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3:40 PM ET, December 22, 2009

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 Top Items: 
Josh Kraushaar / The Politico:
House Dem blames leaders for party switch  —  Democratic Rep. Parker Griffith announced Tuesday that he's switching parties - saying he can no longer align himself “with a party that continues to pursue legislation that is bad for our country, hurts our economy and drives us further and further into debt.”
RELATED:
Erick Erickson / RedState:
BREAKING: Rep. Parker Griffith switches to GOP  —  Rep. Parker Griffith, an Alabama Democrat is switching to the GOP today.  —  That is a huge blow to Barack Obama.  Griffith was an extremely endangered Democrat.  —  We should now hope him be an extremely endangered Republican in a primary.
Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
Parker Griffith Switching Parties  —  Parker Griffith, a Democrat from Alabama, is going to become a Republican.  The practical implications of this seem to be basically nil—Griffith voted against health reform, voted against the clean energy bill, voted against financial regulatory reform …
Josh Kraushaar / Scorecard's Blog:
Griffith getting primaried  —  Alabama Rep. Parker Griffith may be switching parties to improve his reelection prospects, but he'll be facing a competitive Republican primary against a GOP elected official already in the race.  —  Madison County Commissioner Mo Brooks will be remaining in the race …
Quinnipiac University:
U.S. Voters Oppose Health Care Plan By Wide Margin, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Voters Say 3-1, Plan Should Not Pay For Abortions  —  As the Senate prepares to vote on health care reform, American voters “mostly disapprove” of the plan 53 - 36 percent and disapprove 56 …
RELATED:
John McCormack / Weekly Standard:
Reid Bill Says Future Congresses Cannot Repeal Parts of Reid Bill  —  Senator Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) pointed out some rather astounding language in the Senate health care bill during floor remarks tonight.  First, he noted that there are a number of changes to Senate rules in the bill …
Erick Erickson / Erick's blog:
We Are No Longer a Nation of Laws.  Senate Sets Up Requirement for Super-Majority to Ever Repeal Obamacare  —  If ever the people of the United States rise up and fight over passage of Obamacare, Harry Reid must be remembered as the man who sacrificed the dignity of his office for a few pieces of silver.
William Kristol / Weekly Standard:
Kristol: It Could Still Go Down  —  I've assumed for the last couple of days that the Democrats would succeed in passing the health care bill, and that our job was to make sure it turned out to be a Pyrrhic victory.  Now I'm not so sure the legislation can't still be derailed.  —  Two reasons:
Megan McArdle:   The Process of Passing Health Care
Ralph Z. Hallow / Washington Times:
EXCLUSIVE: Ex-RNC chiefs rip Steele speaking fees  —  Party chairman charging $8,000 to $20,000  —  Michael S. Steele, Republican National Committee chairman, is using his title to market himself for paid appearances nationwide, personally profiting from speeches with fees of up to $20,000 at colleges …
RELATED:
Row 2, Seat 4:
RNC Chair Alleges, Without Proof, White House Took CBO to …
Discussion: The Hill and Political Punch
Lesley Clark / Naked Politics:
The Diaz-Balarts withdraw Charlie Crist endorsement  —  Lincoln and Mario Diaz-Balart have pulled their endorsement of Gov. Charlie Crist for the U.S. Senate.  —  Lincoln offered few details as to why, just that Crist had “left us no alternative and he knows why.”
RELATED:
Tony Romm / The Hill:
Diaz-Balarts withdraw support of Crist in Florida Senate race
Discussion: GOP 12
Jeffrey Young / The Hill:
Reid asks Senate to remain civil as chamber edges toward final vote  —  The Senate early Tuesday morning edged closer to approving a massive healthcare bill.  —  Senators approved a series of procedural votes Tuesday morning that brings them closer to a Christmas Eve vote on healthcare reform.
