Top Items:
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
GOP Plans Major Social Security Cuts — We'll have a story coming shortly on what I just mentioned a short time ago: that Republicans are now planning to pass major cuts to Social Security this year. Specifically, this bill is being introduced by Rep. Sam Johnson, Chairman of the House Ways …
Discussion:
Suburban Guerrilla …
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Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Going for the Big Enchilada — Republicans apparently aren't going to be satisfied with phasing out Medicare. They're going to try to pass huge cuts to Social Security this year too. Not Bush-style partial phaseout but just big, big cuts. And you're out of luck even if you're a current beneficiary.
Joseph Lawler / Washington Examiner:
Key GOP lawmaker introduces Social Security reform plan — A Republican lawmaker introduced legislation Thursday to shore up Social Security's finances and boost benefits for low-income workers without raising taxes, a conservative version of reform that could gain attention under unified GOP government next year.
Discussion:
Johnson, Sam, Politicus USA and Mother Jones
Tierney Sneed / Talking Points Memo:
Key House GOPer Introduces Bill With Major Cuts To Social Security
Discussion:
Forbes and The Mahablog
Wall Street Journal:
Trump Expected to Pick Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers to Run Interior — If confirmed by the Senate, she would lead administration's efforts to open up federal lands and waters to fossil-fuel development — WASHINGTON—President-elect Donald Trump is expected to tap Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers …
Discussion:
Political Wire, Hot Air, Morning Consult, Politico and RedState
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Reuters:
Oil drilling advocate to be Trump pick for Interior Department
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, The Guardian and Washington Free Beacon
Devin Henry / The Hill:
Trump to pick Rep. McMorris Rodgers for Interior secretary
Discussion:
The Daily Signal and TheBlaze
Martin Matishak / Politico:
Obama orders ‘deep dive’ of election-related hacking — President Barack Obama has ordered a “deep dive” into the cyberattacks that plagued this year's election, the White House said Friday. — Obama has asked the intelligence community to deliver its final report before he leaves office.
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Fred Barnes / Weekly Standard:
Learn from His Mistakes — Shortly after his inauguration in 2009, President Obama invited Republican leaders in Congress to a White House meeting. The House members brought a proposal with ideas for stimulating the economy, then suffering through the Great Recession.
Discussion:
Betsy's Page and Sabato's Crystal Ball
Bloomberg:
Trump Team's Memo Hints at Broad Shake-Up of U.S. Energy Policy — Advisers seeking to identify staff involved in climate policy — Advisers to President-elect Donald Trump are developing plans to reshape Energy Department programs, help keep aging nuclear plants online and identify staff …
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Harper Neidig / The Hill:
Giuliani won't serve in Trump administration — Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a longtime Donald Trump — ally, will not be serving in the president-elect's administration. — Giuliani has removed himself from consideration for any position in the new administration, the Trump transition team announced Friday.
Discussion:
ABC News
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Daniel Halper / New York Post:
Rudy Giuliani won't be Trump's secretary of state — More On: — Rudy Giuliani will not be secretary of state, according to a new report. — The former New York City mayor, a loyalist to Donald Trump during the worst moments of the campaign, will not be named the nation's top diplomat, according to CNN.
Discussion:
RedState, Independent Journal Review and alan.com
Ben Weyl / Politico:
Senate Dems facing likely defeat in shutdown fight — Senate Democrats are fighting a legislative battle they appear unlikely to win, demanding new negotiations on a critical spending bill after Senate Republicans have already closed off talks and the House has gone home for the holidays.
Discussion:
Washington Post, TheBlaze, Hot Air and The Resurgent
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Andrew Restuccia / Politico:
McConnell, Cramer met to discuss potential Senate run — Senate Major Leader Mitch McConnell met with North Dakota Rep. Kevin Cramer this week to discuss a potential open Senate seat. — The Tuesday meeting at the National Republican Senatorial Committee offices comes as President-elect …
Discussion:
Say Anything, Political Wire and Hot Air
Steve M. / No More Mister Nice Blog:
COULD BREITBART BREAK WITH TRUMP? — The front page of Breitbart right now seems surprisingly critical of the Trump transition: — From that lead story: … Wow — the Trump News Network is linking a Trump appointee to the hated rootless cosmopolitan gun-grabber Mike Bloomberg. Them's fightin' words.
