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

12:35 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: Hot Air, National Review, Taegan Goddard's …, Politico, Mediaite, Election 2012, Business Insider 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: The Fix, Politico, Hot Air and The Daily Caller

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

Kevin Liptak / CNN:
Norquist says he'll go after pledge-breakers

Discussion: The Other McCain, Election 2012 and The Hill

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

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Taylor Marsh and Hot Air

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

Discussion: Washington Post, CNN and Reuters

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

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

Discussion: Booman Tribune

Sean Sullivan / The Fix:
Lindsey Graham, Peter King break with Grover Norquist

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, The Maddow Blog, TIME, msnbc.com, The Raw Story, First Read and Outside the Beltway

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

David G. Savage / Los Angeles Times:
Supreme Court decides this week whether to rule on gay marriage

Discussion: Washington Post, SCOTUSblog, The Heritage Foundation and NewsBusters.org

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 — WASHINGTON — When Tea Party activists swamped town hall-style meetings about health care in the summer of 2009, President Obama's army of campaign volunteers largely stayed away, seemingly less interested in fighting for legislation …

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

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, Election 2012, The Reality-Based Community, Business Insider, DealBook and EconomicPolicyJournal.com

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

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? — 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

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

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

Ian Millhiser / ThinkProgress:

McCain Backs Off Susan Rice Smear Campaign — Shortly after news broke about a fatal attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney accused President Obama of “sympathiz[ing] with those who waged the attacks.” And Romney continued …

Discussion: The Maddow Blog and Taylor Marsh

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 »

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

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