WHATCHA GONNA DO ABOUT IT?

Really? REALLY? Are we going to have this discussion?

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/trump-doubles-down-on-schlong-new-truth-movement-emerges
Trump Doubles Down on "Schlong"

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/23/donald-trump-seriously-schlonged-himself.html
“It is a shame that the biased media is able to so incorrectly define a word for the public when they know that the definition is wrong. Sad!” Trump tweeted shortly after midnight.  It was the sixth of seven Trump tweets about the word “schlong” in 12 hours.

More: http://prospect.org/article/trump-love-and-schlonging-american-women

The Rich Guy's mortal weakness

http://www.lifezette.com/healthzette/lets-not-stay-in-touch/
Donald Trump may be spouting some very populist views on immigration and trade in his run for the presidency, but it’s going be tough to earn a similar empathy from the regular folk for one simple reason: He doesn’t like to touch people. A self-confessed germaphobe, Trump doesn’t even like to push a ground floor elevator button because it’s been tapped by so many people. . . .

Hillary is happy to have these fights with Trump

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/the-fight-hillary-clinton-only-too-happy-have

"Jeb!" is gone -- the logo, not the candidate

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/12/jeb-has-been-abandoned.html
 
Marco Rubio, flailing
 
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/rubios-principal-talking-point-starts-crumble
The principal flaw in Marco Rubio's "I've actually done something" pitch: it's ridiculously untrue.

The GOP establishment is trying to get used to the idea of a Big Phony candidacy as the best alternative to Trump

http://www.vox.com/2015/12/23/10658212/ted-cruz-immigration

Check, check, and check

http://prospect.org/article/political-money-2015-more-secrecy-deregulation-voter-anger
Political Money in 2015: More Secrecy, Deregulation, Voter Anger
 
The National Review is nostalgic for the good old Tea Party movement -- not the hateful, nativist, Trumpified version (I have news for them)

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2015/12/obama-ruined-tea-party-all-us

A new kind of protest

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/12/black-lives-matter-protest-closes-mall-airport.html
Mall of America, Airport Closed Due to Black Lives Matter Protest

"A brief history of Islam in America"

http://www.vox.com/2015/12/22/10645956/islam-in-america

More: http://www.occasionalplanet.org/2015/12/16/anti-muslim-myths-and-misinformation-in-post-paris-america/

The warmest Christmas of your lifetime

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/12/why-this-will-be-your-warmest-christmas-ever.html

Science!  

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2015/12/new_evidence_for_einstein_s_spooky_action_at_a_distance.html 
"Spooky Action at a Distance"

More science: http://www.vox.com/2015/1/26/7915359/andromeda-galaxy-video
 

Bonus item: John Oliver is developing some kind of new genre -- lengthy, detailed scandal explainers, but with humor. And it's working

http://www.salon.com/2015/12/22/john_oliver_fking_kills_it_his_big_pharma_to_big_tobacco_his_13_best_eviscerations_of_2015/

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL: http://pbd.blogspot.com

I don’t get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don’t run ads, etc.). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a “mission,” it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

LOW POINT

The Rich Guy now says that his use of "schlonged" in reference to Hillary had nothing to do with its obvious penis references. This is what our political discourse has sunken to

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/12/22/trump-blasts-the-media-over-schlonged-controversy-says-the-word-is-not-vulgar/

And the attempts to defend him miss the point -- even if it is sometimes used to mean "beaten badly," it STILL derives from its sexist connotations (beaten with WHAT?)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/12/22/was-donald-trump-right-about-schlonged-all-along/

http://crooksandliars.com/2015/12/all-stupidest-defenses-trump-using-word

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/the-schlong-revisionist-analysis-we-ve-been-waiting-for 

I think it's fair to say that he has some issues with ladies' body functions

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/12/22/1462746/-Donald-Trump-uses-Hillary-Clinton-s-bathroom-break-to-remind-us-how-much-he-hates-women
Donald Trump uses Hillary Clinton's bathroom break to remind us how much he hates women

More: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/12/22/the-clever-trick-donald-trump-was-playing-when-he-called-hillary-clintons-bathroom-visit-too-disgusting/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/12/22/donald-trumps-war-on-going-to-the-bathroom/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/12/22/sanders-mocks-trump-for-his-comments-about-clintons-mid-debate-trip-to-the-restroom/
Sanders on Trump: ‘He has discovered that women go to the bathroom’
 
