Top Items:

Rand Paul: Republicans would take a giant step backward by choosing Gingrich — As a U.S. senator elected from and by the tea party, I am often asked about the tea party, the conservative movement and the presidential race. — While conservatives and limited-government activists did …
Discussion:
Iowa Caucuses, Booman Tribune, The Iowa Republican, O.KayHenderson.com and The Spectacle Blog
RELATED:

The Gingrich Tragedy — Of all the major Republicans, the one who comes closest to my worldview is Newt Gingrich. Despite his erratically shifting views and odd phases, he continually returns to this core political refrain: He talks about using government in energetic but limited ways to increase growth, dynamism and social mobility.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Ben Smith's Blog, Opinionator, Daily Kos, Prairie Weather and Wall Street Journal


Gingrich Is Inspiring—and Disturbing — The first potential president about whom there is too much information. — I had a friend once who amused herself thinking up bumper stickers for states. The one she made up for California was brilliant. “California: It's All True.”
Discussion:
GOP 12, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Slate and 2012 Decoded

The Coming GOP Gingrich Freakout
Discussion:
CBS News, The Reaction, Booman Tribune, Little Green Footballs, Washington Post, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and ABCNEWS

All the G.O.P.'s Gekkos — Almost a quarter of a century has passed since the release of the movie “Wall Street,” and the film seems more relevant than ever. The self-righteous screeds of financial tycoons denouncing President Obama all read like variations on Gordon Gekko's famous …
Discussion:
Prairie Weather
RELATED:


N.Y.U. to Offer Classes on Occupy Wall Street
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, NBC New York and ABCNEWS

NYU to add course on OWS next semester
Discussion:
Business Insider, Runnin' Scared and Gothamist

Winning the argument
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The Raw Story, Paul Krugman, Daily Kos and Hullabaloo

GOP seeks to cut unemployment benefits — GOP leaders hope to build momentum for an end-of-year tax package with sweeping reforms to federal unemployment benefits. — The Republican proposal is expected to reduce the total number of weeks unemployed workers are eligible for aid …
RELATED:

Next step in our Randian dystopia: stimgatize the unemployed — So now they're going to “reform” unemployment. The first thing they say they'll do do is stop the millionaires from collecting it. I don't know how many millionaires are collecting it now or how this will be administered, but fine.
Discussion:
Daily Kos

Jack Kingston: Drug Test The Jobless
Discussion:
ThinkProgress

Michele Bachmann Becomes Fifth GOP Candidate To Reject Donald Trump Debate — ABC News' Michael Falcone reports: — DES MOINES — Another one bites the dust. — Michele Bachmann has officially said “no” to the Donald Trump-moderated Newsmax debate scheduled for later this month.
RELATED:


Iowa's Secretary of State Matt Schultz to Endorse Rick Santorum
Discussion:
Datechguy's Blog and Catholic Bandita

Santorum on Trump debate no-shows: They're hypocrites
Discussion:
Michelle Malkin and The Politico


Mitt's granite fortress under siege — MANCHESTER, N.H. - Mitt Romney, whose team has been working New Hampshire for nearly five years, has a coordinator in most of the state's 234 towns. Newt Gingrich, who opened an office here less than a month ago, has a state director who's never worked on a campaign before.
Discussion:
CNN and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog
RELATED:

Romney super PAC prepping Gingrich attack
Discussion:
ABCNEWS, Washington Monthly and The Page


Google Currents is hot off the press — We strive to give you beautiful and simple ways to experience all the content the web has to offer, such as sharing photos on Google+, watching YouTube videos and discovering books, movies and music from Android Market.
Discussion:
iWatch News, Epicenter, TechCrunch, Mashable!, Poynter, GigaOM, VentureBeat and Engadget, more at Techmeme »

Record High Anti-Incumbent Sentiment Toward Congress — But voters are more inclined to say their own representative deserves re-election — PRINCETON, NJ — About three-quarters of registered voters (76%) say most members of Congress do not deserve re-election, the highest such percentage Gallup …
Discussion:
The Politico and Hotline On Call


