Top Items:
Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Graham: GOP to blame for ‘capitulation ... of dramatic proportions’ in lame-duck — Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) lashed out at fellow Republicans Tuesday for a “capitulation ... of dramatic proportions” to Democrats and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in the lame-duck Congress.
Discussion:
RedState, Weasel Zippers, Nice Deb, Riehl World View, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, TPMDC and Flopping Aces
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Josh Rogin / Foreign Policy:
Jim DeMint and the war on Christmas vacation — South Carolina GOP Sen. Jim DeMint repeated today his claim that “millions of Americans” are “outraged” that Congress would dare work on major legislation, namely New START, this close to Christmas. He previously called it “sacrilegious.”
Discussion:
New York Magazine and Blogcritics
Michael D. Shear / The Caucus:
Last-Ditch Move to Block Repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Fails — 12:18 a.m. | Updated Just hours before President Obama planned to sign on Wednesday the repeal of the military's 17-year ban on gays serving openly in the armed forces, Republicans tried one last legislative maneuver to block the change.
Discussion:
Balloon Juice and Daily Kos
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Josh Gerstein / The Politico:
Last-ditch McConnell 'don't ask' amendment blocked
Last-ditch McConnell 'don't ask' amendment blocked
Discussion:
Open Congress
Lbentzterp / CNN:
Specter issues parting blow to Roberts, Alito — (CNN) - Sen. Arlen Specter, the outgoing Pennsylvania Republican-turned-Democrat, directed a parting blow Tuesday to members of the Supreme Court's conservative bloc. — In his final speech on the Senate floor, Specter …
Discussion:
Philly.com, The BLT, The Reaction, Doug Ross, The Note, Donklephant, Althouse, Balloon Juice and The Impolitic
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Timothy P. Carney / Washington Examiner:
BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL — Snarlin' Arlen snarls his way through one final angry speech — This morning I was starting to feel a bit sad about Arlen Specter's departure from the Senate. While I rooted heartily for his defeat in 2004 and 2010, I consider him to be stubbornly independent …
Discussion:
The Caucus, The Politico, Hot Air, Power Line, RealClearPolitics Video Log and Pajamas Media
ProPublica:
White House Drafts Executive Order for Indefinite Detention — 8:15 p.m: This story has been updated with the White House's response. — The White House is preparing an Executive Order on indefinite detention that will provide periodic reviews of evidence against dozens of prisoners held …
Discussion:
ATTACKERMAN, Political Punch, Sky Dancing, The Sundries Shack, TalkLeft, Gawker and JammieWearingFool
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Washington Post:
Obama administration readies indefinite detention order for Guantanamo detainees — The Obama administration is preparing an executive order that would formalize indefinite detention without trial for some detainees at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, but allow those detainees …
Discussion:
Moe Lane and New York Magazine
David Weigel / Weigel:
Introducing: Your New Congressional Apportionment! — It's official: Here are the states gaining and losing seats (and thus electoral votes) in 2011. I've put states entirely controlled by Republicans in bold and states entirely controlled by Democrats in italics, although in some of these states …
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Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Conservative bloggers agree: Haley Barbour is toast — I noted here yesterday that the real problem with Haley Barbour's comments about the Citizens Councils is that they show an unwillingness to avoid urinating on the third rail of race. Today several conservative bloggers came …
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Ta-Nehisi Coates / The Atlantic Online:
Barbour Mistakes Black for White
Barbour Mistakes Black for White
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, TPMMuckraker, The Politico and Swampland
Brett / Majority In Mississippi:
Barbour's Speech From Philadelphia In 2004
Barbour's Speech From Philadelphia In 2004
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog and Hullabaloo
Brian Maloney / The Radio Equalizer:
Food Fight Has Mike Huckabee Siding With Michelle Obama — HUCK YEAH — Huckabee Sides With Obama Over Palin — Though he had no comment on the calorie-count of a fried-squirrel platter, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is readily taking sides in a nasty political food war.
