Top Items:
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:
ThinkProgress, Washington Monthly, Wonkette, Pam's House Blend, Wonk Room, Towleroad News #gay, Gawker, Outside the Beltway, Balloon Juice and Daily Kos
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Washington Post:
Obama signs DADT repeal before big, emotional crowd — President Obama signed the landmark repeal of the military's “don't ask, don't tell” policy Wednesday morning, handing a major victory to advocates of gay rights and fulfilling a campaign promise to do away with a practice that he has called discriminatory.
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, Sky Dancing, Outside the Beltway, Towleroad News #gay and The BLT
Kerry Eleveld / Advocate:
Obama: “Prepared to Implement” — ADVOCATE EXCLUSIVE OBAMA INTERVIEW: President Obama tells The Advocate the Pentagon is “prepared to implement” repeal of “don't ask, don't tell” and it will take months not years. He also says he's “wrestling” with the issue of marriage equality.
Discussion:
The Hill, Ben Smith's Blog, AMERICAblog Gay, New York Magazine, TPMDC, Washington Post and Towleroad News #gay
Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:
With Obama's Signature, 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Is Repealed — WASHINGTON — The military's longstanding ban on service by gays and lesbians came to a historic and symbolic end on Wednesday, as President Obama signed legislation repealing “don't ask, don't tell,” the contentious 17-year old Clinton-era law …
Discussion:
New York Magazine, Indecision Forever, Marbury, nancynall.com, Colorlines and Balloon Juice
Josh Gerstein / The Politico:
Last-ditch McConnell 'don't ask' amendment blocked
Last-ditch McConnell 'don't ask' amendment blocked
Discussion:
CNN, The Moderate Voice, Open Congress and Advocate
ABCNEWS:
EXCLUSIVE: Senate Strikes Deal on 9/11 First Responders Bill — Oklahoma Senator Will Allow a Vote on Bill to Care for 9/11 First Responders; Bill Cut to $4.2B — Senate Democrats and Republicans have struck a deal to secure passage of a bill to provide health benefits and compensation …
Discussion:
Washington Wire, Washington Post, New York Magazine, National Review and ThinkProgress
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Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Senate to hold make or break vote on 9/11 first responders health bill — Senate Democrats have scheduled a key vote Wednesday on legislation helping rescue workers who responded to the 9/11 attacks. — Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said that the Senate will hold a cloture vote at around noon …
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, ThinkProgress and Daily Kos
The Washington / NY Daily News:
Mouth of the Potomac — BY MICHAEL MCAULIFF — The deal to pass athe 9/11 health bill is done, the Daily News has learned. — Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand met with other senators' staff and staff from Rep. Carolyn maloney's offce until well after midnight …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Deal reached on 9/11 bill, clearing way for passage
Deal reached on 9/11 bill, clearing way for passage
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, NY Daily News and Daily Kos
Michael D. Shear / The Caucus:
How Did Republicans End Up Against 9/11 Responders Bill?
How Did Republicans End Up Against 9/11 Responders Bill?
Discussion:
Indecision Forever and The Maddow Blog
Jennifer Epstein / The Politico:
Huck: Palin wrong, FLOTUS right — Potential GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee says Sarah Palin's wrong and Michelle Obama's right, at least when it comes to the first lady's push to combat childhood obesity. — “With all due respect to my colleague and friend Sarah Palin …
Discussion:
The Note, Althouse, Weasel Zippers, USA Today, FrumForum and Outside the Beltway
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Byron Tau / Ben Smith's Blog:
On fat, Huckabee vs. Palin vs. Palin
On fat, Huckabee vs. Palin vs. Palin
Discussion:
JustOneMinute, NY Daily News, Israpundit, Fox Nation and The Daily Caller
Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:
Americans See U.S. as Exceptional; 37% Doubt Obama Does — Majority believe U.S. at risk of losing status as greatest country in the world — PRINCETON, NJ — Americans widely agree that the United States has a unique character because of its history and Constitution that sets it apart …
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Politics Daily, CNN, Scared Monkeys, The Foundry, Weasel Zippers and USA Today
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Alexander Mooney / CNN:
CNN Poll: 56 percent give Obama's lame duck a thumbs up — Washington (CNN) - When it comes to public opinion, who's the biggest winner of one of the most productive congressional lame duck sessions in years? — Full results (pdf) — According to a new national poll …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, The Politico, Pat Dollard, Outside the Beltway, Indecision Forever, Left Coast Rebel and Balkinization
Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Democrats take victory lap, claiming a ‘do-something Congress’
Democrats take victory lap, claiming a ‘do-something Congress’
Discussion:
Reuters and Questions and Observations
David Neiwert / Crooks and Liars:
Barney Frank completely pwns hapless CNS reporter attempting ‘gotcha’ DADT question — You can tell that all these reporters for right-wing propaganda organs like the Media Research Center spend waaaay too much time watching Fox News and their army of would-be ambush journalists.
