Top Items:
Robert Costa / National Review:
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:
Politico, Hot Air, The Strata-Sphere, Washington Wire, The PJ Tatler, Booman Tribune, Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes' and NewsBusters.org
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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.
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?
Discussion:
American Prospect, Econbrowser and Washington Monthly
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
Brian Beutler / Talking Points Memo:
Boehner Points — Subtly — Toward A Way Forward After Failure Of Plan B
Discussion:
Daily Kos
Politico:
Behind the scenes of a GOP meltdown
Discussion:
The Plum Line, Mother Jones, The Demos Blog and Daily Kos
Brian Beutler / Talking Points Memo:
Republicans Crush Boehner's Plan B
Discussion:
Politico, Business Insider, Firedoglake, ABCNEWS, No More Mister Nice Blog, Wonkblog, Booman Tribune, Shakesville and The Plum Line
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.
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Slate, American Prospect, Crooks and Liars, The Plum Line, Post Politics, Wonkblog, The New Republic, The National Memo, Hot Air, News Desk, No More Mister Nice Blog, PostPartisan, Daily Kos, The Agonist, Blazing Cat Fur, Taylor Marsh, AMERICAblog, Suburban Guerrilla, The Daily Dish and Hullabaloo, more at Mediagazer »
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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, Hit & Run, 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:
Firedoglake, The Week, Business Insider, The Page and Taegan Goddard's …
Reuters:
NRA's Newtown solution: Armed guards in schools
Discussion:
Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes', CNN, Hot Air and The Hill
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
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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, Post Politics, The Daily Dish, Right Turn, Mondoweiss and BuzzFeed
Jennifer Rubin / Right Turn:
EXCLUSIVE: Top Republican Senator will oppose Hagel nomination — Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.), the Republican whip, told me in a phone interview this morning he would oppose the nomination of Chuck Hagel as secretary of defense: “I can't support a Hagel nomination if it comes,” he said.
Discussion:
Post Politics and Washington Free Beacon
Scott Johnson / Power Line:
Shock audio: Hagel on the “Jewish lobby” [UPDATE: Hagel Apologizes for Gay Comments]
Discussion:
Politico
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
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Mj Lee / Politico:
Frank not saying ‘no’ to Senate appointment
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, BuzzFeed, Advocate and Post Politics
Wjac Web / WJAC-TV:
4 dead in Blair Co. shooting; 3 troopers injured — Sponsored Links — BLAIR COUNTY, Pa. — The Blair County district attorney said that four people, including the alleged gunman, are dead after a series of shootings along a rural road on Friday. — The district attorney …
Discussion:
The Altoona Mirror, The Hinterland Gazette, Balloon Juice and The Raw Story
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
Ron Nixon / New York Times:
With Farm Bill Stalled, Consumers May Face Soaring Milk Prices — WASHINGTON — Forget the fiscal crisis and the automatic budget cuts. Come Jan. 1, there is a threat that milk prices could rise to $6 to $8 a gallon if Congress does not pass a new farm bill that amends farm policy dating back to the Truman presidency.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, LewRockwell.com Blog and The PJ Tatler
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