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:
Outside the Beltway, Booman Tribune and The PJ Tatler
RELATED:
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 ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*
NationalJournal.com:
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.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Speaker, Sky Dancing, Taylor Marsh, The Talking Dog, Hot Air, NO QUARTER, Los Angeles Times, CNN, Outside the Beltway, Daily Kos, The Raw Story, Ricochet Conversations Feed, White House Dossier, Gawker, Firedoglake, American Prospect, Campaign 2012, American Power, Hullabaloo, National Review, Wake up America, Indecision Forever and The Politico
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:
The Moderate Voice and Balloon Juice
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 and The Page
CNN:
House to take up payroll tax cut extension
House to take up payroll tax cut extension
Discussion:
ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, American Prospect, Althouse and ThinkProgress
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
House Republicans cave in payroll fight
House Republicans cave in payroll fight
Discussion:
Washington Post, American Power, New York Times, The Impolitic and Outside the Beltway
Washington Post:
House GOP agrees to 2-month extension of payroll tax cut
House GOP agrees to 2-month extension of payroll tax cut
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Washington Monthly, New York Post, Guardian, The Politico, The Atlantic Online, Daily Kos, Moe Lane, THEROOT.COM and Calculated Risk
Dustin Weaver / The Hill:
House Republicans cave on payroll tax
House Republicans cave on payroll tax
Discussion:
Daily Kos, The Heritage Foundation, Daily Mail, Bloomberg, ABCNEWS and Michelle Malkin
Brian Beutler / tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com:
TPMDC — BREAKING: House Republicans Cave, Agree To Two-Month Payroll Tax Cut Extension
TPMDC — BREAKING: House Republicans Cave, Agree To Two-Month Payroll Tax Cut Extension
Discussion:
American Prospect, Blue Virginia, The Reaction, Mediaite and Crooks and Liars
Susan Jones / CNSNews:
‘Waa, No Pizza Night’: Sad Stories Roll In at Request of Obama White House
‘Waa, No Pizza Night’: Sad Stories Roll In at Request of Obama White House
Discussion:
Doug Ross, iOwnTheWorld.com, Michelle Malkin, The Jawa Report, The Lonely Conservative and Hot Air
Alexander Burns / The Politico:
Santorum's pop-up Iowa pitch — Rick Santorum's campaign will release a new 60-second ad in Iowa this morning — an upbeat spot in the style of VH1's “Pop Up Video,” emphasizing Santorum's credentials as a family man and cultural conservative. — “Rick Santorum. Karen Santorum.
Discussion:
CNN, Mediaite and Indecision Forever
RELATED:
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:
ThinkProgress and GOP 12
Andrew Cain / Richmond Times-Dispatch:
Bachmann, Huntsman, Santorum not on Va. primary ballot
Bachmann, Huntsman, Santorum not on Va. primary ballot
Discussion:
Shakesville, Outside the Beltway, Hot Air, The Other McCain, ThinkProgress, Catholic Bandita, Ballot Box, msnbc.com, National Review, Moe Lane and The Politico
Gschwarzcnn / CNN:
Santorum: Vander Plaats said ‘he needed money to promote the endorsement’
Santorum: Vander Plaats said ‘he needed money to promote the endorsement’
Discussion:
Good As You, Iowa Caucuses, The Politico, The Other McCain, GOP 12 and National Review
Jim Geraghty / National Review:
Why Must We Care About the Whims of So Few Iowans?
Why Must We Care About the Whims of So Few Iowans?
Discussion:
The Iowa Republican, RedState, The Other McCain and Rasmussen Reports
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.
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 …
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:
Booman Tribune
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:
CNN, Ballot Box, Pirate's Cove and Fox News
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 Post and Balloon Juice
CNN:
State media: Suicide bombers strike government buildings in Damascus — (CNN) — Two suicide car bombs shook the seat of Syrian power on Friday, said state-run media, a strike the government blames on terrorists and opposition forces call the work of the Bashar al-Assad regime.
Discussion:
The Jawa Report and americanthinker.com
Jillian / Electronic Frontier Foundation:
For Bloggers at Risk: Creating a Contingency Plan — In 2011, we have witnessed the incredible power of bloggers and social media users capturing the world's attention through their activism. At the same time, regimes appear to be quickening the pace of their cat-and-mouse game with netizens …
Discussion:
The Agonist
Scot Paltrow / Reuters:
Special Report: The watchdogs that didn't bark — (Reuters) - Four years after the banking system nearly collapsed from reckless mortgage lending, federal prosecutors have stayed on the sidelines, even as judges around the country are pointing fingers at possible wrongdoing.
Discussion:
The Big Picture and naked capitalism
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:
Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Betsy's Page, Doug Ross, Moe Lane, Business Insider, Pundit & Pundette, Daily Kos, TBogg, The Politico, Los Angeles Times and msnbc.com