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, Salon, The Week, AMERICAblog, Business Insider, Politicker, neo-neocon, Taegan Goddard's …, Connecting.the.Dots and The Caucus
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Alex Isenstadt / Politico:
The logic of House GOP intransigence — The unruly House Republicans who emasculated Speaker John Boehner as the country flirts with fiscal havoc might've seemed like they were doing their best “Lord of the Flies” rendition. — But last week's mayhem had a certain logic — the logic of politicians wanting to keep their jobs.
Discussion:
Wake up America, CNN, Booman Tribune, Washington Examiner, Guardian and Daily Kos
New York Times:
Narrower Tax Deal Floated as Lawmakers to Sit With Obama — WASHINGTON — Congressional leaders prepared for what was looming as a make-or-break White House meeting on the fiscal crisis Friday afternoon as top aides said they were exploring a scaled-back proposal that would prevent tax increases …
Discussion:
Balloon Juice
Steven T. Dennis / Roll Call:
Pessimism Abounds as White House Calls Cliff Meeting
Discussion:
The Other McCain
Chelsea Karnash / CBS Philly:
3 Officers Wounded After Suspect Opens Fire At Gloucester Township Police Station — CLEMENTON, NJ (CBS) — Police and rescue crews responded to the Gloucester County Municipal Building on Chews Landing Road this morning after shots were fired inside the Gloucester Township police station.
Discussion:
Runnin' Scared, The Raw Story, Gawker and The Hinterland Gazette
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WPVI-TV:
3 officers injured, gunman dead after NJ police station shooting — camden county, new jersey, shooting, police, local/state — Three officers were injured after gunfire erupted inside Gloucester Township police headquarters Friday morning. — Medics responded around 5:30 a.m. to the station …
Dallas Morning News:
Exclusive: David Dewhurst campaign says aide stole at least $600,000 — Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst (front), receiving an endorsement during his U.S. Senate campaign from former rival Craig James, had hundreds of thousands of dollars stolen from his state political accounts by an aide, his campaign says.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Ballot Box, The Fix and Post Politics
Jason Volentine / KASW-TV:
Sheriff Arpaio sending armed posse to protect schools — PHOENIX — Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said Thursday that he plans to deploy his armed volunteer posse to protect Valley schools from the kind of violence that happened in the Connecticut shooting tragedy.
Discussion:
Mediaite and The National Memo
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Senate Republicans refuse to confirm Kerry until Hillary testifies about Benghazi — Isn't this pushing a jinx? If Senate Republicans insist on having Hillary Clinton testify before allowing John Kerry's confirmation to proceed, aren't they risking a torn ACL or turf toe for the outgoing Secretary of State?
Discussion:
Pirate's Cove
Gregory L. White / Wall Street Journal:
Putin Signs Ban on U.S. Adoptions — Children at an orphanage in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. A new law would ban Americans from adopting Russians. — MOSCOW—President Vladimir Putin signed a bill Friday banning U.S. citizens from adopting Russian children, raising tensions with Washington …
Discussion:
Politico, Associated Press, LifeNews.com, Power Line and New York Times
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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:
Los Angeles Times, The Week, Crooks and Liars, americanthinker.com, Twitchy and National Review
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Matt Schudel / Washington Post:
Retired Gen. Schwarzkopf dies at 78
Discussion:
The Spectacle Blog, neo-neocon, Gawker and Foreign Policy
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:
ABCNEWS, Washington Monthly, Taegan Goddard's … and ABCNEWS
Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:
Senate votes to block Hurricane Sandy relief for tax cheats, dead people — The Senate on Friday approved an amendment to a Hurricane Sandy disaster relief bill that would prohibit dead people and anyone with “serious delinquent tax debts” from receiving the funds.
Discussion:
Post Politics
Amanda Terkel / The Huffington Post:
112th Congress Set To Become Most Unproductive Since 1940s … REACT: — FOLLOW: — 112th Congress, Harry Reid , John Boehner, Republican Party, Congress Productivity, Olympia Snowe, Bipartisanship, Congress Unproductive, Fiscal Cliff, Unproductive Congress, Politics News
Discussion:
PoliticusUSA, Mediaite and The Reaction
CBS News:
Bush aide: “Please put the harps back in the closet” — The chief of staff to former Pres. George H.W. Bush, who is in intensive care at Houston's Methodist Hospital, told Bush family and friends in an email today that the former president “would ask me to tell you to please put the harps back in the closet …
Discussion:
The Hill, CNN, Post Politics and Politico
RELATED:
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.
Sky News:
Gang-Rape In India: Teen Victim Kills Herself — Video: Women mourn the death of the teenager — A 17-year-old Indian girl who was allegedly gang-raped killed herself after police pressured her to drop the case and marry one of her attackers, police and a relative said on Thursday.
Discussion:
ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, JONATHAN TURLEY and Gawker
Chicago Tribune:
Grim milestone: Austin shooting apparently 500th homicide in Chicago — Gave Bates smiled through tears as she swiped her hand across her phone, flipping through pictures of her cousin playing around and striking goofy poses. — “He was a lot of fun, very good at imitating people,” Bates said of Nathaniel T. Jackson, 40.
Discussion:
Shot in the Dark and 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
Garett Sloane / New York Post:
Rage against rules — Instagram revolt — Instagram users outraged over new rules made good on their threat to dump the popular photo-sharing app. — The app, which Facebook acquired for $1 billion earlier this year, may have shed nearly a quarter of its daily active users in the wake of the debacle …
Discussion:
Business Insider, Inside Facebook, The Week, NYT Bits, The Verge and TechCrunch, more at Mediagazer »
Larry Downing / Al Akhbar English:
Saudi detains dozens for “plotting to celebrate Christmas” — Saudi religious police stormed a house in the Saudi Arabian province of al-Jouf, detaining more than 41 guests for “plotting to celebrate Christmas,” a statement from the police branch released Wednesday night said.
Discussion:
The Jawa Report, Weasel Zippers, Jihad Watch and Elder of Ziyon
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