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 …
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The Hill, Slate, Washington Wire, American Prospect, ThinkProgress, CBS News, New York Magazine, Taylor Marsh, Swampland, Mediaite, Weasel Zippers, Don Surber, American Power, The Daily Pulp, The New Republic, The Lonely Conservative, Lawyers, Guns & Money, National Review 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.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Washington Monthly, pandagon.net and Balloon Juice
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, Patterico's Pontifications, US Politics and Poynter
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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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.
Discussion:
Pundits Blog, Firedoglake, Clemson University, Mediaite, Outside the Beltway, Ballot Box, CBS News and Hot Air
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.
New York Times:
Bias in Ron Paul's Newsletters Draws New Attention — Emerging as a real Republican contender in Iowa, Representative Ron Paul of Texas is receiving new focus for decades-old unbylined columns in his political newsletters that included racist, anti-gay and anti-Israel passages that he has since disavowed.
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, Townhall.com, FrumForum, The Raw Story, The Politico, The Huffington Post, Campaign 2012 and Runnin' Scared
Jeff Zeleny / The Caucus:
Vander Plaats Endorses Santorum
Discussion:
Iowa Caucuses, Hot Air, The Other McCain, Towleroad News #gay, Right Wing Watch, The Huffington Post and New York Times
Rich Lowry / National Review:
Paul, the Fringe Frontrunner
Discussion:
Campaign 2012, Bloomberg and Rush Limbaugh
James Hohmann / The Politico:
Paul's new ad calls him The One …
Discussion:
Washington Wire and The Reaction
Washington Post:
Obama's job-approval rating is highest since summer, Post-ABC poll finds
Discussion:
The Caucus, The Politico, ThinkProgress, Hot Air and Outside the Beltway
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
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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
Sam Stein / The Huffington Post:
Reid Won't Appoint Negotiators To Hammer Out Payroll Tax Cut Deal
Discussion:
Daily Kos
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
Mr. Speaker, your weakness is showing
Discussion:
Washington Post, Daily Kos and Balloon Juice
Washington Post:
House Republicans intent on killing Senate payroll tax cut deal
Discussion:
Prairie Weather, msnbc.com, 2012 Decoded, Hot Air, The Week and New York Times
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:
The Future of Capitalism, Paul Krugman, Felix Salmon, New York Magazine, Gothamist, Corey Robin, Shakesville and Gawker
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:
Washington Monthly, Wall Street Journal, Gothamist, Washington Post, Guardian, ABCNEWS, FP Passport, Belmont Club and Gawker
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Mj Lee / The Politico:
Bill Clinton: Newt Gingrich tall tale on the budget — Former President Bill Clinton called out Newt Gingrich on Tuesday for claiming more credit than he deserves, saying the Republican presidential candidate actually led the opposition to efforts in 1993 to balance the nation's budget.
Discussion:
CNN
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Alexander Burns / The Politico:
Romney: ‘Get rid of these super PACs’
Discussion:
Political Mojo and CNN
Alex Seitz-Wald / ThinkProgress:
Instead Of Extending Tax Cut For 160 Million Americans, House Commissioned Bust Of Winston Churchill — While House Republicans couldn't get their act together to approve an extension of the payroll tax holiday and unemployment benefits last night, they were able to do something far more frivolousness …
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog, The Hill and The Politico
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Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:
Boehner: We'll take Churchill bust in the Capitol
Discussion:
ThinkProgress
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:
No More Mister Nice Blog, Don Surber, The Impolitic, americanthinker.com and Instapundit
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, Shakesville, Weasel Zippers and The Lonely Conservative
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, L.A. NOW and Nation Now
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:
emptywheel, Lawfare, Shakesville, Prairie Weather and Secrecy News
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