memeorandum: The Goldberg Variations — Jonah Goldberg's colleagues … (James Wolcott/James Wolcott's Blog)

9:00 PM ET, December 26, 2007

Top Items:

Jack Fowler / The Corner:

Praise for Liberal Fascism — Charles Murray declares: “'It is my argument that American liberalism is a totalitarian political religion,' Jonah Goldberg writes near the beginning of Liberal Fascism. My first reaction was that he is engaging in partisan hyperbole. That turned out to be wrong.

Discussion: The Sundries Shack, The Carpetbagger Report, The Newshoggers and Daily Pundit

James Wolcott / James Wolcott's Blog:

The Goldberg Variations — Jonah Goldberg's colleagues over at NRO's Corner continue the holiday spirit by passing on scraps of praise for his misshapen troll of a book, Liberal Fascism: From Jackboots to Joy Behar, to buck up his morale for the mockery and abuse waiting ahead.

Discussion: Doug Ross, Whiskey Fire and Unqualified Offerings

Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:

Hillary Edges Out Oprah as Most Admired Woman in '07 — PRINCETON, NJ — For the sixth year in a row, President George W. Bush is the most admired man and Sen. Hillary Clinton the most admired woman in Gallup's annual survey. But neither winner had a very decisive win this year …

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, Likelihood of Success, Wake up America, The Carpetbagger Report, The Trail, You Decide 08!, Firedoglake, The Opinionator, The Swamp, Dr. Sanity, Daily Pundit and PoliGazette

CNN Political Ticker:
Clinton closes gap with Bush as nation's ‘Most Admired Man’

Discussion: Political Machine

CNN Political Ticker:
Clinton out with ‘Stakes’ ad

Discussion: The Swamp

Michelle Malkin:

Would you, could you, vote McCain? — Here's some straight talk about John McCain from New Hampshire voters, via the Boston Globe. The voters' main concerns: He's a Ted Kennedy shamnesty supporter and he's too old: — The Manchester Union Leader attacks Romney as a Johnny-come-lately …

Discussion: TownHall Blog, National Review, The Glittering Eye, Captain's Quarters, Riehl World View, Stop The ACLU and Hot Air

Byron York / The Corner:

The Romney Anti-Endorsement — After the extraordinary beating it took from the Concord, N.H. Monitor - which a few days ago went out of its way to publish an anti-endorsement of Mitt Romney - the Romney campaign is sending around an email pointing out that the Monitor took some whacks at Ronald Reagan in 1980.

Discussion: TownHall Blog

New Hampshire Union Leader:
The Romney backlash: Conservatives are coming home

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Mitt Romney For President News, TIME, Trailhead, Wizbang, The Campaign Spot, D-Day, All Spin Zone, Left in the West, Political Machine, Outside The Beltway, Macsmind, AMERICAblog, TPM Election Central and Paul Krugman

Miss Mannered / My Left Wing:

Goodbye, Cruel Jews — I did not come to this site to fight in the Jew Wars. — I came to join with MSOC, in her words, to rage against the lying of the right, against injustice and cruelty. Instead, I found injustice, cruelty and hate directed at me. — I left, then, earlier this year …

Discussion: Little Green Footballs, The Jawa Report, Daily Kos, GINA COBB, Done With Mirrors, Neptunus Lex and Gateway Pundit

Michael J. Totten:
A Fresh Look at Hezbollah

Discussion: Soccer Dad

Carrie Budoff Brown / The Politico:

Obama ups the ante in Iowa — MASON CITY, Iowa — One week before Iowans gather for the first-in-the-nation caucus, Sen. Barack Obama said Wednesday that his message of change has already been “vindicated." — Obama made the declaration at the outset of a critical final push in Iowa …

Discussion: The Swamp and TPM Election Central

Mike Allen / The Politico:

Huckabee still gives paid speeches — Breaking with tradition for presidential candidates, Mike Huckabee is continuing to accept paid speaking engagements in the thick of his insurgent presidential campaign, although churches get a break from his usual fee of up to $25,000.

Discussion: NO QUARTER and MyDD

The Australian:

Tsunami aid ‘spent on politics’ — THREE years after Australians donated $400 million to rebuild Asian lives devastated by the 2004 tsunami, aid groups are under attack for spending much of the money on social and political engineering. — A survey by The Australian of the contributions …

Discussion: Australian Politics, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS and JammieWearingFool

Adam Liptak / New York Times:

At 60% of Total, Texas is Bucking Execution Trend — This year's death penalty bombshells — a de facto national moratorium, a state abolition and the smallest number of executions in more than a decade — have masked what may be the most significant and lasting development.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, On Deadline, D-Day, Matthew Yglesias, Wonkette, The Carpetbagger Report, TalkLeft, Big Brass Blog, The Daily Background and Reason Magazine

Greg Sargent / TPM Election Central:

Edwards' Closing Argument: I'm The True Fighter For Middle Class — In a new internal memo to supporters, Edwards deputy campaign manager Jonathan Prince has laid out the campaign's closing argument in Iowa. — The closing slogan is, “America Rising: Fighting for the Middle Class,” …

Chris Cillizza / The Fix: Edwards Campaign's Closing Memo

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:

Favorite quotes of 2007 — One of the few things I dislike more than end-of-the-year “looking back” lists is the incessant chatter and worthless speculation over the upcoming primaries. But that chatter and speculation is inundating everything. Thus, I offer some of my favorite quotes of 2007:

Dan Collins / protein wisdom:

The Villainy of Non-Rape — Remember, intellectual sophistication and penetration is best indexed by the depth of perversity: … Here's hoping Columbia snap this one up. Cupid Stunt.

Discussion: The Corner, The Jawa Report, The Colossus of Rhodey and Redstate

Michael McAuliff / NY Daily News:

Dem voters no longer fighting battle of Iraq — The successes of President Bush's troop surge in Iraq are quieting things down in another, unexpected place: the Democratic campaign trail in Iowa and New Hampshire. — When asked, voters in the early presidential states all say the war in Iraq is important to them.

Discussion: TIME and Wonkette

Jill Zuckman / The Swamp:

Giuliani doctor: All tests normal — Manchester, N.H. - Not surprisingly, former Mayor Rudy Giuliani's doctor says all is well with the Republican presidential candidate. — Last week, Giuliani was en route to New York when his plane turned around and returned to St. Louis.

Discussion: The Politico