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Former Bush spokesman on Trump's Taiwan call: ‘China will go nuts’ — Former George W. Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer tweeted that “China will go nuts” after President-elect Donald Trump — made a historic phone call to Taiwan on Friday. — “Uh-oh. I wasn't even allowed to refer to the gvt ‘of’ Taiwan.
Discussion:
Mediaite and Oliver Willis
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Tsai-Trump telephone call scheduled — UNDOING CHEN SHUI-BIAN? Experts said that the conversation could prompt the establishment of a direct communications channel and reduce misunderstandings — President Tsai Ing-wen () was to have a telephone conversation with US president-elect Donald …
Discussion:
The Guardian, The Diplomat, Sputnik International, Hot Air, Talking Points Memo, Politico and Mediaite


Trump's unusual phone call is great for his business, dangerous for America — Putting the Trump Organization first. — Trump is mixing his business with the presidency. Today was a stark illustration that the combination is extremely dangerous—to Americans and the world.
Discussion:
Raw Story, Business Insider, BuzzFeed, Daily Wire, Mediaite, Mother Jones, Vox, KTLA, The American Conservative, Little Green Footballs and alan.com


Trump speaks with Taiwanese president, a major break with decades of U.S. policy on China — President-elect Donald Trump spoke Friday with Taiwan's president, a major departure from decades of U.S. policy in Asia and a breach of diplomatic protocol with ramifications for the incoming president's relations with China.
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Mediaite, twitchy.com, The Week, Balloon Juice, Joe.My.God. and Jezebel


Trump risks showdown with China after call with Taiwan
Discussion:
New York Times, RedState, The Last Refuge, The Guardian, twitchy.com, Unqualified Offerings, ABC News, NBC News and The Geller Report

Trump Speaks With Taiwan's Leader, a Possible Affront to China
Discussion:
Reuters

The letter from Carrier to its employees that Donald Trump doesn't want you to read
Discussion:
CNBC, Wall Street Journal, Daily Kos, alan.com and Mediaite

Sarah Palin: But... Wait... The Good Guys Won't Win With More Crony Capitalism — I am ecstatic for Carrier employees! Their bosses just decided to keep shop onshore. What a relief for hundreds of workers. Merry Christmas Indiana! We don't yet know terms of the public/private deal …
Discussion:
NBC News, Washington Post, AOL, ABC News, Talking Points Memo, Daily Wire, New York Magazine, AMERICAblog NewsAMERICAblog …, Political Wire, Mediaite, Hot Air and Politico
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Sarah Palin: Trump's Carrier deal is ‘crony capitalism’ — Another conservative is calling “crony capitalism” on Donald Trump's deal with Carrier, albeit an unexpected one — Sarah Palin. — In an op-ed for the website Young Conservatives, the former Alaska governor allowed that the details behind …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Oliver Willis and TheBlaze


Even elite campaign aides still aren't sure why Donald Trump succeeded — Baffled at times and often bitter, more than two dozen of the country's top political operatives grappled with questions that have dominated American politics for 18 months: What explains Donald Trump's astonishing political success …
Discussion:
Hot Air, Politico, Independent Journal Review, TheBlaze, Talking Points Memo and Political Wire, more at Mediagazer »
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Federal judge denies quick halt to recount — Madison — A federal judge Friday denied an emergency halt to the recount of the presidential vote in Wisconsin, allowing the process to continue until a Dec. 9 court hearing at least. — There is no need to halt the recount just yet …


Deadlock: Board vote means Michigan presidential recount may proceed
Discussion:
RedState, Raw Story, The Daily Caller, Hot Air and New York Magazine


Obama considering post-presidential digital media career, sources say — President Barack Obama has been discussing a post-presidential career in digital media and is considering launching his own media company, according to multiple sources who spoke on background because they were not authorized to speak for the president.
Discussion:
Mashable, AOL, Heat Street, The Daily Caller, Daily Wire, Mediaite, Political Wire and TVNewser
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Former Special Forces Officer: Gen. ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis Left ‘My Men to Die’ — A former Army Special Forces officer is accusing retired Marine General James Mattis, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to be defense secretary, of “leaving my men to die” after they were hit by friendly fire in Afghanistan in 2001.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Raw Story, Mediaite, AOL, Oliver Willis, TalkLeft, NBC News and New York Times
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Democrats could block Mattis nomination
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon, Daily Kos and The Daily Signal

Why There Is Civilian Control of the Military and When That Tradition Began
Discussion:
Politico and Washington Free Beacon


