memeorandum: Fiscal cliff: Will they jump? (Seung Min Kim/Politico)

1:30 PM ET, November 26, 2012

Top Items:

CNN:

CNN Poll: Two-thirds say fiscal cliff poses major problem — Washington (CNN) - A new national poll suggests Americans understand that the “fiscal cliff” is no joking matter. — Two-thirds of people questioned in a CNN/ORC International survey (PDF) say that the U.S. would face a crisis …

Discussion: Hit & Run, Hot Air, National Review, Business Insider, Politico, Mediaite, Taegan Goddard's …, Election 2012 and Washington Examiner

Bob Corker / Washington Post:

A plan to dodge the ‘fiscal cliff’ — In business I found that a challenging environment often produced our best opportunities. Perhaps that's why I see the so-called “ fiscal cliff ” of year-end spending cuts and tax increases not as an impassable precipice but as our best opportunity to finally enact meaningful fiscal reform.

Discussion: Politico, The Fix, Hot Air, The Daily Caller and First Read

Kevin Liptak / CNN:

Norquist says he'll go after pledge-breakers — (CNN) - Anti-tax activist Grover Norquist said Monday that his group, Americans for Tax Reform, would work to unseat Republicans who break their pledge to never vote for higher taxes. — His vow came after prominent GOP lawmakers …

Discussion: The Fix, The Other McCain, Election 2012 and The Hill

Seung Min Kim / Politico:

Fiscal cliff: Will they jump? — Call them the cliff jumpers. — A growing bloc of emboldened liberals say they're not afraid to watch defense spending get gouged and taxes go up on every American if a budget deal doesn't satisfy their priorities. — Here's what these progressives fear …

Discussion: Hot Air, Taylor Marsh and msnbc.com

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill:

Poll: Public would blame GOP more than Obama if fiscal talks fail — A new poll finds the public views the looming “fiscal cliff” as a serious crisis for the nation and would blame Republicans more than President Obama if Washington fails to reach a deal. — Forty-five percent surveyed …

Discussion: CNN, Outside the Beltway, The Political Carnival, The Gateway Pundit and Balloon Juice

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill:
Corker touts fiscal plan, says it's time to ‘rip the Band-Aid off’ and reach deal

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, CNN and Reuters

Rachel Weiner / Washington Post:
Bob Corker breaks with Grover Norquist pledge

Discussion: Politico, ThinkProgress, msnbc.com and Daily Kos

David Corn / Mother Jones:

The Myth of the Obama Cave-In — With the “fiscal cliff” looming, the conventional wisdom is that the president capitulated during the last tax cut fight. Here's what really happened. — At President Barack Obama's first press conference after winning reelection, CNN's Jessica Yellin posed …

Discussion: Associated Press, Booman Tribune and First Read

Neil Munro / The Daily Caller:

Disagreeing with Obama can ruin Christmas, says White House report — Any Republican refusal to accept President Barack Obama's fiscal plan may ruin Christmas for the nation's retailers, the White House claimed in a report released Monday morning. — “The National Retail Federation …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and Pirate's Cove

Michael D. Shear / New York Times:
White House Turns to Obama Voters for Support

Discussion: ABCNEWS, The Daily Caller, ABCNEWS, The Maddow Blog and Prairie Weather

Byron Tau / Politico:
White House: Fiscal cliff standoff could slow holiday sales

Discussion: Michelle Malkin and NewsBusters.org

Jennifer Haberkorn / Politico:

SCOTUS orders appeals court to hear Liberty University health care lawsuit — The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals to examine the constitutionality of the health reform law's employer requirements and mandatory coverage of contraceptives without a co-pay.

