Top Items:
The Politico:
McConnell: Pass short-term extension — In a blow to House Republicans, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has called on the House to pass a two-month payroll tax extension — while pushing Democrats to negotiate a full year extension of the tax break. — McConnell's statement came …
Discussion:
CBS News, Washington Post, Bloomberg, The Mahablog, Sky Dancing, Daily Kos, Booman Tribune and US Politics
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Susan Jones / CNSNews:
‘Waa, No Pizza Night’: Sad Stories Roll In at Request of Obama White House — (CNSNews.com) - The White House says it's been flooded with responses to the question it posed Wednesday: “What does $40 mean to you?” — One day after the White House asked “working” people to …
Discussion:
The Jawa Report, Michelle Malkin, The Lonely Conservative and Hot Air
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
McConnell sides with Dems over Boehner — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has been awfully quiet the last few days, as House Republicans rebel against the bipartisan payroll-tax-cut compromise he negotiated and helped pass last weekend. This morning that changed.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Associated Press, The Moderate Voice, The New Republic, Talking Points Memo and Daily Kos
John Parkinson / ABCNEWS:
Boehner Asks White House to Negotiate, but Obama Declines Invitation — House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, phoned President Obama this morning and asked him to send members of his economic team to the Capitol to end the political stalemate and negotiate a path toward a one-year extension of the payroll tax credit.
Discussion:
The PJ Tatler and The Gateway Pundit
msnbc.com:
First Thoughts: What we learned from the Romney interview
Discussion:
The Politico and Washington Monthly
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Senate GOP worries tax standoff could cost them chance at upper chamber
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, The Politico, Outside the Beltway, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Washington Post, Prairie Weather and Roll Call
David Jackson / USA Today:
Obama endorses McConnell payroll tax cut plan
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The New Republic and White House.gov Blog
National / NationalJournal.com:
McConnell Breaks With Boehner, Says House Should Pass Payroll Extension
Discussion:
Mediaite, National Review and 89.3 WFPL News
Dorothy Rabinowitz / Wall Street Journal:
What Ron Paul Thinks of America — It seemed improbable that the best-known American propagandist for our enemies could be near the top of the pack in the Iowa contest, but there it is. — Ron Paul's supporters are sure of one thing: Their candidate has always been consistent …
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Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Paul in 1995: Say, have you read my newsletters? — Mitt Romney can breathe a sigh of relief, because Andrew Kaczynksi has shifted his attention to Ron Paul this week. Andrew dug up a 1995 interview with C-SPAN, a year before running for Congress after a decade out of office.
Ta-Nehisi Coates / The Atlantic Online:
Old News Cont. — Correction: After some prodding from Julian Sanchez, I re-read the Dave's piece. Calling it a defense is wrong. It isn't. It's an explanation. My apologies. I leave the text intact so that nothing is hidden. — Yesteday Ron Paul claimed on CNN that he'd never read …
Discussion:
Firedoglake, The Daily Dish and ThinkProgress
Jackie Kucinich / USA Today:
Paul's story changes on racial comments — WASHINGTON - Rep. Ron Paul has tried since 2001 to disavow racist and incendiary language published in Texas newsletters that bore his name, denying he wrote them and even walking out of an interview on CNN Wednesday.
Alex Alvarez / Mediaite:
Hey, CNN? Can We Talk About What's Going On Between You And Ron Paul?
Discussion:
Gawker, The Moderate Voice, The Reaction, Indecision Forever, GOP 12 and The Page
Joe Holley / Rick Perry 2012 Campaign for President:
Bush 41 backs Romney for president, admits he's not Gingrich's ‘biggest advocate’ — 1,587 — Less than two weeks before Iowa Republicans make their crucial caucus choices on the night of Jan. 3, George H.W. Bush offered words of support, if not an official endorsement, to an old friend, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
Discussion:
CNN, The Hill, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Los Angeles Times, GOP 12, USA Today, The Caucus, Campaign 2012 and The Raw Story
Kevin Hoffman / The Blotter:
Gay community apologizes to Amy Koch for ruining her marriage — The gay and lesbian community of Minnesota has issued a letter of apology to recently resigned Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch for ruining the institution of marriage and causing her to stray from her husband and engage in an “inappropriate relationship.”
Discussion:
Box Turtle Bulletin, Gawker, Mediaite, Truth Wins Out and Hot Dish Politics
The Politico:
Mitt Romney Rx: A bloody nose — Here is one way to look at Mitt Romney's challenge from Newt Gingrich: As one more humiliation delivered by Republican activists who have made clear over and over that they would really, really prefer to fall in love with someone, anyone, whose name is not Mitt Romney.
Discussion:
CNN, Wall Street Journal, No More Mister Nice Blog, ABCNEWS, Hot Air and The Hill
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Annie Lowrey / New York Times:
Signs Point to Economy's Rise, but Experts See a False Dawn — WASHINGTON — As the fourth quarter draws to a close, a spate of unexpectedly good economic data suggests that it will have some of the fastest and strongest economic growth since the recovery started in 2009 …
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New York Post:
Former Congressman Anthony Weiner's wife gives birth to baby boy — After a year filled with ridicule and scandal, disgraced former Congressman Anthony Weiner finally has something he can feel proud about — a new baby boy. — Weiner's wife, Huma Abedin, gave birth to the wee Democrat yesterday …
Discussion:
Gothamist, Mediaite, The Daily Caller, Runnin' Scared and msnbc.com
Mackenzie Weinger / The Politico:
Jim Sensenbrenner sorry for ‘big butt’ quip — Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner sent a note of apology Thursday to Michelle Obama for referring to her “large posterior” and “big butt,” his spokesperson told POLITICO. — Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) was overheard talking about the first lady's healthy food initiative …
Discussion:
FishbowlDC, Weasel Zippers and Alan Colmes' Liberaland
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Daniel Bice / JSOnline:
Sensenbrenner apologizes to first lady over “big butt” remark
Discussion:
Colorlines, FishbowlDC, Gawker and ABCNEWS
George F. Will / Washington Post:
Gingrich, the anti-conservative — When discussing his amazingness, Newt Gingrich sometimes exaggerates somewhat, as when, discussing Bosnia and Washington, D.C., street violence, he said, “People like me are what stand between us and Auschwitz” [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jan. 16, 1994].
James Fallows / The Atlantic Online:
What I Want For Christmas — Now that you ask. — Thanks to my old Shanghai/Beijing colleague Louisa Lim of NPR for the tip. Place your orders here.
Discussion:
The Washington Note
ProPublica:
How Democrats Fooled California's Redistricting Commission — This spring, a group of California Democrats gathered at a modern, airy office building just a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol. The meeting was House members only — no aides allowed — and the mission was seemingly impossible.
Discussion:
RedState, Big Government, Political Mojo, Hotline On Call, Campaign 2012 and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion
Stephen Colbert / The State:
Colbert guest editorial: Naming rights, state mottoes and the GOP primary + video — As a proud son of South Carolina I must address recent unsubstantiated rumors published in The State that I, Stephen Colbert, tried to buy the naming rights to the 2012 Republican primary.
Discussion:
Mediaite, Los Angeles Times and 2012 Decoded
Gschwarzcnn / CNN:
Santorum: Vander Plaats said ‘he needed money to promote the endorsement’ — Des Moines, Iowa (CNN) - One of the most influential Christian leaders in Iowa told Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum “he needed money to promote the endorsement” of the candidate, Santorum told CNN on Wednesday.
Discussion:
The Politico, GOP 12, Iowa Caucuses, National Review, The Other McCain, Good As You and ThinkProgress
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