Remember? http://www.vox.com/2015/8/7/9119897/donald-trump-blood-wherever-Fox
Donald Trump's new misogynistic low: Fox's Kelly had "blood coming out of her ... wherever"  

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/08/08/donald-trump-s-gross-history-of-misogyny-from-rosie-o-donnell-to-megyn-kelly.html
Donald Trump’s Gross History of Misogyny 

It's things like this that have earned Ted Cruz the title, Big Phony

https://politicalwire.com/2015/12/23/what-ted-cruz-says-in-private/
Although Ted Cruz has publicly promised that opposition to gay marriage would be “front and center” in his 2016 campaign, Politico reports that “in December, behind closed doors at a big-dollar Manhattan fundraiser, the quickly ascending presidential candidate assured a Republican gay-rights supporter that a Cruz administration would not make fighting same-sex marriage a top priority.”  “In a recording provided to Politico, Cruz answers a flat ‘No’ when asked whether fighting gay marriage is a ‘top-three priority,’ an answer that pleased his socially moderate hosts but could surprise some of his evangelical backers.”
 
The Big Phony wants us to believe it's now a two-person race

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/12/22/ted-cruz-agrees-with-donald-trump-its-turning-into-a-two-man-race/?partner=rss&emc=rss

He's the talk radio favorite: http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/one-ted-cruzs-most-reliable-constituencies-talk-radio
 
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/12/ted-cruz-talk-radio-supporters-216950#ixzz3v3Xpplrv

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/12/22/1462836/-Conservative-talk-show-hosts-like-what-they-see-in-arsonist-Ted-Cruz?utm_source=feedburn
 
The Big Picture

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2015_12/cant_break_out_of_the_nihilist059056.php
Says, David Frum, “The GOP planned a dynastic restoration in 2016. Instead, it triggered an internal class war.” . . . [read on]

More: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/12/22/1462817/-44-percent-of-Republicans-would-be-proud-of-a-Donald-Trump-presidency
44 percent of Republicans would be 'proud' of a Donald Trump presidency

Anti-evolution bills have gotten more clever

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2015/12/anti_evolution_bills_to_teach_creationism_have_evolved.html
The camouflage was impeccable. With the name “Louisiana Science Education Act,” the bill posed as a document on the side of truth and science. By claiming to promote “critical thinking skills, logical analysis, and open and objective discussion of scientific theories,” it seemed to endorse levelheaded rationality. And by denying that it sought to “promote any religious doctrine,” it cleverly deflected accusations of being an effort to replace the teaching of evolution with the religious beliefs of creationism—which is, of course, exactly what the bill was. . . .

Islamic State has been LOSING territory over the past year

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2015/12/isis-had-good-year-pr-not-so-good-ground

The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is working

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/12/sorry-conservatives-obamacare-is-still-working.html
 
More: http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/enrollment-totals-offer-more-good-news-aca

http://www.vox.com/2015/12/22/10653600/obamacare-young-adult-enrollment

It's true

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/12/22/women-really-do-pay-more-for-razors-and-almost-everything-else/
Women really do pay more for razors — and almost everything else

Bonus item: a Trump glossary

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/08/donalds-dictionary.html

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL: http://pbd.blogspot.com

I don’t get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don’t run ads, etc.). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a “mission,” it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

WHINE AND CHEESE

For such a wanna-be tough guy, Trump sure takes it personally when people go after him

https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/trump-demands-apology-from-clinton-after-debate/2015/12/21/6de7f958-a7f1-11e5-b596-113f59ee069a_video.html
Trump demands apology from Clinton after debate

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/will-clinton-apologize-trump-hell-no
Will Clinton apologize to Trump? ‘Hell, no’ 

More: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/plays-right-into-her-hands
Perhaps this is stating the obvious. But the new Clinton-Trump 'feud' over being the top recruiter for ISIS plays completely into Clinton's strategy which is, in essence, to bring the Republican primary battle to a close with Donald Trump as the winner. 

