memeorandum: Three lessons from the near-final popular vote (David Lauter/Los Angeles Times)

2:15 PM ET, December 16, 2012

Top Items:

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

GOP lawmaker wishes Sandy Hook school principal was armed — Rep. Louie Gohmert, a Republican from Texas, says he wishes Dawn Hochsprung, the principal of the Sandy Hook Elementary School, was armed with an M-4 assault rifle when she confronted Adam Lanza, the shooter who killed 20 children.

Discussion: Politico, Washington Post and Prairie Weather

People.com:

Connecticut Shooting: Hero Teacher Died Saving Students — Out of the chaos and horror emerged an incredible act of selflessness and bravery by one teacher who spent her final moments trying to protect her young students from harm. — Victoria Soto, 27, a first-grade teacher …

Discussion: Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes', ABCNEWS and Israel Matzav

Ashley Killough / CNN:

Texas congressman: Principal should have been armed for self-defense — (CNN) - U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert said the deadly Connecticut school shooting could have been halted sooner if staff at the school had been equipped with guns. — “I wish to God (the principal) had had an M4 in her office …

Discussion: Politico

Garry Wills / New York Review of Books:

Our Moloch — Few crimes are more harshly forbidden in the Old Testament than sacrifice to the god Moloch (for which see Leviticus 18.21, 20.1-5). The sacrifice referred to was of living children consumed in the fires of offering to Moloch. Ever since then, worship of Moloch has been the sign of a deeply degraded culture.

Discussion: Firedoglake, New York Times, Wonkblog, Outside the Beltway, Daily Kos, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Balloon Juice, News Desk and WorldViews

New York Times:
Killer's Mother, His First Victim, Was a Gun Enthusiast, Friends Say

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Mediaite, Gothamist, New Jersey Online, American Power, U.S. News, Washington Post, The Democratic Daily, Daily Mail, Guardian, Telegraph, The Other McCain, New York Post, The Week, Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes', Associated Press and The Daily Caller

John Hinderaker / Power Line:
The Sandy Hook Murders: What To Do?

Discussion: TBogg, Little Green Footballs and No More Mister Nice Blog

James Barron / New York Times:
Children at School Were All Shot Multiple Times

Discussion: IHT Rendezvous, Xinhua News Agency, Daily Kos, U.S. News, The Reaction, The Caucus, Balloon Juice, Weasel Zippers and Associated Press

Mike Huckabee / CNN:
Huckabee: Lack of religion in classroom leads to violence in schools

Discussion: ABCNEWS, The Agonist, The Hill, Roger Ailes, Balloon Juice and The Moderate Voice

Jonathan Allen / Politico:

After Connecticut school shooting, Washington quiet on gun control — They've watched mass shootings of college kids and schoolchildren, issued countless statements of sympathy, and lived through a colleague taking a bullet to the brain, but Friday's rampage in Newtown, Conn. …

Discussion: CNN, The Moderate Voice, New York Times and Reuters

Zeke Miller / BuzzFeed:
Democratic Senator Will Introduce New Assault Weapons Ban In January

Discussion: Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes'

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Durbin: Assault weapons ban more likely in wake of Newtown school shootings

Discussion: Politico

Ashley Killough / CNN:
Connecticut governor wants tougher federal laws

Discussion: Business Insider and This Just In

The Anarchist Soccer Mom:

Thinking the Unthinkable — In the wake of another horrific national tragedy, it's easy to talk about guns. But it's time to talk about mental illness. — Three days before 20 year-old Adam Lanza killed his mother, then opened fire on a classroom full of Connecticut kindergartners …

Discussion: Feministe, Crooks and Liars, Business Insider, The Agonist and FIRST DRAFT

David Lauter / Los Angeles Times:

Three lessons from the near-final popular vote — Here's what the near-final tally reveals: — The election really wasn't close. — On election night, President Obama's victory margin seemed fairly narrow - just slightly more than 2 percentage points.

Discussion: PoliticusUSA and Taegan Goddard's …

Joe Weisenthal / Business Insider:

Every Single Pro-Gun Rights Senator Declined To Appear On Meet The Press Today — In the wake of the Newtown, CT shooting, all of the Sunday shows are dominated by gun control politics. — Meet The Press producer Betsy Fischer Martin tweets the following... Please follow Politics on Twitter and Facebook.

Discussion: The Hinterland Gazette, Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes' and Crooks and Liars

Politico:

Fiscal cliff talks: Speaker John Boehner pitches millionaire tax hike — Speaker John Boehner has proposed allowing tax rates to rise for the wealthiest Americans if President Barack Obama agrees to major entitlement cuts, according to several sources close to the talks.

Discussion: Hot Air, Outside the Beltway, The PJ Tatler, The Hill, Business Insider, CNN and This Just In

Jim Kuhnhenn / Associated Press:
AP SOURCE: BOEHNER OFFERS MILLIONAIRE TAX HIKE

Discussion: The Lonely Conservative and americanthinker.com

Associated Press:

IND. MAN WITH 47 GUNS ARRESTED AFTER SCHOOL THREAT — CEDAR LAKE, Ind. (AP) — A northern Indiana man who allegedly threatened to “kill as many people as he could” at an elementary school near his home was arrested by officers who later found 47 guns and ammunition hidden throughout his home.

Discussion: Gawker, Balloon Juice and The Hinterland Gazette

John Cole / Balloon Juice:

True Stories in Gun Control — After Operation Desert Shield and Storm, I was stationed at Camp Blackhorse in Doha Kuwait with the 11th ACR. We were an Armored Cavalry Regiment (ACR), which basically means we were a self contained unit. For each squdron, we had 3 Cav troops- Alpha …

Discussion: The Mahablog

Reuters:

Egyptians narrowly back constitution, say rival camps — (Reuters) - Egyptians voted narrowly in favor of a constitution shaped by Islamists but opposed by other groups who fear it will divide the Arab world's biggest nation, officials in rival camps said on Sunday after the first round of a two-stage referendum.

Discussion: The PJ Tatler, Weasel Zippers, Atlas Shrugs, Via Meadia and Jihad Watch

Susan Heavey / Reuters:

Users should not be targeted in states that legalized pot: Obama — (Reuters) - President Barack Obama says federal authorities should not target recreational marijuana use in two Western states that voted to make it legal, given limited government resources and growing public acceptance of the controlled substance.

Discussion: The PJ Tatler and Main Justice

Charlie Savage / New York Times:
Justice Dept. Studied and Shelved Ideas to Bolster Gun Database

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Prairie Weather, emptywheel and BuzzFeed

William Kristol / Weekly Standard:

The Hagel Thesis — As we go to press on Friday, December 14, former Republican senator Chuck Hagel appears to be the leading candidate to become the next secretary of defense. Anti-Israel propagandists are thrilled. Stephen Walt, junior partner of the better-known Israel-hater John Mearsheimer …

Discussion: Booman Tribune and Power Line