Discussion:
The Hill, Salon, Breitbart and Booman Tribune
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Ted Cruz / Washington Post:
If Republicans really want to drain the swamp, here's how to do it — Ted Cruz, a Republican,represents Texas in the Senate. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, represents Florida's 6th District in the House. — On Election Day, the American people made a resounding call to “drain the swamp” that is modern Washington.
Discussion:
Patterico's Pontifications and TheBlaze
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Jake Sherman / Politico:
Paul Ryan: I had a ‘very exciting meeting’ with Trump today
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo and ABC News
Aaron Rupar / ThinkProgress:
Carrier says it will spend millions automating Indiana plant, plans to lay off workers Trump ‘saved’ — The deal keeps getting worse. — As part of the deal President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence struck with Carrier, the company has promised to make a $16 million investment …
Discussion:
Daily Kos, Common Dreams, Jezebel, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Washington Post and NBC News
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Mark Hensch / The Hill:
Carrier to ultimately lose some jobs Trump saved: report
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Resurgent, The Daily Caller, Washington Monthly, The Week, New York Magazine and TheBlaze
Matthew Yglesias / Vox:
Let's relocate a bunch of government agencies to the Midwest — Time to shift economic activity from the overcrowded coasts to places that need more of it. — America's post-industrial Midwest is far from being the country's poorest region. To find the direst economic conditions in the United States …
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns & Money
Mark Hosenball / Reuters:
Trump gets one presidential intelligence briefing a week: sources — President-elect Donald Trump is receiving an average of one presidential intelligence briefing a week, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter, far fewer than most of his recent predecessors.
Discussion:
Mother Jones, Common Dreams, Mediaite, Hullabaloo, Political Wire, Jezebel, Talking Points Memo, CBS News and Hot Air
RELATED:
TMZ.com:
T.J. Miller — Arrested for Uber Fight Over Trump ... 'Tis the Season?? — “Silicon Valley” star T.J. Miller got arrested in Hollywood for allegedly making his Uber driver see stars, and not the good rating kind either. — Law enforcement sources tell us T.J.'s driver picked him up from the GQ Men …
Discussion:
LAist, East Bay Times, Washington Times and SFist
Robby Soave / Hit & Run:
Leftist Students Shouted ‘F*ck You B*itch’ at the Gay Director of a Pro-Trans Movie, Boys Don't Cry — There was a time not so long ago when the people shouting “f**k you bitch” at a gender-fluid gay filmmaker would have been bigoted right-wing conservatives.
Discussion:
John Hawkins' Right Wing News
Sarah Ellison / Vanity Fair:
Could a Last-Minute Suitor Woo Megyn Kelly Away from Fox News? — Despite an offer of more than $20 million from Fox, Kelly appears to be listening to some surprising suitors. — On Wednesday morning, Megyn Kelly was once again promoting her new memoir, Settle for More …
Discussion:
The Hill, USA Today, AOL, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Mediaite, RedState, FTVLive and TVNewser, more at Mediagazer »
Jacob Pramuk / CNBC:
Trump just offered yet another Goldman veteran a spot in his administration — Goldman's Cohn offered NEC director job - NBC — Donald Trump has offered Goldman Sachs executive Gary Cohn a key economic post, which would add to the administration another veteran of the powerful firm …
David Wright / CNN:
Conway on Trump ‘Apprentice’ role: He'll do it in his spare time — (CNN)Kellyanne Conway on Friday defended President-elect Donald Trump's decision to remain an executive producer on NBC's “Celebrity Apprentice” even as he takes office, arguing that “presidents have a right to do things in their spare time.”
Alan Levin / Bloomberg:
Balloon Pilot Who Killed 16 Was on Drugs and Had Five DWI Raps — NTSB documents on July crash reveal loopholes in oversight — Accident was worst fatal U.S. aviation accident since 2009 — The pilot of a hot-air balloon that crashed last summer in Texas, killing himself and 15 sight-seeing passengers …
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