No limits

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2015/12/21/3734487/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-sexist/
‘Schlonged’: Watch Trump’s Astonishingly Sexist Attack On Hillary  

I'm not surprised

http://www.vox.com/2015/12/21/10637998/donald-trump-poll-republicans
Study: Republicans are embarrassed to admit how much they like Donald Trump

More: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2015/12/21/the-daily-202-are-some-trump-supporters-ashamed-to-admit-it-when-a-pollster-calls/

The kind of people they are

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/william-celli-arrested-explosives-muslims
Man Who'd 'Follow' Trump 'To End Of The World' Arrested In Anti-Muslim Plot

More: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/12/21/1462459/-Trump-puts-a-smile-on-faces-of-white-supremacist-recruiters
Trump puts a smile on faces of white supremacist recruiters 

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/22/america-look-at-what-donald-trump-is-doing-to-us.html
America, Look at What Donald Trump Is Doing to Us 

Explaining Trump's popularity

http://www.vox.com/2015/12/22/10636538/obama-trump-theory
President Obama has a theory about why people support Donald Trump. But he's wrong.

Oh, I'm reassured -- aren't you?

https://politicalwire.com/2015/12/21/trump-says-he-wouldnt-kill-reporters/
Donald Trump repeatedly joked that he would “never kill” reporters, even though he detests them, Business Insider reports.  

Said Trump: “I would never kill them but I do hate them. And some of them are such lying, disgusting people. It’s true.” 

Nice try, but . . .

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/why-bush-decided-to-go-after-trump--and-why-its-not-working/2015/12/21/f56ca0ac-a7e4-11e5-8058-480b572b4aae_story.html
Calling Donald Trump a 'jerk' doesn't seem to be helping Jeb Bush

https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/trump-on-jeb-bush-his-family-is-so-ashamed/2015/12/21/d127b9fc-a857-11e5-b596-113f59ee069a_video.html
Trump on Jeb Bush: 'His family is so ashamed'

Why isn't Rubio doing better than he is?

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/12/why-isnt-marco-rubio-winning-5-theories.html

More: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/22/upshot/how-marco-rubio-could-lose-all-the-key-early-states-and-still-win.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2015/12/marco-rubio-right-dismiss-retail-politics 
 

Lindsey Graham quits the GOP race (he was running, did you notice?)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/12/21/lindsey-graham-never-caught-fire-in-polls-in-south-carolina-or-anywhere-else/
Lindsey Graham, we hardly knew ye

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/12/21/lindsey-graham-never-had-a-chance-at-being-the-republican-presidential-nominee-thats-too-bad/
Lindsey Graham never had a chance at being the Republican presidential nominee. That’s too bad. 

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2015/12/oh-huckleberry-i-will-miss-you-so.html
I can't begin to tell you how sad I am the Lindsey Graham has dropped out of the race. . . . [read on]

More: http://www.vox.com/2015/12/21/10634978/lindsey-graham-president-quits
Lindsey Graham dropping out is a surprisingly big opportunity for the GOP establishment

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/why-lindsey-grahams-departure-matters
Why Lindsey Graham’s departure matters 

Wave goodbye to Dr. Magoo

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2015/12/state-race-ben-carson-doomed

A proposal for the Democratic Party

http://crooksandliars.com/2015/12/what-are-democrats-do

Why the fight against Islamic State is so challenging 

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2015/12/our-isis-problem-everyone-wants-someone-else-take-out-isis
Our ISIS Problem Is That Everybody Wants Someone Else to Take Out ISIS
 
More: http://www.vox.com/2015/12/21/10634674/isis-middle-east 

Will we ever reach a point where everyone is forced to acknowledge climate change?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2015/12/21/obama-predicts-that-gop-climate-skepticism-will-eventually-fade-thats-not-totally-crazy/ 
 

Bonus item: Proof that there really IS a war on Christmas!

