Top Items:
Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
John McCain at his fieriest before 'don't ask, don't tell' vote — If John McCain gets any more hostile toward his Senate colleagues, they might consider having him go through the metal detector before he enters the Capitol. — Saturday's debate on the repeal of the “don't-ask-don't-tell” …
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Manu Raju / The Politico:
John McCain's new role: GOP agitator — Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is getting under the skin of Democrats these days - and he seems to be relishing it. — After Democrats scrapped a massive $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill on Thursday, McCain gloated about its defeat — and Democrats fumed.
Discussion:
CNN, Pat Dollard and Theo Spark
Josh Rogin / Foreign Policy:
McCain's New START amendment goes down, Risch amendment up next — Supporters of the New Start treaty staved off an attempt by Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and John Barrasso (R-WY) to attach a “treaty killing” amendment on the Senate floor Saturday afternoon. Next up is an amendment by Sen. James Risch …
Discussion:
NBC New York, Wonk Room, Daily Kos and Firedoglake
Joe Klein / Swampland:
Two Dreams, One Dead — The Senate today passed the repeal of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell,” which is a good thing. It did not pass the “Dream Act,” which is a cold, cold abomination. There is a relationship between the two. Repealing “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” will allow homosexuals …
Discussion:
Mother Jones, Sky Dancing, The Note, Lawyers, Guns & Money, neo-neocon, The Reality-Based Community and Vox Popoli
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
DADT repeal wins!
DADT repeal wins!
Discussion:
Big Think, The Huffington Post and Lawyers, Guns & Money
Bryan Fischer / afa.net:
Benedict Arnold Republicans destroy military and our national security — We are now stuck with sexual deviants serving openly in the U.S. military because of turncoat Republican senators. — (Dictionary definition of “deviant”: “departing from usual or accepted standards, esp. in social or sexual behavior.”
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ABCNEWS:
Democrats Confident that 9/11 Health Bill Will Pass — One More Republican Vote Needed to Pass Bill for Responders and Victims — The first responders still suffering health effects more than nine years after the Sept. 11 terror attacks could get a “Christmas miracle” this year, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said today.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The Impolitic and Raw Story
Carl Hulse / New York Times:
WASHINGTON — Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand said Saturday that she and other sponsors of a stalled 9/11 health bill had won new Republican support for the measure and intended to try again to pass it before the end of the 111th Congress. — Following the Senate's vote to repeal the ban …
Discussion:
Blue Wave News, Madville Times and Daily Kos
Shira Toeplitz / The Politico:
Eight Republicans back 'Don't ask' repeal
Eight Republicans back 'Don't ask' repeal
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, JOSHUAPUNDIT, The Hill, Ben Smith's Blog, Liberal Values, Power Line, Weasel Zippers and Crooks and Liars
Evan McMorris-Santoro / TPMDC:
Senate Repeals Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Senate Repeals Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Discussion:
Off the Kuff, Washington Monthly, ACS Blog, TRAIL BLAZERS, Talking Points Memo, Examiner, Feministing, Lean Left, Gawker, Blue Wave News and Wake up America
New York Post:
Saudi king may want to move Ground Zero mosque to St. Vincent's site — A Manhattan lawyer with ties to the Saudi royal family is sounding out officials and community leaders about a plan to move the controversial Ground Zero mosque to the West Village. — Attorney Dudley Gaffin …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and JammieWearingFool
William Kristol / Weekly Standard:
Gays in the Military, ROTC back on Campus? — Now that the lame duck Democratic Congress has repealed Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT), the new Congress will have to see to it that the Obama administration manages the implementation of repeal responsibly, and that the concerns of military leaders and troops are taken seriously.
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Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Ivies moving toward restoring ROTC
Ivies moving toward restoring ROTC
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, Weekly Standard and Instapundit
Michael Kinsley / New York Times:
Bush on Bush — They call themselves, smugly, “41” and “43,” meaning the 41st and 43rd presidents of the United States. You're supposed to prefer the father, all graciousness and handwritten little notes, over the son, who — even in memoirs written at age 64 after two terms as president — seems callow.
Discussion:
NewsBusters.org blogs
Julia Preston / New York Times:
Immigration Vote Leaves Obama's Policy in Disarray — The vote by the Senate on Saturday to block a bill to grant legal status to hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrant students was a painful setback to an emerging movement of immigrants and also appeared to leave the immigration policy …
Discussion:
Right Wing News
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Jason Redmond / Associated Press:
Republicans block youth immigration bill
Republicans block youth immigration bill
Discussion:
Michelle Malkin, NewsBusters.org blogs, National Review, The Anchoress and Hot Air
Shankar Vedantam / Washington Post:
Defeat of immigration measure reveals failed White House strategy, advocates say
Defeat of immigration measure reveals failed White House strategy, advocates say
Discussion:
Balloon Juice, No More Mister Nice Blog, Washington Monthly and New York Times
Maureen Dowd / New York Times:
A Gay Commander in Chief: Ready or Not? — Jimmy Carter is putting the out in outspokenness. — In an interview with bigthink.com, the former president was asked, “Is the country ready for a gay president?” — Even as John McCain and other ossified Republicans were staging last-minute maneuvers …
Discussion:
BuzzFlash.org and Prairie Weather
Gschwarzcnn / CNN:
McConnell says he ‘cannot support’ nuclear arms treaty — WASHINGTON (CNN) - Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky voiced opposition Sunday to the New START - a nuclear arms treaty with Russia - saying that members of his party need more time to consider the legislation.
Discussion:
Hot Air
Frank Rich / New York Times:
The Bipartisanship Racket — JEEZ, can't we all just get along? Can't we be civilized? Can't we reach across the aisle, find common ground and get things done? Can't we have a new Morning in America as clubby and chipper as MSNBC's daily gabfest, “Morning Joe”?
Discussion:
NewsBusters.org and Prairie Weather
Felicia Sonmez / Washington Post:
Joe Manchin absent for two major Senate votes — When the Senate took two of its most highly anticipated votes of the lame-duck session on Saturday, West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin was nowhere to be found. — Manchin, who was sworn into office last month after winning …
Discussion:
Power Line, Washington Monthly, America's Voice Blog, Ben Smith's Blog, TPMDC, Don Surber, FrumForum, AOL News, Daily Kos and HotAirPundit
RELATED:
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Manchin's whereabouts — Today's minor mystery was the location …
Manchin's whereabouts — Today's minor mystery was the location …
Discussion:
West Virginia Blue, TPMDC, The Note, Squawk Box and TPMCafe