memeorandum: Cory Booker won't challenge Christie, eyes U.S. Senate instead (David Giambusso/New Jersey Online)

11:10 AM ET, December 20, 2012

Top Items:

CNN:

CNN Poll: Are GOP policies too extreme? — Washington (CNN) - Just over half the public says that the GOP should give up more than the Democrats in any bipartisan solution to the country's problems, according to a new national survey. — And a CNN/ORC International poll also indicates …

Discussion: The Plum Line, Daily Kos, Business Insider, The Hill, Post Politics, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Hill, Politico and Towleroad News #gay

CNN:

House set to vote on Boehner's Plan B — Washington (CNN) — The House is set to vote Thursday on Plan B, a GOP version of an agreement on the fiscal cliff, and another measure designed to lure support for the plan from hard-line Republicans. — The White House threatened Wednesday to veto that plan …

Discussion: The Agonist, Freedom's Lighthouse, National Review and Politico

Politico:
Fiscal cliff: The lowest point

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Quartz and Business Insider

Bryan Preston / The PJ Tatler:
Disgraceful: Obama Invokes Newtown Massacre to Pressure Republicans to Go Along with His Tax Hikes

Discussion: protein wisdom, American Spectator and Chicago Boyz

Washington Post:
‘Cliff’ standoff: Boehner works to wrangle votes for ‘Plan B’; Obama threatens veto

Discussion: Firedoglake, msnbc.com, New York Magazine, Hot Air, Jared Bernstein, The Hill, Wall Street Journal, Campaign for America's …, Post Politics and The Daily Caller

New York Times:
Obama and Boehner Split on Fiscal Plan

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Firedoglake, The Caucus, 2chambers, Talking Points Memo, First Read, Business Insider and Slate

Brian Beutler / Talking Points Memo:
Did Boehner Just Pull The Plug On Fiscal Cliff Negotiations?

Discussion: The Plum Line, The Democratic Daily, Daily Kos, The Impolitic, Hullabaloo, Crooks and Liars, Paul Krugman and The Daily Dish

Brian Thompson / nbcnewyork.com:

Cory Booker Will Run for U.S. Senate in 2014: Sources — Newark Mayor Cory Booker will not challenge New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in next year's gubernatorial race and will instead run for U.S. Senate in 2014, political sources familiar with his decision tell NBC 4 New York.

Discussion: The Hill, GOP 12, Outside the Beltway, theGrio and Towleroad News #gay

David Giambusso / New Jersey Online:

Cory Booker won't challenge Christie, eyes U.S. Senate instead — NEWARK — Newark Mayor Cory Booker is calling Democratic party leaders this morning to tell them he will not challenge Gov. Chris Christie in next year's gubernatorial race but will run for U.S. Senate in 2014, The Star-Ledger has learned.

Discussion: Business Insider

Fred Thys / WBUR:

WBUR Poll: Brown Would Be In Strong Position For Special Election — BOSTON — A WBUR poll of 500 registered voters (PDFs - topline, crosstabs) finds U.S. Sen. Scott Brown is in a strong position should there be a special election to fill U.S. Sen. John Kerry's seat.

Discussion: Politico, Boston Globe, Hot Air, Ballot Box and National Review

Kevin Robillard / Politico:

Scott Brown backs assault gun ban — Outgoing Mass. Sen Scott Brown has became the first GOP senator to endorse a renewed assault weapons ban. — “What happened in Newtown where those children were subject to that level of violence is beyond my comprehension,” Brown told the Springfield Republican on Wednesday.

Discussion: CNN, New York Times and msnbc.com

Walter Olson / New York Post:

Behind the smears — Why they feared Robert Bork — Here's something you may not know about the 1987 battle that kept Robert Bork off the Supreme Court: Opponents pursued a whispering campaign against him on the grounds that he wasn't enough of a religious believer.

