Top Items:
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
PolitiFact ought to be ashamed of itself — The fact-checking website PolitiFact has announced its “Lie of the Year” for 2011. It made a poor, credibility-killing choice. … This is simply indefensible. Claims that are factually true shouldn't be eligible for a Lie of the Year designation.
Discussion:
The New Republic, US Politics and Lawyers, Guns & Money
RELATED:
PolitiFact:
Lie of the Year 2011: ‘Republicans voted to end Medicare’ — Republicans muscled a budget through the House of Representatives in April that they said would take an important step toward reducing the federal deficit. Introduced by U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the plan kept Medicare intact …
Discussion:
American Prospect, ThinkProgress, CBS News, The Daily Pulp, The New Republic and JSOnline
Paul Krugman:
Politifact, R.I.P. — This is really awful. Politifact, which is supposed to police false claims in politics, has announced its Lie of the Year — and it's a statement that happens to be true, the claim that Republicans have voted to end Medicare. — Steve Benen in the link above explains it, but let me just repeat the basics.
Discussion:
Balloon Juice
Jonathan Martinand Alexander Burns / The Politico:
Will Ron Paul kill the caucuses? — SIOUX CITY, IOWA -The alarms are sounding in Iowa. — Conservatives and Republican elites in the state are divided over who to support for the GOP nomination, but they almost uniformly express concern over the prospect that Ron Paul and his army …
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Gary Langer / ABCNEWS:
Gingrich, Romney Go to a Tie; More See Obama as Competitive — Newt Gingrich has relinquished sole front-runner status almost as quickly as he gained it, landing at a dead heat with Mitt Romney in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll. And as the GOP hopefuls battle it out, ratings of Barack Obama's prospects have warmed.
Discussion:
Trail Blazers Blog and Ricochet Conversations Feed
Lydia Saad / Gallup:
Both Romney and Gingrich Tie Obama on 2012 Ballot — Negative voting more a factor against Obama than against either Republican — PRINCETON, NJ — Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich essentially tie President Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential election preferences of registered voters nationwide.
Discussion:
Campaign 2012
Tim Mak / The Politico:
Mitt Romney: Newt Gingrich blew it on two key issues — Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney slammed rival Newt Gingrich Tuesday for being on the wrong side of “the two big conservative issues” of our time. — Romney cited cap-and-trade and Paul Ryan's entitlement reform proposal.
Discussion:
CNN
Newt Gingrich / Washington Post:
2. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Obama is handling [ITEM]? Do you approve/disapprove strongly or somewhat?
2. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Obama is handling [ITEM]? Do you approve/disapprove strongly or somewhat?
Discussion:
Mediaite, Ballot Box and Hot Air
Washington Post:
Poll: Gingrich, Romney in dead heat nationally
Poll: Gingrich, Romney in dead heat nationally
Discussion:
americanthinker.com, Donklephant, Hot Air, Fox News, ABCNEWS and Los Angeles Times
James Pethokoukis / The Enterprise Blog:
Romney's tax troubles ... with conservatives
Romney's tax troubles ... with conservatives
Discussion:
Political Mojo and New York Times
Lydia Saad / Gallup:
Gingrich's Lead Over Romney Among Republicans Collapses
Gingrich's Lead Over Romney Among Republicans Collapses
Discussion:
Clemson University, The Reaction, Global Public Square, Questions and Observations, Fox News, Washington Post, Outside the Beltway, msnbc.com, CNN, CBS News, Hot Air, Salon.com, The Moderate Voice, ABCNEWS, Real Clear Politics, The Politico, American Power, Firedoglake, Los Angeles Times, The Caucus, Public Policy Polling and Gawker
Alicia M. Cohn / The Hill:
Schumer predicts GOP will fold in payroll fight — Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday predicted the GOP will fold and said Democrats should wait out the House Republicans over the payroll tax cut extension. — “In a few days, they will fold unless someone falls for these subterfuges …
Discussion:
CNN and Weasel Zippers
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Washington Post:
House Republicans intent on killing Senate payroll tax cut deal — House Republicans returned to Washington on Monday, intent on ditching a bipartisan Senate deal to extend a federal payroll tax holiday for two months, charging that the deal represented the old ways of doing business that they were elected to change.
