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12:35 PM ET, December 21, 2011

Top Items:

The GOP's Payroll Tax Fiasco — How did Republicans manage to lose the tax issue to Obama? — GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell famously said a year ago that his main task in the 112th Congress was to make sure that President Obama would not be re-elected.

Mj Lee / Reuters:

WSJ: GOP a ‘circular firing squad’ — In a devastating blow to congressional Republicans, the Wall Street Journal's editorial board blasted the GOP's leaders on the Hill Wednesday for botching the political battle against President Barack Obama and Democrats on the payroll tax issue …

Discussion: The Hill and Business Insider

Amie Parnes / The Hill:

Obama's Hawaii Christmas dilemma — President Obama faces a most difficult decision with the payroll tax extension up in the air, and it isn't whether to compromise with Republicans. — The toughest call for the president this holiday season could be whether to join his family for Christmas in Hawaii or stay in lonely Washington.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and Pundit & Pundette

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

Literally walking away from a fight — It was rather remarkable this morning to watch the proceedings on the House floor. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) wanted to try again to bring up the Senate's bipartisan payroll-tax-break compromise, and instead of debating, Republicans literally walked away from the fight.

Discussion: ThinkProgress and Washington Post

Alex Seitz-Wald / ThinkProgress:

Romney Refuses To Take Position On Payroll Tax Holiday — In two TV interviews today, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney refused to take a stance on the biggest issue in Washington today: the extension of the payroll tax holiday. A huge bipartisan majority in the Senate passed …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Marin Cogan / The Politico:

House Republicans who bucked their party — Seven House Republicans bucked their party and voted against sending the payroll tax bill to conference Tuesday. — Reps. Charlie Bass of New Hampshire, Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington state, Chris Gibson of New York, Tim Johnson of Illinois …

Discussion: Washington Monthly

Los Angeles Times:

With payroll tax cut unresolved, Congress packs up — House lawmakers prepare to follow their Senate colleagues on a holiday recess, with no sign of a compromise that would save the expiring tax break for workers. — “The clock is ticking; time is running out,” said President Obama …

Discussion: New York Times, Hullabaloo, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/* and The Other McCain

Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:

House Republicans stiff attempt from Democrats to call up Senate payroll bill — House Republicans blocked a Democratic attempt Wednesday to call up the Senate payroll tax bill by quickly gaveling the day's pro forma session to a close. — Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) presided over the brief session …

Discussion: Washington Monthly

Manu Rajuand John Bresnahan / The Politico:
McConnell leaves Boehner on limb

Discussion: CNN, Taegan Goddard's …, The Hill and Hot Air

Daniel Strauss / The Hill:
GOP senator says Republicans need to resolve payroll tax fight and ‘move on’

Discussion: Daily Kos

David Espo / Time:
Obama Blames GOP for Tax Increase

Discussion: The Caucus, The Reaction, New York Magazine and Truthdig

Roll Call:
Payroll Tax Cut Standoff Begins

Discussion: Daily Kos

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
Explaining Obama's Approval Rating Bounce

Discussion: The Reaction, Philly.com, Outside the Beltway, American Prospect, Guardian and Washington Monthly

Major Garrett / NationalJournal.com:
Congress's Payroll Standoff — Who Blinks First?

Discussion: Booman Tribune, The Mahablog, Hot Air, Swampland and The Hill

Washington Post:
Congress leaves town with an uneasy stalemate and looming payroll tax hike

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Politico, Prairie Weather, The Hill and CNN

Washington Post:
Obama blasts GOP after House Republicans defeat two-month payroll tax cut

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Huffington Post, Indecision Forever, USA Today, THEROOT.COM, Political Mojo, The Hill and The Moderate Voice

Benjamin Kang Lim / Reuters:

