memeorandum: WHY MUST HE BE SUCH AN ANGRY OLD MAN.... Most good stories have heroes … (Steve Benen/Washington Monthly)

7:25 PM ET, December 19, 2010

Top Items:

David Leppard / TheAustralian:

Lawyers cry foul over leak of Julian Assange sex-case papers — LAWYERS for Julian Assange have expressed anger about an alleged smear campaign against the Australian WikiLeaks founder. — Incriminating police files were published in the British newspaper that has used him as its source for hundreds of leaked US embassy cables.

Discussion: NO QUARTER, The Confluence, The Other McCain, Runnin' Scared, Raw Story, YID With LID, New York Times, Wake up America and The Powers That Be

Ewen MacAskill / Guardian:

Biden: Assange like ‘hi-tech terrorist’ — US vice-president makes strongest remarks by any White House official over WikiLeaks founder and dipomatic cables — The US vice-president, Joe Biden, today likened the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to a “high-tech terrorist”, the strongest criticism yet from the Obama administration.

Discussion: Suburban Guerrilla and Truthdig, more at Techmeme »

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: The Politico, The Note, Hot Air and The Reaction

Ben Geman / The Hill:

Reid cites Gaga's ‘meat dress,’ Lindsay Lohan's rehab in START treaty push — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is pulling out the pop culture references as he tries to push ratification of the New START nuclear arms treaty through the Senate. — Reid is attacking GOP claims …

Discussion: Hot Air, Advocate and Michelle Malkin

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

Manu Raju / The Politico:
John McCain's new role: GOP agitator

Discussion: CNN, Maggie's Farm, No More Mister Nice Blog, Theo Spark and Pat Dollard

Tom Cohen / CNN:
McConnell leads anti-START effort

Discussion: New York Times, Fox News and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog

The Hill: Republicans dig in their heels on nuclear treaty as Democrats push for vote

Reuters:
START struggling to get to finish line

Discussion: The Politico, Crooks and Liars, Washington Monthly and CNN

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

WHY MUST HE BE SUCH AN ANGRY OLD MAN.... Most good stories have heroes, and when it comes to the story of repealing “Don't Ask, Don't Tell,” the list of heroes is wonderfully long. — And then there are the villains. … Watching McCain rail endlessly yesterday was a genuinely painful experience.

Discussion: Washington Post, The Impolitic, Mad Kane's Political Madness and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
John McCain at his fieriest before 'don't ask, don't tell' vote

Discussion: The Reaction, JustOneMinute, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Moderate Voice, Mediaite, Brilliant at Breakfast, DownWithTyranny!, Althouse, Prairie Weather, Balloon Juice, The Atlantic Online, Outside the Beltway and The Mahablog

Devan Sipher / New York Times:

Carol Anne Riddell and John Partilla — WHAT happens when love comes at the wrong time? — Carol Anne Riddell and John Partilla met in 2006 in a pre-kindergarten classroom. They both had children attending the same Upper West Side school. They also both had spouses.

Discussion: Gawker, Gothamist, Runnin' Scared, Mediaite, New York Magazine and National Review

Charles Babington / Associated Press:

New population count may complicate Obama 2012 bid — WASHINGTON - The 2010 census report coming out Tuesday will include a boatload of good political news for Republicans and grim data for Democrats hoping to re-elect President Barack Obama and rebound from last month's devastating elections.

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, The Huffington Post, The Gateway Pundit and Pajamas Media

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: JammieWearingFool, Weasel Zippers, Runnin' Scared, Scared Monkeys and HotAirPundit

Gili Cohen / Haaretz:

Body of U.S. tourist found near Jerusalem; police suspect terror attack — Christine Logan disappeared on Saturday, when she and a Jerusalem-area friend were stabbed by assailants while hiking at an archaeological site; her friend, Susan Kaye Wilson, was hospitalized in moderate condition.

Discussion: Israellycool, Liveshots and The Jawa Report

Sky News:
US Tourist Dead Stabbed To Death In Israel

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, The Gateway Pundit and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

Timothy Karr / The Huffington Post:

The Little Bill That Could — What's Your Reaction: — Little noticed but extremely important to progressives, on Saturday afternoon Congress also passed the Local Community Radio Act. — This legislation opens up radio spectrum to hundreds, if not thousands, of local independent radio stations (also known as LPFM).

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 blogs, Sister Toldjah, The Daily Caller, AMERICAblog News, Pajamas Media and Prairie Weather

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

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

9/11 HEALTH BILL NOT QUITE DEAD.... Two weeks ago, a unanimous Senate GOP caucus blocked a debate on the Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which would pay health care costs for 9/11 rescue workers, sickened after exposure to the toxic smoke and debris.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars and The Impolitic

ABCNEWS: Democrats Confident that 9/11 Health Bill Will Pass

Carl Hulse / New York Times:
WASHINGTON — Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand said Saturday …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Blue Wave News, Madville Times and Daily Kos

BBC:

Afghanistan attacks target army bases, killing 13 — Quentin Sommerville in Kabul says the Taliban has claimed responsibility — Suicide attackers have targeted Afghan military bases in two cities, leaving 13 members of the security forces dead, along with at least five assailants.

Discussion: 1 The Long War Journal, Rethink Afghanistan War Blog and Truthdig

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.