Discussion: Wonkblog

CNN:
Justices order another look at key health care provision

Discussion: SCOTUSblog and The Raw Story

Warren E. Buffett / New York Times:

A Minimum Tax for the Wealthy — SUPPOSE that an investor you admire and trust comes to you with an investment idea. “This is a good one,” he says enthusiastically. “I'm in it, and I think you should be, too.” — Would your reply possibly be this? “Well, it all depends on what my tax rate …

Discussion: The Hill, Politico, AEIdeas, Election 2012, The Reality-Based Community, Business Insider, DealBook and EconomicPolicyJournal.com

Elise Viebeck / The Hill:

Obama faces huge challenge in setting up insurance exchanges — The Obama administration faces major logistical and financial challenges in creating health insurance exchanges for states that have declined to set up their own systems. — The exchanges were designed as the centerpiece …

Discussion: National Review, The PJ Tatler, americanthinker.com and Pundit & Pundette

Jennifer Haberkorn / Politico:
Back to the drawing board for Obamacare foes

Discussion: Booman Tribune

Charles Babington / Associated Press:
INFLUENCE GAME: Tax Them, Not Us, Groups Say

Discussion: Politico

Hendrik Hertzberg / New Yorker:

MANDATE WITH DESTINY — Thanksgiving was still two weeks away when the Republican Party, to its evident shock, found itself stuffed, trussed, roasted, and ready to be served with all the trimmings. This was not the menu that the Party's nominees, donors, and operatives had looked forward to.

Discussion: The Daily Dish

Dan Littauer / Gay Star News:

Twelve men to be executed by Libyan militia for allegedly being gay — An extremist Salafist militia in Libya captured twelve men promising to mutilate and kill them for allegedly being gay — Twelve men face mutilation and execution for allegedly being gay after being captured by an extremist Libyan Islamist militia.

Discussion: BuzzFeed and Back2Stonewall

Nigel Ash / Libya Herald:
Extremists threaten mutilation and death for seized ‘homosexuals’

Discussion: Jihad Watch and The Gateway Pundit

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:

The Morning Plum: Republicans whitewash history of filibuster — So it's looking more and more likely that Harry Reid and Democrats will introduce some sort of package of filibuster reforms at the start of the next Congress. Politico reports this morning that Republicans are preparing …

Discussion: The Week and Los Angeles Times

Manu Raju / Politico:
GOP: Don't mess with filibuster

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Maddow Blog, No More Mister Nice Blog and Balloon Juice

William Baldwin / Forbes:

Do You Live In A Death Spiral State? — For the 2013 Investment Guide, click here. — Thinking about buying a house? Or a municipal bond? Be careful where you put your capital. Don't put it in a state at high risk of a fiscal tailspin. — Eleven states make our list of danger spots for investors.

Discussion: iOwnTheWorld.com

Noel Sheppard / NewsBusters.org:

Jamie Foxx: ‘Our Lord and Savior Barack Obama’ — Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx recently called Barack Obama “our lord and savior.” — Such occurred at the previously recorded Soul Train Awards broadcast on BET Sunday (video follows with transcript and commentary):

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Hinterland Gazette and nation.foxnews.com

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

Fighting Fiscal Phantoms — These are difficult times for the deficit scolds who have dominated policy discussion for almost three years. One could almost feel sorry for them, if it weren't for their role in diverting attention from the ongoing problem of inadequate recovery …

Discussion: Seeing the Forest, Hullabaloo, Daily Kos, Economist's View, EconomicPolicyJournal.com, LewRockwell.com Blog, Prairie Weather and Paul Krugman

New York Times:

From Man Who Insulted Muhammad, No Regret — LOS ANGELES — Fuming for two months in a jail cell here, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula has had plenty of time to reconsider the wisdom of making “Innocence of Muslims,” his crude YouTube movie trailer depicting the Prophet Muhammad as a bloodthirsty, philandering thug.

Discussion: The Daily Caller, New York Magazine and Althouse, more at Mediagazer »

Charles Murray / AEIdeas:

Why aren't Asians Republicans? — Last week, I pointed out that there is no such thing as a natural social-conservative skew among Latino Americans. But that leaves open a rejoinder, expressed by several readers: The GOP doesn't need to get all of the Latino vote, just its fair share.

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Stephanie McCrummen / Washington Post:

How Hillary Clinton's choices predict her future — On a recent Monday, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton walked with her husband onto a stage at the New York Sheraton to cheers and whoops and a standing ovation that only got louder as she tried to quiet things down.

Discussion: NewsBusters.org blogs