Top Items:
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:
Washington Post, American Prospect, Little Green Footballs, Big Journalism, ThinkProgress, New York Magazine, Wake up America, Taylor Marsh, Swampland, The Heritage Foundation, CBS News, Indecision Forever, Hot Air, Mediaite, Washington Wire, The Daily Pulp, No More Mister Nice Blog, Weasel Zippers, The Other McCain, Don Surber, American Power, Daily Kos, The New Republic, The Lonely Conservative, National Review, Lawyers, Guns & Money, INSTAPUTZ and JSOnline, more at Mediagazer »
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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.
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.
Matthew Yglesias / Slate:
Politifact's Bizarre “Lie of the Year” … - Lithwick: Newt Gingrich's Insanely Stupid Attack on the Judicial Branch — What I Learned From Coaching a Women's Basketball Team in Qatar — True Fact: Greeks and Italians Work Way Harder Than Germans Do — Can We Please Start Calling Kesha a Rapper?
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 …
Discussion:
CNN, msnbc.com, Los Angeles Times, ABCNEWS, New York Magazine, The Humble Libertarian, Swampland, Washington Post, Iowa Caucuses, Indecision Forever, The Moderate Voice, American Prospect, Wall Street Journal, Christian Science Monitor, Betsy's Page, The Gateway Pundit, JustOneMinute, Booman Tribune, Campaign 2012, Hot Air, Washington Monthly, The Daily Dish, Vox Popoli and Public Policy Polling
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Reid J. Epstein / The Politico:
Source: Bob Vander Plaats asked Michele Bachmann to quit — DES MOINES - Iowa evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats called Michele Bachmann and urged her to drop out of the race and endorse Rick Santorum, a source with knowledge of the conversation told POLITICO Tuesday.
Discussion:
Business Insider, Hullabaloo, The Hill and Trail Blazers Blog
The Caucus:
Vander Plaats Endorses Santorum — Bob Vander Plaats, speaking in Iowa in March, endorsed Rick Santorum on Tuesday. — 12:51 p.m. | Updated CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Two weeks before the Republican nominating contest opens at the Iowa caucuses, former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania …
Rich Lowry / National Review:
Paul, the Fringe Frontrunner — Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul is in a bid to make history in Iowa. Can he become the first marginal, conspiracy-minded congressman with an embarrassing catalog of racist material published under his name to win the caucuses?
Discussion:
Hit & Run, Eunomia, Campaign 2012, The Daily Dish, Rush Limbaugh, The Daily Caller and Bloomberg
Ta-Nehisi Coates / The Atlantic Online:
Ron Paul's Shaggy Defense — The Times notes that Ron Paul's racism newsletters are, again, becoming an issue. The standard defense has generally been Paul didn't write the newsletters. I think an honest reckoning with that defense would have someone question the faculties of an adult …
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, The Daily Dish, Little Green Footballs and Hot Air
Newt Gingrich / Washington Post:
2. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Obama is handling [ITEM]? Do you approve/disapprove strongly or somewhat? — NET Strongly Somewhat NET Somewhat Strongly opinion a. The economy 41 17 24 56 13 43 2 b.
Scott Clement / Washington Post:
Poll: Paul as third party candidate could doom GOP in 2012
Poll: Paul as third party candidate could doom GOP in 2012
Discussion:
Campaign 2012, National Review, Mediaite and Hot Air
A.Killough / CNN:
Perry presses ‘outsider’ message as closing Iowa argument
Perry presses ‘outsider’ message as closing Iowa argument
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, The Politico and ABCNEWS
Elizabeth Hartfield / ABCNEWS:
Gingrich Campaign Steps Up Efforts to Qualify For Virginia Primary
Gingrich Campaign Steps Up Efforts to Qualify For Virginia Primary
Discussion:
National Review, Indecision Forever, Trail Blazers Blog and Ricochet Conversations Feed
Alexander Burns / The Politico:
Romney: ‘Get rid of these super PACs’
Romney: ‘Get rid of these super PACs’
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, Hot Air, Political Mojo and CNN
David Dayen / Firedoglake:
House Republicans Find Smarmiest Way Possible to Reject Payroll Tax Deal — Speaker Boehner weeps over payroll tax cut (Image: DonkeyHotey) — The procedural wizards in the House Republican caucus stayed up late last night to concoct this scheme, a way to dispose of the Senate's payroll tax deal by voting affirmatively.
