Top Items:
James Morgan / BBC:
Republican debate: Tweeters mock Trump's internet call — As the candidates in Tuesday's Republican debate grappled over how to tackle the growing threat of the Islamic State group (also known as Isis), Donald Trump calmly reassured them “the answer is simple”.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly and whorunsGov
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Leon H. Wolf / RedState:
Ted Cruz Has a Problem — Up until last night, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) 100%'s refusal to attack Donald Trump was defensible. Without question, it was smart politics, as his rise in the polls would attest. But it was also defensible on the merits as a guy who is a solid conservative in good standing …
Frank Bruni / New York Times:
Cruz Blusters and Trump Sulks at Tense Republican Debate — Someone needs to explain carpets to Ted Cruz. — They're continuous stretches of material, usually rectangular, sometimes round. They're not staggered, interrupted, with stops, starts, holes and sharp jags so that they smother …
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, Washington Post, The Mahablog, Salon, PoliticusUSA, Prairie Weather and The Moderate Voice
Jordain Carney / The Hill:
GOP chair probes if Cruz unveiled classified info during debate — A key Senate Republican is looking into whether Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) discussed classified information during Tuesday night's Republican presidential debate. — “I'm having my staff look at the transcripts of the debate right now …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Bloomberg.com news, NBC News, Roll Call and The Right Scoop
John Podhoretz / New York Post:
Chris Christie just made the GOP race a lot more interesting — After being in the minors for two debates, Chris Christie graduated to the main stage of the Republican clash for the presidential nomination Tuesday night. And he made the most of it. — The governor of New Jersey …
Discussion:
Betsy's Page
Jeremy Diamond / CNN:
CNN Republican debate: Winners and losers — Washington (CNN)Republican presidential candidates sought to cement — or improve — their standings in a debate Tuesday night that comes less than two months before the first votes of the election season are cast.
Discussion:
ImmigrationProf Blog and Towleroad
Shane Goldmacher / Politico:
Bush v. Trump: Behind the Vegas rumble — LAS VEGAS - Jeb Bush came at Donald Trump with everything he had, turning in his strongest debate performance to date just as much of the party was threatening to tune out his flagging candidacy entirely. — He dismissed Trump as a “chaos candidate” …
Discussion:
ABC News, Bloomberg.com news, No More Mister Nice Blog, Washington Times, Bloomberg Business, Yahoo Politics and The Hill
Will Rahn / The Daily Beast:
Was Marco Rubio Overrated All Along? — Marco Rubio was supposed to be the savior of the Republican establishment. But after Tuesday's debate, maybe we should start asking ourselves if this is really a two-way race between Cruz and Trump. — That was a rough debate for Marco Rubio.
Discussion:
Washington Post, JustOneMinute, National Review, Fox News Insider, Eschaton and Bloomberg Business
Jesse Byrnes / The Hill:
Jeb: ‘This is a wide open race’
Discussion:
Yahoo Politics, Bloomberg View, Hot Air and No More Mister Nice Blog
Jason Howerton / TheBlaze.com:
Joe Scarborough Notices Something During Debate That Has Him Convinced Trump, Cruz Made 'Inside Deal …
Discussion:
Hot Air and The Daily Caller
Leon H. Wolf / RedState:
Winners and Losers in Tonight's CNN/Salem Debate
Discussion:
New York Times, Daily Mail, Political Wire, Hit & Run and Slate
Michael Crowley / Politico:
How Cruz and Rubio exposed the GOP's rift on foreign policy
Discussion:
Yahoo Politics
Dan Balz / Washington Post:
GOP candidates have an unruly fight over serious issues, with no clear winner
Discussion:
New York Times, Politico, The Atlantic, CNBC and Business Insider
Jeremy Diamond / CNN:
Trump pledges allegiance to GOP, rules out independent bid
Discussion:
Yahoo Politics and whorunsGov
Washington Post:
Congress reaches year-end deal on taxes and spending — Congressional leaders on Tuesday night reached agreement on a year-end spending and tax deal that would prevent a government shutdown and extend a series of tax breaks that benefit businesses and individuals, according to lawmakers.
Discussion:
Mother Jones, Balloon Juice and Gothamist
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Bloomberg Business:
Congress Reaches Fiscal Agreement Ending U.S. Oil Export Ban
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Forbes, Al Jazeera America, EcoWatch and Common Dreams
The Hill:
Ryan unveils sweeping $1.6T deal on government funding, taxes
Discussion:
Daily Kos, Politico, Talking Points Memo and Hullabaloo
Anna Palmer / Politico:
Qualms in both parties over massive tax and spending package
Discussion:
Forbes
Erin Kelly / USA Today:
Congress reaches deal on 2016 spending bill to fund federal government
Discussion:
Shakesville, The Week, New York Times and Political Wire
Jamie Sotonoff / Daily Herald:
Wheaton College puts hijab-wearing professor on leave … A Wheaton College political science professor, who had been wearing a hijab to show solidarity for Muslim women in America and inviting other women to join her, was put on administrative leave Tuesday by the evangelical Christian school.
Discussion:
WGN-TV, myfox8.com and BizPac Review
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Isite Design / Wheaton College Home:
Wheaton College Statement Regarding Dr. Larycia Hawkins — In response to significant questions regarding the theological implications of statements that Associate Professor of Political Science Dr. Larycia Hawkins has made about the relationship of Christianity to Islam …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Washington Post, U.S. Uncut, Raw Story, NBC News and USA TODAY College
Washington Post:
5th Republican debate transcript, annotated: Who said what and what it meant — Nine Republican candidates are participating in tonight's 2016 presidential debate in Las Vegas: Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), former Florida governor Jeb Bush, former tech executive Carly Fiorina …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, PoliticusUSA, Outside the Beltway, Daily Kos, USA Today, The Daily Caller, Shakesville, The Week, Althouse, Hit & Run, PoliPundit.com, Mother Jones and ACASignups.net
Todd Starnes / Fox News:
Students practice calligraphy by writing “There is no god but Allah” — The Riverheads High School calligraphy assignment (Courtesy The Schilling Show) — A Virginia school district is defending a classroom assignment that required students to practice calligraphy by writing the Muslim statement of faith, “There is no god but Allah.
Discussion:
Pamela Geller and Jihad Watch
Julian Hattem / The Hill:
FBI: ‘No evidence’ Calif. shooters supported jihad on social media — The FBI said on Wednesday that suspected San Bernardino, Calif., shooters Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik did not express their support for jihad publicly on social media, potentially undercutting efforts to ramp up surveillance of foreign travelers' online presences.
Discussion:
Little Green Footballs, The Verge, LearnBonds and Los Angeles Times
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