memeorandum: Remarks from the NRA press conference on Sandy Hook school shooting, delivered on Dec. 21, 2012 (Transcript) (Washington Post)

2:25 PM ET, December 21, 2012

Top Items:

Inside the Meltdown — “How the hell can you do this?” — • followers — At a quarter to 8 p.m. on Thursday night, House Republicans gathered in the Capitol basement for an urgent, closed-door conference meeting. The scene was hushed and confused.

Discussion: The Strata-Sphere, Hot Air, Washington Wire, The PJ Tatler, Booman Tribune, Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes' and NewsBusters.org

Politico:

Behind the scenes of a GOP meltdown — Things were so bad for Speaker John Boehner Thursday night, support for his Plan B tax bill so diminished, the limits of his power with his own party laid bare, that he stood in front of the House Republican Conference and recited the Serenity Prayer.

Discussion: CNN, Right Turn, National Review, americanthinker.com, mobile.nationaljournal.com, Washington Examiner, Taylor Marsh, Business Insider, The Plum Line, Guardian, First Read, Quartz, Gawker, Campaign for America's …, The Hill and The Mahablog

Ezra Klein / Wonkblog:

Will Boehner's speakership survive until Plan C? — Has there been a House speaker in modern American history with less control over his members than John Boehner? — Sad trombone. (Charles Dharapak / AP) — Over the past three days, Boehner has focused all attention on “Plan B” …

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Politico, The Tell, The Week, his vorpal sword, Connecting.the.Dots and Business Insider

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

Playing Taxes Hold 'Em — A few years back, there was a boom in poker television — shows in which you got to watch the betting and bluffing of expert card players. Since then, however, viewers seem to have lost interest. But I have a suggestion: Instead of featuring poker experts …

Discussion: Off the Charts Blog, The Plum Line, Robert Reich, Daily Kos and Balloon Juice

Matthew Yglesias / Slate:

The Failure of Last Night's “Plan B” Vote Makes a Fiscal Cliff Deal More Likely — WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 20: Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) leaves a meeting with House Republicans, on Capitol Hill, December 20, 2012 in Washington, DC. — Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Discussion: Washington Examiner, New York Magazine, Hit & Run, The New Republic, The Huffington Post and Wonkblog

David Kurtz / Talking Points Memo:

Does A Speaker Survive This? — The likely truth is that John Boehner never had the votes to cut a deal with President Obama. Any deal. Not a grand bargain of deficit reduction. Not a piecemeal deal that might have lessened the blow of all the Bush tax cuts expiring on Jan. 1. Nothing.

Discussion: Econbrowser

Washington Post:
How Boehner's Plan B for the ‘fiscal cliff’ began and fell apart

Discussion: The Fix, Reuters, americanthinker.com, The Monkey Cage, US News, Hullabaloo, Hot Air, First Read, The National Memo, Prairie Weather and ABCNEWS

Politico:
Behind the scenes of a GOP meltdown

Discussion: The Plum Line and The Demos Blog

Brian Beutler / Talking Points Memo:
Republicans Crush Boehner's Plan B

Discussion: Politico, Business Insider, Firedoglake, ABCNEWS, No More Mister Nice Blog, Booman Tribune, Wonkblog, Shakesville and The Plum Line

Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:
Boehner Tax Plan in House Is Pulled, Lacking Votes

Discussion: msnbc.com, thenation.com/blogs/117, Wall Street Journal, Towleroad News #gay, The Big Picture, Commentary Magazine, The Caucus, Washington Post, Washington Examiner, The Huffington Post, The Raw Story and Politico, more at Mediagazer »

John Stanton / BuzzFeed:
Conservatives Kill Republican Tax Plan

Discussion: Daily Kos

Bloomberg:
Boehner Drops ‘Plan B’ as Budget Effort Turns to Disarray

Discussion: Quartz

Ryan Cooper / Washington Monthly:
Speaker Boehner's Plan B Fails

Discussion: American Prospect, Firedoglake and Talking Points Memo

Washington Post:

Remarks from the NRA press conference on Sandy Hook school shooting, delivered on Dec. 21, 2012 (Transcript) — Video: After a week of silence in the wake of the Newtown shootings, the National Rifle Association finally spoke out Friday defending guns and decrying violence.

