memeorandum: One in four Americans has an opinion about an imaginary debt plan (Sarah Kliff/Wonkblog)

6:45 PM ET, December 4, 2012

Top Items:

David Brooks / New York Times:

The Truly Grand Bargain — Sometimes you have to walk through the desert to get to the Promised Land. That's the way it is for Republicans right now. The Republicans are stuck in a miserable position at the end of 2012, but, if they handle things right, they can make 2013 an excellent year …

Discussion: Washington Post, First Read, the daily howler, driftglass, msnbc.com, JustOneMinute, Mother Jones, Opinionator and Firedoglake

Politico:

Conservative groups rebel against John Boehner — Several prominent conservative organizations lashed out against a pair of decisions by Speaker John Boehner's leadership team as House Republicans saw their tightly held grip on the right loosen a bit on Monday.

Discussion: CNN, Wonkblog, Roll Call, The Hill, The Week, Boston Globe, Vox Popoli, First Read and Booman Tribune

Bloomberg:

Obama Sets Higher Top Tax Rate as Prelude to Fiscal Deal — Obama: The Math Doesn't Add Up in Boehner's Plan — President Barack Obama sketched out a potential year-end deal pairing tax increases and spending cuts to avert the so-called fiscal cliff, while insisting Republicans must accept higher tax rates …

Discussion: Washington Times, CNN, BBC, Washington Examiner, The Reaction and New York Times

Jonathan Strong / Roll Call:
Dissidents Pushed Off Prominent Committees

Discussion: RedState, Firedoglake, Hot Air, The National Memo, msnbc.com, Campaign for America's … and Hit & Run

Jonathan Easley / The Hill:
Palin regrets calling GOP lawmakers ‘wusses’ on deficit talks

Discussion: Politico, CNN and Political Watch

Josh Barro / Bloomberg:
What's Wrong With the Republican Fiscal Cliff Counteroffer

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Paul Krugman, The Plum Line, Wake up America, The Daily Dish, Washington Free Beacon, Business Insider, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Hit & Run, Jared Bernstein, Wonkblog and CNN

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Magical thinking in new GOP fiscal cliff plan

Discussion: Firedoglake, Paul Krugman, The Hill, Post Politics, Daily Kos, Prairie Weather and msnbc.com

BuzzFeed:
White House Calls GOP Fiscal Cliff Plan “Magic Beans And Fairy Dust”

Discussion: Mediaite

CNN:
Distance between Boehner, Obama continued at holiday party

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and Applesauce

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:

Republicans not handling election results well — PPP's first post election national poll finds that Republicans are taking the results pretty hard...and also declining in numbers. — 49% of GOP voters nationally say they think that ACORN stole the election for President Obama.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes', American Prospect, Business Insider, Hullabaloo, The National Memo, The Raw Story, Daily Kos, Political Watch and Mother Jones

Pew Research Center for the People and the Press:

Pessimism About Fiscal Cliff Deal, Republicans Still Get More Blame — OVERVIEW — With Washington making little apparent progress in efforts to avoid going over the “fiscal cliff,” public opinion about the situation has changed little over the past three weeks.

Discussion: Firedoglake, CBS DC, Washington Wire and msnbc.com

Sarah Kliff / Wonkblog:

One in four Americans has an opinion about an imaginary debt plan — It's Panetta-Burns, the imaginary debt-reducing unicorn! — A new poll from Public Policy Polling found that an impressive 39 percent of Americans have an opinion about the Simpson-Bowles deficit reduction plan.

Discussion: Paul Krugman, Eschaton and momentoftruthproject.org

Walter Hickey / Business Insider:
47% Of People Think The Deficit Would INCREASE If We Go Over The Fiscal Cliff

Discussion: American Prospect and A plain blog about politics

New York Post:

Queens dad pushed to his death by madman in Times Square subway station — Ki Suk Han, 58, of Queens frantically tries to climb to safety yesterday as a train bears down on him in Midtown. He was fatally struck seconds later. — A Queens dad trying to protect fellow straphangers …

Discussion: The Atlantic Wire, Capital New York, Guardian, Gothamist, BBC, The PJ Tatler, City Room, New York Magazine, Poynter, Forbes, AMERICAblog, Daily Mail, Daily Download, Gawker, Outside the Beltway and Law Blog, more at Mediagazer »

Neetzan Zimmerman / Gawker:

Photo of Man's Imminent Demise Covers Front Page of the New York Post, Sparks Outrage — A freelance photographer working for the New York Post on an unrelated assignment happened to be standing on the 49th Street station platform when 58-year-old Queens resident Ki Suk Han was suddenly pushed onto …

Discussion: The New Republic, The Week, The Raw Story, Mediaite, Capital New York, Daily Mail and Poynter, more at Mediagazer »

Ryan Grim / The Huffington Post:

Elizabeth Warren Wins Senate Banking Committee Seat: Sources … REACT: — FOLLOW: — Elizabeth Warren, Harry Reid , Video, Senate Banking Committee, Banking Committee, Elizabeth Warren Banking Committee, Elizabeth Warren Committees, Elizabeth Warren Senate, Elizabeth Warren Senate Banking …

Discussion: CNN, Bloomberg, Boston Globe, Firedoglake, Mother Jones, Crooks and Liars, OpenSecrets.org, The National Memo, New York Magazine, Daily Kos, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Business Insider, The Raw Story, Taylor Marsh, msnbc.com and Balloon Juice

Politico:
Elizabeth Warren headed to Senate Banking Committee

Discussion: Guardian

Manu Raju / Politico:

Ashley Judd exploring Senate run — Ashley Judd vs. Mitch McConnell? — It might not be as far-fetched as you think. — The Hollywood movie star and eighth-generation Kentuckian is seriously exploring a 2014 run for the Senate to take on the powerful Republican leader, four people familiar with the matter tell POLITICO.

