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2:00 PM ET, December 20, 2011

memeorandum

 Top Items: 
PolitiFact:
Lie of the Year 2011: ‘Republicans voted to end Medicare’  —  Republicans muscled a budget through the House of Representatives in April that they said would take an important step toward reducing the federal deficit.  Introduced by U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the plan kept Medicare intact …
RELATED:
Paul Krugman:
Politifact, R.I.P.  —  This is really awful.  Politifact, which is supposed to police false claims in politics, has announced its Lie of the Year — and it's a statement that happens to be true, the claim that Republicans have voted to end Medicare.  —  Steve Benen in the link above explains it, but let me just repeat the basics.
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
PolitiFact ought to be ashamed of itself  —  The fact-checking website PolitiFact has announced its “Lie of the Year” for 2011.  It made a poor, credibility-killing choice. … This is simply indefensible.  Claims that are factually true shouldn't be eligible for a Lie of the Year designation.
Jonathan Martinand Alexander Burns / The Politico:
Will Ron Paul kill the caucuses?  —  SIOUX CITY, IOWA -The alarms are sounding in Iowa.  —  Conservatives and Republican elites in the state are divided over who to support for the GOP nomination, but they almost uniformly express concern over the prospect that Ron Paul and his army …
RELATED:
Rich Lowry / National Review:
Paul, the Fringe Frontrunner
James Hohmann / The Politico:
Paul's new ad calls him The One …
Discussion: Washington Wire and Don Surber
Ta-Nehisi Coates / The Atlantic Online:
Ron Paul's Shaggy Defense
Discussion: The Daily Dish
David Dayen / Firedoglake:
House Republicans Find Smarmiest Way Possible to Reject Payroll Tax Deal  —  Speaker Boehner weeps over payroll tax cut (Image: DonkeyHotey)  —  The procedural wizards in the House Republican caucus stayed up late last night to concoct this scheme, a way to dispose of the Senate's payroll tax deal by voting affirmatively.
Discussion: Hullabaloo, Open Congress and The Hill
RELATED:
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
Mr. Speaker, your weakness is showing  —  On Saturday, None other than House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) seemed relieved by the Senate's bipartisan compromise on a payroll tax cut.  He called it a “good deal” and a “victory,” and took it to his caucus hoping they'd follow his lead.
Alicia M. Cohn / The Hill:
Schumer predicts GOP will fold in payroll fight  —  Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday predicted the GOP will fold and said Democrats should wait out the House Republicans over the payroll tax cut extension.  —  “In a few days, they will fold unless someone falls for these subterfuges …
Discussion: CNN and Weasel Zippers
Sam Stein / The Huffington Post:
Reid Won't Appoint Negotiators To Hammer Out Payroll Tax Cut Deal
Discussion: Daily Kos
The Politico:
Name calling prevails over compromising
Discussion: Outside the Beltway
Max Abelson / Bloomberg:
Bankers Seek to Debunk ‘Imbecile’ Attack on Top 1%  —  Jamie Dimon, the highest-paid chief executive officer among the heads of the six biggest U.S. banks, turned a question at an investors' conference in New York this month into an occasion to defend wealth.
New York Times:
In Kim's Death, an Extensive Intelligence Failure  —  Televisions at an electronics store in Seoul, South Korea, featured reports on Monday about the death of Kim Jong-il, the North Korean Leader.  North Korea said Mr. Kim, 69, died on Saturday.  More Photos »
RELATED:
Mj Lee / The Politico:
Bill Clinton: Newt Gingrich tall tale on the budget  —  Former President Bill Clinton called out Newt Gingrich on Tuesday for claiming more credit than he deserves, saying the Republican presidential candidate actually led the opposition to efforts in 1993 to balance the nation's budget.
Discussion: CNN
RELATED:
Alexander Burns / The Politico:
Romney: ‘Get rid of these super PACs’
Discussion: Political Mojo and CNN
Tim Mak / The Politico:
Mitt Romney: Newt Gingrich blew it on two key issues
Discussion: CNN
Gschwarzcnn / CNN:
CNN Poll: President's approval nearing 50%  —  Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama's approval rating, a crucial indicator of his reelection chances, is on the rise, according to a new national survey.  —  A CNN/ORC International Poll out Tuesday also indicates that the partisan battle …
RELATED:
Washington Post:
Obama's job-approval rating is highest since summer, Post-ABC poll finds
Alex Seitz-Wald / ThinkProgress:
Instead Of Extending Tax Cut For 160 Million Americans, House Commissioned Bust Of Winston Churchill  —  While House Republicans couldn't get their act together to approve an extension of the payroll tax holiday and unemployment benefits last night, they were able to do something far more frivolousness …
RELATED:
Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:
Boehner: We'll take Churchill bust in the Capitol
Discussion: ThinkProgress
Washington Examiner:
GOP unhappiness with field fuels buzz for Jeb Bush  —  There's no doubt some Republicans remain unhappy with the GOP presidential field.  They wish other candidates — Mitch Daniels, Chris Christie, Paul Ryan, Jeb Bush — had entered a long time ago.  But the Iowa caucuses are in two weeks.
Terence P. Jeffrey / CNSNews:
U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Pays Homage to Obama—But Not Jesus  —  (CNSNews.com) - The 63-foot Sierra White Fir lighted at the U.S. Capitol Grounds on Dec. 6 as the official 2011 Capitol Christmas Tree includes a prominently displayed ornament paying homage to President Barack Obama …
Ramya / YouTube Trends:
The Top Political Videos of 2011  —  From candidate ads to pundit debates, speeches from the White House to impassioned pleas from the American heartland, this year's most-viewed political videos show us that a message that resonates can come from anywhere — and anyone.
Discussion: CNN, FishbowlDC and Iowa Caucuses
Roque Planas / NY Daily News:
Santa says 'I don't do poor countries' in new UNICEF Christmas ad  —  New ad encourages people to give gifts through the charity instead  —  A new UNICEF ad shows Santa saying, 'I don't do poor countries.'  —  Santa won't bother going to poor countries this year, so the United Nations Children's Fund …
 
 
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 More Items: 
Mj Lee / The Politico:
Blogs bash Obama's historic claim
Alex Pappas / The Daily Caller:
Man publishes book of 200 blank pages: ‘Everything Obama Knows About The Economy’
Discussion: Hot Air
New York Times:
Brooklyn Senator Expected to Plead Guilty in Corruption Case
Scott Pelley / CBS News:
Panetta: Iran will not be allowed nukes
Discussion: Elliott Abrams and The PJ Tatler
Amanda Terkel / The Huffington Post:
Denver Broncos Respond To Petition For Team To Produce ‘It Gets Better’ Video
Adam Liptak / New York Times:
Among Legal Ranks, Shrugs for Gingrich's Tough Talk
 Earlier Items: 
David Brooks / New York Times:
The Sidney Awards, Part I
Discussion: Prairie Weather
Bill Gross / Financial Times:
The ugly side of ultra-cheap money
Discussion: Paul Krugman and Business Insider
Karen DeYoung / Washington Post:
Secrecy defines Obama's drone war
Jake Tapper / ABCNEWS:
POTUS Has Coffee with Progressive Media Stars