memeorandum: MF Global Trustee Says Shortfall Could Exceed $1.2 Billion (DealBook)

11:30 PM ET, November 21, 2011

Top Items:

Newt Gingrich Would Be a Godsend to the Democrats — What's next? The Santorum Surge? The Huntsman Hiccup? Why Newt Gingrich would be a godsend to the Democrats. — What are we to make of the ascension of Newt Gingrich? — Perhaps the day has finally, belatedly …

Discussion: National Review and NewsBusters.org blogs

A.Killough / CNN:

Gingrich at top of pack for first time in CNN polling — Washington (CNN) - Newt Gingrich tops the list in the race for the GOP nomination, according to a new national survey. — And a CNN/ORC International Poll released on the eve of a CNN presidential debate focusing heavily …

Discussion: ABCNEWS, The Hill, Hot Air and Ron Paul 2012 Presidential …

Charles Riley / CNNMoney.com:

Gingrich: CBO a ‘reactionary socialist institution’ — NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Look out budget wonks, Newt Gingrich is comin' for you. — The former Speaker of the House labeled the Congressional Budget Office a “reactionary socialist institution” during a speech on Social Security reform in New Hampshire on Monday.

Discussion: The Raw Story

Taegan Goddard's Political Wire:
Gingrich Calls the CBO a “Reactionary Socialist Institution”

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland and A plain blog about politics

Jonathan Martin / The Politico:
On trail, new Newt Gingrich looks like old one

Discussion: CNN

Mark Finkelstein / NewsBusters.org blogs:
Mika Brzezinski's Anti-Newt Rant Drives Her To Emotional Brink

Discussion: The Other McCain, Big Journalism, Michelle Malkin, The Gateway Pundit and Weasel Zippers

Washington Examiner:
Newt Gingrich was a lobbyist, plain and simple

Discussion: National Review, The Politico, Gawker, Mediaite, Campaign 2012, ThinkProgress, The PJ Tatler, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Daily Kos, ABCNEWS, Outside the Beltway, American Spectator and Betsy's Page

Brent Budowsky / Pundits Blog:
Ron Paul is surging, an Iowa and New Hampshire front-runner and powerful third-party possibility

Discussion: CNN

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:

No, ‘both sides’ aren't equally to blame for supercommittee failure — Here's why the supercommittee is failing, in one sentence: Democrats wanted the rich to pay more in taxes towards deficit reduction, and Republicans wanted the rich to pay less in taxes towards deficit reduction.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Center for American Progress, New York Times, ThinkProgress, The Atlantic Online, Guardian, The Impolitic and The New Republic

Peter Wallsten / Washington Post:
Supercommittee's failure pushes Bush tax cuts to forefront of 2012 campaign

Discussion: CNN, American Prospect, Hot Air, Taylor Marsh, USA Today, Open Congress, Prairie Weather and Daily Kos

Tim Mak / The Politico:
Left blogs cheer supercommittee's collapse

Discussion: CNN, This Just In, Wake up America, Crooks and Liars and Washington Post

Anne E. Kornblut / Washington Post:
Bloomberg rebukes Obama over collapse of debt talks

Discussion: Gothamist, Washington Wire and National Review

Nick Summers / The Daily Beast:
Bloomberg's Plan for World Domination

Discussion: Capital New York, PolitickerNY, Business Insider and Poynter, more at Mediagazer »

New York Times:
Deficit Deal Fell Apart After Seeming Agreement

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Reuters, Iowa Caucuses, Guardian, Firedoglake, The Atlantic Online, The Politico, The Maddow Blog, The Hill, Prairie Weather, Bankrupting America, USA Today, Brilliant at Breakfast, The Caucus and Washington Post

Doug Stanglin / USA Today:

Poll: ‘Occupy’ movement fails to capture Americans' interest — A new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll shows that the “Occupy” movement has failed to capture the attention of a majority of Americans, indicating either ambivalence toward it or lack of interest. — The poll finds that 56% of Americans surveyed …

Discussion: The Politico, PolitickerNY, Runnin' Scared, Mediaite, Outside the Beltway, Weasel Zippers, Sister Toldjah and Washington's Blog

Lydia Saad / Gallup:
Support for “Occupy” Unchanged, but More Criticize Approach

Discussion: Firedoglake, Hot Air, The Raw Story and Campaign 2012

Zaid Jilani / ThinkProgress:
Artist Behind Iconic ‘HOPE’ Poster Makes New One For Occupy Wall Street

Discussion: The Sideshow, Towleroad News #gay and The Political Carnival

David Frum / New York Magazine:

When Did the GOP Lose Touch With Reality? — Some of my Republican friends ask if I've gone crazy. I say: Look in the mirror. — It's a very strange experience to have your friends think you've gone crazy. Some will tell you so. Others will indulgently humor you. Still others will avoid you.

Discussion: ProfessorBainbridge.com, Gallup, Liberal Values, Rumproast, Big Government, News Hounds, The Other McCain, The Impolitic, No More Mister Nice Blog, Business Insider, Outside the Beltway, iOwnTheWorld.com, Little Green Footballs, Political Mojo and Booman Tribune

Alex Seitz-Wald / ThinkProgress:

Romney Admits He Destroyed Government Records To Keep Them From Political Opponents — Last week, a Boston Globe investigation uncovered that former Gov. Mitt Romney's administration destroyed emails, purchased hard drives, and otherwise obliterated all digital records of his time as governor of Massachusetts.

