memeorandum: ‘Fiscal cliff’ deal does little to tame threats from debt ceiling, high unemployment rates (Zachary A. Goldfarb/Washington Post)

1:30 PM ET, January 2, 2013

Top Items:

The fiscal cliff deal that almost wasn't — House Speaker John Boehner couldn't hold back when he spotted Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in the White House lobby last Friday. — It was only a few days before the nation would go over the fiscal cliff, no bipartisan agreement was in sight …

John Boehner / CNN:

TRENDING: Boehner's White House F-bomb — (CNN) - For all the stalemate in the fiscal cliff negotiations, there were some heated moments, too. — A Democratic source familiar with one particular exchange told CNN that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell …

Discussion: Associated Press, The Hill, Politico, Taylor Marsh, The Hill and The Gateway Pundit

Matthew Boyle / BREITBART.COM:

SOURCES: ENOUGH REPUBLICANS WILLING TO UNSEAT SPEAKER BOEHNER — American Majority Action spokesman Ron Meyer told Breitbart News late Tuesday that enough House Republicans have banded together in an effort to unseat House Speaker John Boehner from his position—they just need a leader to take up the mantle.

Discussion: American Prospect, Firedoglake, The Week, Gestetner Updates, Booman Tribune, Daily Pundit, Joe. My. God. and Hullabaloo

Jeff G. / protein wisdom:

Jim Geraghty, et al: Obama won! — So, you know, deal with it. Besides, other “pragmatic” Republicans agree. It really was the best we could do: … (A quick interjection here: it was Boehner's willingness to caucus with Dems, rather than his own base, that allowed this monstrosity to pass.

Discussion: Sister Toldjah and Washington Examiner

Los Angeles Times:
House approves ‘fiscal cliff’ deal, rescinding broad tax hike

Discussion: The Daily Beast, ThinkProgress, CBS News, The Week, TechCrunch, The Reaction, The Moderate Voice, Shakesville and Patterico's Pontifications

Noam Scheiber / The New Republic:
The House Comes Around on the Cliff. Why Am I Not Reassured?

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Wonkblog, Paul Krugman, Washington Monthly, RedState, The Maddow Blog, BuzzFeed, American Prospect and Washington Examiner

Washington Post:
House members meet to review Senate-passed cliff deal

Alicia M. Cohn / The Hill:
Sen. Toomey: GOP should risk shutdown to force spending cuts in debt-limit fight

Discussion: Politico and The Raw Story

Daniel Halper / Weekly Standard:
Back to Vacation: Obama Takes Midnight Flight to Hawaii

Discussion: Pundit & Pundette

Colleen McCain Nelson / Wall Street Journal: Lack of Grand Bargain Complicates Obama's Priorities

Kevin Robillard / Politico:

Peter King: Halt donations to House GOP — New York Republican Rep. Peter King went to war with his Republican colleagues on Wednesday after leaders spiked a Hurricane Sandy relief bill, calling on New Yorkers to stop all donations to GOP House members. — “These Republicans have no problem finding …

Discussion: Slate, CNN, The Fix, New Jersey Online, emptywheel, The Week, The PJ Tatler, Politicker, Business Insider, Balloon Juice and Daily Kos

David Rogers / Reuters:

House pulls plug on Sandy aid bill — House Republicans abruptly pulled the plug Tuesday night on their promise to take up this week an emergency supplemental disaster aid bill for Northeast states damaged by Hurricane Sandy. — The decision is a stunning reversal since just hours …

NBC Politics:

Bipartisan outrage after House skips vote on $60 billion Sandy aid bill — House Republicans have abandoned plans to vote on an aid package for victims of Superstorm Sandy in the current term of Congress after the Senate approved more $60 billion to help affected residents recover.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Guardian, BBC, Taylor Marsh and msnbc.com

Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:

Boehner under growing pressure to allow vote on Sandy relief bill — Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) came under intense pressure Wednesday from Republicans in New York and New Jersey to allow a vote on legislation providing relief to the states hit by Hurricane Sandy in October.

Discussion: The Hill and The Raw Story

Erik Wasson / The Hill:

Boehner committed to move Hurricane Sandy relief bill in January — Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), under fire from Northeast lawmakers in his own party, is promising to pass an emergency spending bill to help pay for damage from Hurricane Sandy in the next Congress, which starts Thursday.

