memeorandum: Guns and the Decline of the Young Man (Christy Wampole/Opinionator)

11:05 PM ET, December 17, 2012

Top Items:

Ezra Klein / Wonkblog:

A ‘fiscal cliff’ deal is near: Here are the details — All at once, a “fiscal cliff” deal seems to be coming together. Speaker John Boehner's latest offer doesn't go quite far enough for the White House to agree, but it goes far enough that many think they can see the agreement taking shape.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, The New Republic, Paul Krugman, Hullabaloo, The Plum Line, Hot Air, Hit & Run, Calculated Risk, Washington Post and Brad DeLong

Politico:

Obama makes new offer to narrow gap on cliff — President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner made significant progress Monday toward a fiscal cliff deal, as Obama's new offer on tax rates moved the two sides close to agreement. — But questions remained over whether Boehner …

Discussion: Guardian and Weasel Zippers

Brian Beutler / Talking Points Memo:
Hill Democrats Warm To GOP-Backed Social Security Concession In Fiscal Cliff Talks

Discussion: Daily Kos

Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:
President Delivers a New Offer on the Fiscal Crisis to Boehner

Discussion: Wall Street Journal and Calculated Risk

Erik Wasson / The Hill:
Conservative groups slam reported Boehner concessions in talks

Discussion: Politico, CNN and National Review

Washington Post:
Obama, Boehner move closer to ‘cliff’ deal

Discussion: The Raw Story, Post Politics, Right Turn, Balloon Juice and Wonkblog

Jack Mirkinson / The Huffington Post:

Joe Scarborough: Newtown Shooting Made ‘Ideologies Of My Past’ On Guns Irrelevant (VIDEO) — Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy … REACT: — FOLLOW: — Morning Joe, Morning Joe, Video, Joe Scarborough Gun Control, Joe Scarborough Gun Rights …

Discussion: NBC4 Washington, Addicting Info, Bluestem Prairie, msnbc.com, Business Insider and Eschaton

Zack Beauchamp / ThinkProgress:
Six Extreme Policies That Prove The NRA Is Out Of Step With America

Discussion: ABCNEWS and The Hill

Christy Wampole / Opinionator:
Guns and the Decline of the Young Man

Discussion: ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES and Althouse

Gary Langer / ABCNEWS:
Most Back Ban on High-Capacity Clips; Many See Societal Issues in Connecticut Shootings

Discussion: The Caucus, Business Insider, Outside the Beltway, ABCNEWS, ABCNEWS, Hot Air, The Huffington Post, The Hill, Mediaite, Daily Kos, CNN and Wall Street Journal

Kevin Robillard / Politico:
Pro-gun Sen. Joe Manchin: Time to act

Meenal Vamburkar / Mediaite:
Scarborough Questions ‘Long-Held’ Beliefs After Newtown: ‘Ideologies Of My Past Career’ No Longer ‘Relevant’

Discussion: Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes' and The Raw Story

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:

McArdle Wins Worst Newtown Reaction Award — In what can only be seen as a malicious plot by Newsweek's editors [Update: this is a long blog post, not a magazine piece] to ensure Megan McArdle's reputation does not outlive Newsweek, the Daily Beast has published a 4,000 word essay by its new hire …

Discussion: TBogg and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Megan McArdle / Asymmetrical Information:

There's Little We Can Do to Prevent Another Massacre — The things that would work are impractical and unconstitutional. The things we can do won't work. … There just aren't good words to talk about Newtown. It is a crime that literally defies imagination—hell, it flings imagination down and dances upon its head.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Hot Air, Roger Ailes, Ross Douthat, The Frisky, The Atlantic Online, Joanne Jacobs, Balloon Juice, The Moderate Voice and Sarah Kendzior

Wall Street Journal:
Shooter's Persona Drew Concern at School

Discussion: Telegraph

Peter Boylan / Senator Inouye's Press Feed:

Statement on the Passing of Senator Daniel K. Inouye — United States Senator Daniel K. Inouye, World War II veteran, Medal of Honor recipient and Hawaii's senior Senator, passed away from respiratory complications at 5:01 p.m. Eastern Standard Time today at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Addicting Info, Weekly Standard, Business Insider and NBC4 Washington

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye dies at age 88

Discussion: 2chambers, The Huffington Post, Firedoglake, Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes', Post Politics, U.S. News, Gawker, The Daily Caller, Outside the Beltway and Hot Air

Catalina Camia / USA Today:
Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye, 88, dies

Discussion: Moe Lane, AMERICAblog and Towleroad News #gay

Emily Goodin / Ballot Box:
OVERNIGHT CAMPAIGN: Inouye's death leaves opening in Senate

Discussion: Politico and ABCNEWS

Associated Press: Senator Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii Is Dead at 88

Timothy Birdnow / Tea Party Nation:

Barbarians at the Gates of Sandy Hook — Popular culture has made murder, rape, mayhem, hatred, and violence “cool” — The recent massacre at an elementary school in Connecticut (the ironically named Sandy Hook - it's been a bad year for anything named Sandy) has, predictably …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Right Wing Watch, Hullabaloo, Gawker, Mediaite, msnbc.com and Daily Kos, more at Mediagazer »

Jeff Spross / ThinkProgress:

Tea Party Group Blames Connecticut Shooting On Teachers, Unions, And Sex — In a lengthy screed that's essentially a round-up of every major cultural and policy grievance the American right holds with the rest of the country, author Timothy Birdnow cited concerns about the mental health …

