Calvin Klein could bottle the GOP mood over the “fiscal cliff” and market it as “Desperation (for men)”. That and more of the stories we’ll be talking about at 4 p.m.
- Poll: 60% say, yes, raise taxes on higher income households to close the budget deal. (The Fix)
- How bad is it for Republicans? Well, let’s just say that if things were going their way, top House Republicans, including Speaker John Boehner, wouldn’t be turning to President Clinton’s ex-chief of staff (and half of Simpson-Bowles) for help. (The Hill)
- And at least one key House Republican has read the writing on the wall. (Politico)
- Already conservative pundits are game planning how to give up the tax cut fight but still come out ahead. (National Review)
- Here’s how Politico’s Ben White sees the finish line: “A deal probably gets done that includes an increase in rates, though perhaps only on $500K and above incomes,” with changes to how inflation is calculated for Social Security payments and “a commitment to address entitlement and tax reform early next year.” (Morning Money)
- However, some things never change. The Republican who could be swing-state Virginia’s next governor says, yes, voter fraud probably helped President Obama win. So add “GOP on voter suppression” to the list that includes “death and taxes”. (The Virginian Pilot)
- James Carville dissects 2012 and Mitt Romney as only James Carville can: “How can a man with a reputation of being data-driven, who does spreadsheets better than anybody in the world, be shocked that he lost?” (Rolling Stone)
- Hungary’s far-right goes old-school with its anti-Semitism. (Passport)
- The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is still #1 in terms of lobbying dollars. Go team! (OpenSecrets)
- The iPhone is available in two colors to both genders. The new House GOP committee chairmen? One color, one gender. (The Atlantic Wire)
- There’s reason for Mitch McConnell to fear even a slight tweak to the filibuster rules. (Wonkblog)
- And researchers say that winning hundreds of millions in a Powerball competition may not make you happy. Possibly. But to quote a favorite Ronald Reagan maxim: Trust, but verify. (NBC News)
John Flowers