly, The Reality-Based Community, ThinkProgress and The Impolitic

Jim DeMint's office: Reading full START treaty is a delaying “tool”
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Salon, The Politico, TPMDC, iOwnTheWorld.com and Raw Story

The Christmas Session — Jon Kyl, rather preposterously …
Discussion:
A plain blog about politics


FOXLEAKS: Fox boss ordered staff to cast doubt on climate science — In the midst of global climate change talks last December, a top Fox News official sent an email questioning the “veracity of climate change data” and ordering the network's journalists to “refrain from asserting that the planet has warmed …
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Fox editor urged climate skepticism
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The Daily Caller, NewsBusters.org blogs, Media Matters for America, Weasel Zippers and Raw Story

Congress' Job Approval Rating Worst in Gallup History — Thirteen percent approve of the way Congress is handling its job — PRINCETON, NJ — Americans' assessment of Congress has hit a new low, with 13% saying they approve of the way Congress is handling its job.
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Politics Daily, The Fix, Top of the Ticket, The Plum Line, The Moderate Voice, The Hill, Hot Air, The Gateway Pundit, Fox Nation, YID With LID, theblogprof, Outside the Beltway, Weasel Zippers, Right Turn, National Review, Don Surber, Pajamas Media, Front Row Washington, Questions and Observations, TPMDC, The Foundry, Swampland, Wake up America, Online NewsHour, CNN, FrumForum and JammieWearingFool
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Post-ABC Poll: Public not yet sold on GOP — Republicans made major gains in the November elections, but they have yet to win the hearts and minds of the American people, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. — The midterm elections - where Republicans gained 63 seats …

Most back repealing 'don't ask, don't tell,' poll says — Nearly eight in 10 Americans favor allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. — The results signal continued widespread public support for ending the military's 17-year ban …

Poll finds voters not impressed with Republicans' House takeover …
Discussion:
Hit & Run, Fox News, Wake up America, Pat Dollard and Michelle Malkin

Financial Crisis Panel In Turmoil As Republicans Defect; Plan To Blame Government For Crisis — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? … The four Republicans appointed to the commission investigating the root causes of the financial crisis plan to bypass the bipartisan panel and release their own report Wednesday …
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Keith Hennessey, Douglas Holtz-Eakin vote to remove phrases …
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ThinkProgress, Economist's View, Wall Street Journal, Grasping Reality …, Paul Krugman and The Politico

G.O.P. Panelists Dissent on Cause of Crisis
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naked capitalism, DealBook, The Big Picture and Prairie Weather


School board shooting (Video) — A school board meeting went from discussing head lice to members pleading for their life Tuesday in Florida when an ex-convict, Clay Duke, interrupted the Bay District School Board meeting, brandishing a gun and mumbling about how the school board had fired his wife …
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CNN, Wake up America, Left Coast Rebel, Sister Toldjah, Pushing Rope and Suburban Guerrilla
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FL SCHOOL BOARD SHOOTER POSTED SUICIDE NOTE RAILING AGAINST THE RICH …
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Left Coast Rebel, Weasel Zippers, The Gateway Pundit and The Right Scoop


This is What a School-Board-Meeting-Shooter's Facebook Page Looks Like
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AOL News, The Other McCain, theblogprof and Hot Air

SHOCK VIDEO SHOWS FLA. GUNMAN OPENING FIRE ON SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS
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Michelle Malkin, Moonbattery, The Stir By CafeMom and Patterico's Pontifications


The inhumane conditions of Bradley Manning's detention — (updated below) — Bradley Manning, the 22-year-old U.S. Army Private accused of leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks, has never been convicted of that crime, nor of any other crime. Despite that, he has been detained …
Discussion:
Balloon Juice, the brain police, The Other McCain and LewRockwell.com Blog


Mark Zuckerberg — On the afternoon of Nov. 16, 2010, Mark Zuckerberg was leading a meeting in the Aquarium, one of Facebook's conference rooms, so named because it's in the middle of a huge work space and has glass walls on three sides so everybody can see in.

Senate Passes Compromise Tax Plan by Wide Margin — WASHINGTON — The Senate on Wednesday approved the $858 billion tax plan negotiated by the White House and Republican leaders — the first concrete product of a new era of divided government and acid compromise.
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Washington Monthly, The Hill, protein wisdom, Wake up America and The Plum Line
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Senate passes tax package 81-19, sending Obama deal to the House
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msnbc.com

House Democrats consider amendments to estate tax
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Washington Wire, Politics Daily, Daily Kos, Wonk Room, Ezra Klein, TPMDC, CNNMoney.com, The Huffington Post and FrumForum


With Steele in, Norm Coleman says he will not run for RNC chairman — Norm Coleman: “I've said if Steele was running, I wouldn't run against him.” — WASHINGTON — Norm Coleman will not run for chairman of the Republican National Committee, the former Republican senator confirmed to MinnPost today …
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The Note, The Politico, CNN, Ballot Box and blogs.abcnews.com
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Anybody but Steele
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The Note, The Politico, USA Today and Ben Smith's Blog


START Passage Looks Dead for 2010 — In what looks like a decisive blow, at least eight Republican senators - including some the White House was counting on - will announce this afternoon they cannot vote to ratify President Barack Obama's New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia this year.
Discussion:
Weigel, Eunomia and National Review

It's Scary Out There in Reporting Land — ‘Beats are fundamental to journalism, but our foundation is crumbling.’ — To understand how badly we're doing the most basic work of journalism in covering the law enforcement beat, try sitting in a barbershop. When I was getting my last haircut …
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Suburban Guerrilla, Balloon Juice and Poynter

Brown could be in trouble — Sherrod Brown hasn't proven to have much appeal to Republicans or independents during his first four years in the Senate and as a result he could be vulnerable for reelection in 2012 if the GOP runs a strong candidate against him.
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's …


2012 Election Preview: The Final Rankings — Editor's Note: This morning, we issued a press release on the national wires that ranks the 18 most likely 2012 Republican contenders - and President Obama - on their communications skills. Below, you'll find the full text of that release.
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway and National Review


Obama plans 2011 staff makeover — President Barack Obama has delayed the most significant staff shuffle of his presidency until after New Year's — but the changes may be more sweeping than anticipated and could include the hiring of high-profile Democrats defeated in the midterms.
Discussion:
The Note, Ben Smith's Blog, Hot Air, Connecting.the.Dots and FrumForum

Tom Harkin: ‘Fireworks’ And Shot At Filibuster Reform Coming Jan. 5 — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? … WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats will make a dramatic effort to reform the rules of the chamber when the next Congress begins, one of the body's primary filibuster-reform advocates said Wednesday morning.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, The Hill, Balloon Juice and Fix the Senate Now News


Why Are Bankers So Rich? — Tyler Cowen has a big piece about income inequality in The American Interest that's well worth reading. However, it's not really about the growth of inequality. It's about Wall Street. In particular, it's about this question: why do financial professionals make so damn much money?
Discussion:
Rortybomb, Yglesias, Balloon Juice and Outside the Beltway