CNN Crew Jokes about Donald Trump's Plane Crashing — CNN Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux was covering the Carrier press conference, that featured both Donald Trump and Mike Pence. — Carrier was able to negotiate huge tax breaks for their company, if they promised not to move all their jobs to Mexico.
Discussion:
Rare, Mediaite, Independent Journal Review, BizPac Review, Daily Wire, Sputnik International, twitchy.com, TheBlaze, The Gateway Pundit and TVNewser
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Philly Clout: Turnpike manager rips his bosses in email minutes before retirement — FILE THIS ONE under: “Well, You Asked.” — Michael Stuban, a midlevel manager at the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, retired on Thanksgiving after a 35-year career that started in a tollbooth.
Discussion:
CBS Pittsburgh


Make Kellogg's Gr-rr-rr-rr-rreat Again — Last weekend's Castro droologies reminded us that, for Justin Trudeau and too many others, mass-murdering dictators are kind of a turn-on, a geopolitical S&M fetish - as long as it's millions of distant, disposable Third World types making up the M end of the deal.
Discussion:
Power Line
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Kellogg under fire for pulling ads from Breitbart
Discussion:
Breitbart, John Hawkins' Right Wing News and theGrio


G.O.P. Plans Immediate Repeal of Health Law, Then a Delay — WASHINGTON — Republicans in Congress plan to move almost immediately next month to repeal the Affordable Care Act, as President-elect Donald J. Trump promised. But they also are likely to delay the effective date …
Discussion:
Political Wire


The 2016 Election Is a Disaster Without a Moral — Marge: The moral of the story is that a good deed is its own reward! — Bart: But we got a reward, the head is cool! — Marge: Well, then maybe the moral is, no good deed goes unrewarded. — Homer: Wait a minute! … Homer: Exactly!

Trump's education pick says reform can 'advance God's Kingdom' — The billionaire philanthropist whom Donald Trump has tapped to lead the Education Department once compared her work in education reform to a biblical battleground where she wants to “advance God's Kingdom.”


Amy Schumer Playing ‘Barbie’ — Amy Schumer will play the title role in Barbie, the live action Sony Pictures film based on the venerable Mattel toyline. The PG movie will begin production in the spring for a global summer 2018 tent pole bow, after Schumer puts her imprint on the script by Hillary Winston.
Discussion:
LAist, Mediaite, Raw Story, Jezebel and New York Magazine


Democrats want Russian hacking intelligence declassified — The call to release the information came in a short letter to President Obama released by seven Democratic senators — Washington (CNN)Democratic senators are pressing the Obama administration to more forthrightly state …
Discussion:
Central Maine


Donald Trump's Pollster Says the Election Came Down to Five Counties — Donald Trump's former campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, referred to her candidate's electoral win as a “landslide” earlier this week. But the campaign's top pollster, veteran Tony Fabrizio said just five counties made the difference …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Hullabaloo and Jezebel


Dean drops out of DNC chairmanship race — DENVER — Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean dropped out of the race to become the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) on Friday. — Dean, who served as DNC chairman from 2005 to 2009, announced in a pre-recorded video to a conference …
Discussion:
Politico, Common Dreams and RedState


The post-truth world of the Trump administration is scarier than you think — You may think you are prepared for a post-truth world, in which political appeals to emotion count for more than statements of verifiable fact. — But now it's time to cross another bridge — into a world without facts.
Discussion:
New York Times, Jezebel, Daily Kos, Washington Monthly, Mediaite, Balloon Juice and New York Magazine, more at Mediagazer »

Police: Men Screaming ‘Trump’ Try To Rip Off Woman's Hijab On NYC Subway — Three men physically attacked a Muslim teenager at a Manhattan subway stop on Thursday night while shouting the name of the President-elect, police told the New York Daily News. — Police said the unidentified 18 …
Discussion:
New York Daily News, East Bay Times and New York Magazine


Bowe Bergdahl, Facing Desertion Trial, Asks Obama for Pardon — WASHINGTON — Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the former American prisoner of war in Afghanistan who was freed in a 2014 swap for five Taliban detainees, has asked President Obama to pardon him before leaving the White House to President-elect Donald J …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner and RedState


Calling Jeff Sessions “racist” conveniently ignores the work he's done for Alabama's black community — Lowndes County, Alabama, needed help, and Sessions came through. Liberal critics need to give him credit — As liberal pundits continue their drumbeat against President-elect Trump …