Top Items:
Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
Worries about Hillary Clinton — Hillary Clinton may be the overwhelming front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, but she's going to have to deal with some knotty problems sooner or later. She can't ignore forever either her party or the media's entreaties to talk on important subjects.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly
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Globe and Mail:
Obamacare, where the liberal dream crashes and burns — On Wednesday afternoon, a bunch of twentysomethings were summoned to the White House to hear an infomercial from Barack Obama himself. He was pitching health insurance. — “The product is good. It's affordable,” the President told them.
Nelson Mandela / CNN:
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, congressional Democrats to commemorate Mandela in South Africa — (CNN) - More than 20 members of the U.S. House, mostly Democrats, and Republican Sen. Ted Cruz will travel to South Africa to honor and commemorate former South African president and anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela.
Discussion:
Balloon Juice
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The Atlantic Online:
Newt Gingrich To Conservatives: ‘What Would You Have Done?’ — A Message On Nelson Mandela That Conservatives Sorely Need To Hear — I think this is a fairly noteworthy statement from Newt Gingrich on Mandela's passing that should get some airing. Gingrich is addressing …
Shanna McCord / Santa Cruz Sentinel:
Merrill Newman said he was comfortable during detention in North Korean hotel room — SANTA CRUZ — A relaxed Merrill Newman walked outside his Santa Cruz home on Sunday morning and was immediately greeted by a neighbor with a giant hug. — The neighbor told Newman how she “just knew” …
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Choe Sang-Hun / New York Times:
South Korea Announces Expansion of Its Air Defense Zone
South Korea Announces Expansion of Its Air Defense Zone
Discussion:
Bloomberg, GlobalPost, ThinkProgress and Outside the Beltway
Washington Post:
An effective eye drug is available for $50. But many doctors choose a $2,000 alternative. — The two drugs have been declared equivalently miraculous. Tested side by side in six major trials, both prevent blindness in a common old-age affliction. Biologically, they are cousins.
Discussion:
Liberal Values, Business Insider, Outside the Beltway and Prairie Weather
Chris Wallace / Fox News:
Sen. Rand Paul on scrapping ObamaCare, saving Detroit; ‘Pik’ Botha on Nelson Mandela's life and legacy — Special Guests: Sen. Rand Paul, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, ‘Pik’ Botha — This is a rush transcript from “Fox News Sunday,” December 8, 2013. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
Discussion:
BizzyBlog, Crooks and Liars, Twitchy, About.com US Politics and Talking Points Memo
Seymour M. Hersh / London Review of Books:
Whose sarin? — Barack Obama did not tell the whole story this autumn when he tried to make the case that Bashar al-Assad was responsible for the chemical weapons attack near Damascus on 21 August. In some instances, he omitted important intelligence, and in others he presented assumptions as facts.
Discussion:
Jihad Watch, Atlas Shrugs, The Agonist, Gawker, emptywheel and BuzzFeed
Erik Wasson / The Hill:
Durbin: No ultimatum on jobless benefits — Unfortunately your browser does not support IFrames. — The number two Democrat in the Senate and a Republican member of the budget conference committee on Sunday strongly signaled that an emerging budget deal will not include new spending on unemployment benefits.
Discussion:
English and Firedoglake
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David Harding / NY Daily News:
Christmas lights cause furor in Rome after rainbow colors used for anti-homophobia message — Mile-long rainbow-flag themed Christmas lights that were planned as an anti-homophobic message following the suicide of a gay teen are causing a divide in Rome. — The lights were chosen …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller and Joe. My. God.
Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Eric Cantor on how Republicans can win again — Virginia Republicans are in the midst of a three-day gathering to sort through what happened in their across-the-board losses at the ballot box in 2013. (We previewed this autopsy here.) — WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 13: House Majority Leader Eric Cantor …
New York Times:
Protesters in Kiev Topple Lenin Statue as Rallies Grow — KIEV, Ukraine — In the biggest demonstration yet after weeks of growing momentum, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians filled the streets of Kiev on Sunday, tearing down and crushing a monument to Lenin in the city center and intensifying …
Discussion:
Blazing Cat Fur, Gawker and The Gateway Pundit
David Simon / Guardian:
‘There are now two Americas. My country is a horror show’ — The creator of The Wire, David Simon, delivered a coruscating speech about the divide between rich and poor in America, and how capitalism has lost sight of its social compact. This is an edited extract
Discussion:
The Verge, NewsBusters and Prairie Weather
MLive.com:
Democrats react to Rand Paul visit, Detroit ‘freedom zones’ proposal — DETROIT, MI — Democrats responded in a variety of ways to U.S. Sen. Rand Paul's Friday visit to Detroit. — The Kentucky Republican was in town helping the GOP effort to start reaching out to minorities in Michigan …
Discussion:
The Raw Story
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Amanda Terkel / The Huffington Post:
Rand Paul: Unemployment Benefits Extension Would Be A ‘Disservice’ To Workers
Rand Paul: Unemployment Benefits Extension Would Be A ‘Disservice’ To Workers
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Guardian, Hullabaloo and The PJ Tatler