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Terry Krepel / Media Matters for America:
Gotcha Fail: Rep. Frank Turns Tables on CNS
Gotcha Fail: Rep. Frank Turns Tables on CNS
Discussion:
Advocate
The Politico:
GOP unveils strict new House rules — The new House Republican majority will force lawmakers to vote when they want to raise the nation's debt ceiling, publish committee attendance records, ban former members from lobbying in the House gym and require new mandatory spending to be offset by cuts to other programs.
Discussion:
Sunlight Foundation Blog, CNN, Wake up America, Outside the Beltway and The Hill
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Molly K. Hooper / The Hill:
New GOP rules will make it tougher for House to raise ceiling on federal debt
Jackie Kucinich / Roll Call:
GOP Wants Constitution Read on House Floor
GOP Wants Constitution Read on House Floor
Discussion:
A plain blog about politics and TPMDC
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 …
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Charlie Savage / New York Times:
Detainee Review Proposal Is Prepared for Obama
Detainee Review Proposal Is Prepared for Obama
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Sister Toldjah, TalkLeft, ATTACKERMAN, Balloon Juice, Booman Tribune and Prairie Weather
Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
The rise of the Petulant Party — The lame-duck session of Congress has introduced Americans to the three-party system of government: the Democratic Party, the Republican Party and the Petulant Party. — Eight founding fathers of the Petulants took the stage Tuesday morning in the Senate TV studio …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice and Prairie Weather
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Fred Kaplan / Slate:
Republicans picked a silly fight over START, and they lost badly.
Republicans picked a silly fight over START, and they lost badly.
Discussion:
New York Times, The Cable, Daniel W. Drezner, Hot Air, Wonk Room, Washington Post, A plain blog about politics, Eunomia and The Plum Line
Jake Tapper / Political Punch:
After Early Administration Denials, Director of National Intelligence Admits He Hadn't Been Briefed on Alleged Terrorist Arrests in London — After initially suggesting that Director of National Intelligence James Clapper's inability to answer a question from ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer …
Discussion:
Flopping Aces, The Wire, Hot Air, Mediaite and Scared Monkeys
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Allahpundit / Hot Air:
U.S. Director of National Intelligence on London terror arrests …
U.S. Director of National Intelligence on London terror arrests …
Discussion:
Fox News, The Gateway Pundit, Freedom's Lighthouse, theblogprof and Creative Minority Report
John Fund / Wall Street Journal:
The Net Neutrality Coup — The campaign to regulate the Internet was funded by a who's who of left-liberal foundations. — The Federal Communications Commission's new “net neutrality” rules, passed on a partisan 3-2 vote yesterday, represent a huge win for a slick lobbying campaign run by liberal activist groups and foundations.
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.
Discussion:
Hot Air, Front Row Washington, The Confluence, New York Magazine, Raw Story, Danger Room, Weasel Zippers, Mediaite, TPM LiveWire and The Page, more at Techmeme »
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Adam Gabbatt / Guardian:
WTF? CIA names WikiLeaks inquiry
WTF? CIA names WikiLeaks inquiry
Discussion:
The Jawa Report, The Wire and AOL News
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.
Ezra Klein:
Why has the lame-duck session been so productive? — So far, the lame-duck session has managed to pass an $850 billion tax-cuts-and-stimulus deal, the repeal of DADT, the Defense Authorization bill, a continuing resolution to keep funding the federal government, the START treaty …
Discussion:
TalkLeft, Right Turn, A plain blog about politics and Mother Jones
The Huffington Post:
At Kaplan University, ‘Guerilla Registration’ Leaves Students Deep In Debt — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? … Arlen Castillo had just begun an online associate's degree program at Kaplan University when a family emergency forced a change of plans. Her mother in Florida learned she needed extensive surgery …