Top Items:
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
The Biggest Losers — The pundit consensus seems to be that Republicans lost in the just-concluded budget deal. Overall spending will be a bit higher than the level mandated by the sequester, the straitjacket imposed back in 2011. Meanwhile, Democrats avoided making any concessions on Social Security or Medicare.
Discussion:
The Plum Line, Business Insider, EconLog, Seeing the Forest, Paul Krugman and Mother Jones
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Tal Kopan / Politico:
Glenn Beck attacks ‘worthless’ John Boehner — Conservative radio host Glenn Beck went off on Republican leadership after the House passed a budget compromise Thursday, calling House Speaker John Boehner “worthless” and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell a “liar.”
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's …
Fred Barnes / Weekly Standard:
Twilight of the Sequester — In Washington, folks are celebrating a new bipartisan budget deal that saves us from another full round of reductions in federal spending mandated by the “sequester.” Far fewer are lamenting the dwindling of the sequester itself. As usual, Washington has things upside down.
The Hill:
House approves budget deal, handing major victory to Boehner
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Hot Air, Connecting.the.Dots, BizPac Review, The Daily Caller, American Spectator, The Plum Line, CNN, New York Post, Instapundit and Weasel Zippers
Abby D. Phillip / ABC News:
Republicans and Tea Party Activists in ‘Full Scale Civil War’
Discussion:
The Hill, ABC News, The Fix, Hot Air, CNN, Talking Points Memo, Yahoo! News, Business Insider, Guardian, Liberaland, The Heritage Foundation and The Impolitic
Sahil Kapur / Talking Points Memo:
John Boehner: Conservative Groups Have ‘Lost All Credibility’ (VIDEO)
Discussion:
RedState, The Week, Washington Post and Daily Kos
Brian Beutler / Salon:
Obama's shutdown critics look like morons after budget deal
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice
Jonathan Merritt / The Atlantic Online:
Insisting Jesus Was White Is Bad History and Bad Theology — Fox News television host Megyn Kelly told viewers on her December 11 broadcast that Jesus and Santa are both white men. — “Just because it makes you feel uncomfortable doesn't mean it has to change,” Kelly said. “Jesus was a white man, too.
Discussion:
Althouse
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Steven Morris / Guardian:
Pupils' Christmas ‘ruined’ by vicar's Santa Claus origins story
Discussion:
Daily Kos, Booman Tribune and Unfogged
Megan McArdle / Bloomberg:
Obamacare's Never-Ending Fix-a-Thon — The Department of Health and Human Services held a conference call for journalists this afternoon with Kathleen Sebelius and other members of the Obamacare team in which they announced yet another round of fixes. Most of them are aimed at folks who lost …
Discussion:
Wonkblog, Power Line, Betsy's Page and Daily Kos
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CNBC:
White House: Could extend Obamacare deadlines again
Discussion:
National Review, Hot Air, The Daily Caller and Weasel Zippers
Robert Pear / New York Times:
Health Plans Urged to Extend Enrollment
Discussion:
Hit & Run and Taegan Goddard's Wonk Wire
Philip Klein / Washington Examiner:
HHS ‘encourages’ insurers to fix problems created by Obamacare
Discussion:
AEIdeas, Weekly Standard and Wall Street Journal
Adam Goldman / Washington Post:
Ex-FBI agent who disappeared in Iran was on rogue mission for CIA — An American man who disappeared in Iran more than six years ago had been working for the CIA in what U.S. intelligence officials describe as a rogue operation that led to a major shake-up in the spy agency.
Discussion:
Post Politics, First Read, Prairie Weather, NO QUARTER USA NET and Poynter, more at Mediagazer »
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Max Fisher / WorldViews:
Even by North Korean standards, this announcement of Jang Song Thaek's execution is intense — North Korean state media are known for hyperbole, but even so, the official announcement of the execution of Jang Song Thaek is a step beyond. The state-run Korean Central News Agency released …
Discussion:
New York Times, crooksandliars.com/user/2, UK Blog on The Huffington Post and National Review
Pew Research Center for the People and the Press:
Republicans More Optimistic than Democrats about Midterms — But Less GOP Optimism than in 2010 — Less than a year out from the 2014 midterm elections, Republicans are more optimistic than Democrats about their party's electoral prospects. But the “expectations gap” …
Discussion:
Washington Wire, CBS DC, CNN and Washington Free Beacon
Angie Drobnic Holan / PolitiFact:
Lie of the Year: ‘If you like your health care plan, you can keep it’ — It was a catchy political pitch and a chance to calm nerves about his dramatic and complicated plan to bring historic change to America's health insurance system. — “If you like your health care plan, you can keep it …
ThinkProgress:
Delaware Is On The Verge Of Raising Its Minimum Wage — CREDIT: Wisconsin Jobs Now flickr account — An increase in Delaware's minimum wage to $8.25 an hour from the current federal floor of $7.25 “appears headed on a fast track for approval,” Delaware Online reports …
Discussion:
delawareonline and Liberaland
Jonathan Martin / New York Times:
Huckabee, Looking to 2016 Race, Speaks of ‘a Real Opportunity for Me’ — LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Former Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas has not been among the Republicans frequently named as a potential 2016 presidential candidate, but he would like that to change.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Post Politics, First Read, National Review, Outside the Beltway, TheBlaze.com and Mediaite
Lucy McCalmont / Politico:
Karl Rove: Obamacare rap crosses line — Karl Rove is not happy with a new rap parody of Snoop Dogg's “Drop It like It's Hot” that promotes Obamacare, saying it “crosses the line.” — In the video, which directs viewers to Covered California-led efforts TellAFriendGetCovered.com and promotes #GetCovered …
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit
Edward-Isaac Dovere / Politico:
Obama turns left — President Barack Obama wants to sound like a different kind of Democrat. — He's connecting to progressive populism with an aggressive, spending-oriented, activist government approach to the economy personified by Elizabeth Warren and Bill de Blasio.
Discussion:
Heritage Action for America
Michelle Cottle / The Daily Beast:
The Cruzification of Marco Rubio — By Michelle CottleDecember 13th 20135:45 AM — The junior senator's blatant pandering in bashing the budget deal shows the shameless lengths he will go to get back into the GOP base's good graces. — Let's give it up for Marco Rubio!
Discussion:
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