Discussion: The Note
RELATED:
Natalie Angier / New York Times:
Sorry, Vegans: Brussels Sprouts Like to Live, Too  —  I stopped eating pork about eight years ago, after a scientist happened to mention that the animal whose teeth most closely resemble our own is the pig.  Unable to shake the image of a perky little pig flashing me a brilliant George Clooney smile …
Discussion: Shot in the Dark and The Awl
United States Senator:
Ensign, DeMint to Force Vote on Health Care Bill Unconstitutionality  —  Today, U.S. Senators Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) and John Ensign (R-Nevada), raised a Constitutional Point of Order on the Senate floor against the Democrat health care takeover bill on behalf of the Steering Committee, a caucus of conservative senators.
WTOP.com:
Obama makes ‘surprise’ call to Gov. Kaine  —  WASHINGTON - Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine received an unusual phone call while taking calls on WTOP's Ask the Governor program Tuesday.  —  It was President Barack Obama.  —  Kaine, unaware that caller “Barry from D.C.” would be Obama, reacted with surprise when the president said who he was.
Discussion: Weekly Standard
RELATED:
Amy Gardner / Washington Post:
Va. Republicans aim to take 4 Democrats' congressional seats
Discussion: Washington Monthly and Commentary
David Brooks / New York Times:
The Protocol Society  —  In the 19th and 20th centuries we made stuff: corn and steel and trucks.  Now, we make protocols: sets of instructions.  A software program is a protocol for organizing information.  A new drug is a protocol for organizing chemicals.  Wal-Mart produces protocols for moving and marketing consumer goods.
Ben Armbruster / Think Progress:
After Coburn Asked Americans To Pray ‘Somebody’ Misses Health Care Vote, Inhofe Skips Today's Roll Call  —  Just before the Senate vote on the first of three procedural motions to move its health care reform bill toward final passage, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) appeared to urge Americans to pray …
Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:
Paul leads big  —  If there was any doubt Rand Paul is a serious candidate for the Republican Senate nomination in Kentucky it can be cast away.  Our first poll of the race finds him leading Trey Grayson 44-25.  —  Paul is, as the conventional wisdom suggests, drawing his strongest support …
Todd Woody / New York Times:
Desert Vistas vs. Solar Power  —  AMBOY, Calif. — Senator Dianne Feinstein introduced legislation in Congress on Monday to protect a million acres of the Mojave Desert in California by scuttling some 13 big solar plants and wind farms planned for the region.
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Top House Liberal Suggests He Could Accept Deal On Senate Bill  —  In a sign that House liberals may be bracing to swallow much of the Senate bill with minimal changes, a key House progressive suggested in an interview with me that he might be able to support a bill without a public component …
E.B. / Media Matters for America:
Eric Boehlert: Auld Lang Syne: Farewell to another decade of “liberal media bias”  —  It might seem futile to try to select just two quotes from the previous decade and single them out as bookends to illustrate how the political press so often malfunctioned over the last 10 years.
Discussion: Shakesville and Philly.com
Charles Dharapak / Truthdig:
Michelle Bachman: Welfare Queen  —  Michele Bachmann has become well known for her anti-government tea-bagger antics, protesting health care reform and every other government “handout” as socialism.  What her followers probably don't know is that Rep. Bachmann is, to use that anti-government slur, something of a welfare queen.
 
 
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 More Items: 
Maura Flynn / Big Government:
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BBC:
Why did Copenhagen fail to deliver a climate deal?
Discussion: The Huffington Post and Truthdig
Josh Gerstein / The Politico:
Pork greased reform's passage
Discussion: Iowa Independent and Hot Air
Carol E. Lee / The Politico:
POTUS's outlook on black America
Discussion: Politics Daily
 Earlier Items: 
Anthony Faiola / Washington Post:
In Ireland's deep budget cuts, an omen for a heavily indebted United States?
Discussion: Beat the Press
Chris Frates / The Politico:
'Twas the Night Before Christmas, Republican style
Discussion: The Note
Andy Barr / The Politico:
Trial tarnishes Whitman's CEO glow
Discussion: GOP 12