memeorandum: Bachmann, Huntsman, Santorum not on Va. primary ballot (Andrew Cain/Richmond Times-Dispatch)

7:50 AM ET, December 23, 2011

Top Items:

House Republicans Agree To Payroll Deal — House Republicans on Thursday crumpled under the weight of White House and public pressure and have agreed to pass a two-month extension of the payroll-tax cut, Republican and Democratic sources told National Journal.

Jamie Klatell / The Hill:

GOP freshman: House caved to Dems again, gave gift of uncertainty — The deal struck between Republican House leaders and Senate Democrats to extend the payroll tax holiday for two months did not fill Rep. Time Huelskamp (R-Kansas) with holiday cheer. — “Washington wrapped and put under …

Discussion: CNN and The Politico

Brian Beutler / tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com:

TPMDC — Boehner Takes Strong Hand With House GOP After Payroll Tax Meltdown — In a conference call with House Republicans early Thursday evening, Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) took no questions after making it clear to his members that the game was up and they would have to swallow the Democratic payroll tax extension.

Discussion: Balloon Juice and The Moderate Voice

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:

Dems win one as GOP caves — A GOP leadership aide confirms that a deal has been reached with Senate Dems under which Republicans will allow a vote on the Senate payroll tax cut extension bill. — Under the agreement, the Senate bill will get new language ensuring that …

Discussion: Speaker and Prairie Weather

Jackie Calmes / New York Times:
News Analysis: For Obama, Payroll Tax Victory Was Aided by Republicans

Discussion: The Page

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
House Republicans cave in payroll fight

Discussion: American Power, New York Times and The Impolitic

Brian Beutler / tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com:
TPMDC — BREAKING: House Republicans Cave, Agree To Two-Month Payroll Tax Cut Extension

Discussion: Blue Virginia, The Reaction, Mediaite and Crooks and Liars

Washington Post:
House GOP agrees to 2-month extension of payroll tax cut

Discussion: The Hill, Booman Tribune, The Atlantic Online, Moe Lane, THEROOT.COM and Calculated Risk

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

Discussion: The Jawa Report, Michelle Malkin, Doug Ross, The Lonely Conservative and Hot Air

New York Times:
House G.O.P. Leaders Agree to Extension of Payroll Tax Cut

Discussion: Prairie Weather, The New Republic and The Moderate Voice

CNN:
House GOP relents on payroll tax cut deal

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Mediaite, The Lonely Conservative, ABCNEWS and Indecision Forever

msnbc.com: First Thoughts: What we learned from the Romney interview

John Parkinson / ABCNEWS:
Boehner Asks White House to Negotiate, but Obama Declines Invitation

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and The PJ Tatler

Tim Mak / The Politico:
Rep. Dave Camp floats 3-month extension

Discussion: Opinion L.A. and Daily Kos

Bill Adair / PolitiFact:

Fact-checking in the Echo Chamber Nation — At a Republican campaign rally a few years ago, I asked one of the attendees how he got his news. — “I listen to Rush and read NewsMax,” he said. “And to make sure I'm getting a balanced view, I watch Fox.” — My liberal friends …

Discussion: CANNONFIRE, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, Balloon Juice, Daily Kos, Blue Virginia, Wizbang, US Politics, Campaign 2012 and Pressthink, more at Mediagazer »

Reuters:

In ad for newsletter, Ron Paul forecast “race war” — (Reuters) - A direct-mail solicitation for Ron Paul's political and investment newsletters two decades ago warned of a “coming race war in our big cities” and of a “federal-homosexual cover-up” to play down the impact of AIDS.

Discussion: iOwnTheWorld.com, ABCNEWS, Catholic Bandita, Weasel Zippers, Hot Air, The Daily Caller, Doug Ross, The New Republic, CBS News, Little Green Footballs, The Right Scoop, Total Return and Hit & Run

Andrew Cain / Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Bachmann, Huntsman, Santorum not on Va. primary ballot — Four Republican presidential candidates - Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry and Ron Paul — submitted paper work in time to qualify for Virginia's March 6 primary ballot. — No other GOP contender will be on the Virginia ballot.

Discussion: The Other McCain, Outside the Beltway, Hot Air, Catholic Bandita, National Review, Ballot Box, msnbc.com, Moe Lane and The Politico

James Hohmann / The Politico:
In Virginia, Gingrich tries to lower expectations

Discussion: CNN

Jim Geraghty / National Review:
Why Must We Care About the Whims of So Few Iowans?

Discussion: The Other McCain, RedState, Rasmussen Reports and Iowa Caucuses

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: The Caucus, Reuters, Mediaite, Los Angeles Times, American Prospect, CNN, Hot Air, The Politico, The Hill, Campaign 2012, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, GOP 12 and The Raw Story

Wall Street Journal:

Oh Wow! — Some highlights of 2011. — The great words of the year? “Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow.” — They are the last words of Steve Jobs, reported by his sister, the novelist Mona Simpson, who was at his bedside. In her eulogy, a version of which was published in the New York Times …

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog

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: The Other McCain, LGBTQ Nation, Box Turtle Bulletin, Boing Boing, Gawker, Shot in the Dark, Truth Wins Out, Daily Kos, Mediaite and Firedoglake

Elicia Dover / ABCNEWS:

Gingrich to Campaign With Pets and Music — RICHMOND, Va. — Forget the back and forth attacks with Mitt Romney. Newt Gingrich's campaign has decided to take another route on his bid to the Republican nomination: pets and music. — The campaign said today that it will soon launch a …

Discussion: TBogg and The Right Scoop

Michael D. Shear / The Caucus:

Romney Says He Won't Release Tax Returns — Mitt Romney, who is one of the wealthiest men ever to seek the presidency, said on Wednesday that he had no intention of releasing his tax returns if he became the Republican presidential nominee, breaking with a long tradition in both parties.

Discussion: Pundit & Pundette, Business Insider, Moe Lane, TBogg, Daily Kos, Los Angeles Times and msnbc.com

Jason Linkins / The Huffington Post:

George Allen Did Not Enjoy That Facebook Chat He Had With You, Virginia … 2012 , 2012 Speculatron , 2012 Election , Elections 2012 , Video , George Allen , George Allen Facebook , George Allen Senate , George Allen Senate Campaign , Virginia Senate 2012 , Politics News

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Wonkette

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

The Post-Truth Campaign — Suppose that President Obama were to say the following: “Mitt Romney believes that corporations are people, and he believes that only corporations and the wealthy should have any rights. He wants to reduce middle-class Americans to serfs, forced …

Discussion: Balloon Juice

Mj Lee / The Politico:

Chris Christie opens door to VP job — Chris Christie says that while he and Mitt Romney have never discussed a potential vice presidential role for the New Jersey governor, it would still be “presumptuous” for him to turn his back on the possibility. — In an interview with Fox News …

Discussion: Runnin' Scared