Discussion:
Hot Air and JammieWearingFool
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Meena Hartenstein / NY Daily News:
Sarah Palin mocks Michelle Obama's anti-obesity campaign on reality …
Sarah Palin mocks Michelle Obama's anti-obesity campaign on reality …
Discussion:
pandagon.net and Das Krapital
Rob Shuter / PopEater:
'Sarah Palin's Alaska' Season Two Looks Likely
'Sarah Palin's Alaska' Season Two Looks Likely
Discussion:
Cubachi, Hot Air, Telegraph, NewsBusters.org blogs and Liberty Pundits Blog
Nilay Patel / Engadget:
FCC: We didn't impose stricter net neutrality regulations on wireless because Android is open — Rest assured that we're working on a full analysis of the FCC's major net neutrality decision today, but the Commission hasn't actually released the full text of the order yet …
Discussion:
Guardian, TechCrunch, Firedoglake, Android Phone Fans and The Moderate Voice, more at Techmeme »
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The Blaze:
GREEN MAKE BELIEVE: VAN JONES ADMITS LEFT IS ‘PRETENDING’ NEED FOR REGULATIONS IN GREEN MOVEMENT — GEAUXALREADY — Why does he still breath free air? — Report Post » — Log in to Reply — CULTUREWARRIORS — Where is the MSM? Why are they not interested in exposing the communist among us?
Discussion:
AmSpecBlog, Weasel Zippers and Tennesseans Watching …
Andrew Martin / New York Times:
In a Sign of Foreclosure Flaws, Suits Claim Break-Ins by Banks — TRUCKEE, Calif. — When Mimi Ash arrived at her mountain chalet here for a weekend ski trip, she discovered that someone had broken into the home and changed the locks. — When she finally got into the house, it was empty.
Discussion:
naked capitalism and Calculated Risk
Alex Seitz-Wald / ThinkProgress:
Fox News' Shep Smith Shames Coburn For Blocking 9/11 Bill: ‘This Is The Senator’ Blocking ‘Necessary Funding’ — It appears even loyal Fox News has turned on Senate Republicans for their obstruction of the 9/11 first responders bill. Fox & Friends demanded the bill be passed …
Discussion:
Examiner, Daily Kos, Salon, Media Matters for America, Sky Dancing, The Wire and TPM LiveWire
RELATED:
Lucy Madison / CBS News:
Coburn Moves to Block 9/11 First Responders Bill as Some Republicans …
Coburn Moves to Block 9/11 First Responders Bill as Some Republicans …
Discussion:
Mediaite, Hot Air, ThinkProgress, The Note, The Politico, Firedoglake and PointOfLaw Forum
WVMetroNews Headline News:
Manchin Admits Mistake and Apologizes — Senator Manchin Apologizes For Skipping Votes — U.S. Senator Joe Manchin apologized to his constituents Tuesday for missing two key votes over the weekend. — Manchin has caught heat from friends and foes alike for failing to be on the Senate floor Saturday …
Discussion:
Balloon Juice, The Hill, TPMDC, HotAirPundit, New York Magazine, FrumForum and Squawk Box
Greg Miller / Washington Post:
CIA launches task force to assess impact of U.S. cables' exposure by WikiLeaks — The CIA has launched a task force to assess the impact of the exposure of thousands of U.S. diplomatic cables and military files by WikiLeaks. — Officially, the panel is called the WikiLeaks Task Force.
Bryan Fischer / afa.net:
Obama wants to give America back to the Indians — President Obama likes the “U.N. Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples.” He says it can “help reaffirm the principles that should guide our future.” — The State Department added helpfully that although the declaration is not legally binding …
Discussion:
Wonkette and Little Green Footballs
Allahpundit / Hot Air:
U.S. Director of National Intelligence on London terror arrests: Er, what terror arrests? — If you thought the gaffes in Diane Sawyer's interview with our counterterror brain trust couldn't get worse than “364 days a year,” skip ahead to 3:35 and brace yourself.
Discussion:
Creative Minority Report
Cassy Fiano / The Greenroom:
Hysterics Over DADT Repeal Are An Insult To The Military — Originally posted at David Horowitz's Newsreal: — There have been a lot of different responses to the news that Don't Ask Don't Tell has been repealed. President Obama is planning to sign the bill this week.
Discussion:
GayPatriot, Shakesville, Maggie's Farm, BLACKFIVE and Associated Press
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Richard Cohen / Washington Post:
Marine Corps commandant has to go
Marine Corps commandant has to go
Discussion:
FrumForum, AmSpecBlog and SWJ Blog
The Huffington Post:
Rep. Holt: Sen. McCain Objected To My Military Suicide Prevention Bill — What's Your Reaction: … WASHINGTON — In 2008, a young sergeant named Coleman S. Bean took his life. After completing his first tour of duty in Iraq, he had come home and been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Steve Wozniak / The Atlantic Online:
Steve Wozniak to the FCC: Keep the Internet Free — To whom it may concern: — I have always loved humor and laughter. As a young engineer I got an impulse to start a Dial-a-Joke in the San Jose/San Francisco area. I was aware of such humor services in other countries, such as Australia.