Discussion: The Week, The Fix, Weasel Zippers, Hot Air, Post Politics, LifeNews.com, CBS DC, msnbc.com, Zandar Versus The Stupid, Outside the Beltway, The Gateway Pundit, In Session, Shakesville and The Powers That Be

Paul Waldman / American Prospect:
Better-Looking, Spunkier Senator From Kentucky Now a Possibility

Discussion: Politico

Rosalind S. Helderman / Washington Post:

Senate rejects treaty to protect disabled around the world — J. Scott Applewhite/AP - Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), center, gestures during a news conference in Washington, Dec. 3, 2012, to urge Senate approval of an international agreement for protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities.

Discussion: msnbc.com, Firedoglake and Right Wing Watch

Ted Barrett / CNN:
Despite Dole appearance, Senate fails to ratify disabilities treaty

Discussion: Politico

Sahil Kapur / Talking Points Memo:
Senate Republicans Block Ratification Of U.N. Treaty On Rights For The Disabled, Citing Impact On Home-Schoolers

Discussion: The Hill, Washington Monthly and Daily Kos

Bob Woodward / Washington Post:

Fox News chief's failed attempt to enlist Petraeus as presidential candidate — Roger Ailes, the longtime Republican media guru, founder of Fox News and its current chairman, had some advice last year for then-Gen. David H. Petraeus. — So in spring 2011, Ailes asked a Fox News analyst headed …

The Fix:
Republicans losing blame game on fiscal cliff

Discussion: The Hill, Post Politics, Applesauce, Politico, Daily Kos, Business Insider, The Moderate Voice, The Agonist and Mother Jones

Mary Jo Pitzl / Arizona Republic:

Brewer out of state; aide won't provide details — Gov. Jan Brewer met in Washington D.C. Monday with Mason Steill and his mother, Shelley Steill. Mason, a combat medic, was injured in Afghanistan. He is the grandson of Maricopa County Supervisor Max Wilson's secretary. — Courtesy of Shelley Steill

Discussion: Gawker and Truthdig

Lee Enterprises / Associated Press:
Brewer out of state; aide won't provide details

Discussion: Wonkette, Politico and Post Politics

Jonathan Easley / The Hill:
Arizona senators don't know Gov. Jan Brewer's whereabouts

Discussion: ABCNEWS and New York Magazine

Associated Press:

TEA PARTY GROUP CHIEF QUITS, CITES INTERNAL SPLIT … WASHINGTON (AP) — Eased out with an $8 million payout provided by an influential GOP fundraiser, former Republican House Majority Leader Dick Armey says he has left a conservative Tea Party group, FreedomWorks, because of an internal split over the group's future direction.

Discussion: 24Ahead

Mother Jones:
Exclusive: Dick Armey Quits Tea Party Group in Split Over Direction

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, BuzzFeed, CNN, Trail Blazers Blog, Outside the Beltway, Ballot Box, Washington Examiner, The Raw Story, LewRockwell.com Blog, Prairie Weather, New York Magazine, Connecting.the.Dots, Post Politics and Politico

Ted Nugent / Washington Times:

U.S. sailed off the ‘fiscal cliff’ long ago — We created Fedzilla; now it's time to kill it — Only a Fedzillacrat could possibly think raising taxes on the wealthy could accomplish anything toward restoring sanity in the financial insane asylum known as our federal government.

Discussion: Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes', Associated Press, Little Green Footballs, Taegan Goddard's … and The Raw Story

DP Show / The Dan Patrick Show:

Bob Costas explains why he made gun commentary at halftime of Sunday night game — NBC's Bob Costas joined the show to talk about his comments on the Jevon Belcher tragedy and more. — Costas explained why he chose to make a statement on gun control at halftime of Sunday night's Eagles-Cowboys game.

Discussion: The Early Lead, Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes', Politico, Mediaite, Washington Examiner and The PJ Tatler

TMZ.com:

Mitt Romney Hits Costco — Buys Toy Car (Manufactured in China) — HITS COSTCO — Buys Toy Car (Manufactured in China) — EXCLUSIVE — Mitt Romney went on MASSIVE (and fiscally responsible) shopping spree at a Costco near his home in La Jolla, CA this week ... stocking up on all sorts of goods …

Discussion: Wonkette, The New Republic, BuzzFeed, Rightnewz Videos and Washington Examiner

Reuters:

Egypt's Mursi leaves palace as police battle protesters — (Reuters) - Egyptian police battled thousands of protesters outside President Mohamed Mursi's palace in Cairo on Tuesday, prompting the Islamist leader to leave the building, presidency sources said.

Discussion: Associated Press, Atlas Shrugs, Via Meadia, Rush Limbaugh and “The Lid”

Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:

House Democrats file petition to force vote on middle class tax rates — House Democrats on Tuesday filed a discharge petition that would force the House to vote on the Senate's bill to extend the Bush-era tax levels for the middle class, but allow rates to rise for the wealthy.

Discussion: Politico, Bluestem Prairie and Daily Kos