Discussion: Firedoglake

Dorsey Shaw / BuzzFeed: Outraged Congressman Suggests He'll Abandon Republican Party Over Sandy Relief

Andrew Grossman / Wall Street Journal:
House Fails to Take Up Sandy Aid Bill

Discussion: Metropolis and Politicker

Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:
House members to Boehner: ‘Shame on you’ for not holding Sandy vote

Discussion: Politico and Politicker

Michael O'Brien / NBC Politics:
Fiscal cliff deal: House OKs proposal despite GOP objections

Discussion: American Prospect, USA Today, First Read, The Talking Dog, BBC, Daily Kos, The Moderate Voice and Gawker

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:

Democratic Congressman Laughs At Fox News' Fiscal Cliff Misinformation — Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) schooled the hosts of Fox & Friends on the details of the deal to avert the so-called “fiscal cliff” during an appearance to explain his opposition to the Senate-passed compromise on Wednesday morning.

Discussion: The Raw Story and The PJ Tatler

Zachary A. Goldfarb / Washington Post:
‘Fiscal cliff’ deal does little to tame threats from debt ceiling, high unemployment rates

Discussion: Washington Wire, The Atlantic Wire, TechCrunch, Business Insider, Wonkblog, The Daily Caller, The Week, Daily Kos and AEIdeas

CBS News:
GOP Rep: “We got whooped” on “fiscal cliff”

Discussion: Post Politics and The Raw Story

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:

New Year, New Dish, New Media — When I first stumbled into blogging over 12 years ago, it was for two reasons: curiosity and freedom. I was curious about the potential for writing in this new medium; and for the first time, I felt total freedom as a writer. On my little blog, I was beholden to no one but my readers.

Discussion: The Verge, Business Insider, Poynter, The Daily Caller, Joe. My. God., Balloon Juice and Outside the Beltway, more at Mediagazer »

Glen Johnson / Boston Globe:

Scott Brown questions Edward Markey's state residency in jab at possible opponent — Senator Scott Brown today took on a possible opponent in a special election to succeed his colleague John F. Kerry, questioning whether US Representative Edward J. Markey is actually a resident of Massachusetts.

Discussion: Ballot Box, No More Mister Nice Blog and Post Politics

Conor Friedersdorf / The Atlantic Online:

The Strangest Conservative Priority: Prepping a ‘2nd Amendment Solution’ — The Bill of Rights offers much smarter, more effective ways to safeguard liberty than preparing for armed insurrection. — Reuters — In the National Review, Kevin Williamson argues that nearly everyone calling …

Discussion: Townhall.com

Dskriloff / The Rockland County Times:

The Journal News is Armed and Dangerous — ROCKLAND COUNTY TIMES EXCLUSIVE — Armed guards from RGA Investigations have taken up post at the Journal News' Rockland County headquarters — Journal News' Rockland headquarters in West Nyack, Town of Clarkstown — Guns are good for the goose but NOT for the gander.

Discussion: lohud.com, Politico, The Jawa Report, Mediaite, The Gateway Pundit, Shot in the Dark, Balloon Juice, Gawker, Weasel Zippers and UrbanGrounds, more at Mediagazer »

Noreen O'Donnell / Reuters:
New York County denies request for names of gun permit holders

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Politico, Weasel Zippers and Jammie Wearing Fools

Aviva Shen / ThinkProgress:

GOP State Senator: Kwanzaa Is A Leftist Plot ‘To Destroy’ America — While outrage about the so-called war on Christmas has died down for another year, Wisconsin state Senator Glenn Grothman (R) has launched a new war on Kwanzaa, claiming it is a fake holiday invented by racist radicals who want to “divide America.”

Discussion: Prairie Weather

Jonathan Terbush / The Raw Story:
Wisconsin state Senator: Kwanza is a fake holiday that black people don't even like

Discussion: Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes'

Anthony Bond / Daily Mail:

Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez in a coma ‘only kept alive by life support’ after cancer surgery — Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez is in an induced coma being kept alive by life support following complications during cancer surgery, it was claimed today. — Sources at the hospital in Cuba …