Exclusive: North Korea's military to share power with Kim's heir — (Reuters) - North Korea will shift to collective rule from a strongman dictatorship after last week's death of Kim Jong-il, although his untested young son will be at the head of the ruling coterie, a source with close ties to Pyongyang and Beijing said.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, New York Times, Gothamist, Associated Press and New York Magazine

Scott Whitlock / NewsBusters.org:
Whoopi Goldberg: Communism Is ‘a Great Concept’ That ‘Makes Perfect Sense’ on Paper

Discussion: Doug Ross

Jordan Weissmann / The Atlantic Online:
How Kim Jong Il Starved North Korea

Discussion: americanthinker.com and Hit & Run

Jason Clayworth / Iowa Caucuses:

Newt Gingrich to gay Iowan: Vote for Obama — Gingrich and his wife Callista at tonight's event in Oskaloosa. Oskaloosa, Ia. - Newt Gingrich told a gay man and longtime resident of Oskaloosa here today that he should vote for President Obama. — “I asked him if he's elected, how does he plan to engage gay Americans.

Discussion: Mediaite, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, The Moderate Voice, Gawker, LGBTQ Nation, Towleroad News #gay, Outside the Beltway and Joe. My. God.

news.iastate.edu:

Paul now top pick in new ISU/Gazette/KCRG Poll, but voters still uncertain — AMES, Iowa — A new Iowa State University/Gazette/KCRG poll of 333 likely Iowa Republican caucus goers finds Ron Paul in the top spot among GOP presidential candidates with 27.5 percent, followed closely by Newt Gingrich with 25.3 percent.

Discussion: Iowa Caucus 2012, New York Times, CNN and msnbc.com

James Lynch / KCRG-TV:
Vote 2012: Ron Paul Takes Lead in KCRG/Gazette/ISU Poll

Discussion: Wake up America, Unlikely Voter and Ricochet Conversations Feed

Alexander Burns / The Politico:

You, sir, are no Teddy Roosevelt — In a speech to be delivered in Bedford, N.H., this evening, Mitt Romney will push back explicitly on Barack Obama's recent invocation of Teddy Roosevelt in a speech the president used to frame the 2012 campaign in terms of “fairness.” Here's what Romney will say:

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Paul Krugman, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Caucus, New York Magazine and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

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 …

John Hinderaker / Power Line:

Obama Places Himself on the Continuum of Greatness — There was an initially-overlooked moment in President Obama's recent interview with 60 Minutes. Excerpts from the interview were played on television, and CBS posted the interview in its entirety on its web site.

Discussion: Betsy's Page, Pundit & Pundette, JustOneMinute, National Review, Indecision Forever, The Gateway Pundit and The Politico

Evan McMorris-Santoro / 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com:

TPM2012 — Newt's Campaign Comes Down To Earth As Iowan Calls Him ‘F—king A—hole’ To His Face — When a man in a camouflage coat grabs your hand in an Iowa grocery store and calls you ‘a f**king a**hole’ to your face, it might be time to take stock of your position in the state.

Discussion: Balloon Juice, The Gateway Pundit, Mediaite, CNN, New York Magazine, Talking Points Memo and The Raw Story

Frank Newport / Gallup:

Many Americans Dissatisfied With All Presidential Candidates — Nearly half say there is no candidate who would make a good president — PRINCETON, NJ — Americans are divided when asked if there is any candidate running who they think would make a good president, with 48% saying yes …

Discussion: The Politico and National Review

BBC:

South American states ban Falklands vessels from ports — Argentina has long claimed sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, which lie 400 miles from its coast — A South American trading bloc has agreed to close its ports to ships flying the Falkland Islands flag.

Discussion: The Other McCain and Biased BBC

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:

Romney Tortures Jennifer Rubin — Romney is making life hard for his Republican Jewish fans. — I've written before about the agonizing plight facing Jennifer Rubin, the Washington Post blogger. On the one hand, Rubin's deepest roots lie in ultra-hawkish pro-Israel neoconservatism.

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Riehl World View