memeorandum: Can Tea Partiers Grow to Love Mitt Romney? (Sara Murray/Washington Wire)

3:50 PM ET, December 17, 2011

Top Items:

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Democrats: Concession to GOP on Keystone will force Obama to kill pipeline — Senate Democrats say the Obama administration will kill the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline, a controversial issue in the debate to extend the payroll tax holiday. — Senate leaders on Friday agreed …

Discussion: New York Times, CNN, Grist, The Hill, Daily Kos, Daily Pundit, The Lonely Conservative and RealClearPolitics Video Log

Manu Rajuand Scott Wong / The Politico:

Payroll deal sails through Senate, 89-10 — The Senate on Saturday morning approved a two-month extension of a payroll tax break and jobless benefits, easily passing a year-end legislative package that also forces President Barack Obama to make a controversial decision on a major oil pipeline in the thick of his reelection campaign.

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, The Enterprise Blog, Outside the Beltway and The Hill

Brian Beutler / tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com:

TPMDC — GOP Wins On Keystone As Senate Agrees To Two Month Payroll Tax Cut Extension — Senate leaders have agreed to a plan that will prevent key policies, including a two percent payroll tax cut for employees, from lapsing on January 1, 2012, according to top aides.

Discussion: Liberty Street and Zandar Versus The Stupid

David Dayen / Firedoglake:
Senate Passes Two-Month Extension for Payroll Tax Cut, Unemployment Benefits, Doc Fix

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Hullabaloo, The Politico and ThinkProgress

Darren Samuelsohn / The Politico:
Greens call out Keystone XL deal

Discussion: Associated Press, Michelle Malkin, Hawaii Reporter and RedState

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Senate leaders strike short-term deal to extend payroll tax holiday

Discussion: CNN, Booman Tribune and Daily Kos

Guy Benson / Townhall.com:
Victory II: Democrats Cave on Keystone in Payroll Tax Cut Deal

Discussion: Wake up America, Campaign 2012, The Gateway Pundit and Hot Air

Melina Mara / ABCNEWS:

Ron Paul Takes Swipes at GOP Rivals, Says Michele Bachmann ‘Hates Muslims’ — Ron Paul has gone Hollywood. — Appearing on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” the presidential hopeful took a swipe at his GOP rivals telling the crowd that Michele Bachmann “hates Muslims.”

Discussion: The Other McCain, New York Times, Iowa Caucuses and The Caucus

Maggie Haberman / The Politico:

Paul on Bachmann: ‘She hates Muslims’ — Ron Paul took his disagreement with Michele Bachmann over foreign policy as relates to Iran to Jay Leno's couch last night, and putting a finer point on his thoughts, via POLITICO's Ginger Gibson. — Ron Paul on Jay Leno's show took a dig …

A.Killough / CNN:
TRENDING: Paul claims Bachmann ‘hates’ Muslims

Discussion: The Politico

ABCNEWS:

Romney Declares Himself ‘Ideal’ Tea Party Candidate — CHARLESTON, S.C. — Mitt Romney said today he's “the ideal candidate” for the Tea Party movement because his stance on issues lines up “pretty darn well” with the movement he says will soon realize that GOP frontrunner Newt Gingrich isn't their best option for president.

Discussion: Patterico's Pontifications

Sara Murray / Washington Wire:
Can Tea Partiers Grow to Love Mitt Romney?

Discussion: MyFox Philadelphia and Wall Street Journal

Alexander Burns / The Politico:
Newt Gingrich just wants to have fun

Discussion: Taylor Marsh and Reuters

Rush Limbaugh:
Nikki Haley Endorsement: Tea Party Attempts to Replace GOP Establishment

Discussion: CNN, The Daily Caller, The Right Scoop, The Politico and Hot Air

Reid J. Epstein / The Politico:
Nikki Haley's Mitt Romney endorsement catches flak

Discussion: Daily Kos, Reuters and CNN

Wall Street Journal:

Gingrich of Freddie Mac — The Speaker's defense is hurting him as much as his $1.6 million payday. — Newt Gingrich's opponents aren't letting up in their criticism of his lucrative ties to the failed mortgage giant Freddie Mac after he resigned as House Speaker in the late 1990s.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Verum Serum, Taylor Marsh, Caffeinated Thoughts, The Page, American Power and U.S. Securities …

Samuel G. Freedman / New York Times:

Waging a One-Man War on American Muslims — During the mid-1990s, after hearing about the harassment of gay students, the principal of Largo High School in Florida created a support group for them. Over the next year or two, the meetings also drew sympathetic friends, evolving into a club called the Gay Straight Alliance.

Discussion: New York Magazine, Right Wing Watch, Truth Wins Out, No More Mister Nice Blog and Washington Monthly

Ahmed Rehab / The Huffington Post:
Let's Face it: It's the Radical Right, not Islam, that is the Greatest Threat to the American Way

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Jihad Watch and iOwnTheWorld.com

Susie Madrak / Crooks and Liars:

Scott Walker Shuts Down Cancer Screenings Through Planned Parenthood — Gov. Scott Walker is a ruthless extremist, and more women in Wisconsin will die of cancer, thanks to his right-wing vendetta against Planned Parenthood. At least we have the satisfaction of knowing that every time he pulls …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Kate Sheppard / MoJo Articles:
Scott Walker's Next Target: Cancer Screenings for Women

Discussion: Daily Kos and TBogg

Milt Shook / The PCTC Blog:

There's No Such Thing as an “Indefinite Detention Bill” and Other Pro Left Lies — One of the most galling things about the professional left is the number of times they lie to make a point. You can't be a progressive and also lie to the people who read your stuff.

Discussion: Balloon Juice, Zandar Versus The Stupid and Angry Black Lady Chronicles

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

Removing right-wing riders — Late Thursday, policymakers struck an agreement on funding the government through September, averting a government shutdown that would have begun last night. The House easily approved the $1 trillion spending deal yesterday, and the Senate is expected to do the same today.

Discussion: Prairie Weather, New York Times and Inside Higher Ed

New York Times:
Senate Leaders Agree on 2-Month Extension of Payroll Tax Cut

Discussion: Angry Bear, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, The Caucus, Washington Monthly and JustOneMinute

Washington Post:
Senate leaders reach agreement to extend payroll tax cut for 2 months

Discussion: Runnin' Scared, Washington Monthly, Business Insider, Center for American Progress, ThinkProgress and tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com

Megan McArdle / The Atlantic Online:

When it Comes to Taxes on the Poor, the Supply Siders are Right — A couple of days ago, I referred to the fact that poor people face some of the highest marginal tax rates in America. I received several emails from economics professors, gently correcting me: they face all the highest marginal tax rates in America.

Discussion: Modeled Behavior, EconLog and Political Mojo

Staciacnn / The 1600 Report:

First on CNN: First lady accepts date to the Marine Corps Ball — Washington (CNN) - 20 year old Marine Lance Corporal Aaron Leeks from Frederick, Maryland has asked First Lady Michelle Obama to accompany him to the Marine Corps Ball next November. “With your husband's permission of course,” said Leeks.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and The Politico

Matt Flegenheimer / New York Times:

Church That Aided Wall St. Protesters Is Now Their Target — For months, they were the best of neighbors: the slapdash champions of economic equality, putting down stakes in an outdoor plaza, and the venerable Episcopal parish next door, whose munificence helped sustain the growing protest.

Discussion: The Confluence, Gothamist, The Atlantic Online and Guardian