memeorandum: The Hagel Thesis — As we go to press on Friday, December 14 … (William Kristol/Weekly Standard)

11:40 AM ET, December 16, 2012

Top Items:

Killer's Mother, His First Victim, Was a Gun Enthusiast, Friends Say — NEWTOWN, Conn. — She was “a big, big gun fan” who went target shooting with her children, according to friends. She enjoyed craft beers, jazz and landscaping. She was generous to strangers, but also high-strung, as if she were holding herself together.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Washington Post, New Jersey Online, Gothamist, WUTC, The Democratic Daily, U.S. News, News Desk, Daily Mail, Slate, Guardian, Telegraph, Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes', American Power, The Other McCain, The Daily Caller and Althouse

James Barron / New York Times:

Children at School Were All Shot Multiple Times — All of the children killed by the gunman during a massacre at a Connecticut elementary school were shot multiple times, the state chief medical examiner said Saturday, who called it the worst scene he had witnessed in three decades examining crime scenes.

Discussion: IHT Rendezvous, Xinhua News Agency, U.S. News, Daily Kos, 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 — (CNN) - Responding to the deadly mass shooting Friday in Newtown, Connecticut, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said new laws regulating guns won't deter such shootings, linking a lack of religious discussion in the classroom to increased violence in schools.

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

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

Discussion: Little Green Footballs, No More Mister Nice Blog and The Lonely Conservative

CNN:
‘Why? Why?’: 26 dead in elementary school massacre

Discussion: The New Civil Rights Movement, American Power, Firedoglake, The Talking Dog, Gothamist, This Just In, Los Angeles Times, TMZ.com and NY Daily News

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: The PJ Tatler, CNN, Business Insider, This Just In and Reuters

Jim Kuhnhenn / Associated Press:

AP SOURCE: BOEHNER OFFERS MILLIONAIRE TAX HIKE … WASHINGTON (AP) — Signaling new movement in “fiscal cliff” talks, House Speaker John Boehner has proposed raising the top rate for earners making more than $1 million, a person familiar with the negotiations said.

Discussion: americanthinker.com and The Hill

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: Crooks and Liars, Business Insider and The Agonist

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: Main Justice and The PJ Tatler

Charlie Savage / New York Times:

Justice Dept. Studied and Shelved Ideas to Bolster Gun Database — WASHINGTON — After the shooting of Representative Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona and others in early 2011, the Justice Department drew up a detailed list of steps the government could take to expand the background-check system …

Discussion: emptywheel and BuzzFeed

Jake Tapper / ABCNEWS:

John Kerry to Be Nominated to Be Secretary of State, Sources Say — Sources tell ABC News that President Obama has decided that he will nominate Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., to be secretary of state. — For a variety of reasons including the finalization of the process, other pending Cabinet decisions …

Discussion: CNN, The Hill and Taegan Goddard's …

Jessica Yellin / CNN: Source: Obama to tap Kerry to be next secretary of state

Matthew Lee / Associated Press:
SECRETARY OF STATE FAINTS, SUSTAINS CONCUSSION

Discussion: Althouse, The Gateway Pundit and The PJ Tatler

Russell Berman / The Hill:
Hillary Clinton faints, suffers concussion

Discussion: americanthinker.com, Politico, This Just In and The Hill

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

Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Chuck Hagel's record on Israel draws scrutiny

Discussion: Power Line, Israpundit, Chicago Sun Times and Weekly Standard

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: Via Meadia, Atlas Shrugs and Jihad Watch

Reuters:
Egyptians vote on divisive constitution

Discussion: The PJ Tatler, americanthinker.com and The Reaction

Jonathan Allen / Politico:

After Connecticut school shooting, Washington silent 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

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 …