Discussion: Washington Wire, The Raw Story, WBUR, Washington Monthly, On Liberty, Daily Kos, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and ABCNEWS

Ashley Parker / New York Times:
Romney Heats Up Campaign in New Hampshire With an Ad Attacking Obama

Discussion: ThinkProgress

Peter Grier / Christian Science Monitor:
Super committee about to fail: Is it Obama's fault?

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, The Atlantic Online, CNN, The Politico, Rick Perry 2012 Campaign … and Political Insider

Erik Wasson / The Hill:

Boehner blames Obama for failure of supercommittee to reach a deal — House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) is blaming President Obama for the failure of the congressional supercommittee to reach a deal for cutting the federal deficit. — The Speaker's office sent out a memo Monday morning …

Discussion: The Politico, New York Times, The Caucus, USA Today, Wonkette and Prairie Weather

Stan Collender / Capital Gains and Games blogs:
Grover Norquist Was The Super Committee's Lex Luthor, And Other Stories

Discussion: Political Mojo

Joint Commitee on Deficit Reduction:
Statement from Co-Chairs of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction

Discussion: Washington Wire and Guardian

Jake Tapper / ABCNEWS:

Rush: First Lady Booed for ‘Uppityism’ — On Sunday, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden visited Homestead Miami speedway to serve as ceremonial grand marshals of the Ford 400, where some in the crowd booed them. — The White House downplayed the incident today …

Discussion: Riptide 2.0 and US Politics

Kyle Wagner / Gizmodo:

This Is the Pepper Spray Police Used on UC Davis Protesters (Updated) — We're awaiting confirmation from UC-Davis police, but after examining photos and videos of the incident, this is what we believe campus police used against the Occupy Wall Street protesters at UC Davis this weekend. It's nasty.

Discussion: Firedoglake, Scientific American …, Associated Press, Colorlines, ThinkProgress and Guardian

Associated Press:
University president vows pepper spraying probe

Discussion: The Agonist

Chris Moody / Yahoo! News:

Herman Cain and the Holy Land Experience — ORLANDO, Fla. — By the time Herman Cain took the stage, Jesus had already been crucified, resurrected and returned to Earth to collect the faithful once that day. — Cain made a campaign stop Friday at The Holy Land Experience …

Discussion: Indecision Forever, The Atlantic Online, Wonkette, Death and Taxes, Slate, Political Mojo, Outside the Beltway, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Balloon Juice, The Raw Story, Gawker, Angry Black Lady Chronicles and Washington Monthly

Tina Dupuy / The Atlantic Online:

The Occupy Movement's Woman Problem — Women may be the 51%, but the Occupy camps and General Assemblies look as gender-imbalanced as Congress — “I'm called ‘that white bitch who gets everything she wants’ at the GA's,” says Elise Whitaker, 21, adopting a bit of a defiant posture.

Discussion: The Other McCain, Verum Serum and ECHIDNE of the snakes

Peter Lattman / DealBook:

Foreclosure Firm Steven J. Baum to Close Down — A law firm that had become a lightning rod in the controversy over mortgage-foreclosure practices has shut down, costing 89 employees their jobs. — The Steven J. Baum P.C. law firm, which has offices in Amherst, N.Y., and Westbury on Long Island …

Discussion: Law Blog, HousingWire, Balloon Juice and Angry Black Lady Chronicles

Kyle Leighton / tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com:
SLIDESHOW: The Homeless-themed Halloween Party

Discussion: Gawker and Talking Points Memo

Yahoo! Good Morning America:

Exclusive: CIA Spies Caught, Fear Execution in Middle East — In a significant failure for the United States in the Mideast, more than a dozen spies working for the CIA in Iran and Lebanon have been caught and the U.S. government fears they will be or have been executed …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, CNN, The Gateway Pundit, Atlas Shrugs, The Lonely Conservative, Maggie's Farm and Jihad Watch

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:

When Did Liberals Become So Unreasonable? — If every Democratic president disappoints, maybe there's something wrong with our expectations. Tough love from a fellow traveler. — “The disappointment and disillusionment with President Clinton are widespread.” —Bob Herbert, New York Times, 1993

Discussion: The Mahablog, The Daily Dish, Booman Tribune, Democracy in America, The Moderate Voice, TalkLeft, Washington Post, DISSENTING JUSTICE, Taylor Marsh, The Huffington Post, Ben Smith's Blog and News Desk

Sarah Kliff / Washington Post:

No, Congress did not declare pizza a vegetable — There are many ways for Congress to frustrate the American people. A high-profile failure to cut $1.2 trillion from the deficit, for example. But declaring pizza sauce a vegetable? That, it turns out, might work even better.

Discussion: Don Surber, The PJ Tatler, Outside the Beltway, The Incidental Economist and Political Mojo

Sean Higgins / Capital Hill:

Ex-Solyndra Staff To Get $13,000 Each In TAA Federal Aid — The Labor Department today announced that it had approved Trade Adjustment Assistance for the former employees of the bankrupt solar panel maker Solyndra. — That means all of the firm's 1,100 ex-employees are eligible for federal aid packages …

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, Weasel Zippers, Jammie Wearing Fools, Clayton Cramer's Blog and The Lonely Conservative

Sara Ganim / PennLive.com:

Alleged Jerry Sandusky victim leaves school because of bullying, counselor says — Victim One, the first known alleged victim of abuse by former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky, had to leave his school in the middle of his senior year because of bullying, his counselor said Sunday.

Discussion: minx.cc, The Moderate Voice, Jammie Wearing Fools, Angry Black Lady Chronicles and Outside the Beltway