memeorandum: Stopping SOPA — I love Marsha Blackburn. She is a delightful … (Erick Erickson/RedState)

6:20 PM ET, December 23, 2011

Top Items:

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 …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Catholic Bandita, The Humble Libertarian, Swampland, The Daily Dish, The Daily Caller, Outside the Beltway, No More Mister Nice Blog and American Power

Benjy Sarlin / 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com:
TPM2012 — Ron Paul Denies Writing Letter On ‘Coming Race War’

Discussion: Guardian and Stinque

Molly Ball / The Atlantic Online:
Ron Paul's Iowa Edge: A Rock-Solid Caucus Campaign

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Slate, Iowa Caucuses and Los Angeles Times

Reuters:
In ad for newsletter, Ron Paul forecast “race war”

Ginger Gibson / The Politico:
Ron Paul 2012: Six comments he needs to explain

Discussion: Hot Air, Pirate's Cove, Riehl World View, This Is So Gay and CBS News

Benjy Sarlin / 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com:
TPM2012 — Ron Paul Direct Mail Warned Of 'Race War …

Discussion: Mediaite, Washington Monthly, The Hill, Talking Points Memo and Towleroad News #gay

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: Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, The Daily Dish and The Atlantic Online

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?

CNN:
Obama signs payroll tax cut extension

Discussion: Washington Post, ABCNEWS, New York Post, Scared Monkeys, ThinkProgress, The Humble Libertarian, Althouse, The Politico, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, AFL-CIO NOW BLOG, American Prospect and Daily Kos

Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:
House approves payroll tax bill, sends to Obama for signature

Discussion: Hot Air and Outside the Beltway

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
A done deal — Congress sure can move quickly when it wants to.

Discussion: Daily Kos, The Caucus, Booman Tribune and New York Times

Brian Beutler / tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com:
TPMDC — Boehner Takes Strong Hand With House GOP After Payroll Tax Meltdown

Discussion: Wonkette, Balloon Juice, The Moderate Voice and The Impolitic

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 Daily Caller, Ed Driscoll, Weasel Zippers, Scared Monkeys, The Hill and The Right Sphere

Holly Bailey / Yahoo! News:

Congressman apologizes for criticizing Michelle Obama's ‘large posterior’ — A Republican congressman from Wisconsin has offered a personal apology to First Lady Michelle Obama after he was overheard at an airport lounge criticizing her “large posterior.” — Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner …

Discussion: THEROOT.COM and Outside the Beltway

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:

Media continues letting Romney claims skate by unchecked — Steve Benen flags a Mitt Romney interview with Mark Halperin, in which Romney pushed back on criticism of his Bain years by claiming that Obama didn't create “any new jobs.” Romney said: … Halperin didn't bother challenging Romney on this claim.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Daily Kos, Campaign 2012 and The Politico

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, US Politics, Washington Post, Prairie Weather and Balloon Juice

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 …

Discussion: GOP 12, M.JOSEPH SHEPPARD'S … and Mediaite

Kevinliptak / CNN:
Trump dumps GOP

Discussion: Iowa Caucuses

Rachel Leven / Ballot Box:
Trump registers as an Independent, keeping door open to White House run

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Zack Ford / ThinkProgress:

Bob Vander Plaats' Pay-For-Play Scandal: Charged A Million Bucks For Endorsement, Asked Candidates To Drop Out — Bob Vander Plaats' endorsement of Rick Santorum has produced a backlash among conservatives in Iowa, some of whom are accusing the FAMiLY LEADER president of engaging in …

Discussion: Indecision Forever, ABCNEWS, Outside the Beltway and Good As You

ABCNEWS:
Iowa Conservative Leader Mired in Controversy After Rick Santorum Endorsement

Discussion: Catholic Bandita, The Hill, Outside the Beltway, FiveThirtyEight, GOP 12, Iowa Caucuses, Iowa Caucus 2012 and CNN

Alexander Burns / The Politico:
Santorum's pop-up Iowa pitch

Discussion: Mediaite, CNN, Indecision Forever, Good As You and The Other McCain

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: Washington Monthly, Crooks and Liars 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: The Moderate Voice, ABCNEWS, Pirate's Cove, Los Angeles Times, Ballot Box, Fox News, CNN, ThinkProgress and Daily Kos

Jerry Markon / Washington Post:

Justice Dept. rejects South Carolina voter ID law, calling it discriminatory — REUTERS/Benjamin Myers (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS CRIME LAW) — The Justice Department on Friday entered the divisive national debate over new state voting laws, rejecting South Carolina's measure requiring …

Discussion: TalkLeft, Weasel Zippers and Blue Virginia

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

John Wildermuth / San Francisco Chronicle:

Gay-friendly clergy disinvited from Castro church — Most Holy Redeemer Church, a Catholic parish in the middle of the Castro, is in trouble again with church leaders over how best to minister to its heavily gay and lesbian congregation. — In the latest incident, Archbishop George Niederauer …

Discussion: ThinkProgress and ABCNEWS