Top Items:
Kevin Robillard / Reuters:
Barney Frank: I want to be senator — Barney Frank, one day out of Congress, said on Friday that he has asked Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to send him back as an interim senator when Sen. John Kerry becomes secretary of state. — “A month ago, or a few weeks ago, I said I wasn't interested,” Frank said on MSNBC's “Morning Joe.”
Discussion:
The Caucus, Hot Air, Joe. My. God., Business Insider and Taylor Marsh
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Justin Sink / The Hill:
Former Rep. Barney Frank wants interim appointment to replace Kerry in Senate — Outgoing Rep. Barney Frank has asked to be appointed as an interim senator to replace Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.). — Frank, who just retired from Congress, said Friday he had asked Massachusettes Gov. Deval Patrick …
Discussion:
CNN and Michelle Malkin
Justin Sink / The Hill:
Gingrich warns Boehner could have ‘disaster on his hands’ — Newt Gingrich warned Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) that he risks losing control of his conference without a more coherant strategy. — “He can't keep thinking the way he's thought the last few months without having a disaster on his hands …
Discussion:
Politico
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David Rogers / Politico:
House to take up Sandy aid bill on Friday — Chastened by the debacle over Hurricane Sandy aid, House Republicans are moving quickly to win approval this week of a $9.7 billion increase in financing to pay flood insurance claims arising from the October storm.
Discussion:
msnbc.com
Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:
Liked but Not Feared, Boehner Keeps a Job Some Might Ask Why He Wants
Liked but Not Feared, Boehner Keeps a Job Some Might Ask Why He Wants
Discussion:
Politico, Taegan Goddard's … and Capital New York
Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:
Boehner reelected as Speaker; nine Republicans defect in vote
Boehner reelected as Speaker; nine Republicans defect in vote
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Politico, Hot Air, Talking Points Memo, ThinkProgress, americanthinker.com, Taylor Marsh, DownWithTyranny!, The Impolitic, The Democratic Daily, CNN, Outside the Beltway, NetRight Daily, Michelle Malkin, BREITBART.COM, Firedoglake, Connecting.the.Dots, The Plum Line, Power Line, Shakesville and Post Politics
Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
New Crazy GOP Plan: No Negotiations With Obama!
New Crazy GOP Plan: No Negotiations With Obama!
Discussion:
The Hill, Washington Post, A plain blog about politics, Crooks and Liars and American Prospect
Ashley Parker / New York Times:
First Day of 113th Congress Brings More Women to Capitol — WASHINGTON — As the 113th Congress opens, the Senate and the House are starting to look a little bit more like the people they represent. — The new Congress includes a record number of women (101 across both chambers …
Discussion:
Politico, The Reality-Based Community and Truthdig
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Sahil Kapur / Talking Points Memo:
The Violence Against Women Act's Long Road To Oblivion
The Violence Against Women Act's Long Road To Oblivion
Discussion:
The Daily Banter, msnbc.com, The Atlantic Online and Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes'
Jennifer Bendery / The Huffington Post:
Defense Of Marriage Act: House Republicans Tie Federal Gay Marriage Ban To House Rules
Defense Of Marriage Act: House Republicans Tie Federal Gay Marriage Ban To House Rules
Discussion:
The New Civil Rights Movement, Daily Kos and The Raw Story
Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:
Boehner Narrowly Holds On to Speaker's Post
Boehner Narrowly Holds On to Speaker's Post
Discussion:
FiveThirtyEight, Slate, Connecting.the.Dots, The Caucus and The Reaction
Kevin Drum / Mother Jones:
No, a $1 Trillion Platinum Coin is Not Legal — For some reason, the possibility of evading the debt ceiling by minting a $1 trillion platinum coin is getting some blogospheric love again. This is based on a 2000 revision to the U.S. statute on money and finance that reads:
Discussion:
Unfogged and Balloon Juice
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
Battles of the Budget — The centrist fantasy of a Grand Bargain on the budget never had a chance. Even if some kind of bargain had supposedly been reached, key players would soon have reneged on the deal — probably the next time a Republican occupied the White House.
Discussion:
The Plum Line, Daily Kos and Prairie Weather
Ashley Killough / CNN:
Biden: Republicans had ‘epiphany’ on immigration — Washington (CNN) - Vice President Joe Biden said Republicans have had a major realization in their approach to immigration reform in recent weeks. — “Have you ever seen a time when Republicans have had a more rapid epiphany about immigration than they have this last election?”