Discussion: Hit & Run, Slate and PointOfLaw Forum

USA Today:
Former Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork dies

Discussion: American Spectator, Hit & Run, The BLT and The Daily Caller

Jeffrey Rosen / The New Republic:
We're Still Paying the Price for the Borking of Robert Bork

Discussion: The Reaction, National Review, The Volokh Conspiracy, CNN, Right Turn, Balkinization, The Heritage Foundation and Overlawyered

Jeffrey Toobin / News Desk:
Postscript: Robert Bork, 1927-2012

Discussion: SCOTUSblog, National Review, his vorpal sword, The BLT, American Prospect, The Atlantic Online, The Volokh Conspiracy, New York Times and Los Angeles Times

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:

Fox News Brings On Santa Claus To Discuss The ‘War On Christmas’ — Fox and Friends took its coverage of the so-called “War on Christmas” to the front lines on Thursday morning by inviting Santa Claus to weigh in on America's changing culture and secularization.

Discussion: Gawker, The Raw Story and Towleroad News #gay

John Hinderaker / Power Line:

Miss USA Wins the Crown — Say what you will about Donald Trump, he runs a pretty good pageant. I didn't live-blog tonight's Miss Universe show, but I kept notes as it went along, and so what follows are my impressions as the event unfolded. With a lot of stuff left out …

Discussion: Althouse

Adam Kredo / Washington Free Beacon:

Rejecting Chuck Hagel — Former Republican Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel may no longer be President Obama's favored pick to run the Defense Department, sources told the Free Beacon. — Hagel immediately drew a frosty reception from observers who criticized him for advocating in favor …

Discussion: Foreign Policy, Taylor Marsh, Right Turn, Israel Matzav, BuzzFeed, The Atlantic Online, Hit & Run and Power Line

Jennifer Rubin / Right Turn:
More trouble for Hagel — Joining other groups and individuals …

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Power Line, Betsy's Page, CANNONFIRE, Politico, Washington Free Beacon, Latitude, Capital J | JTA and Washington Post

Associated Press:
Possible Hagel Pick Raises Concerns in Senate GOP

Discussion: Politico

Charlie Spiering / Washington Examiner:

Connecticut congressman: Rick Perry a ‘testosterone laden’ individual with blood on his hands … During a press conference on gun control yesterday, Rep. Jim Himes D-Conn. blasted Texas Governor Rick Perry for vocally supporting Second Amendment rights for American citizens after the horrific school shooting in Connecticut.

Discussion: Riehl World News and Jammie Wearing Fools

Scott Keyes / ThinkProgress:

Florida Man Invokes ‘Stand Your Ground’ Law After Shooting Fellow Pizza Customer — A Florida man defended his decision to shoot an impatient pizza customer over the weekend, citing the state's infamous “Stand Your Ground” law. — Michael Jock, a 52-year-old resident of St. Petersburg …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Gawker and AMERICAblog

NRO Symposium / National Review:

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: ThinkProgress, Slate, The Raw Story, Outside the Beltway, Telegraph, Prairie Weather, Feministe, Taylor Marsh, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, Daily Kos, Little Green Footballs, Truthdig, Mediaite, Balloon Juice and msnbc.com

jessica valenti: National Review: Newtown could have been avoided if a man was around

Lee Stranahan / BREITBART.COM:

GALLUP: MORE AMERICANS FAVOR SCHOOL OFFICIALS HAVING GUNS THAN WEAPON BAN — A new poll released today by Gallup shows that Americans favor increased security and proactive mental health treatment over gun control. The national poll of a little over 1,000 adults was conducted in the wake …

Discussion: protein wisdom

Frank Newport / Gallup:
To Stop Shootings, Americans Focus on Police, Mental Health

Discussion: The PJ Tatler, Politico, Weasel Zippers and Clayton Cramer's Blog

Zack Colman / The Hill:

Obama: Climate change among top three priorities for second term — President Obama has identified climate change as one of his top three priorities in his second term after coming under fire from environmentalists for giving the issue short shrift during the campaign.