Discussion:
Open Congress, Hullabaloo and The Hill
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Alicia M. Cohn / The Hill:
Rep. Jackson Lee: Obama should use executive power to extend payroll tax cut
Rep. Jackson Lee: Obama should use executive power to extend payroll tax cut
Discussion:
The Politico, Michelle Malkin, Ballot Box and Weasel Zippers
Alex Seitz-Wald / ThinkProgress:
Instead Of Extending Tax Cut For 160 Million Americans, House Commissioned Bust Of Winston Churchill
Instead Of Extending Tax Cut For 160 Million Americans, House Commissioned Bust Of Winston Churchill
Discussion:
The Hill, Gawker, Mediaite, No More Mister Nice Blog and The Politico
Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:
House rebuffs Senate payroll tax cut extension, calls for conference
House rebuffs Senate payroll tax cut extension, calls for conference
Discussion:
Hot Air and Outside the Beltway
Josh Dorner / ThinkProgress:
BREAKING: House Republicans Walk Away From Bipartisan Compromise on Payroll Tax Cut, Jobless Benefits
BREAKING: House Republicans Walk Away From Bipartisan Compromise on Payroll Tax Cut, Jobless Benefits
Discussion:
American Prospect, The Politico and New York Magazine
Sam Stein / The Huffington Post:
Reid Won't Appoint Negotiators To Hammer Out Payroll Tax Cut Deal
Reid Won't Appoint Negotiators To Hammer Out Payroll Tax Cut Deal
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, Naked Politics and Daily Kos
The Politico:
House rejects Senate payroll tax deal
House rejects Senate payroll tax deal
Discussion:
Taylor Marsh, Outside the Beltway and CNN
Daniel Strauss / The Hill:
GOP Sen. Brown slams House for ‘playing politics’ with tax vote
GOP Sen. Brown slams House for ‘playing politics’ with tax vote
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers
Alicia M. Cohn / The Hill:
Schumer predicts GOP will fold in payroll fight
Schumer predicts GOP will fold in payroll fight
Discussion:
The Politico, Weasel Zippers, CNN and ABCNEWS
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
Mr. Speaker, your weakness is showing
Mr. Speaker, your weakness is showing
Discussion:
Washington Post, Prairie Weather and Balloon Juice
Michael D. Shear / The Caucus:
Is Republican Infighting Helping Obama?
Is Republican Infighting Helping Obama?
Discussion:
Washington Post, NationalJournal.com, 2012 Decoded, Hot Air, Connecting.the.Dots and ThinkProgress
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.
Gschwarzcnn / CNN:
CNN Poll: President's approval nearing 50% — Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama's approval rating, a crucial indicator of his reelection chances, is on the rise, according to a new national survey. — A CNN/ORC International Poll out Tuesday also indicates that the partisan battle …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Gallup, American Prospect, The Politico, The Caucus, Guardian, Balloon Juice, The Raw Story, The Daily Dish, Weasel Zippers, Booman Tribune and Slate
Patrick Goodenough / CNSNews:
U.N. Adopts ‘Religious Intolerance’ Resolution Championed by Obama Administration — (CNSNews.com) - The U.N. General Assembly on Monday adopted a resolution condemning the stereotyping, negative profiling and stigmatization of people based on their religion, and urging countries to take effective steps …
Discussion:
Atlas Shrugs, Jihad Watch and Weasel Zippers
New York Post:
Ugly inside & out — His face horribly charred from his alleged gasoline attack on a beloved Brooklyn mom, Jerome Isaac was jailed without bail yesterday, as the woman's devastated family pressed the DA to lock him up for life. — “I know this is the defendant's first offense …
Discussion:
Gothamist and CBS New York
Mj Lee / The Politico:
Blogs bash Obama's historic claim — NewsBusters calls Obama's statements made during his ‘60 Minutes’ interview ‘laughable.’ — Newt Gingrich isn't the only one on the campaign trail who sees himself as a towering historical figure. President Barack Obama has just joined the club.
Discussion:
JustOneMinute, The PJ Tatler and The Gateway Pundit