Discussion:
2012 Decoded, Prairie Weather, msnbc.com, Hot Air and The Week
Washington Post:
Obama's job-approval rating is highest since summer, Post-ABC poll finds
Obama's job-approval rating is highest since summer, Post-ABC poll finds
Discussion:
The Caucus, Hot Air and Outside the Beltway
Sam Stein / The Huffington Post:
House Republicans Pushed Two-Month Payroll Tax Holiday In January 2009
House Republicans Pushed Two-Month Payroll Tax Holiday In January 2009
Discussion:
Washington Monthly and New York Times
Ian Swanson / The Hill:
House GOP to vote Tuesday on holding payroll tax conference with Senate
House GOP to vote Tuesday on holding payroll tax conference with Senate
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, The Heritage Foundation, The Politico and The Maddow Blog
Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
The Morning Plum — * Tea Party conservatives dislike taxes …
The Morning Plum — * Tea Party conservatives dislike taxes …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Zandar Versus The Stupid, New York Magazine, Roll Call, ThinkProgress and Political Mojo
Josh Lederman / Ballot Box:
DCCC unleashing Carville on House GOP
DCCC unleashing Carville on House GOP
Discussion:
CNN, tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com, Weasel Zippers and Taylor Marsh
New York Times:
In Kim's Death, an Extensive Intelligence Failure — Televisions at an electronics store in Seoul, South Korea, featured reports on Monday about the death of Kim Jong-il, the North Korean Leader. North Korea said Mr. Kim, 69, died on Saturday. More Photos »
Discussion:
Guardian, Gothamist, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, ABCNEWS, FP Passport and Belmont Club
RELATED:
Roque Planas / NY Daily News:
Santa says 'I don't do poor countries' in new UNICEF Christmas ad — New ad encourages people to give gifts through the charity instead — A new UNICEF ad shows Santa saying, 'I don't do poor countries.' — Santa won't bother going to poor countries this year, so the United Nations Children's Fund …
Discussion:
Don Surber and nation.foxnews.com
RELATED:
Max Abelson / Bloomberg:
Bankers Seek to Debunk ‘Imbecile’ Attack on Top 1% — Jamie Dimon, the highest-paid chief executive officer among the heads of the six biggest U.S. banks, turned a question at an investors' conference in New York this month into an occasion to defend wealth.
Discussion:
Felix Salmon, New York Magazine and Gawker
Washington Examiner:
GOP unhappiness with field fuels buzz for Jeb Bush — There's no doubt some Republicans remain unhappy with the GOP presidential field. They wish other candidates — Mitch Daniels, Chris Christie, Paul Ryan, Jeb Bush — had entered a long time ago. But the Iowa caucuses are in two weeks.
Discussion:
americanthinker.com and No More Mister Nice Blog
RELATED:
Charles P. Pierce / Esquire:
Draft Jeb!
Draft Jeb!
Discussion:
American Power, American Spectator, americanthinker.com and The Moderate Voice
Frank Newport / Gallup:
Congress Ends 2011 With Record-Low 11% Approval — Annual average for 2011, 17%, also lowest in Gallup history — PRINCETON, NJ — A new record-low 11% of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing, the lowest single rating in Gallup's history of asking this question since 1974.
Discussion:
Connecting.the.Dots, The Raw Story, Weasel Zippers and Slate
RELATED:
dailynewbloginternational:
International Rockstar Legend Jon Bon Jovi dead again at 49 — Rockstar Jon Bon Jovi (John Francis Bongiovi, Jr) was pronounced dead today after paramedics found him in a coma at his Empress Hotel, city and law enforcement of Asbury Park, NJ sources told The Times after World Christmas Tour concert on
Discussion:
Telegraph, Gothamist, The Daily Caller and L.A. NOW
Terence P. Jeffrey / CNSNews:
U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Pays Homage to Obama—But Not Jesus — (CNSNews.com) - The 63-foot Sierra White Fir lighted at the U.S. Capitol Grounds on Dec. 6 as the official 2011 Capitol Christmas Tree includes a prominently displayed ornament paying homage to President Barack Obama …
Discussion:
The Jawa Report, The Gateway Pundit, Weasel Zippers and The Lonely Conservative
Karen DeYoung / Washington Post:
Secrecy defines Obama's drone war — Since September, at least 60 people have died in 14 reported CIA drone strikes in Pakistan's tribal regions. The Obama administration has named only one of the dead, hailing the elimination of Janbaz Zadran, a top official in the Haqqani insurgent network, as a counterterrorism victory.
Discussion:
Lawfare, Prairie Weather and Secrecy News