memeorandum: Keystone climbdown leaves Obama supporters scratching their heads (Amie Parnes/The Hill)

2:10 PM ET, December 18, 2011

Top Items:

Vaclav Havel, Dissident Playwright Who Led Czechoslovakia, Dead at 75 — PRAGUE — Vaclav Havel, the dissident playwright who wove theater into politics to peacefully bring down communism in Czechoslovakia and become a hero of the epic struggle that ended the Cold War, has died. He was 75.

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Atlantic Online, Taylor Marsh, The Talking Dog and Booman Tribune

Ted Mann / The Atlantic Wire:
Vaclav Havel is Dead

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Daily What, emptywheel and The Incidental Economist

Nick Gillespie / Hit & Run:
Vaclav Havel, RIP

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Harry's Place and Chicago Boyz

J.Y. Smith / Washington Post:
Vaclav Havel, dissident playwright and former Czech president, dies

Discussion: Suburban Guerrilla

Michael Winfrey / Reuters:
Vaclav Havel, leader of “Velvet Revolution,” dies

Discussion: americanthinker.com

Iowa Caucuses:

The Des Moines Register's GOP caucus endorsement: Mitt Romney is best to lead — Sobriety, wisdom and judgment. — Those are qualities Mitt Romney said he looks for in a leader. Those are qualities Romney himself has demonstrated in his career in business, public service and government.

Reid J. Epstein / The Politico:

Mitt Romney has tame return to Sunday roster — After avoiding Sunday morning interview shows for nearly two years, Mitt Romney spent half an hour with “Fox News Sunday” host Chris Wallace largely repeating his campaign talking points and mini-stump speeches.

Discussion: CNN

Jennifer Jacobs / Iowa Caucuses:

10 factors that could determine Newt Gingrich's fate in Iowa — Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich and his wife, Callista, greet audience members at the Republican presidential debate in Sioux City on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) — The novelty of a Newt Gingrich presidency …

Discussion: Boston Globe, Swampland and The Politico

A.Killough / CNN:
Des Moines Register endorses Romney

Discussion: The Politico, USA Today, Iowa Caucuses and Los Angeles Times

Associated Press:
Gingrich says rivals' criticism taking a toll

Discussion: The Caucus

Ron Nixon / New York Times:

Boehner Says House G.O.P. Opposes Deal on Payroll Tax — WASHINGTON — A day after the Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation to extend a payroll tax cut for two months, House Republicans made clear Sunday that they would not support the measure. — Speaker John A. Boehner …

Discussion: Blue Mass Group

Amie Parnes / The Hill:

Keystone climbdown leaves Obama supporters scratching their heads — President Obama put two conditions in end-game talks on extending the payroll tax holiday. — He wanted to pay for the extension with a surtax on millionaires, and he made clear that the Keystone XL oil pipeline should be kept out of the legislation.

Discussion: The Politico, Roll Call, The Huffington Post, CNN and New York Times

Russell Berman / The Hill:

White House backs Senate payroll bill over House objections — The White House is throwing its weight behind a Senate compromise for a two-month extension of the payroll tax cut, despite strong objections from House Republicans that could unravel the deal. — The director of the National …

Discussion: CNN, The Politico and RedState

Jonathan Allenand Jake Sherman / The Politico:
House GOP revolts on payroll deal

Discussion: CNN, Power Line, Booman Tribune, americanthinker.com, The Other McCain and Don Surber

Max Fisher / The Atlantic Online:

A Photo That Encapsulates the Horror of Egypt's Crackdown — Three soldiers beat a defenseless woman, pull off her abaya, and drag her down a Cairo street — The above photo shows Egyptian army soldiers beating a young woman in Tahrir Square in Cairo on Saturday, the second straight …

Discussion: Sister Toldjah and Newshoggers.com

David D. Kirkpatrick / New York Times:
Egyptian Soldiers Chase and Beat Unarmed Civilians in Cairo

Discussion: A Blog For All and americanthinker.com

Robert Stacy McCain / The Other McCain:

Minnesota Republican Resigns Post Over Allegation of ‘Inappropriate’ Relationship — This news was a shock to me, involving allegations — and we must stress that these are only allegations at this point — against a female politician whom I have actually met: … (Via TPM and Memorandum.)

Discussion: Don Surber, MinnPost, Daily Pundit and Firedoglake

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

Discussion: Minneapolis Star Tribune, The Blotter, Hullabaloo, The Raw Story and Hot Dish Politics

New York Times:

Last Convoy of American Troops Leaves Iraq, Marking an End to the War — BAGHDAD — The last convoy of American troops to leave Iraq drove into Kuwait on Sunday morning, marking the end of the nearly nine-year war. — The convoy's departure, which included about 110 vehicles and 500 soldiers …

Discussion: Reuters, msnbc.com, ThinkProgress, Outside the Beltway, The Daily What and Washington Monthly

Star-Ledger Guest / NJ Voices Guest blog:

Discrimination against same-sex marriages cannot be tolerated in our society as a matter of law — By Robert Menendez — Since my vote in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act 15 years ago, like tens of millions of Americans, I have reflected deeply and frequently about this issue.

Discussion: Towleroad News #gay and Talking Points Memo

Allysia Finley / Wall Street Journal:

The Chicago Expulsion Act of 2011 — Windy City pols are bankrupting Illinois with bailouts for their hometown. Now downstate legislators are fighting back. — 'Why would anyone want to live in Illinois? " So muses Curt Wooters, who works for the state and helps his dad run …

Discussion: americanthinker.com and Instapundit