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-horror-horror-waronchristmasatrocit.html

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL: http://pbd.blogspot.com

I don’t get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don’t run ads, etc.). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a “mission,” it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

WINNERS AND NOT-WINNERS

If you need any proof of the kind of people who follow Drudge, look at this poll: Who won the Dem debate?

http://crooksandliars.com/2015/12/hysterical-online-drudge-poll-democratic

Cruz -- the theocrats' choice

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/cruz-consolidates-support-from-key-christian-conservatives/2015/12/20/d7951a76-a5b6-11e5-b53d-972e2751f433_story.html

Cruz as Trump Lite: https://politicalwire.com/2015/12/21/ted-cruz-copies-trump-style/

Join the club

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/12/why-everyone-in-congress-hates-ted-cruz.html
Why Everyone (in Congress) Hates Ted Cruz  

Why Rubio won't win

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/strategic-or-overconfident-rubio-plays-hard-to-get-with-voters/2015/12/20/60b8a3e8-a5a0-11e5-9c4e-be37f66848bb_story.html
Marco ­Rubio no doubt wants to sit behind the big desk in the Oval Office. What is not so clear is how hard he is willing to work to get there. . . .

And then there's this: https://politicalwire.com/2015/12/21/paul-says-rubio-should-resign/
Sen. Rand Paul told CNN that Sen. Marco Rubio should resign since he doesn’t show up to cast votes in the Senate.

Why does Trump keep defending Putin?

http://www.salon.com/2015/12/21/donald_trumps_got_putin_fever_the_gop_frontrunner_is_stumping_for_a_russian_strongman/

Well, he doesn't need to worry about that any more

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/12/20/jeb-bush-says-he-hated-being-the-front-runner/
Jeb Bush says he ‘hated’ being the front-runner

The GOP fringe thinks they are "revolutionaries"

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2015/12/they-say-they-want-revolution.html

Bonus item: Wrong winner announced at Miss Universe

http://www.vox.com/2015/12/20/10631880/miss-universe-2015-crowned-video

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL: http://pbd.blogspot.com

I don’t get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don’t run ads, etc.). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a “mission,” it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

A GOOD DEBATE

Best lines from the Dem debate

http://www.vox.com/2015/12/19/10628258/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-isis-debate
Hillary Clinton: Donald Trump is "becoming ISIS's best recruiter"

http://www.vox.com/2015/12/19/10628384/hillary-clinton-bernie-sanders-isis-assad-debate
Watch Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders' fiery exchange about ISIS
 
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/12/19/sanders-apologizes-to-clinton-for-data-breach/
Sanders apologizes to Clinton for data breach

More: https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/bernie-sanderss-most-powerful-moments-at-the-abc-debate/2015/12/19/90318124-a6a6-11e5-8318-bd8caed8c588_video.html

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/12/highlights-of-the-3rd-democratic-debate.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/the-third-democratic-debate-in-less-than-3-minutes/2015/12/19/268e9520-a6ad-11e5-8318-bd8caed8c588_video.html

Winners and losers

http://www.vox.com/2015/12/19/10628862/winners-losers-democratic-debate

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/12/19/winners-and-losers-in-the-4th-democratic-presidential-debate/

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/20/us/politics/bernie-sanders-falls-behind-in-a-race-centered-on-security.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/saturdays-debate-highlights-how-events-put-sanders-at-a-disadvantage/2015/12/19/5bf766d2-a6c2-11e5-b53d-972e2751f433_story.html

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/12/democratic-debate-the-force-was-with-clinton.html

More: http://www.vox.com/2015/12/19/10628942/hillary-clinton-debate
Hillary Clinton sounds like she’s already running in the general election

The candidates did better than the moderators

http://nymag.com/thecut/2015/12/debate-showed-the-democrats-at-their-best.html
The 3rd Democratic Debate Showed the Candidates at Their Best, Until the Moderators Got in the Way

More: http://www.vox.com/2015/12/20/10628908/democratic-debate-education

http://www.vox.com/2015/12/20/10628976/hillary-clinton-democratic-debate-flowers
Hillary Clinton was asked about flower arrangements at the Democratic debate. Yes, really.

Uh . . . . no

http://crooksandliars.com/2015/12/maybe-wrong-guy-threatening-run-third
Maybe The Wrong Guy Is Threatening To Run Third Party

Candidate humor

Dem: http://nbc4i.com/2015/12/20/snl-recap-amy-poehler-and-tina-fey-return-as-clinton-and-palin/

Repub: http://www.salon.com/2015/12/20/debates_are_stupid_you_should_be_paying_me_saturday_night_live_mocks_the_gop_debate_in_brilliant_cold_open/

Sunday think piece

http://www.vox.com/polyarchy/2015/12/18/9360663/is-democracy-in-trouble
Are Americans losing faith in democracy?