John H. Cushman Jr / New York Times:

N.R.A. Calls for Armed Guards in Schools to Deter Violence — WASHINGTON — The National Rifle Association on Friday called for schools to be protected by armed guards as the best way to protect children from gun violence. — The group, long the most vocal and influential organization …

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Spectator, AEIdeas, Mashable! and FlowingData

Philip Elliott / Associated Press:

NRA CALLS FOR ARMED POLICE OFFICER IN EVERY SCHOOL … WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation's largest gun-rights lobby called Friday for armed police officers to be posted in every American school to stop the next killer “waiting in the wings.” — The National Rifle Association broke its silence …

Discussion: Business Insider, The Page and Taegan Goddard's …

Reuters:
NRA's Newtown solution: Armed guards in schools

Discussion: Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes', CNN, ABCNEWS and The Hill

BuzzFeed:
10 Things The NRA Blamed For The Sandy Hook Massacre

Discussion: Gawker

Peter Baker / The Caucus:
Obama Asks Supporters to Push Congress on Gun Control

Discussion: BuzzFeed, The Hill and The Raw Story

Mike Allen / Politico:

Chuck Hagel apologizes for gay slur — Former Sen. Chuck Hagel, seeking to preserve his viability for nomination as secretary of Defense, on Friday issued a strong apology for a gay slur in 1998 that turned some top Democratic activists against his potential selection.

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …, Wall Street Journal, Mediaite, Towleroad News #gay and The Daily Dish

Mark Landler / New York Times:

Chuck Hagel Is Criticized Over Gay Rights Record — WASHINGTON — Chuck Hagel, the former Nebraska senator on President Obama's short list for defense secretary, came under fire again on Thursday, this time for his record on gay rights and remarks he made 14 years ago about an openly gay nominee for a diplomatic post.

Discussion: The Caucus, Washington Free Beacon, Israel Matzav, The Page, Power Line, Politico, Weekly Standard, The Daily Dish, Post Politics, Right Turn, Mondoweiss and BuzzFeed

Scott Johnson / Power Line: Shock audio: Hagel on the “Jewish lobby” [UPDATE: Hagel Apologizes for Gay Comments]

Jennifer Rubin / Right Turn:
EXCLUSIVE: Top Republican Senator will oppose Hagel nomination

Discussion: Post Politics and Washington Free Beacon

Mark Landler / New York Times:

Kerry Is Pick for Secretary of State, Official Says — WASHINGTON — President Obama plans to nominate Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts as secretary of state, a senior administration official said. He would succeed Hillary Rodham Clinton and become the first member of Mr. Obama's second-term national security team.

Discussion: Weekly Standard, msnbc.com, Taylor Marsh, Twitchy, Mediaite, Crooks and Liars, Business Insider, The Lonely Conservative, Daily Kos and PERRspectives

Mj Lee / Politico:
Frank not saying ‘no’ to Senate appointment

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, BuzzFeed and Post Politics

CNN:
John Kerry will be nominated for secretary of state, official says

Discussion: The PJ Tatler, ImmigrationProf Blog and Shakesville

Jonathan Karl / ABCNEWS:
Obama Nominates John Kerry at State

Discussion: Politico and The Hill

Ian Swanson / The Hill:

Huelskamp holds heated exchange with Scarborough on gun control — Talk show host Joe Scarborough and Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-Kanses) engaged in a heated discussion Friday over gun control. — Scarborough and Huelskamp both shouted over one another after Huelskamp said those arguing …

Discussion: Politico