memeorandum: Joe Biden: The Most Influential Vice President in History? (David A. Graham/The Atlantic Online)

3:10 PM ET, January 1, 2013

Top Items:

Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:

Senate Passes Tax Increases on Wealthy Americans — WASHINGTON - The Senate, in a pre-dawn vote two hours after the deadline passed to avert automatic tax increases, overwhelmingly approved legislation Tuesday that would allow tax rates to rise only on affluent Americans …

Discussion: News Desk, Little Green Footballs, The Daily Banter, The Moderate Voice, Progressive Change …, Daily Download, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Ross Douthat, ABCNEWS, Hot Air, ABCNEWS, Conservatives4Palin, The Week and Politico

Politico:

Fiscal cliff: Timing uncertain on House vote — House Republicans say they will not decide whether to bring the Senate bill to avert the fiscal cliff up for a vote until they have two closed meetings with their lawmakers. — “The purpose of this meeting is to review what the Senate has passed …

Discussion: The Daily Beast, The Reality-Based Community, The Week, The Hill, The Maddow Blog, CNN, Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes', Weasel Zippers, The Fix and Prairie Weather

David Brooks / New York Times:

Another Fiscal Flop — Over the course of the 20th century, America built its welfare state. It was, by and large, a great achievement, expanding opportunity and security for millions. Unfortunately, as the population aged and health care costs surged, it became unaffordable.

Discussion: Mother Jones, The American Conservative and Right Wing News

Matthew Boyle / BREITBART.COM:

FISCAL CLIFF DEAL: $1 IN SPENDING CUTS FOR EVERY $41 IN TAX INCREASES — According to the Congressional Budget Office, the last-minute fiscal cliff deal reached by congressional leaders and President Barack Obama cuts only $15 billion in spending while increasing tax revenues by $620 billion …

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Politico, Right Wing News, Hot Air, Patterico's Pontifications, Chicago Boyz and Twitchy

William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:

Senate passes massive tax cut which raised taxes over $600 billion in middle of night without reading the bill — There are too many metaphors here applicable to the Senate's 89-8 passage of a “fiscal cliff” bill in the middle of the night (around 2 a.m. this morning).

Discussion: Business Insider, Post Politics and Twitchy

Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:

Tentative Deal Is Reached to Raise Taxes on the Wealthy — WASHINGTON — Furious last-minute negotiations between the White House and the Senate Republican leadership on Monday secured a tentative agreement to allow tax rates to rise on affluent Americans, but the measure was not going to pass …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Fox News, The National Memo, Twitchy, American Prospect, The Maddow Blog, Althouse, Daily Kos and UrbanGrounds

Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:

Focus now turns to the House — The House returns to work on the first day of the new year, and will have to sort out its reaction to a Senate-passed bill meant to avoid the fiscal cliff. — The Senate bill, which the upper chamber approved in a 89-8 vote at about 2 a.m. on Tuesday …

Discussion: Booman Tribune and The Impolitic

Zeke Miller / BuzzFeed:
White House Claims Victory In Fiscal Deal

Discussion: The Daily Caller and Politico

Jennifer Steinhauer / New York Times:
House Takes On Fiscal Cliff

Discussion: The Week

Fox News:
Fiscal crisis measure now heads to the House for approval

Discussion: protein wisdom and Fox News Insider

CBS News:
Fiscal cliff deal heads to House after Senate vote

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, Prairie Weather, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Calculated Risk

Jennifer Bendery / The Huffington Post:
Fiscal Cliff Deal Reached: White House, Hill Leaders Agree To Delay Sequester By Two Months

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Taylor Marsh, New York Post, Firedoglake, AMERICAblog, Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes' and Post Politics

Wall Street Journal:
U.S. Budget Deal Is Sealed

Discussion: PoliPundit.com, American Power, Taegan Goddard's …, Washington Wire and CNN

Ezra Klein / Wonkblog:
Here's what Republicans really hated about Obama's news conference

Discussion: The Atlantic Online and Brad DeLong

Ian Swanson / The Hill:
Senate to hold New Year's Eve vote on Biden-GOP fiscal cliff deal

Discussion: Politico and Post Politics

Leigh Ann Caldwell / CBS News:
It's official: Deal reached on “fiscal cliff”

Discussion: Firedoglake, Associated Press, his vorpal sword and TalkLeft

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
The case for the Dems' negotiating strategy

Discussion: The Reaction, Crooks and Liars, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Wonkblog, The New Republic, Progressive Change …, Booman Tribune and CNN

USA Today:
Washington poised to go over ‘fiscal cliff’

Discussion: Firedoglake and Associated Press

Donovan Slack / Politico:

White House declares victory — The White House issued a “fact sheet” statement Tuesday declaring the fiscal cliff agreement a victory, though the House has yet to vote on the measure. — “At this make or break moment for the middle class, the President achieved a bipartisan solution …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, The Hinterland Gazette and Weasel Zippers

Suzy Khimm / Wonkblog:

Your fiscal cliff deal cheat sheet — The White House and the Senate have finalized the details of their deal to avert the fiscal cliff. The bill basically follows the framework that came out earlier this afternoon from the McConnell-Biden talks, with key additional details.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, neo-neocon, Taegan Goddard's Wonk Wire, Daily Kos, PoliPundit.com and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Paul Krugman:

Perspective on the Deal — To make sense of what just happened, we need to ask what is really at stake, and how much difference the budget deal makes in the larger picture. — So, what are the two sides really fighting about? Surely the answer is, the future of the welfare state.

Discussion: The Plum Line, The Agonist, Hot Air, Economist's View, Campaign for America's Future, Booman Tribune, ABCNEWS, The New Republic and Brad DeLong

David A. Graham / The Atlantic Online:

Joe Biden: The Most Influential Vice President in History? — From the fiscal cliff to gun control to Afghanistan, Scranton's favorite son has transformed himself from affable gaffer to West Wing powerhouse. — Kevin Lamarque/Reuters — Barack Obama just can't get enough out of Joe Biden these days.

Discussion: Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes', The Week and Daily Kos

Ezra Klein / Wonkblog:
Wonkbook: Everything you need to know about the fiscal cliff deal

Discussion: JustOneMinute, The Mahablog and Angry Bear

Sabrina Siddiqui / The Huffington Post:
Obama Fiscal Cliff Remarks Spark Republican Threats To Blow Up Deal

Discussion: ctj.org, Chicago Tribune, The Gateway Pundit, The Plum Line and CNN

Robert Pear / New York Times:

Employers Must Offer Family Care, Affordable or Not — WASHINGTON — In a long-awaited interpretation of the new health care law, the Obama administration said Monday that employers must offer health insurance to employees and their children, but will not be subject to any penalties if family coverage is unaffordable to workers.

Discussion: JustOneMinute, Via Meadia and The Raw Story