A kid from my neighborhood

http://www.salon.com/2015/12/19/mandy_patinkin_pleads_with_colberts_audience_to_resist_islamophobic_fearmongering_when_you_meet_these_women_and_children_you_will_not_be_afraid/
Mandy Patinkin pleads with Colbert’s audience to resist Islamophobic fearmongering: “When you meet these women and children you will not be afraid” 

Keep going, Jeb -- this might actually do you some good

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/12/19/jeb-bush-takes-his-anti-trump-message-on-the-road-in-new-hampshire/
Jeb Bush Calls Donald Trump ‘a Jerk’

Who really pays the price for our gun laws

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/12/18/the-shocking-difference-in-how-blacks-and-whites-get-killed-by-guns/
The shocking difference in how blacks and whites are killed by guns

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/12/18/rich-parents-worry-about-bullies-poor-parents-worry-about-bullets/
Rich parents worry about bullies. Poor parents worry about bullets.

The Sunday talk show line-ups

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/12/20/1461572/-Sunday-Talk
NBC Meet The Press: Raging Narcissist Donald Trump (R); Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT); Clinton Campaign Chair John Podesta; House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI).

CBS Face the Nation: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL); Former Florida Gov. Jeb! (R); Roundtable: Democratic Strategist David Axelrod, Peggy Noonan (Wall Street Journal), Jeffrey Goldberg (The Atlantic), and Dan Balz (Washington Post).

ABC This Week: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R); Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT); Raging Narcissist Donald Trump (R); Roundtable: Democratic Strategist Donna Brazile, "Independent" Strategist Matthew Dowd, Republican Strategist Ana Navarro, and Cokie Roberts (ABC News).

CNN State of the Union: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY); Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY); Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D).

Bonus item: 2015 was a pretty shitty year

http://www.salon.com/2015/12/18/sht_year_really_2015_was_a_sht_year_trevor_noah_looks_back_at_the_year_in_horror/

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL: http://pbd.blogspot.com

I don’t get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don’t run ads, etc.). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a “mission,” it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

CIVIL WARS

The feud between Sanders and the DNC -- everyone comes out looking bad

http://www.vox.com/2015/12/18/10623886/the-feud-between-bernie-sanders-and-the-dnc-explained

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/18/democrats-in-civil-war-over-clinton-data-breach.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/12/18/the-hillary-clinton-bernie-sanders-data-fight-explained/
 
More: https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/how-sanders-staffers-accessed-clinton-data-and-what-it-means-for-his-campaign/2015/12/18/d39dd754-a5c6-11e5-8318-bd8caed8c588_video.html

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/some-big-picture-thoughts-on-the-sanders-dnc-derp-war

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/12/18/1461533/-Bernie-Sanders-campaign-goes-on-the-offensive-against-the-DNC
Bernie Sanders campaign goes on the offensive against the DNC

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-12-18/sanders-campaign-fires-data-director-after-breach-of-clinton-files
Sanders Campaign Sues Democratic Party After Data Breach

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/12/19/1461774/-DNC-restores-Sanders-campaign-access-to-voter-file
DNC restores Sanders campaign access to voter file

Oh, come on

https://politicalwire.com/2015/12/18/sanders-already-writing-inauguration-speech/
Sanders Already Writing Inauguration Speech 

Obama: playing the long game

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/12/18/president-obamas-year-end-message-i-played-the-long-game-and-i-won/

More: http://www.vox.com/2015/12/18/10623470/obama-achievements-2015

Why Rubio is going nowhere

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2015/12/rubios-just-not-very-good-at-this.html

More: https://politicalwire.com/2015/12/19/what-does-marco-rubio-really-believe/
What Does Marco Rubio Really Believe? 