‘Furious’ twisting — For the sake of argument, let's assume that everything Attorney General Eric Holder told the House Judiciary Committee yesterday was true. — That the answer to several questions about who ordered Fast and Furious — the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' …
Discussion:
Power Line, New York Times and The Politico


Iran shows film of captured US drone — The BBC's James Reynolds says the video appears to support Iran's claims — Iranian TV has shown the first video footage of an advanced US drone aircraft that Tehran says it downed near the Afghan border. — Images show Iranian military officials inspecting …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Conservative Daily News, Belmont Club, Truthdig and New York Times
RELATED:

Officials Confirm Authenticity of Iranian TV Images Showing Lost U.S. Drone
Discussion:
Atlas Shrugs and Vodkapundit

Iran Shows Video It Says Is of U.S. Drone
Discussion:
The BLT, Weasel Zippers, Firedoglake, americanthinker.com, Danger Room, Mediaite, Washington Post and rubber hose


The Real G.O.P. Dark Horse: None of the Above — Two of my favorite analysts, Rhodes Cook and Josh Putnam, have a good debate going about just how plausible it is that a Republican who is not currently running for president could enter the race later and potentially win it (probably necessitating a brokered convention).
Discussion:
GOP 12 and Business Insider
RELATED:

2012 Republican Race: The Field May Not Be Closed
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, Wizbang, Indecision Forever, Washington Monthly and Frontloading HQ


Groups seek Calif. gay marriage ban appeal over judge's sexual orientation, marriage views — SAN FRANCISCO — The sponsors of California's gay marriage ban renewed their effort Thursday to disqualify a federal judge because of his same-sex relationship, but they met a skeptical audience in an appeals court panel.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Courthouse News Service, Towleroad News #gay and Washington Post
RELATED:


Tweets from Congressional Staffers Describe On-Job Drinking in Office of Congressman Larsen — For young men and women with ambitions toward a career in politics, working in a Congressional office can be a heady, almost dreamlike experience. Left unsupervised, the combination of youth indiscretion …
Discussion:
The Daily Weekly, The Moderate Voice, Seattle Times, The Hill, CBS News, FishbowlDC, Wonkette, Hotline On Call and The PJ Tatler
RELATED:


A Liberal's Lament on Kagan and Health Care — Should Elena Kagan recuse herself in the ACA case? — Elena Kagan was appointed by Obama from within his administration shortly after health care reform passed. Should she hear the case before the Supreme Court?


Obama celebrates Hanukkah at White House — WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is marking Hanukkah as a story of “faith over doubt.” — Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden convened a Hanukkah celebration at the White House Thursday in an early celebration of the Jewish Festival of Lights.
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, Scared Monkeys, Weasel Zippers and The Lonely Conservative

Jon Corzine Dodges the Fraud Question — It's as if Jon Corzine's PR machine is in top spin mode. You'll recall Jon Corzine is the former head of Goldman Sachs and former CEO of MF Global that appeared in front of Congress yesterday to answer questions about an estimated $600 million …
Discussion:
Jesse's Café Américain and Business Insider


Obama Endorses Decision to Limit Morning-After Pill — WASHINGTON — President Obama, who took office pledging to put science ahead of politics, averted a skirmish with conservatives in the nation's culture wars on Thursday by endorsing his health secretary's decision to block over-the-counter sales …
Discussion:
Althouse and Balloon Juice

Republicans Unveil Plan for Payroll Tax — WASHINGTON — Pivoting to challenge President Obama and Senate Democrats, House Republicans said Thursday that they would forge ahead with a payroll tax holiday bill that includes an oil pipeline opposed by the president and looks to changes …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The Caucus and Reuters
RELATED:

Dems' payroll tax cut extension goes down again in Senate
Discussion:
Shakesville, The Politico, Connecting.the.Dots, Hot Air, Firedoglake and The Page