Discussion:
Politico
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Arlette Saenz / ABCNEWS:
Classic Biden on Display at Senate Mock Swearing-In
Classic Biden on Display at Senate Mock Swearing-In
Discussion:
AMERICAblog and Post Politics
Sheryl Gay Stolberg / The Caucus:
Chief Justice Roberts to Preside at Obama Swearing-In — WASHINGTON - President Obama's inaugural planning committee will announce this morning that - surprise! - Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. will deliver the oath of office to Mr. Obama when he is sworn in for a second term later this month.
Charlie Savage / New York Times:
Obama Signs Defense Bill, With Conditions — WASHINGTON — President Obama set aside his veto threat and on late Wednesday signed a defense bill that imposes restrictions on transferring detainees out of military prisons in Afghanistan and Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
Discussion:
TalkLeft, UPI, American Forces Press Service, The Moderate Voice, msnbc.com and The Raw Story
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Skip Navigation / ACLU:
UPDATED: NDAA Prevents Closing Guantanamo, Could Lead to Claims of a Right to Discriminate
UPDATED: NDAA Prevents Closing Guantanamo, Could Lead to Claims of a Right to Discriminate
Discussion:
Firedoglake
Matt Sledge / The Huffington Post:
NDAA Signed Into Law By Obama Despite Guantanamo Veto Threat, Indefinite Detention Provisions
NDAA Signed Into Law By Obama Despite Guantanamo Veto Threat, Indefinite Detention Provisions
Discussion:
Politico and Balloon Juice
Kevin Drum / Mother Jones:
America's Real Criminal Element: Lead — New research finds Pb is the hidden villain behind violent crime, lower IQs, and even the ADHD epidemic. And fixing the problem is a lot cheaper than doing nothing. — WHEN RUDY GIULIANI RAN FOR MAYOR of New York City in 1993 …
RELATED:
Kevin Drum / Mother Jones:
Crime Is at its Lowest Level in 50 Years. A Simple Molecule May Be the Reason Why.
Crime Is at its Lowest Level in 50 Years. A Simple Molecule May Be the Reason Why.
Discussion:
Balloon Juice
John Hawkins / Right Wing News:
The 20 Most Annoying Liberals of 2012 (10th Annual) — Honorable Mentions: Bill Ayers, Bob Beckel, Joy Behar, Eric Boehlert, Margaret Cho, Candy Crowley, Code Pink, Lena Dunham, Dianne Feinstein, Ruth Bader-Ginsburg, Kathy Griffin, Eric Holder, Jesse Jackson, Ezra Klein, Rachel Maddow …
Elise Viebeck / The Hill:
HHS approves healthcare exchanges in 8 states — Eight more states won conditional approval Thursday to operate healthcare exchanges under President Obama's healthcare law. — California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Vermont and Utah will run state-based exchanges …
Washington Post:
White House pushes forward on immigration ahead of bigger reform fight — The Obama administration's decision this week to ease visa requirements for hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants represents its latest move to reshape immigration through executive action, even as the White House gears …
Discussion:
Prairie Weather and NewsBusters.org
Rebecca Smith / Wall Street Journal:
U.S. Electricity Use on Wane — Americans are using more gadgets, televisions and air conditioners than ever before. But, oddly, their electricity use is barely growing, posing a daunting challenge for the nation's utilities. — The Energy Information Administration is projecting …
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, Via Meadia and Gawker
Alyssa Rosenberg / ThinkProgress:
How To Change Pop Culture's Reliance On Violence — When the Motion Picture Association of America on December 20 came out in support of President Obama's efforts on gun control in the wake of the Newtown, the organization simultaneously aligned itself with the productive side …
Michal Shmulovich / The Times of Israel:
Hamas, PA reportedly refuse to take in Palestinian refugees from Syria — Gaza leader says the precedent might be used by Jerusalem to counter Palestinians' demand for the ‘right of return’ to land within Israel — Hamas and the Palestinian Authority rejected the United Nations' request …
Discussion:
Israel Matzav, Weasel Zippers and Jihad Watch
Reid Pillifant / Capital New York:
Looking to the next debt-ceiling fight, Nadler proposes a trillion-dollar coin trick — Rep. Jerrold Nadler has an admittedly “out of the ordinary” solution to the coming fight over the debt ceiling. — “There is specific statutory authority that says that the Federal Reserve can mint …
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Firedoglake, Bloomberg, The Plum Line, The New Republic, Business Insider, New York Sun, msnbc.com and Suburban Guerrilla
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Hans Nichols / Bloomberg:
Geithner Said to Plan Departure Before Debt Ceiling Deal
Geithner Said to Plan Departure Before Debt Ceiling Deal
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Politico, Hot Air, Paul Krugman, Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes', First Read and Outside the Beltway