Top Items:


Democrat wins Va. House seat in recount by single vote, creating 50-50 tie in legislature — NEWPORT NEWS — A Republican seat flipped Democratic in a wild recount Tuesday - with the Democrat winning by a single vote - creating a rare 50-50 tie between the parties in the House of Delegates …
Discussion:
USA Today, Shareblue Media, ThinkProgress, Vox, Lawyers, Guns & Money, New York Magazine, Weekly Standard, IJR and Axios
RELATED:


In Virginia, a 11,608-to-11,607 Lesson in the Power of a Single Vote — The Democratic wave that rose on Election Day in Virginia last month delivered a final crash on the sand Tuesday when a Democratic challenger defeated a Republican incumbent by a single vote, leaving the Virginia House …
Discussion:
Mashable, Raw Story, Business Insider and Daily Kos


Outnumbered Guest Stuns Hosts After Suggesting FBI Deputy Director Plotted to Assassinate Trump — It appears there are some DEEP STATE conspiracies that are even too much for Fox News. — Over the past few weeks, we've witnessed a concerted effort by Fox News and conservative media figures …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller and Bloomberg
RELATED:


GOP chairmen seek to interview top FBI officials on Clinton, Trump — Reps. Goodlatte and Gowdy take the next step in an unfolding confrontation between Republicans and DOJ. — Two powerful House Republicans are asking the Justice Department to make senior FBI officials available to testify …
Discussion:
Raw Story


Tucker Carlson Hits Media Over Mueller: Journalists Shouldn't Be ‘Cheerleaders For Prosecutions’
Discussion:
BuzzFeed


Poll: Public sours on GOP tax plan as Democrats regain lead on economy — WASHINGTON — The tax plan that Republicans are soon expected to pass has grown more unpopular in the last two months, with nearly two-thirds of Americans believing it's designed mostly to help corporations and the wealthy …
Discussion:
Power Line, CNBC, Business Insider, Political Wire, The Atlantic, Mother Jones, New York Magazine and Outside the Beltway
RELATED:


Public opposition to tax bill grows as vote approaches
Discussion:
Mediaite, Politico, The Hill, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Washington Post, The Nation, The Guardian, Hullabaloo, Business Insider, ThinkProgress, New Republic, Mother Jones, Paste, AOL, CNBC, IJR, Daily Kos, The Week, Political Wire and Monmouth University

Analysis from Left-Leaning Tax Policy Center: Actually, 80 Percent of Americans Get a Tax Cut Under GOP Plan
Discussion:
twitchy.com, Vox, taxpolicycenter.org, NBC News, AOL, Washington Post, HuffPost, NPR and Fox News Insider

Poll: Trump's approval rating hits historic low of 35 percent
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Outside the Beltway, The Hill and Politicus USA

House must revote on approved final GOP tax bill, fearing Byrd Rule objections — The House will revote on the bill it passed to much fanfare Tuesday afternoon, fearing procedural violations in the version it already passed. — The vote will likely take place Wednesday.
Discussion:
NPR, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Clayton Cramer, IJR, Washington Free Beacon and CNN
RELATED:

Parliamentarian Determines Three Provisions in Republican Tax Bill Are Impermissible
Discussion:
Washington Monthly and Democrats.com

Tax Bill Moves to Senate After House Passage Mostly Along Party Lines
Discussion:
Washington Post, Refinery29, Above the Law, The Week, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, TalkLeft, Mother Jones and Business Insider

Republicans close to passing tax bill despite late snag
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Reuters, America Rising PAC and Balloon Juice


Democrats unlikely to force DACA vote this week, probably averting shutdown — Democrats are backing away from a pledge to force a vote this month over the fate of thousands of undocumented immigrants brought to this country as children, angering activists but likely averting the threat …
RELATED:


Senators, White House lay groundwork for Dreamers deal — Top senators and White House officials are laying the groundwork for a major immigration deal in January to resolve the fate of young undocumented immigrants whose legal protections were put in limbo by President Donald Trump.


