memeorandum: The N.R.A. Crawls From Its Hidey Hole (New York Times)

3:55 PM ET, December 22, 2012

Top Items:

Michael D. Shear / New York Times:

News Analysis: Still Bitter About Election, Republican Opposition Unwilling to Compromise with President — WASHINGTON — If Friday's memorial service for one of this country's long-serving senators was a somber recollection of a bipartisan era that once was, the rest of the day was a frenetic reminder …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Angry Bear, No More Mister Nice Blog, Balkinization, The PJ Tatler and Washington Post

Matthew Boyle / BREITBART.COM:

HOUSE REPUBLICANS CIRCULATE PLAN TO OUST BOEHNER FROM SPEAKERSHIP — Several conservative House Republican members are contemplating a plan to unseat Speaker John Boehner from his position on January 3, Breitbart News has exclusively learned. Staffers have compiled a detailed action plan that, if executed, could make this a reality.

Discussion: BuzzFeed, protein wisdom, Conservatives4Palin and The Gateway Pundit

Karen Tumulty / Washington Post:

Tax fight sends GOP into chaos — Video: Speaker of the House John Boehner says a tax bill did not advance to a vote in the House because it lacked votes. But he says Republicans still want to negotiate a deal avoiding a big tax hike in 2013 and wants President Obama to get serious.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Daily Dish, American Power, First Read, Hullabaloo and Right Wing News

Joe Picard / The Hill:
Despite defeat, Boehner's grip on Speaker's gavel appears secure

Discussion: The PJ Tatler

John Parkinson / ABCNEWS:
‘God Only Knows’ Fiscal Cliff Solution, Boehner Says

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …

Lee Enterprises / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

Talk radio host Dana Loesch files suit in St. Louis against Breitbart.com — • By Robert Patrick rpatrick@post-dispatch.com 314-621-5154 — ST. LOUIS • Conservative talk radio host and commentator Dana Loesch sued the owner of the conservative website Breitbart.com Friday …

Discussion: Mediaite, Roger Ailes, The Raw Story, The Hinterland Gazette, Politico, American Power and Little Green Footballs

BuzzFeed:

Breitbart.com Star Dana Loesch Sues Site — Internal tensions erupt. Loesch seeks $75,000 and her walking papers in a federal lawsuit, below. — Source: danaloesch.com — The internal disputes roiling the website founded by the late conservative provocateur Andrew Breitbart broke …

Discussion: The Lonely Conservative and The Other McCain

David M. Martosko / The Daily Caller:

Former ‘BigJournalism’ star sues Breitbart empire for $75k, demands release from contract — In a lawsuit signifying a schism in the house that Andrew Breitbart built, former BigJournalism.com editor Dana Loesch has sued Breitbart.com LLC, claiming the company refused to release her from a contract …

Discussion: Patterico's Pontifications

Wall Street Journal:

How ‘Cliff’ Talks Hit the Wall — Behind Scenes, Boehner Failed to Sell Republicans on Taxes, While Obama's Spending Plans Rankled — WASHINGTON—Congressional leaders and President Barack Obama called Friday for a return to negotiations to avert the so-called fiscal cliff …

Discussion: Paul Krugman, Wonkblog, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Washington Examiner, Power Line and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog

New York Times:

The N.R.A. Crawls From Its Hidey Hole — Wayne LaPierre, the executive vice president of the National Rifle Association, would have been better advised to remain wherever he had been hiding after the Newtown, Conn., massacre, rather than appear at a news conference on Friday.

Discussion: JustOneMinute, Washington Monthly, Guardian, The Moderate Voice, Daily Kos, The Agonist, The BRAD BLOG, IHT Rendezvous, The Plum Line, Mashable! and Outside the Beltway

Bobby Cervantes / Politico:

Christie: No to armed school guards — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Friday placing armed guards inside schools as a response to the Newtown, Conn., massacre is “the easy way out” — a proposal rolled out by the National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre.

Discussion: Althouse

Wall Street Journal:
NRA Calls for Arms in School

Discussion: Washington Wire, American Power and TalkLeft

Daniel Halper / Weekly Standard:

Obama Uses Funeral Service to Talk About Himself — President Barack Obama used the funeral for Hawaii senator Daniel Inouye to talk about himself. In the short 1,600 word speech, Obama used the word “my” 21 times, “me” 12 times, and “I” 30 times. — Obama's speech discussed how Inouye had gotten him interested in politics.

Discussion: protein wisdom, Weasel Zippers and The Lonely Conservative

Annys Shin / Washington Post:

D.C. house inspires 168 bids in red-hot real estate market — It didn't look like a house anyone would pay $400,000 extra for. — Several walls inside the gray townhouse with blue trim were streaked with water stains. The first floor was noticeably uneven. And termites had dined in front.

Discussion: AEIdeas and Weekly Standard

Agoldberg / The Smoking Gun:

Formal Reprimand Issued To Flatulent Federal Worker — Man's gas blamed for creating “intolerable” workplace — A federal employee was formally reprimanded this month for excessive workplace flatulence, a sanction that was delivered to him in a five-page letter that actually included a log …

Discussion: NO QUARTER USA NET

Matthew Yglesias / Slate:

The Case For Going Over The Cliff Remains Strong — WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 20: U.S. President Barack Obama walks to the White House December 20, 2012 in Washington, DC. — I wrote earlier today that I think the failure of Plan B makes a deal more likely than it would have been had the bill passed.

Discussion: Wonkblog and Firedoglake