Top Items:
The Politico:
POLITICO Influence: High stakes — BLUNT VS. JOHNSON, BIG K ST STAKES: The Senate GOP lunches are worth watching this afternoon, where we'll find out the outcome of the race between Sens. Roy Blunt of Missouri and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin for the No. 5 slot in Republican leadership.
Discussion:
RedState
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Josh Lederman / The Hill:
Mitt Romney starts to show cracks as front-runner status slips further
Mitt Romney starts to show cracks as front-runner status slips further
Discussion:
CNN, The Politico and Prairie Weather
Kevinliptak / CNN:
Giuliani: Gingrich may be stronger than Romney
Giuliani: Gingrich may be stronger than Romney
Discussion:
The Hill, No More Mister Nice Blog, iWatch News, New York Times, Washington Wire, msnbc.com, National Review, GOP 12, RedState, The Politico and Indecision Forever
Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
Why Republicans Don't Nominate Swells
Why Republicans Don't Nominate Swells
Discussion:
New York Times, Washington Post, Daily Kos and The Reaction
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
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Dylan Byers / The Politico:
Romney '02 edition — Thanks to Andrew Kaczynski, the Internet's favorite new oppo research hobbyist, a 2002 video of Mitt Romney is making the rounds that features potentially damaging fodder for his opponents: — “I'm not a partisan Republican,” Romney says in the interview.
Discussion:
Daily Kos, The PJ Tatler and National Review
David Corn / Political Mojo:
Romney in 2002: I'm “Moderate,” “Progressive,” and “Not a Partisan Republican” [VIDEO]
Romney in 2002: I'm “Moderate,” “Progressive,” and “Not a Partisan Republican” [VIDEO]
Discussion:
Campaign 2012, Hot Air and The Maddow Blog
New York Post:
GOP cruise missiles
GOP cruise missiles
Discussion:
Betsy's Page, The Enterprise Blog and Washington Post
Jason Zengerle / New York Magazine:
Playing With Mud — The hobbyist oppo researcher.
Playing With Mud — The hobbyist oppo researcher.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Mediaite, The Other McCain and Business Insider
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.
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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:
Jihad Watch, Atlas Shrugs, Pirate's Cove and Daily Pundit
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BBC:
Deadly attack rocks central Liege in Belgium
Deadly attack rocks central Liege in Belgium
Discussion:
Telegraph, Associated Press, The Spectacle Blog and Guardian
Lizzy Davies / Guardian:
Four dead in Belgian grenade attack
Four dead in Belgian grenade attack
Discussion:
Washington Post, Gawker and The Jawa Report
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:
NO QUARTER, Hot Air, UrbanGrounds, americanthinker.com, newsfeed.time.com, The PJ Tatler and The Gateway Pundit
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Alessandra Stanley / New York Times:
The TV Watch: Chelsea Clinton Finally Embraces Her Celebrity
The TV Watch: Chelsea Clinton Finally Embraces Her Celebrity
Discussion:
Gothamist, Media Decoder and Towleroad News #gay, more at Mediagazer »
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, The PJ Tatler, Weasel Zippers, americanthinker.com and Instapundit
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
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Ezra Klein / Washington Post:
Wonkbook: The GOP's two conversations over taxes
Wonkbook: The GOP's two conversations over taxes
Discussion:
Paul Krugman, House.gov, The Politico, The Hill and Political Mojo
Alicia M. Cohn / The Hill:
Rep. Issa asks Obama official why illegal camping of Occupy DC was permitted — Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) on Tuesday announced he wants answers on whether “political judgments played a role” in allowing Occupy D.C. protesters to remain camped in Northwest Washington.
Discussion:
The Politico and Weasel Zippers
Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:
House Dem blasts Lowe's for pulling ads from Muslim-centered TV show — Rep. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Tuesday morning accused Lowe's, the nationwide home-improvement chain, of giving weight to anti-Muslim views by pulling its ads from the TLC show “All-American Muslim.”
Discussion:
Democracy in America and Weasel Zippers
RELATED:
Tim Mak / The Politico:
Protests growing against Lowe's
Protests growing against Lowe's
Discussion:
Colorlines, National Review, Right Wing Watch and Crooks and Liars
Lynn Sweet:
Axelrod on Newt: “the higher a monkey climbs...the more you can see his butt.” — Obama 2012 Press Secretary Ben LaBolt, Strategist David Axelrod, Campaign Manager Jim Messina, Deputy Manager Stephanie Cutter at Tuesday press briefing at the DNC. (photo by Lynn Sweet)
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's …
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.
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, The Hill, Daily Kos, Wonkette and Bark Bark Woof Woof
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
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.
Ben Smith / The Politico:
Gingrich misses a McCain moment — John McCain in 2008 took the occasional strange, xenophobic question about Barack Obama, and routinely batted them back: Obama wasn't scary, or (God forbid!) “an Arab,” as one woman memorably told him. He was a decent family man, just wrong on the issues.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Washington Post and Mondoweiss
Fars News Agency:
Obama Begs Iran to Give Him Back His Toy Plane — TEHRAN (FNA)- US President Obama is hoping that the Iranian government is in a Christmas mood because he has asked Tehran to send him his Christmas present back. — We are still wondering how he shamelessly asked Tehran to give the US …
Discussion:
Washington Post and Campaign 2012
Justin Sink / The Hill:
Trump pulls out of GOP debate — Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he will not moderate next month's GOP debate sponsored by Newsmax. — The reality televison show host's decision came after most Republican candidates declined to participate in the debate, with only Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum agreeing to appear.
Discussion:
CNN