Top Items:
The White House:
Statement from Press Secretary Jen Psaki — Senator Manchin's comments this morning on FOX are at odds with his discussions this week with the President, with White House staff, and with his own public utterances. Weeks ago, Senator Manchin committed to the President, at his home in Wilmington …
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National Review
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Politico:
Manchin crushes Biden's megabill — Joe Manchin declared Sunday that he could not support President Joe Biden's sweeping social and climate spending bill, striking a decisive blow to Democrats' agenda. — The West Virginia Democrat bluntly said he is a “no” on the $1.7 trillion in an interview on “Fox News Sunday.”
Peter Wade / Rolling Stone:
Joe Manchin Just Tore Out the Heart of Biden's Agenda — Sen. Joe Manchin delivered a potentially fatal blow to President Joe Biden's legislative agenda. The conservative Democrat from West Virginia said he can no longer support the Build Back Better social spending plan …
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The Hill, The Daily Beast, CNN, CNBC, National Review, Breitbart, RedState, UPI, Lurker’s Newsletter, The Guardian and One America News Network
New York Times:
Joe Manchin Says He Can't Support Build Back Better Act — “I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation,” Mr. Manchin said on ‘Fox News Sunday,’ citing concerns about adding to the national debt. — WASHINGTON — Senator Joe Manchin III, Democrat of West Virginia …
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NBC News, Associated Press, The Hill, CBS News, Bloomberg, Insider, New York Magazine, New Republic, Talking Points Memo, Breitbart, Deadline, Reuters, Washington Times, Raw Story, ABC13, The Moderate Voice and Althouse
Tony Romm / Washington Post:
Manchin says he ‘cannot vote’ for Democrats' $2 trillion spending package — The West Virginia Democrat says ‘This is a no,’ potentially spelling doom for major part of Biden agenda. — Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) on Sunday said that he could not support Democrats' roughly $2 trillion bill …
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Insider, NPR, BuzzFeed News, The Hill, New York Post, Lawyers, Guns & Money and POLITICUSUSA
Tamar Hallerman / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Johnny Isakson, 76, Georgia politician respected by both sides, dies — Johnny Isakson spent his life cutting deals. — From his successful career in real estate to when Georgia's Republican Party was mostly confined to a small knot in Cobb County to Congress, Isakson learned early on what it took to get two sides to an agreement.
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The Hill, Bloomberg, New York Times, The Guardian and Raw Story
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Adam Bernstein / Washington Post:
Johnny Isakson, courtly GOP Georgia senator with bipartisan approach, dies at 76 — Johnny Isakson of Georgia, a courtly Republican who made veterans' legislation a cornerstone of his political legacy and who was regarded as one of the dwindling band of bipartisan dealmakers on Capitol Hill, died Dec. 19.
Associated Press:
Washington state Sen. Doug Ericksen dies at 52 after Covid-19 battle — SEATTLE — Washington state Sen. Doug Ericksen, a staunch conservative, has died at age 52. — Ericksen's death Friday came weeks after he said he had tested positive for the coronavirus while in El Salvador …
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The Seattle Times:
Washington state Sen. Doug Ericksen dies after battle with COVID — OLYMPIA — State Sen. Doug Ericksen, a stalwart conservative voice in the Legislature, former leader of Donald Trump's campaign in Washington and an outspoken critic of COVID-19 emergency orders, has died, his family said Saturday.
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The Hill, Washington Post, Outside the Beltway and Political Wire
Stephanie Nolen / New York Times:
Most of the World's Vaccines Likely Won't Prevent Infection From Omicron — They do seem to offer significant protection against severe illness, but the consequences of rapidly spreading infection worry many public health experts. — A growing body of preliminary research suggests …
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway and New York Magazine
Benjamin Mullin / Wall Street Journal:
CNN Closes Offices as Covid-19 Cases Rise — President Jeff Zucker cited a surge of cases at the network in a memo on the decision — CNN is closing its offices to nonessential employees, network President Jeff Zucker told employees in a memo Saturday, as Covid-19 cases rise at the network and nationwide.
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New York Post, The Hill, HotAir and RedState, more at Mediagazer »
Mike Allen / Axios:
GOP maps Biden probes, prelude to 2024 culture war — House Republicans have begun mapping aggressive probes of the Biden administration if they win back the majority — including inquiries into the origins of COVID, a leak of IRS data about billionaires, and accusations the NSA spied on Tucker Carlson.
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Ace of Spades HQ
Ian Millhiser / Vox:
Trump wants the courts to help him sabotage the January 6 investigation — Trump is no longer president. Will the Supreme Court keep bending the law to protect him? — Unless the Supreme Court intervenes on former President Donald Trump's behalf, a US House committee investigating …
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Raw Story
Julia Cherner / ABC News:
Kinzinger: It's ‘possible’ some GOP colleagues are responsible for Jan. 6 attack — Rep. Adam Kinzinger appeared on ABC's “This Week” on Sunday. — Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., said Sunday “it's possible” some of his GOP colleagues in Congress are responsible for the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
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USA Today, Politico and Washington Post