Top Items:
Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:
The GOP's payroll tax debacle — Now that Congress has reached agreement on what must be one of the worst pieces of legislation in years — the temporary payroll tax holiday extension — let's survey the damage. — To begin with, what even minimally rational government enacts payroll tax relief for just two months?
Discussion:
The Humble Libertarian, The Atlantic Online, The Right Sphere, Business Insider, DownWithTyranny!, Campaign 2012, Betsy's Page, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Washington Monthly, New York Magazine, The Hill, The Lonely Conservative, Outside the Beltway, NewsBusters.org, Booman Tribune, Taylor Marsh, THEROOT.COM, Moe Lane, Blue Virginia and Daily Kos
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Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
The Suicidal House Republicans — The payroll tax debacle is now the third suicidal episode undertaken by the House Republicans since they took control at the beginning of the year. The first was when they voted almost unanimously for Paul Ryan's budget, which was filled with grist for attack ads …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, The Daily Dish, The Atlantic Online and Slate
Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:
House approves payroll tax bill, sends to Obama for signature
House approves payroll tax bill, sends to Obama for signature
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway and Hot Air
Brian Beutler / tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com:
TPMDC — Boehner Takes Strong Hand With House GOP After Payroll Tax Meltdown
TPMDC — Boehner Takes Strong Hand With House GOP After Payroll Tax Meltdown
Discussion:
Wonkette, Balloon Juice, The Moderate Voice, The Impolitic and Washington Monthly
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
A done deal — Congress sure can move quickly when it wants to.
A done deal — Congress sure can move quickly when it wants to.
Discussion:
The Caucus, Daily Kos, Booman Tribune and New York Times
Jackie Calmes / New York Times:
News Analysis: For Obama, Payroll Tax Victory Was Aided by Republicans
News Analysis: For Obama, Payroll Tax Victory Was Aided by Republicans
Discussion:
Washington Post, Prairie Weather, The Page, Connecting.the.Dots and ABCNEWS
The New Republic:
TNR Exclusive: A Collection of Ron Paul's Most Incendiary Newsletters — For years, Ron Paul published a series of newsletters that dispensed political news and investment advice, but also routinely indulged in bigotry. Here's a selection of some especially inflammatory passages …
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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:
Ballot Box, The Huffington Post, Talking Points Memo, The Other McCain, The Hill, The Politico, Shakesville, A Blog For All, Riehl World View, Outside the Beltway, Campaign 2012, Questions and Observations, iOwnTheWorld.com, The Daily Caller, Slate, Wake up America, ABCNEWS, americanthinker.com, Hot Air, Weasel Zippers, Catholic Bandita, The Right Scoop, Little Green Footballs, CBS News and Doug Ross
Benjy Sarlin / 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com:
TPM2012 — Ron Paul Denies Writing Letter On ‘Coming Race War’
TPM2012 — Ron Paul Denies Writing Letter On ‘Coming Race War’
Discussion:
Little Green Footballs, Guardian and Stinque
Benjy Sarlin / 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com:
TPM2012 — Ron Paul Direct Mail Warned Of 'Race War …
TPM2012 — Ron Paul Direct Mail Warned Of 'Race War …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Mediaite, Talking Points Memo and Towleroad News #gay
Molly Ball / The Atlantic Online:
Ron Paul's Iowa Edge: A Rock-Solid Caucus Campaign
Ron Paul's Iowa Edge: A Rock-Solid Caucus Campaign
Discussion:
Discourse.net, Los Angeles Times, Salon.com and THEROOT.COM
David Weigel / Slate:
The Newsweek Curse — This isn't the problem that's kept …
The Newsweek Curse — This isn't the problem that's kept …
Discussion:
Iowa Caucuses, The Right Sphere and GOP 12
ABCNEWS:
Iowa Conservative Leader Mired in Controversy After Rick Santorum Endorsement — ABC News' Shushannah Walshe and Michael Falcone report: — DAVENPORT, Iowa — An Iowa Christian conservative leader who bestowed his highly sought-after endorsement on presidential candidate Rick Santorum …
Discussion:
The Hill, Outside the Beltway, FiveThirtyEight, Catholic Bandita, GOP 12, Iowa Caucuses, Iowa Caucus 2012 and CNN
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Zack Ford / ThinkProgress:
Bob Vander Plaats' Pay-For-Play Scandal: Charged A Million Bucks For Endorsement, Asked Candidates To Drop Out
Bob Vander Plaats' Pay-For-Play Scandal: Charged A Million Bucks For Endorsement, Asked Candidates To Drop Out
Discussion:
ABCNEWS, Indecision Forever, Outside the Beltway and Good As You
Alexander Burns / The Politico:
Santorum's pop-up Iowa pitch
Santorum's pop-up Iowa pitch
Discussion:
Mediaite, CNN, Indecision Forever, Good As You and The Other McCain
Sara Sorcher / The Atlantic Wire:
Obama Blames Hawaii for his ‘Deep Down’ Laziness — The personality trait President Obama says he most deplores in himself and others is not exactly one you'd expect from, presumably, one of the busiest people in the world: laziness. — “You're lazy?” Barbara Walters incredulously asked Obama …
Discussion:
The Hill, Scared Monkeys, Weasel Zippers, The Daily Caller and The Right Sphere
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Peter Nicholas / Los Angeles Times:
Dog days: Bo's whereabouts spark latest White House controversy
Dog days: Bo's whereabouts spark latest White House controversy
Discussion:
Washington Post and cab drollery
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:
Washington Monthly, Washington Post and Balloon Juice
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Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Media continues letting Romney claims skate by unchecked
Media continues letting Romney claims skate by unchecked
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Campaign 2012 and The Politico
Solange Uwimana / Media Matters for America:
Fox Celebrates Holidays With Outrageous Race-Based Attack On Obama — Fox News' animosity toward President Obama, three years into his presidency, is by now well-known. This is the network that routinely calls Obama a socialist, accuses him of being involved in all sorts of conspiratorial plots, and claims that he hates America.
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, Washington Monthly and Little Green Footballs
Joe Biden / Des Moines Register:
Vice President: This is what a real opportunity society looks like — M itt Romney recently laid out his plan for America. Reading about it, I thought of my dad. My dad was a hard worker. He took pride in what he did. And, like millions of Americans, that pride was put to the test …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, ABCNEWS, Ballot Box, Los Angeles Times, Pirate's Cove, CNN and Fox News
Justin Sink / The Hill:
New York Times sues Justice Department over targeted-killing memo — The New York Times filed a lawsuit Thursday asking the Justice Department to turn over a legal memo prepared by government lawyers that the paper believes outlines the circumstances under which it is lawful for the United States to kill an American citizen.
Discussion:
Firedoglake
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Marimer Matos / Courthouse News Service:
Times Wants Info on ‘Killing as a Policy Tool’
Times Wants Info on ‘Killing as a Policy Tool’
Discussion:
New York Magazine and Lawfare
Steve Tetreault / Las Vegas Review-Journal:
Poll: Berkley holds slim lead over Heller for Senate seat — WASHINGTON — For many people, the dawn of a new year can mean a fresh start, a clean slate. For the politicians running to represent Nevada in the U.S. Senate, the view close to the new year is a nearly level battlefield judging from the latest measure of public sentiment.
Discussion:
The Politico, Ballot Box and Hotline On Call
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:
The Humble Libertarian and Booman Tribune
Rachel Leven / Ballot Box:
Trump registers as an Independent, keeping door open to White House run — Donald Trump changed his voter registration Thursday to independent, his special counsel confirmed to The Hill. — “[Trump registered] in order to preserve his right to run as an independent after the finale …
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway
ABCNEWS:
Donald Trump Bolts Republican Party, Eyeing Other 2012 Options — ABC News' Michael Falcone reports: — Donald Trump is officially a man without a party. — The real estate mogul whose flirtation with the 2012 presidential race has never really ended despite announcing seven months ago …
Alex Isenstadt / The Politico:
New Jersey remap a lump of coal for Democrats — Democrats got a pre-Christmas lump of coal Friday, when a bipartisan New Jersey panel selected a GOP-drawn redistricting plan that imperils one House Democrat and shores up several Republicans. — Under the plan, Democratic Rep. Steve Rothman …
Discussion:
nolanmccarty.com