Top Items:


The Republican Tax Panic — The GOP should negotiate with Obama, not each other. — If any Republicans thought that President Obama would respond with magnanimity in victory, they now know better. He is determined to rout them on taxes, give as a little as possible on spending …
Discussion:
Business Insider, The Natural Truth, Weekly Standard and Hot Air
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Options narrow to avert fiscal cliff — Time is running short — and so are the options available to avert the fiscal cliff. — President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) have just 21 days to resolve their differences over how to handle more than $500 billion in expiring tax rates and steep spending cuts.
Discussion:
CNN, The Democratic Daily, ABCNEWS and The Hill

Time running out on ‘fiscal cliff’ deal — The contours of a deal to avert the year-end fiscal cliff are becoming increasingly clear. But progress has been slow, and time is running out for leaders to seal an agreement and sell it to restless lawmakers who so far have been given little information.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, The Other McCain, Taegan Goddard's … and Booman Tribune

Armey: Boehner has ‘toughest job’ in Washington — Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas) says Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has the “toughest job” in Washington, with three weeks left to negotiate a deal to avoid the “fiscal cliff.” — “He's got a seriously divided majority in the House.
Discussion:
Politico


Conservative Pundits: Accepting Same-Sex Marriage Is Common Sense — Republican political strategist Mary Matalin must have finally gotten the message that a growing number of Americans support marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples. On ABC's This Week, as the show discussed …
Discussion:
Taylor Marsh, The Democratic Daily, Althouse, Firedoglake, The Political Carnival, The Reaction, ABCNEWS and ABCNEWS
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Sidebar: Court Enters Same-Sex Fray With Uncharacteristic Speed
Discussion:
The Reaction


Battleground Poll: Most back path to citizenship — Americans want amnesty. — A new POLITICO/George Washington University Battleground poll finds that 62 percent of those surveyed support an immigration reform proposal that would allow illegal or undocumented immigrants to earn citizenship over a period of several years.
Discussion:
Post Politics, Mediaite, Booman Tribune and Taegan Goddard's …
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Battleground Poll: Hike taxes on rich — An American appetite for tax hikes gives President Barack Obama leverage in fiscal cliff negotiations. — A new POLITICO/George Washington University Battleground Poll finds that 60 percent of respondents support raising taxes on households that earn …
Discussion:
msnbc.com and Talking Points Memo

Poll: Plurality supports gay marriage
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, The Huffington Post, CNN, AMERICAblog and Towleroad News #gay


Police concerned with Apple iOS 6 mapping system — Mildura Police are urging motorists to be careful when relying on the mapping system on the Apple i-phones operating on the iOS 6 system after a number of motorists were directed off the beaten track in recent weeks.


Obama meets Psy — President Barack Obama and Psy shared the stage in Washington on Sunday but didn't dance “Gangnam Style” together. — Instead, the South Korean pop star, wearing a sparkly red top, shook hands with the president during the “Christmas in Washington” concert held at the National Building Museum.
Discussion:
CNN
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Robots and Robber Barons — The American economy is still, by most measures, deeply depressed. But corporate profits are at a record high. How is that possible? It's simple: profits have surged as a share of national income, while wages and other labor compensation are down.
Discussion:
Prairie Weather, Mother Jones and Paul Krugman


U.S. Navy SEAL killed in operation to rescue American doctor in Afghanistan — Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) — An elite U.S. special forces team rescued an American doctor who had been abducted in Afghanistan, but lost one of their own members in the mission, officials said.
Discussion:
Foreign Policy and Washington Examiner
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Obama Expected To Weigh In On Michigan Right-To-Work Battle In Detroit Speech … REACT: — FOLLOW: — Barack Obama , Barack Obama , Video, Barack Obama Michigan, Governor Rick Snyder, Obama Michigan, Obama Right To Work, Rick Snyder, Rick Snyder Right To Work, Michigan, Michigan Right To Work …
Discussion:
The Plum Line, The Daily Caller and Detroit Free Press


Egypt crisis: Morsi gives army arrest powers before vote — The BBC's Shaimaa Khalil says Egypt has become a visibly divided country — Egypt's President Morsi has ordered the military to maintain security and protect state institutions in the run-up to a referendum on the constitution.
Discussion:
Right Turn, The Week, Informed Comment, Guardian and Washington Post
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Egypt Leader Fails to Blunt Opposition
Discussion:
Algemeiner.com


Lawrence O'Donnell Confronts Gingrich: Asks Him To Apologize For Predicting Clinton Tax Increases Would Lead To Downturn — On Sunday, during an appearance on Meet The Press, MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell confronted Newt Gingrich for falsely predicting in 1993 that the economy would suffer …
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, The Political Carnival and The Raw Story
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Chavez Names Loyalist Heir as Venezuela Eyes Succession — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez named a longtime ally with close ties to Cuba his heir apparent as the cancer-stricken leader prepares for a potential departure after almost 14 years in power. — Chavez, in a nationwide address …
Discussion:
Scared Monkeys, The Heritage Foundation and The Gateway Pundit

Syria: Rebel Prisoners On Their Religious War — Interviewing people who, under different circumstances, might kill you is a strange experience. — To the soundtrack of multiple rocket launchers and small arms fire, I met six men who the Syrian authorities told us were jihadist rebel fighters captured by the army.
Discussion:
The Jawa Report, Weasel Zippers and Jihad Watch
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Hot Air Trial Ballooning — This comment strikes me as a little bit hard to take at face value: … I have a sneaking feeling that Durbin is throwing up a smokescreen there (or he's been smoking some of that special Alan Simpson sensimilla.) He must know that the argument is that Obamacare …
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Top Senate Democrat Rejects Raising Medicare Eligibility Age
Discussion:
Firedoglake and Wonkblog