Discussion: Business Insider and Shakesville

Deanreddington / CBS Boston:

Michael Dukakis Will Not Be Interim Senator If Kerry Resigns — BOSTON (CBS) - Former Gov. Michael Dukakis says he will not be a candidate for appointment as interim senator should Sen. John Kerry resign to accept appointment as secretary of state. — In a brief State House interview …

Discussion: “The Lid”, Hot Air and The Hill

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Dukakis seen as possible Senate replacement if Kerry tapped for State

Discussion: Truthdig, Washington Monthly, The Week, Michelle Malkin, ABCNEWS, Hot Air, The Moderate Voice, Weasel Zippers, The Daily Caller, Weekly Standard, americanthinker.com, Taylor Marsh and CBS Boston

Scott Keyes / ThinkProgress:

Meet Sen. Tim Scott: The Tea Party Lawmaker Who Wanted To Impeach President Obama And Kick Kids Off Food Stamps — Tim Scott is America's newest senator today after getting tapped by South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) to fill the vacancy left by former Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC).

Discussion: Esquire, Firedoglake, Wonkette, Addicting Info, Truthdig and The Raw Story

The Caucus:
Tim Scott to Be Named for South Carolina Senate Seat, Republicans Say

Discussion: Right Wing Watch, Twitchy, Towleroad News #gay, Politicker, Firedoglake, UrbanGrounds, Taylor Marsh, msnbc.com, Mediaite, Washington Monthly, Ballot Box, Weasel Zippers, Outside the Beltway, The Spectacle Blog, CNN and The PJ Tatler

CNN:
CNN's GUT CHECK for December 17, 2012

Discussion: Politico, The Fix and First Read

Ascrouch / CBS Dallas:

Austin Gun Store Owner Offers Teachers A Discount — AUSTIN (CBSDFW.COM) - An Austin-area gun store owner is joining the gun rights debate with a controversial offer for teachers in light of the tragic shooting in Connecticut. — Crocket Keller of Kellers Riverside Gun Store says if educators …

Discussion: The Raw Story, Rush Limbaugh, The PJ Tatler, The Daily Caller and The Hinterland Gazette

Aviva Shen / ThinkProgress:
Texas Gun Store Owner Is Offering Teacher Discounts

Discussion: Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes' and The Week

Erwin Chemerinsky / LAW.com:

Assault weapons in the cross hairs — Congress should re-enact the Federal Assault Weapons Ban and repeal a law protecting gun manufacturers from civil liability. — The National Law JournalSeptember 17, 2012 — Imagine a product that serves no purpose but to kill people and each year causes many deaths.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars and Suburban Guerrilla

Timothy P. Carney / Washington Examiner:
Media myths on ‘assault weapons’ and ‘semiautomatic firearms’

Discussion: Hit & Run, New York Times, Wonkblog and National Review

Mark Heim / al.com:

North Alabama player tweets racist Obama comment after speech pre-empted NFL game, now gone from team — A North Alabama football player posted a racist tweet about President Barack Obama tonight in response to NBC pre-empting the 49ers-Patriots game on Sunday Night Football to show Obama's speech …

Discussion: Deadspin, theGrio, Wonkette, Eclectablog, Mashable!, The Raw Story and Twitchy

Timothy Burke / Deadspin:
“Take That Nigger Off The TV, We Wanna Watch Football!”: Idiots Respond To NBC Pre-Empting Sunday Night Football

Discussion: The Hinterland Gazette and Crooks and Liars

CBS St. Louis:

County Police Chief Recommends Arming School Personnel — St. Louis County Police Chief Tim Fitch — ST. LOUIS COUNTY (KMOX) - St. Louis County Police Chief Tim Fitch says it is time to talk about arming civilian school personnel following Friday's massacre in Newtown, Connecticut …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Nice Deb and UrbanGrounds

John Cook / Gawker:

Richard Engel is Missing in Syria; NBC News Enforces News Blackout — NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel has gone missing in Syria, according to Turkish news reports. The reports also say that Aziz Akyava, a Turkish journalist working with Engel, is unaccounted for.

Discussion: NZweek, Business Insider, Twitchy, Weasel Zippers, The Jawa Report and Outside the Beltway, more at Mediagazer »

Andrew Belonsky / Towleroad News #gay:

I'm Gay: The 50 Most Powerful Coming Outs of 2012 — “The fact is, I'm gay.” Anderson Cooper's long-awaited announcement sums what it meant to come out in 2012. Again and again we heard the same sentiment — from pop singer Mika's equally anticipated confirmation, “If you ask me am I gay …

Discussion: Firedoglake

Rush Limbaugh:

We're Living the Collapse of Our Culture — RUSH: Oh, no, no, no, no. It's very frustrating because we're now immersed in many circumstances and situations where the last thing that anybody wants to hear are facts. The last thing anybody wants to contemplate is the real truth about something.

Discussion: PoliPundit.com

Ryan Grim / The Huffington Post:

Senate Filibuster Reform Closing In On Majority … REACT: — FOLLOW: — Harry Reid , Video, Jeff Merkley, Cwa, Dianne Feinstein, Filibuster, Filibuster Reform, Senate Filibuster, Senate Filibuster Reform, Silent Filibuster, Talking Filibuster, Politics News

Discussion: Fix the Senate Now News, Daily Kos and PostPartisan