memeorandum: Acting EPA chief among most likely to succeed Jackson (Ben Geman/The Hill)

8:45 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: Business Insider and The Caucus

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: Politico, Weasel Zippers, The Reality-Based Community and Twitchy

Politico:

Fiscal cliff: House will come back on Sunday — House Republican leaders are bringing the House back into session on Sunday, lawmakers were told in a Thursday conference call. — one day before the nation reaches the fiscal cliff.

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

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

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

Manu Raju / Politico:
President Obama sets last-ditch meeting with Hill leaders

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Taylor Marsh, Wall Street Journal, CNN and The Lonely Conservative

Rebecca Berg / BuzzFeed:
Scott Brown Breaks News Of Nonexistent Fiscal Cliff Offer

Discussion: Daily Download, Rasmussen Reports and Hot Air

First Read:
Boehner calls House back to Washington on Sunday

Discussion: Connecting.the.Dots and Taegan Goddard's …

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

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

Garrett Epps / The Atlantic Online:
Federal Court Won't Rescue the Senate From Its Own Incapacity

Discussion: A plain blog about politics, The Plum Line, Outside the Beltway and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:
New Fiscal Crisis Talks Set, but Hopes Are Low

Discussion: The Maddow Blog, Prairie Weather and Gothamist

bigstory.ap.org:

AP SOURCE: RETIRED GEN. NORMAN SCHWARZKOPF DIES — You are here — Home » Norman Schwarzkopf » AP source: Retired Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf dies — WASHINGTON (AP) — Retired Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, who topped an illustrious military career by commanding …

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

Associated Press:

Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, coalition forces leader during Persian Gulf War, dies — When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1991 to punish it for allegedly stealing Iraqi oil reserves, Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf commanded Operation Desert Storm, the coalition of some 30 countries organized …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Conservatives4Palin and Tim Blair

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: Twitchy and National Review

CNN:

‘Stormin’ Norman' Schwarzkopf, lauded Gulf War commander, dies — (CNN) — Retired Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, who led allied forces to a routing of Iraq in the 1991 Persian Gulf War and became one of the nation's most celebrated military heroes of the era, died Thursday, a U.S. defense official said.

Discussion: LewRockwell.com Blog

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

Discussion: Mediaite

Mark Arsenault / Boston Globe:

US Rep. Markey to run in Senate special election — US Representative Edward Markey, dean of the state's Washington delegation, will run in 2013 for the US Senate seat expected to open with the nomination of US Senator John Kerry to head the State Department.

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, msnbc.com, American Spectator, The Plum Line, Daily Kos, The Daily Caller, Politico and First Read

Talking Points Memo:
Rep. Markey To Run For Kerry's Senate Seat

Discussion: Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes' and Lawyers, Guns & Money

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: The Hill, Politico and Washington Examiner

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.

John M. Broder / New York Times:
E.P.A. Chief to Step Down, With Climate Still Low Priority

Discussion: BuzzFeed, Althouse, Washington Post, The Hill, Daily Kos, Hot Air, protein wisdom, New Jersey Online, The Raw Story, Washington Examiner, First Read and Mother Jones

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

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 …

Discussion: Politico, Daily Kos, The National Memo, Little Green Footballs, The Fix, Post Politics and Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Cameron Joseph / Ballot Box:
Incoming Sen. Schatz had ‘brief chat’ with Obama on Air Force One

Discussion: Politico

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.

New York Post:

Folks freak at size of tax hikes if fiscal cliff isn't averted in the coming days — They're ready to jump off a real cliff. — New Yorkers of all income levels got a rude awakening yesterday when they saw in The Post how much more they will pay in taxes next year without a fiscal-cliff deal by Jan. 1.

Discussion: TBogg

John Hinderaker / Power Line:

Democrats Seek the Holy Grail of Gun Control — Dianne Feinstein has announced that she will introduce sweeping gun control legislation in the Senate. Under her bill, countless standard handguns apparently would now be banned, and for the first time a federal register that may include …

Discussion: TheBlaze.com, BREITBART.COM, Doug Ross, CalWatchDog and Little Green Footballs

Katie Glueck / Politico:

Media disdain for the David Gregory story — Some political and media types weren't impressed by headlines this week reporting that D.C. police are investigating the alleged display of a gun magazine on NBC's Meet the Press. They took to the Internet with their disdain for the story.