Collins decries coverage of her tax bill support as ‘unbelievably sexist’ — The Maine Republican decried the media coverage as premature and unfair. — Sen. Susan Collins on Tuesday blasted coverage of her support for the GOP tax bill as “extremely discouraging” and “unbelievably sexist.”
RELATED:

Republicans fight Democrats — and themselves — as shutdown looms
Discussion:
Daily Kos


David Frum Proves My Point — At the Atlantic, David Frum has responded to my piece on Jennifer Rubin. I say “responded,” because he hasn't refuted what I wrote so much as he has chosen to confirm it, and to then make excuses for those who have succumbed to the bad behavior I described.
Discussion:
twitchy.com
RELATED:

Conservatism Can't Survive Donald Trump Intact
Discussion:
twitchy.com, National Review, Mediaite and The American Conservative


Haley: ‘The US will be taking names’ when UN votes on Jerusalem decision — U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley — warned the international body on Tuesday that the U.S. “will be taking names” when the U.N. General Assembly votes this week on a resolution urging …
Discussion:
RedState, The American Conservative, middleeastmonitor.com, IJR, Raw Story and twitchy.com
RELATED:

After U.S. veto, U.N. General Assembly to meet on Jerusalem status
Discussion:
The Hill, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and IJR


‘Silicon Valley’ Star T.J. Miller Accused of Sexually Assaulting and Punching a Woman … Warning: This story includes graphic content. — An alleged victim of former Silicon Valley star T.J. Miller is coming forward with accusations that Miller hit and sexually assaulted her while in college.
Discussion:
The Verge, Paste, The Gateway Pundit, Business Insider, Deadline, Mashable, Raw Story, twitchy.com, Mediaite, The Daily Caller, IndieWire, The Week and Shakesville


Mueller's little surprise (4) — Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Ron Johnson has now responded to Presidential Transition Team (or Trump for America) attorney Kory Langhofer's December 16 letter to him by letter to the Administrator of the General Services Administration.


Suspected House Hackers Ran Car Dealership With Markings Of A Hezbollah Front — The used car dealership known as CIA never seemed like an ordinary car dealership, with inventory, staff and expenses. — On its Facebook page, CIA's “staff” were fake personalities such as “James Falls O'Brien …
Discussion:
Raw Story, Bloomberg, The Gateway Pundit, IJR and Power Line


Cornyn Says Tax Bill Mandate Repeal Makes Obamacare ‘Unworkable’ — The No. 2 Senate Republican said Tuesday that the GOP's tax bill will make Obamacare “unworkable,” which he hopes will force Democrats into negotiations to replace the law. — Asked about the failure of the GOP's efforts …


EPA chief sweeps office for bugs, installs high-tech locks — WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the Environmental Protection Agency used public money to have his office swept for hidden listening devices and bought sophisticated biometric locks for additional security.
Discussion:
New York Times, IJR, Gizmodo and The Hill, more at Mediagazer »


Jim Clapper Just Nuked the Trump Presidency — Spy bosses are by nature the most tight-lipped of people. Those who head our intelligence agencies got there in no small part by knowing precisely what to say to whom, when. In recent decades, as the heads of Western intelligence have emerged …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Booman Tribune, Raw Story and CANNONFIRE


Hillary Clinton Favorable Rating at New Low — WASHINGTON, D.C. — Hillary Clinton's image has declined since June and is now the worst Gallup has measured for her to date. Her favorable rating has fallen five percentage points since June to a new low of 36%, while her unfavorable rating has hit a new high of 61%.


Investigation concludes Florida Sen. Jack Latvala's conduct may be criminal — TALLAHASSEE — A Florida Senate investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against Sen. Jack Latvala has been referred to law enforcement after a retired judge found that the Clearwater Republican …
Discussion:
Raw Story


Amtrak train was speeding significantly before crash — Amtrak train derails, dangles onto highway — DuPont, Washington (CNN)Careening around a curve at almost three times the speed limit, an Amtrak train derailed and hurled passenger cars off an overpass — and onto rush hour traffic below.
Discussion:
CityLab, Q13 FOX News, Hit & Run, The Daily Caller, IJR, The Seattle Times, NPR, The Daily Beast, ABC News, RedState, The Atlantic, The Guardian and CBS Miami


Trump administration asks Supreme Court to prevent detainee from having abortion — The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to intervene and stop one of two undocumented immigrants in federal custody from having an abortion. — A federal district court judge issued …
Discussion:
ABC News, The Daily Caller, Politico, IJR and Washington Post


Leahy regrets calling for Franken to resign — Minnesota Gov. Dayton names Lt. Gov. Tina Smith to fill Franken seat until November election. Smith will run in that election to complete Franken's term through 2020. (Dec. 13) AP — CONNECT — Sen. Patrick Leahy now says he was too hasty …