memeorandum: Senate Republicans aim to cut Sandy aid bill down to $24 billion (David Lawder/Reuters)

1:35 PM 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: Democracy in America, Daily Kos, Business Insider, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Hill, Post Politics, Politico, Wall Street Journal, First Read, Towleroad News #gay, Talking Points Memo, The Plum Line and Americans for Tax Reform RSS

Jennifer Rubin / Right Turn:

Republicans put Obama in a box — The White House is acting like it had no “plan B” in the “fiscal cliff” fight. Ever since House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said he would put to a vote a measure to extend all current tax rates except those for households making more than $1 million …

Discussion: AEIdeas, Balloon Juice and The Daily Caller

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, National Review, Freedom's Lighthouse, Business Insider and Politico

Politico:
Fiscal cliff: The lowest point

Discussion: Hit & Run, americanthinker.com, The Hill, Talking Points Memo, The Plum Line, First Read, Washington Examiner and Quartz

Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
Obama in focus, yet all over the map

Discussion: Belmont Club, Betsy's Page and American Spectator

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

Discussion: Off the Charts Blog, Firedoglake, PostPartisan, New York Times, New York Magazine, Jared Bernstein, msnbc.com, Campaign for America's …, Post Politics, The Daily Caller and Prairie Weather

The Hill:
WHIP COUNT: House lawmakers' positions on GOP's ‘Plan B’

Discussion: defensenews.com, BuzzFeed, Mediaite, Daily Kos, Hot Air, Slate, Politico, Michelle Malkin and Jared Bernstein

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: Politico, The Hill, GOP 12, Outside the Beltway, Runnin' Scared, First Read, National Review and Towleroad News #gay

Cory Booker:

Finishing the Work We Started — I love Newark. I did not come to this city through the providence of birth. I chose Newark, and Newark, thank God, accepted me, embraced me and allowed me the greatest privilege of my life - to serve as mayor. — As Mayor, the politics and process of change hasn't been easy.

Discussion: ABCNEWS, New York Times, CNN and Daily Kos

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

Discussion: The Fix, Post Politics and The Hinterland Gazette

Sam Stein / The Huffington Post:

Newt Gingrich On Mitt Romney: ‘I Would Have Probably Done Better’ Against Obama … REACT: — FOLLOW: — Elections 2012, Gingrich 2012, Newt Gingrich, Video, Mitt Romney 2012, Mitt Romney Gay Marriage, Newt Gingrich Gay Marriage, Newt Gingrich Immigration Reform, Newt Gingrich Mitt Romney, Rnc Review, Romney Media, Politics News

Discussion: BuzzFeed, Taegan Goddard's …, Towleroad News #gay and Right Wing Watch

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

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: Crooks and Liars, BuzzFeed, Gawker and Towleroad News #gay

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: The Hill, Michelle Malkin, Boston Globe, Politico, Hot Air, Ballot Box and National Review

Kevin Robillard / Politico:
Scott Brown backs assault gun ban

Discussion: New York Times, CNN and msnbc.com

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

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: The Gateway Pundit, Connecting.the.Dots, Riehl World News and Jammie Wearing Fools

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: Slate, The Daily Dish, Hit & Run, PointOfLaw Forum, National Review and ProfessorBainbridge.com

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

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money, Wonkblog, SCOTUSblog, National Review, USA Today, The Reaction, Ross Douthat, News Desk, The Volokh Conspiracy, Right Turn, The Heritage Foundation, Balkinization and Overlawyered

Diane Clehane / FishbowlNY:

Power Lunching with Eliot Spitzer, Star Jones and Joanna Coles — It's the last Wednesday power lunch of the year (or the last one ever if you believe those wacky Mayans), and the usual suspects at Michael's came bearing gifts to be traded over Cobb salads today.

David Lawder / Reuters:

Senate Republicans aim to cut Sandy aid bill down to $24 billion — (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Republicans sought to slash a $60.4 billion aid bill to cover reconstruction after Superstorm Sandy, proposing on Wednesday to fund only $23.8 billion in immediate disaster relief while assessing longer-term needs.

Charles E. Schumer / Washington Post:

A middle ground on gun limits — Since the massacre at Connecticut's Sandy Hook Elementary School, many are wondering whether this tragedy might finally provoke action on guns. — The answer is, it could. The reason may surprise gun-control activists. — A post-Newtown examination …

Discussion: The Hill, The Page, Wonkblog and Post Politics

Reuters:

Holder: executive actions to be considered on gun violence — (Reuters) - The Obama administration will consider executive actions and specific proposals for legislation as part of its gun policy response to the school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said on Wednesday.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and Washington Examiner

Ian Austen / New York Times:

In $18 Million Theft, Victim Was a Canadian Maple Syrup Cartel — OTTAWA — It was an inside job of sorts. Thieves with access to a warehouse and a careful plan loaded up trucks and, over time, made off with $18 million of a valuable commodity. — The question is what was more unusual …

Discussion: National Review and The Tell

Jennifer Martinez / The Hill:

Video game lobby breaks silence after Newtown shooting — The Entertainment Software Association has issued a statement saying any study that examines the effect of violent video games on children needs to consider past research that shows no connection between entertainment content and real-world violence.

Discussion: Business Insider