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Did Boehner Just Pull The Plug On Fiscal Cliff Negotiations? — In response to President Obama's extensive comments about the fiscal cliff at the White House Wednesday afternoon, House Speaker John Boehner left himself little if any room to continue negotiations.
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, The Plum Line, Hullabaloo and The Daily Dish
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House Republicans Again Show Why We Need to Wait Until January for a Deal — For about half a day, in the wake of President Obama's most recent budget compromise, it appeared that an agreement might be close at hand. Boehner was reported to be taking the temperature of his crazies on Obama's plan.
Discussion:
New York Times, Hot Air, BuzzFeed and Taking Note

ATR Statement on “Plan B” Tax Plan — ATR's statement on the “Plan B” tax bill. — ATR has consistently maintained that individual Members of Congress make a pledge to their constituents to oppose and vote against tax increases. The House this week will vote on a tax bill.
Discussion:
Politico, The Hill, Speaker.gov, Hot Air, The New Republic, Washington Examiner, National Review, Business Insider, Post Politics, Washington Wire, Wonkblog and CTJReports


Grover Norquist: Boehner's ‘Plan B’ Not A Tax Pledge Violation
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Business Insider, Washington Examiner and National Review

Quick switch: Hatch backs Boehner Plan B
Discussion:
The Hill, Associated Press, The Fix, Los Angeles Times, CNN and Post Politics

White House: Obama Would Veto GOP's Fiscal Cliff ‘Plan B’
Discussion:
Washington Post, ThinkProgress and Firedoglake

Obama, Boehner duel on fiscal cliff
Discussion:
CNN, National Review, Quartz, Wonkblog, Business Insider and The New Republic

Norquist giving House Republicans a pass on Boehner's ‘Plan B’
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Outside the Beltway and CNN


2012 Person of the Year: Barack Obama, the President — Twenty-seven years after driving from New York City to Chicago in a $2,000 Honda Civic for a job that probably wouldn't amount to much, Barack Obama, in better shape but with grayer hair, stood in the presidential suite on the top floor …
Discussion:
Daily Mail, The Hill, ABCNEWS, The Atlantic Online, Greg's Opinion, The Democratic Daily, Mediaite, The Caucus, ABCNEWS, Forbes, LightBox, MadMike'sAmerica …, Capital New York, Towleroad News #gay, The Moderate Voice, Taylor Marsh, The Hinterland Gazette, Washington Wire, Gothamist, GOP 12, Weasel Zippers, The Tell, JustOneMinute, The Lonely Conservative, Shakesville, Twitchy, americanthinker.com, Business Insider, Gawker, The Week, The BLT and Politico, more at Mediagazer »
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The Choice — In 1782 an expatriate French aristocrat named …
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, Politico, LightBox, Mediaite, Post Politics, msnbc.com, Gawker and Business Insider

Robert H. Bork, 1927-2012 — Judge Robert H. Bork, one of the the greatest jurists this country has ever produced, died early this morning from heart complications in a Virginia hospital near his home. He was 84. — Bork was a national celebrity. Several years ago …
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The Puzzle of Black Republicans — WHEN Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina announced on Monday that she would name Representative Tim Scott to the Senate, it seemed like another milestone for African-Americans. Mr. Scott will complete the term of Senator Jim DeMint, who is leaving to run Heritage Foundation.
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CNN Anchor Blasts Florida Governor For Ducking Gun Control, Demands Action Before ‘I Cover Another Tragedy’
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, The Raw Story and Mediaite

TRENDING: Tim Scott points to ‘moral decay’ after school shooting
Discussion:
Politico

3 State Department Resignations After Libya Attack Report — WASHINGTON — Three State Department officials resigned under pressure on Wednesday following a report that detailed “grossly inadequate” security measures at the United States Mission in Benghazi, Libya, on the night assailants besieged …
Discussion:
CNN, The Atlantic Online, Taylor Marsh, CBS News, The Other McCain, Fox News and Michelle Malkin
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STATE DEPT SECURITY CHIEF RESIGNS AFTER BENGHAZI — You are here — Home » United States government » State Dept security chief resigns after Benghazi — WASHINGTON (AP) — Three State Department officials resigned under pressure Wednesday, less than a day after a damning …
Discussion:
Business Insider, Hit & Run, Mediaite and The Hill


Joe Manchin: 'I'm so proud of the NRA' — 'I'm not supporting a ban on anything. I'm supporting a conversation on everything,' Manchin said. AP Photo — Close — West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who suggested earlier in the week that the time had come for some gun control restrictions …
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Sensing political shift, Pelosi, Dems call for ban on high-capacity gun clips
Discussion:
CNN

Chuck Hagel is not the right choice for defense secretary — FORMER SENATOR Chuck Hagel, whom President Obama is reportedly considering for defense secretary, is a Republican who would offer a veneer of bipartisanship to the national security team. He would not, however, move it toward the center …
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Kristol-founded group targets Hagel
Discussion:
Right Turn, Washington Free Beacon, Washington Post, Taylor Marsh and Weekly Standard

CNN Poll: Bare majority now support major gun restrictions — Washington (CNN) - Americans are reacting to the tragic events in Newtown, Connecticut with elevated levels of anger, shock and fear that have led a growing number of people to look for action from the government and society …
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's …, Business Insider and The National Memo

Court: Obama must rewrite contraception mandate to accommodate religious liberty … Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius cannot enforce the Obamacare contraception mandate as it is written, but must follow through on a promise to rewrite the rule to accommodate religious liberty, a federal appeals court ordered.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and Questions and Observations
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Obama to Give Congress Plan on Gun Control Within Weeks — WASHINGTON — President Obama declared Wednesday that he would make gun control a “central issue” as he opens a second term, submitting broad new gun control proposals to Congress no later than January and committing the power …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Shakesville, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Capital New York and CNN

Newtown Answers — Twenty children and six adults are dead. In Nigeria, people put their lives at risk going to church on Sundays. But in New England? The thought that going to school could be a final act is hard for us to comprehend. The seeming senselessness of what happened …
Discussion:
Little Green Footballs, jessica valenti, msnbc.com, Truthdig, Balloon Juice and Mediaite


Quoting Rush Limbaugh Verbatim Is the Easiest Way to Discredit Him — His broadcasts since the Newtown shooting are an apt illustration of his self-contradiction and lack of intellectual integrity. — Reuters — There's been a lot of talk about the “national conversation” these last few days.
Discussion:
Riehl World News, Connecting.the.Dots and The Spectacle Blog

Obama, Reid slam brakes on gun control … With President Obama's announcement of a commission to study and recommend ways to reduce gun violence, the two most important Democrats in government — Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid — have both indicated a desire to slow …
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Plum Line, Politico, The Week, Hot Air, Power Line, Mediaite, New York Times and American Power, more at Mediagazer »

That Old Sick Feeling — Here we go again — or so I find myself fearing. — Obama's fiscal deal offer was already distressing — cuts to Social Security, and a big concession, it turns out, on taxation of dividends, retaining most of the Bush cut (with the benefits flowing overwhelmingly to the top 1 percent).
Discussion:
The Huffington Post and Prairie Weather


Guns Out of Stock at Wal-Mart as Magazine Prices Surge on — With President Barack Obama endorsing sweeping gun restrictions in the wake of the school shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, prices for handgun magazines are surging on EBay (EBAY) and semi-automatic rifles are sold out at many Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) locations.
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit