memeorandum: CBP's 2011 Fiscal Year in Review (CBP.gov)

12:55 PM ET, December 13, 2011

Top Items:

Susan Page / USA Today:

Swing States Poll: Downbeat Dems, resurgent Republicans — WASHINGTON - President Obama is moving to energize the Democratic base for his re-election campaign, but in the case of a dozen battleground states, he'll have to work harder than four years ago to find it.

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Politico, Hot Air, Ballot Box, LifeNews.com, Washington Times, Wake up America, New York Magazine, nation.foxnews.com, Reuters, The PJ Tatler, GOP 12 and Economist

Ben Smithand Maggie Haberman / The Politico:

Romney's role: The Hillary Clinton of 2012? — For Mitt Romney this December, it's beginning to look a lot like Clinton. — Like the great, fallen front-runner of 2008, here is another well-funded, Establishment-blessed, presumptive nominee whose supposedly firm hold on his party's greatest prize seems to be slip-sliding away.

Discussion: CNN, msnbc.com and Taylor Marsh

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:

Why Republicans Don't Nominate Swells — Don't pull a silver dollar out of that ear! Don't! — The political press corps has decided that the “moment” of Saturday night's Republican presidential debate occurred when Mitt Romney decided to challenge Rick Perry to a $10,000 bet.

Discussion: New York Times, Washington Post and The Reaction

Kevinliptak / CNN:

Giuliani: Gingrich may be stronger than Romney — (CNN) - When it comes down to the battle between Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, former New York mayor and Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani said Monday he thought Gingrich might have an edge. — Speaking to CNN's Piers Morgan …

Discussion: The Hill, iWatch News, Washington Wire, New York Times, msnbc.com, GOP 12, National Review, RedState, Indecision Forever and The Politico

Alexander Burnsand Jonathan Martin / The Politico:
The South is up for grabs

Discussion: CNN

New York Post:
GOP cruise missiles

Discussion: The Enterprise Blog, Washington Post and Betsy's Page

Josh Lederman / The Hill:
Mitt Romney starts to show cracks as front-runner status slips further

Discussion: Prairie Weather

Jason Zengerle / New York Magazine:
Playing With Mud — The hobbyist oppo researcher.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Mediaite and Business Insider

Michael Savage / michaelsavage.wnd.com:
SAVAGE OFFERS GINGRICH $1 MILLION TO DROP OUT OF THE RACE — WILL ANNOUNCE ON SHOW TODAY

Andy Bloxham / Telegraph:

Belgium grenade attack: latest — At least two people have been killed and dozens wounded when up to four grenades exploded outside the main courthouse in the eastern Belgian city of Liege. — The scene of the grenade attack in Liege … Live — 15.51 In another shocking attack in Europe today …

Discussion: Washington Post, Jihad Watch, Atlas Shrugs and Pirate's Cove

BBC:

Deadly attack rocks central Liege in Belgium — A gun and grenade attack in the centre of the Belgian city of Liege has killed at least two people and wounded about 25, Belgian media say. — They say several men threw grenades and fired on a crowd at a bus stop in Place Saint Lambert, a busy square.

Discussion: Associated Press

Lizzy Davies / News: News blog:
Belgium attack: grenades thrown at bus-stop in Liège

Discussion: Telegraph, The Jawa Report, Gawker and Guardian

The Hill:

Republican leaders say they'll have the votes to pass payroll tax bill — House Republican leaders on Tuesday predicted they will have the votes to pass legislation to extend a payroll tax cut. — The leaders are “close” to securing enough support to pass the bill, members leaving a closed-door GOP conference meeting said Tuesday.

Discussion: The Politico and CNN

Ezra Klein / Washington Post:
Wonkbook: The GOP's two conversations over taxes

Discussion: Paul Krugman, TalkLeft, House.gov, The Politico, Political Mojo and The Hill

Russell Berman / The Hill:
GOP vies for high ground on taxes

Discussion: Washington Post, The Politico, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/* and The Huffington Post

Rep. Dennis Cardoza / The Hill:

Opinion: Obama would rather be university professor than president — After observing President Obama for the last three years, it has become obvious to me that the President might prefer to be a university professor rather than do the job he holds today. While he may not realize that he feels …

Discussion: The Politico, Weasel Zippers, americanthinker.com and Instapundit

Washington Post:

Eric Holder wades into debate over voting rights as presidential election nears — The Obama administration on Tuesday will wade into the increasingly divisive national debate over new voting laws in several states that could depress turnout among minorities and others who helped elect the president in 2008.

Discussion: southernstudies.org, Hot Air, Right Wing News and AFL-CIO NOW BLOG

John Hinderaker / Power Line:
Obama Administration Coordinating With Left-Wing Groups on Voter Fraud?

