memeorandum: Pessimism Abounds as White House Calls Cliff Meeting (Steven T. Dennis/Roll Call)

11:25 AM ET, December 28, 2012

Top Items:

Jonathan Allen / Politico:

Why they want to go over the cliff — Washington's Democratic and Republican power brokers have sent the message to the nation that going over the fiscal cliff is a worst-case scenario. But they're not acting that way, not at all. — Instead, many of them have calculated that it's better …

Discussion: Washington Post, Taegan Goddard's …, AMERICAblog, Politicker, Business Insider and The Caucus

Steven T. Dennis / Roll Call:

Pessimism Abounds as White House Calls Cliff Meeting — Lawmakers seemed as pessimistic as ever about averting the fiscal cliff Thursday evening despite the White House scheduling a meeting with the top four congressional leaders for Friday afternoon. — The White House announced …

Discussion: The Other McCain

Deirdre Walsh / CNN:

TRENDING: Hoyer compares GOP debt limit tactics to hostage taker threatening to shoot child — Washington (CNN) - Less than two weeks after one of the nation's deadliest school shootings, the No.2 Democrat in the U.S. House, Steny Hoyer, compared Republican tactics for dealing …

Discussion: Twitchy, Politico, Mediaite, Sister Toldjah, Weasel Zippers and The Reality-Based Community

Alex Isenstadt / Politico:
The logic of House GOP intransigence

Discussion: Booman Tribune

Lisa Mascaro / Los Angeles Times:
Mitch McConnell lies low as ‘fiscal cliff’ nears

Discussion: The Maddow Blog, Mother Jones, ABCNEWS, Roll Call and New York Times

Washington Post:
Obama reaches out to congressional leaders on ‘fiscal cliff’ talks

Discussion: Salon, The Hill, The Fix, Power Line, First Read, Post Politics, Booman Tribune, The Plum Line, Reuters, Roll Call and Hot Air

Politico:
Fiscal cliff: House will come back on Sunday

Discussion: his vorpal sword, The Strata-Sphere, Business Insider, The Impolitic, The National Memo, Guardian, Daily Kos, CNN and Washington Examiner

First Read:
Boehner calls House back to Washington on Sunday

Discussion: nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com and Connecting.the.Dots

Robert D. McFadden / New York Times:

Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, U.S. Commander in Gulf War, Dies at 78 — Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, who commanded the American-led forces that crushed Iraq in the 1991 Persian Gulf war and became the nation's most acclaimed military hero since the midcentury exploits of Generals Dwight D. Eisenhower …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, americanthinker.com, The Week, Twitchy and National Review

Matt Schudel / Washington Post:

Retired Gen. Schwarzkopf dies at 78 — H. Norman Schwarzkopf, the four-star Army general who led allied forces to a stunningly quick and decisive victory over Saddam Hussein's Iraqi military in the 1991 Persian Gulf War and who became the most celebrated U.S. military hero of his generation, died Thursday in Tampa.

Discussion: American Spectator, Gawker and Foreign Policy

bigstory.ap.org:
AP SOURCE: RETIRED GEN. NORMAN SCHWARZKOPF DIES

Discussion: Belmont Club, The Moderate Voice, Outside the Beltway, Weasel Zippers and The Hinterland Gazette

Associated Press:
Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, coalition forces leader during Persian Gulf War, dies

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Conservatives4Palin and Tim Blair

CNN:
Desert Storm's Gen. Schwarzkopf dies

Discussion: LewRockwell.com Blog

Norman Schwarzkopf / Associated Press:
Retired Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf dies at 78

Discussion: Mediaite

Jennifer Steinhauer / New York Times:

Summoned Back to Work, Senators Chafe at Inaction — WASHINGTON — Senators bid hasty goodbyes to families, donned ties and pantsuits in lieu of sweat pants and Christmas sweaters and one by one returned to the Capitol on Thursday to begin the business of doing nothing in particular.

Discussion: Washington Monthly and ABCNEWS

Frank Newport / Gallup:

NRA Has 54% Favorable Image in U.S. — Republicans most positive about NRA; Democrats most negative — PRINCETON, NJ — Fifty-four percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of the National Rifle Association, while 38% have an unfavorable opinion. The public's ratings of the NRA …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, The Hill, Politico, Hot Air, Post Politics, Outside the Beltway and Jammie Wearing Fools

Des Moines Register:

Mississippi's low levels could halt river traffic — A shutdown of commercial use could come by next week, a group says — The feared shutdown of commercial traffic on the Mississippi River due to low water levels could happen as early as next week, a waterways group said Thursday.

Discussion: The Reaction

Joe Schneider / Bloomberg:

Tokyo Electric Sued by U.S. Sailors Exposed to Radiation — Tokyo Electric Power Co. (9501), owner of the power plant which had the world's biggest nuclear disaster since 1986, was sued by eight U.S. sailors claiming they were exposed to radiation and the utility lied about the dangers.

Discussion: L.A. NOW

Jenn / Twitchy:

‘Die painfully’: 50 soulless degenerates who can't wait for George H.W. Bush to die — Former President George H.W. Bush is surrounded by family in the ICU of Houston's Methodist Hospital as he fights a “stubborn fever.” Doctors are “cautiously optimistic,” but the 88-year-old “remains in guarded condition.”

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

Niti Central:

Taliban wants Sharia in Pakistan, war with India — The Pakistani Taliban has made a conditional ceasefire offer to the Pakistan Government which calls for an end to Pakistan's participation in the Afghan war, the imposition of Sharia law in the country, and to avenge the embarrassing defeat …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and Jihad Watch

Ben Geman / The Hill:

Acting EPA chief among most likely to succeed Jackson — The looming departure of Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson is yielding quick speculation about who will replace her, and might touch off a brutal Senate confirmation fight to lead a department that has faced constant GOP criticism.

Discussion: The Raw Story

Zack Colman / The Hill:

New Hawaii senator pledges to tackle climate change — The replacement for the late Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye (D) said Wednesday that climate change is at the top of his legislative agenda. — “For me, personally, I believe global climate change is real and it is the most urgent challenge …