memeorandum: TPMDC — MN GOPer Resigns Leadership Post Over Alleged ‘Inappropriate Relationship’ (David Taintor/tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com)

7:20 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: CNN, The Hill, Daily Kos, The Lonely Conservative, RealClearPolitics Video Log and Daily Pundit

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

David Taintor / tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com:

TPMDC — MN GOPer Resigns Leadership Post Over Alleged ‘Inappropriate Relationship’ — Minnesota's Republican Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch abruptly resigned from her leadership post this week, and there are now allegations that she had an “inappropriate relationship” with a subordinate staffer.

Discussion: The Blotter, Firedoglake, Hullabaloo, Hot Dish Politics and The Raw Story

Jennifer Steinhauer / New York Times:
Senate Votes to Extend Payroll Tax Cut

Discussion: ABCNEWS, The Hill, The Caucus, THEROOT.COM and Grist

Brian Beutler / tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com:
TPMDC — GOP Wins On Keystone As Senate Agrees To Two Month Payroll Tax Cut Extension

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, ThinkProgress and The Politico

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

Discussion: The Politico, CNN, Booman Tribune and Daily Kos

CNBC:
Lawmakers Reach Deal On Temporary Payroll-Tax Cut

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Wake up America and americanthinker.com

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

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

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: Little Green Footballs, Zandar Versus The Stupid, No More Mister Nice Blog, 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 …

Spencer Platt / ABCNEWS:
Rick Perry Picks Up the Attacks on Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul for Earmarks

Discussion: Campaign 2012

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: Washington Times, Michelle Malkin and Patterico's Pontifications

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

Discussion: MyFox Philadelphia and Wall Street Journal

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

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

Mike Masnick / Techdirt:

SOPA Markup Runs Out Of Time; Likely Delayed Until 2012 [Update: Or Not...] — So this was a bit of a surprise. Lots of people expected Lamar Smith to keep the SOPA markup process going until he could get a vote out, even if it was late tonight. But it looks like he ran out of time.

Discussion: Boing Boing, BizzyBlog and US Politics, more at Mediagazer »

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

Russell Berman / The Hill:

Gingrich ramps up objections to judicial branch's power — Newt Gingrich is giving fair warning to judges and courts across the country: If he becomes president, the judiciary won't reign supreme. — The former House Speaker and current Republican presidential front-runner convened …

Discussion: The Raw Story

CBS Miami:

Don King's Turkey Giveaway Canceled After Truck ‘Hijacked’ — Boxing promoter Don King (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images) — MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Hundreds of needy South Floridians were disappointed to learn Friday that a truck loaded with Christmas turkeys to be donated by boxing promoter Don King had been hijacked.

Discussion: THEROOT.COM