memeorandum: In Newtown, Nancy Lanza a subject of sympathy for some, anger for others (Kevin Sullivan/Washington Post)

5:30 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 …

Daniel Halper / Weekly Standard:

Harry Reid: ‘We Are Not Going to Do Anything’ — Senate majority leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, made his “fiscal cliff” position clear in a press conference today. “We are not going to do anything,” said Reid. — Reid added, “We are not taking up anything they are working on over there.”

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, CNN and The Gateway Pundit

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Leader Reid rules out Senate vote on ‘Plan B’ — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Thursday the Senate will not vote on Speaker John Boehner's (R-Ohio) “Plan B” to extend tax rates for family income below $1 million. — The Democratic leader blasted Boehner for wasting time on …

Discussion: Politico, Daily Kos and Hot Air

Politico:
Boehner: W.H. has ‘done nothing’ on cliff talks

Discussion: CNN, The National Memo, Hot Air and Weasel Zippers

Pat Garofalo / ThinkProgress:
House Republicans Cut Food Stamps, Obamacare, And Wall Street Oversight In Ill-Fated ‘Plan B’

Discussion: The Hill and Firedoglake

Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:
House to vote on bill replacing sequester spending cuts

Discussion: Firedoglake and ThinkProgress

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

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, First Read, Belmont Club, Betsy's Page and The Spectacle Blog

Jennifer Rubin / Right Turn:
Republicans put Obama in a box

Discussion: Booman Tribune, Balloon Juice, AEIdeas and The Daily Caller

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

Discussion: defensenews.com, Heritage Action for America, The Plum Line, Washington Post, msnbc.com, Hot Air, Mother Jones, BuzzFeed, Club for Growth, Mediaite, 2chambers, Daily Kos and New York Magazine

Politico:
Fiscal cliff: The lowest point

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

Dean Clancy / FreedomWorks:
Fiscal Cliff: Two Cheers for Boehner's Plan B (But Oppose It Anyway)

Discussion: RedState, Firedoglake, Speaker.gov, The National Memo, FreedomWorks blogs, Daily Kos, Washington Free Beacon, Post Politics, The Other McCain and The Plum Line

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: Firedoglake, Politico, GOP 12, Advocate, Guardian, The Raw Story, Towleroad News #gay and Right Wing Watch

Chris Geidner / BuzzFeed:
Newt Gingrich Supports “Reality” Of State-Sanctioned Marriage Equality

Discussion: The Huffington Post and AMERICAblog

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: Hot Air, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Outside the Beltway, Taylor Marsh, The Hill, GOP 12, First Read, Runnin' Scared, Towleroad News #gay and National Review

Star-Ledger Guest / NJ Voices Guest blog:
Cory Booker: I'll explore U.S. Senate run

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, ABCNEWS, BuzzFeed, New York Times, About.com US Politics, Moe Lane, msnbc.com, Politico, 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

Kevin Sullivan / Washington Post:

In Newtown, Nancy Lanza a subject of sympathy for some, anger for others — NEWTOWN, Conn. — Twenty-six. Not 27. — When many people in Newtown count the victims in last week's massacre, they tally 20 children in Sandy Hook Elementary School, plus six adult faculty and staff members.

Discussion: The Other McCain, Shakesville and Daily Kos

Jennifer Martinez / The Hill:
Video game lobby breaks silence after Newtown shooting

Discussion: Business Insider

Jeff G. / protein wisdom:

A sad announcement — I know I probably shouldn't have done it — especially because yesterday was a snowy day with the temperature here in Colorado dipping well below freezing — but on a whim I took all my guns and ammunition out in a small skiff on one of the nearby lakes and, sad to say …

Discussion: Primordial Slack

Greta Van Susteren / Gretawire:

I don't agree with any of my FNC colleagues or anyone else who is a tad bit sarcastic on our air about Secretary Clinton's health — I believe that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is suffering from a concussion. She has never shied away from a fight (assuming the testimony would even amount to that) …

Discussion: Politico and Mediaite

Steven Greenhouse / Media Decoder:

‘Charlie Rose’ Show Agrees to Pay Up to $250,000 to Settle Interns' Lawsuit — Charlie Rose and his production company have agreed to pay as much as $250,000 to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by a former unpaid intern who claimed minimum wage violations.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Deadline.com, Politico and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »

Zeke Miller / BuzzFeed:

Chuck Hagel Once Opposed Nominee Because He Was “Openly Aggressively Gay” — The man who would be secretary of defense also supported the ban on open military service for gays and lesbians. — Image by Ali Jarekji / Reuters — WASHINGTON — Former Sen. Chuck Hagel …

Discussion: Politico, Weekly Standard, Hot Air, Mediaite, Washington Post, National Review and Moe Lane

Pew Research Center for the People and the Press:

After Newtown, Modest Change in Opinion about Gun Control — Most Say Assault Weapons Make Nation More Dangerous — OVERVIEW — The public's attitudes toward gun control have shown only modest change in the wake of last week's deadly shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut.

Discussion: Politico, The Caucus, New York Times, Taegan Goddard's … and Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes'

Charles E. Schumer / Washington Post:
A middle ground on gun limits

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

Tom Kludt / Talking Points Memo:

Gallup: Obama's Approval Rating Reaches Highest Point Since 2009 — President Barack Obama's job approval rating reached 56 percent in Thursday's edition of the Gallup daily tracking poll, the highest mark since October 13, 2009. — Thursday's release also showed 37 percent disapprove of Obama …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

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: Gawker

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, Truthdig, Gawker and Towleroad News #gay

New York Post:

NYers who believe in Mayan apocalypse search for sex before the world ends — Stop the world — I wanna get off! — A sexy swimsuit model and countless other lusty New Yorkers say tomorrow's predicted Mayan apocalypse is a great reason to have sex, and are turning to social media …