Discussion: LBJ Library & Museum, thenation.com/blogs/163253 and UrbanGrounds

Hank Stuever / Washington Post:

Chelsea Clinton makes broadcast debut on NBC's ‘Rock Center’ — It's no surprise whatsoever that Chelsea Clinton didn't electrify broadcast journalism with her debut Monday night on NBC's “Rock Center With Brian Williams,” because she has no experience in broadcast journalism.

Discussion: New York Times, The PJ Tatler, americanthinker.com, Hot Air, newsfeed.time.com and UrbanGrounds, more at Mediagazer »

Chris Johnson / Washington Blade:

Conferees omit anti-gay provisions from defense bill — Lawmakers on Capitol Hill unveiled on Monday an agreement on major defense budget legislation that omits anti-gay provisions found in the House version of the legislation — including language that would have prohibited military chaplains …

Discussion: Daily Kos, Towleroad News #gay and Joe. My. God.

Jeremy Herb / The Hill: Deal reached on DoD authorization bill

Erik Wasson / The Hill:

Yearly deficit falls below $1 trillion for the first time under Obama — The Treasury Department forecast Monday that the budget deficit for fiscal 2012 will come in at $996 billion, the first time President Obama has presided over an annual deficit of less than $1 trillion.

Discussion: Washington Monthly and ThinkProgress

Jennifer Steinhauer / New York Times:

Millionaires on Food Stamps and Jobless Pay? G.O.P. Is on It — WASHINGTON — It's an image many Americans would find rather upsetting: a recently laid-off millionaire, luxuriating next to the pool eating grapes bought with food stamps while waiting for an unemployment check to roll in.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Daily Kos, The Hill, Wonkette and Bark Bark Woof Woof

Reuters:

Iran army declines comment on MP's Hormuz exercise remarks — TEHRAN (Reuters) - A member of the Iranian parliament's National Security Committee said on Monday that the military was set to practice its ability to close the Gulf to shipping at the narrow Strait of Hormuz …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

New York Times:

Premier's Actions in Iraq Raise U.S. Concerns — Jasim Nusaif, 71, in a photograph held by his son. He was among hundreds of former Baath Party members swept up in recent arrests. His family said the party expelled him in the 1980s. — BAGHDAD — Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki …

Discussion: USA Today, Washington Post and Prairie Weather

Brian Montopoli / CBS News:
Obama: We leave Iraq with “heads held high”

Discussion: americanthinker.com, msnbc.com, Truthdig and Weasel Zippers

Los Angeles Times:

Occupy protesters block West Coast ports — Demonstrators fail to shut down most shipping business. Rain in some areas hampered turnout. — Protesters square off against police at the Port of Long Beach in one of several West Coast demonstrations. (Mark Boster, Los Angeles Times)

Discussion: L.A. NOW, Patterico's Pontifications and The Heritage Foundation

Leonardo Mejia / Coalition for Clean and Safe Ports:
AN OPEN LETTER FROM AMERICA'S PORT TRUCK DRIVERS ON OCCUPY THE PORTS

Discussion: Political Mojo, Wonkette, Guardian, New York Magazine, Daily Kos, The Raw Story, KQED News Fix and US Politics

David Corn / Political Mojo:

Romney in 2002: I'm “Moderate,” “Progressive,” and “Not a Partisan Republican” [VIDEO] — Mitt Romney says he's a die-hard conservative. He says he's not a flip-flopper. Yet...plenty of Republican voters don't seem to believe him. They have plenty of reasons not to.

Discussion: Hot Air, Campaign 2012 and The Maddow Blog

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:

Gay Vietnam Vet Who Challenged Romney On Marriage Equality Speaks Out — Yesterday, 63-year-old gay veteran Bob Garon met Mitt Romney during a campaign stop at Chez Vachon restaurant in Manchester and asked the former governor if he would overturn New Hampshire's same-sex marriage law.

Discussion: Towleroad News #gay and The Politico

Elizabeth Mendes / Gallup:

In U.S., Fear of Big Government at Near-Record Level — Democrats lead increase in concerns about big government — WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans' concerns about the threat of big government continue to dwarf those about big business and big labor, and by an even larger margin now than in March 2009.

Discussion: The Politico, Washington Post, Connecting.the.Dots, Betsy's Page, Questions and Observations, americanthinker.com, Weasel Zippers, Hot Air, Campaign 2012 and The Lonely Conservative

Bloomberg:

Gingrich Tax Plan Puts ‘Hole’ In Deficit: Study — The economic plan proposed by Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich would add $1.3 trillion to the U.S. budget deficit in 2015 alone, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center.