memeorandum: Toward Healthier Air (New York Times)

2:10 PM ET, December 22, 2011

Top Items:

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 …

Discussion: The Daily Dish, No More Mister Nice Blog, Washington Post, Balloon Juice, TalkLeft, Business Insider, GOP 12, American Power, LewRockwell.com Blog, INSTAPUTZ, Wizbang and The Daily Caller

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.

Discussion: Right Wing News, Outside the Beltway, Leon_H_Wolf's blog, Total Return, Mediaite and USA Today

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

Conor Friedersdorf / The Atlantic Online:

Grappling With Ron Paul's Racist Newsletters — The biggest obstacle to his candidacy is making headlines again. If he wants to win anything, he's going to need to confront it. — Did you know about the racist newsletters published in the late 1980s and early 1990s under Ron Paul's name?

Discussion: A plain blog about politics, The Daily Dish, Outside the Beltway, neo-neocon and The Reaction

Alex Alvarez / Mediaite:
Hey, CNN? Can We Talk About What's Going On Between You And Ron Paul?

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Jackie Kucinich / USA Today:
Paul's story changes on racial comments

Discussion: Stinque, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Wall Street Journal, Hit & Run, RedState, Pirate's Cove, Melanie Phillips, CNN, Hot Air, The Right Scoop and The Daily Caller

James Crugnale / Mediaite:
Rep. Ron Paul Gets Irked By Newsletter Questions, Walks Out Of CNN Interview

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, Slate, ABCNEWS, The Atlantic Online, msnbc.com, The Daily Dish, Washington Monthly, Indecision Forever, National Review, GOP 12, The Humble Libertarian, The Page, American Power, Business Insider, The PJ Tatler and Little Green Footballs

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: USA Today, CBS News, Washington Post, ABCNEWS, Bloomberg, The Mahablog, Booman Tribune, Daily Kos and US Politics

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, Talking Points Memo and The New Republic

National / NationalJournal.com:

McConnell Breaks With Boehner, Says House Should Pass Payroll Extension — In an effort to resolve a standoff that a growing number of Republicans fear is hurting the party, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., broke with his GOP counterpart, Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio …

Discussion: Mediaite, National Review and 89.3 WFPL News

Susan Jones / CNSNews:
‘Waa, No Pizza Night’: Sad Stories Roll In at Request of Obama White House

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, The Lonely Conservative and Hot Air

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Senate GOP worries tax standoff could cost them chance at upper chamber

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Outside the Beltway, Washington Post, The Politico, Prairie Weather and Roll Call

Alexander Bolton / The Hill: McConnell breaks with Boehner, urges House to pass payroll bill

Amie Parnes / The Hill:
Obama shows he's confident he's beating GOP in payroll tax fight

Discussion: New York Times, The Week, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Caucus and Booman Tribune

Concord Monitor:

Huntsman is the best choice for GOP — Purchase photo reprints at PhotoExtra » — Editorial review board with Jon Huntsman, Jr. on Tuesday, December 20, 2011.Purchase photo reprints at PhotoExtra » — There comes a time for many politicians when they gaze at their reflection and see a president.

Discussion: The Politico and CNN

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: The Daily Caller, Mediaite, Gothamist, 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: JSOnline, FishbowlDC, ABCNEWS and Weasel Zippers

Betsy Rothstein / FishbowlDC:
Sensenbrenner Aide Responds to Big Butt Allegation

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Gawker, Mediaite, The Gateway Pundit, nation.foxnews.com, Weasel Zippers, iOwnTheWorld.com and The Raw Story

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].

Discussion: Power Line, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, The Spectacle Blog, The Volokh Conspiracy, National Review and Cato @ Liberty

New York Times:

Explosions Rock Baghdad Amid Iraqi Political Crisis — BAGHDAD — A wave of coordinated explosions ripped across Baghdad early on Thursday, killing at least 63 people, wounding more than 180 and jolting a country already unsettled by a deepening political crisis and the absence of American troops.

Discussion: democracyarsenal.org, Wonkette and americanthinker.com

Kareem Raheem / Reuters:
Baghdad blasts kill 63 as Iraq tensions rise

Discussion: CNN, ThinkProgress and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Aliyah Shahid / NY Daily News:

Matt Damon rips President Obama in Elle magazine: A prez with ‘some balls’ would have been better — The ‘We Bought a Zoo’ star also weighed in on the Occupy Wall Street protests, arguing Obama's lack of leadership has contributed to Americans' overall discontent

Discussion: Hit & Run

Daniel Jacobson / Gossip Cop:
Matt Damon Blasts Obama: “One-Term President With Balls” Would Be Better

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, Scared Monkeys, The Huffington Post, THEROOT.COM, The Lonely Conservative, Hot Air, Mediaite, The Gateway Pundit and The Daily Caller

Kate Linthicum / Los Angeles Times:

Some Occupy L.A. protesters may get a lesson in free speech — Prosecutors say they can avoid court trials by paying $355 to a private company for an educational program. The irony is not lost on the anti-corporate activists, who see it as patronizing. — Los Angeles police officers arrest …

Discussion: Associated Press and cab drollery

CBS Los Angeles:
Mayor Calls For Budget Cuts To Offset Millions In Occupy LA Costs

Discussion: americanthinker.com, Weasel Zippers, The Gateway Pundit and Sister Toldjah

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: Big Government, Political Mojo, Campaign 2012, Hotline On Call and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

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 …

Discussion: Washington Post, The Atlantic Online, The Enterprise Blog, Prairie Weather and American Power

Maggie Haberman / The Politico:

Exclusive: Citizens United's Iowa ad buy on Reagan flick, featuring the Gingriches — We wrote back in the summer about a promotion that Citizens United Productions was doing to promote a movie, with Michele Bachmann starring in the ad campaign. — Now, Citizens United …

Discussion: Ballot Box, Gawker 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: Los Angeles Times and 2012 Decoded

Paul Krugman:

The Meaning of Mercury — David Roberts reports on the EPA's decision, finally, to regulate mercury from coal plants: … Let me repeat part of that: it will save tens of thousands of lives every year and prevent birth defects, learning disabilities, and respiratory diseases.