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:
Zandar Versus The Stupid, Washington Post, Big Journalism, Swampland, The Heritage Foundation, Liberal Values, American Prospect, CBS News, The Gateway Pundit, Hot Air, Little Green Footballs, ThinkProgress, Daily Kos, Indecision Forever, The TrogloPundit, The Other McCain, Wake up America, New York Magazine, No More Mister Nice Blog, Mediaite, National Review, Washington Wire, Taylor Marsh, The Daily Pulp, The New Republic, Weasel Zippers, American Power, Don Surber, The Lonely Conservative, INSTAPUTZ, Lawyers, Guns & Money 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”
Politifact's Bizarre “Lie of the Year”
Discussion:
Political Mojo, The New Republic and National Review, more at Mediagazer »
Sam Baker / The Hill:
Attacks on Paul Ryan's Medicare reform proposal named ‘lie of the year’
Attacks on Paul Ryan's Medicare reform proposal named ‘lie of the year’
Discussion:
ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/* and Daily Kos
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, Daily Kos, New York Magazine, The Humble Libertarian, Swampland, The Moderate Voice, ABCNEWS, msnbc.com, Iowa Caucuses, Wall Street Journal, Christian Science Monitor, Campaign 2012, Indecision Forever, American Prospect, Los Angeles Times, Booman Tribune, The Gateway Pundit, JustOneMinute, Betsy's Page, Hot Air, Washington Monthly, The Daily Dish, Vox Popoli and Public Policy Polling
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Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:
Romney leads Obama — For the first time in PPP's monthly national polling since July 2010 Mitt Romney's taken a lead, albeit a small one, over Barack Obama. He's up 47-45. — Romney has two main things going for him. He leads the President 45-36 with independents.
Discussion:
Ballot Box, The Politico and Fox News
Scott Clement / Washington Post:
Poll: Paul as third party candidate could doom GOP in 2012 — Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul (R-Texas) is gaining steam in his race for the GOP nomination, up to his highest level yet — 15 percent — in the new Washington Post-ABC News national poll.
Discussion:
Mediaite, Campaign 2012 and National Review
A.Killough / CNN:
CNN Poll: Obama gains strength in 2012 matchups — Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama's numbers are on the rise in two important indicators of his reelection chances, according to a new national survey. — A CNN/ORC International Poll out Tuesday indicates the president's margins …
Discussion:
Taylor Marsh and 2012 Decoded
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:
Eunomia, Hit & Run, Campaign 2012, Rush Limbaugh, The Daily Dish and The Daily Caller
Ta-Nehisi Coates / The Atlantic Online:
Ron Paul's Shaggy Defense
Ron Paul's Shaggy Defense
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, Little Green Footballs and The Daily Dish
Jonathan Easley / The Hill:
McCain: Payroll-tax fight ‘harming the Republican Party’ — Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said the failure of the House to approve the bipartisan Senate bill to extend the payroll-tax cut is “harming the Republican Party.” — Speaking Tuesday on CNN's “Situation Room,” McCain …
Discussion:
New York Times
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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:
Gawker, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Daily Kos, Mediaite, The Politico, The Hill and No More Mister Nice Blog
Erik Wasson / The Hill:
Rep. Pelosi on Speaker Boehner: ‘He is not Lucy and we are not Charlie Brown’
Rep. Pelosi on Speaker Boehner: ‘He is not Lucy and we are not Charlie Brown’
Discussion:
CNN
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 Hill, The Politico, Michelle Malkin, Weasel Zippers and Ballot Box
David Dayen / Firedoglake:
House Republicans Find Smarmiest Way Possible to Reject Payroll Tax Deal
House Republicans Find Smarmiest Way Possible to Reject Payroll Tax Deal
Discussion:
Open Congress, Hullabaloo and The Hill
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
Mr. Speaker, your weakness is showing
Mr. Speaker, your weakness is showing
Discussion:
Washington Post, Daily Kos and Balloon Juice
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:
ThinkProgress, The Lonely Conservative, Hot Air and Outside the Beltway
Alicia M. Cohn / The Hill:
Schumer predicts GOP will fold in payroll fight
Schumer predicts GOP will fold in payroll fight
Discussion:
The Politico, NationalJournal.com, Hot Air, Taylor Marsh, Weasel Zippers 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
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:
CNN, Hot Air, Business Insider, The Hill, Hullabaloo and Trail Blazers Blog
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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 …
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
Reid J. Epstein / The Politico:
Gary Johnson to drop out of GOP primary to run as Libertarian — Gary Johnson will quit the Republican primaries and seek the Libertarian Party nomination instead, POLITICO has learned. — The former two-term New Mexico governor, whose campaign for the GOP nomination never caught fire …
Discussion:
CNN, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Business Insider, Booman Tribune and The Daily Caller
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 …
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Jordan Weissmann / The Atlantic Online:
How Kim Jong Il Starved North Korea — What kind of disastrous economic policy results in the death by starvation of up to 3 million people in a nation with the population of Texas? — Reuters — When North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il died of a coronary this weekend after 17 years in power …
Discussion:
Hit & Run
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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.
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, Indecision Forever, The PJ Tatler and The Gateway Pundit