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 …
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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.
Discussion:
Mediaite, Right Wing News, Big Journalism, Outside the Beltway, Leon_H_Wolf's blog, Total Return, American Power 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, Slate, The Daily Dish, neo-neocon and The Reaction
Jackie Kucinich / USA Today:
Paul's story changes on racial comments
Paul's story changes on racial comments
Discussion:
Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Stinque, Wall Street Journal, Hit & Run, RedState, Pirate's Cove, Melanie Phillips, Mediaite, Hot Air, CNN and The Right Scoop
Alex Alvarez / Mediaite:
Hey, CNN? Can We Talk About What's Going On Between You And Ron Paul?
Hey, CNN? Can We Talk About What's Going On Between You And Ron Paul?
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Indecision Forever, GOP 12, The Humble Libertarian and The Page
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, ABCNEWS, Bloomberg, The Mahablog, Booman Tribune, CNN, Daily Kos 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:
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, The Moderate Voice, Associated Press, Talking Points Memo and The New Republic
National / NationalJournal.com:
McConnell Breaks With Boehner, Says House Should Pass Payroll Extension
McConnell Breaks With Boehner, Says House Should Pass Payroll Extension
Discussion:
Mediaite, National Review and 89.3 WFPL News
David Jackson / USA Today:
Obama endorses McConnell payroll tax cut plan
Obama endorses McConnell payroll tax cut plan
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The New Republic and White House.gov Blog
msnbc.com:
First Thoughts: What we learned from the Romney interview
First Thoughts: What we learned from the Romney interview
Discussion:
Washington Monthly and The Politico
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Senate GOP worries tax standoff could cost them chance at upper chamber
Senate GOP worries tax standoff could cost them chance at upper chamber
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, The Politico, Washington Post, Outside the Beltway, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Prairie Weather and Roll Call
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
McConnell breaks with Boehner, urges House to pass payroll bill
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
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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:
The Daily Caller, Gothamist, Mediaite, 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, Colorlines, FishbowlDC and Weasel Zippers
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Betsy Rothstein / FishbowlDC:
Sensenbrenner Aide Responds to Big Butt Allegation
Sensenbrenner Aide Responds to Big Butt Allegation
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Gawker, ABCNEWS, Mediaite, The Gateway Pundit, nation.foxnews.com, Weasel Zippers 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].
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:
Mediaite
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
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Kareem Raheem / Reuters:
Baghdad blasts kill 63 as Iraq tensions rise
Baghdad blasts kill 63 as Iraq tensions rise
Discussion:
CNN, ThinkProgress and Alan Colmes' Liberaland
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:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Campaign 2012
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
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
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, 2012 Decoded and Los Angeles Times
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, Hotline On Call, Campaign 2012 and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion
Ahmed Al-Haj / Associated Press:
Weeks of clashes in north Yemen kill 200 — SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Nearly 200 people, among them 15 foreigners, have been killed in clashes over the past few weeks between an ultraconservative Islamist group and former Shiite rebels in northern Yemen, a military official and the leader of the Islamist faction said Wednesday.
Discussion:
Jihad Watch and Weasel Zippers
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.
Discussion:
Suburban Guerrilla, Firedoglake, Political Mojo, TalkLeft, Washington Monthly, Daily Kos and Grist