The budget deal (the far Right hates it)

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/12/18/1461514/-Senate-passes-1-8-trillion-spending-and-tax-package-to-keep-government-open-through-2016

More: https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/heres-what-the-house-and-senate-compromised-for-the-budget-deal/2015/12/18/3415e324-a5db-11e5-8318-bd8caed8c588_video.html

http://www.salon.com/2015/12/18/rush_limbaugh_and_conservatives_revolt_their_hatred_for_house_budget_deal_could_hand_donald_trump_nomination/
Rush Limbaugh and conservatives revolt!

Donald and Vlady -- the bromance

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-putin-morning-joe
Trump On Putin's Alleged Killing Of His Critics: 'At Least He's A Leader'

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2015/12/we-are-being-tested-god-were-failing

More: http://www.vox.com/2015/12/18/10621802/trump-putin-dictators

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/12/politics-of-trump-putin-mutual-admiration-club.html

Bonus item: Jeb! gets what he deserves

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/12/18/jimmy-kimmel-calls-out-jeb-bushs-silly-fundraising-gimmick-video/

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LOST IN TRANSLATION

This is the line everyone quoted

http://crooksandliars.com/2015/12/putin-says-trump-bright-and-talented
Putin Says Trump Is 'Bright And Talented'

But! http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2015/12/vladimir-putin-calls-donald-trump-brilliant-flamboyant-lively-colorful-outstandin
Here are eight different translations of Putin's remarks:

He is a brilliant and talented person without a doubt... 
He is a very outstanding person, talented, without any doubt... 
He is a very bright person, talented without any doubt...
He's a very colorful person. Talented, without any doubt...
He is a standout, talented person, without any doubt....
He is a bright personality, a talented person, no doubt about it...
He is a very flamboyant man, very talented, no doubt about that...
He’s a very lively man, talented without doubt...

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2015/12/heres-what-vladimir-putin-really-said-about-donald-trump-today
"From what I can hear from the video you posted, he calls Trump a "yarkom chelovekom." In my dictionary, "yarkii" can be "clear, bright, dazzling." You sometimes hear Russians using the term to denote the bright sky of a bracing, clear morning.  Brilliant I think would be wrong to the extent it connotes intelligence—that's not what Putin's driving at. Outstanding is a pretty lazy translation. Bright personality captures the meaning, but not the idiomatic tone, of the word. Very colorful is downplaying the real meaning.  I'd go with something like vivid. The word also could mean garish, but I think Putin was trying to be complimentary, and garish would be criticism. . . ."

The Rich Guy returns the favor

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2015/12/its-official-donald-trump-can-say-anything
"It is always a great honor to be so nicely complimented by a man so highly respected within his own country and beyond," Trump said in a statement.  . . .

Deficit thinking

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2015/12/17/can-we-stop-pretending-that-republicans-care-about-the-deficit-now/
Can we stop pretending that Republicans care about the deficit now?

More: http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2015/12/suddenly-deficits-dont-matter-anymore

Rubio and Cruz, in a death match to become the "not-Trump" alternative

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/the-super-complicated-rubio-cruz-immigration-fight-explained

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/the-latest-series-rookie-mistakes-marco-rubio

More: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/ted-cruz-immigration-poison-pill

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/12/17/1461096/-Ted-Cruz-s-doublespeak-on-immigration-reform-comes-back-to-haunt-him

Ted Cruz, the Big Phony

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/5-times-that-ted-cruz-swears-he-didnt-change-his-mind/2015/12/18/0065ef76-a46c-11e5-9c4e-be37f66848bb_story.html
5 times that Ted Cruz swears he didn’t change his mind

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2015/12/18/the-daily-202-is-ted-cruz-a-phony/
Is Ted Cruz a phony?

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2015/12/ted_cruz_has_lied_about_immigration.html
What distinguishes Cruz, even in Washington, is his ability to look you in the eye and tell you, with pious conviction, things he doesn’t believe. . . .

More: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/18/us/politics/ted-cruz-shunned-in-the-senate-plays-unpopularity-to-his-advantage.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
Ted Cruz, Shunned in the Senate, Plays Unpopularity to His Advantage

Inexcusable

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/12/17/how-your-first-four-years-of-life-affect-the-rest-of-it/
Four years into life, poor kids are already an entire year behind

Where did the term "political correctness" start?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/12/17/the-interesting-evolution-of-political-correctness/

Bonus item: Funniest commercials of 2015

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/17/the-funniest-commercials-of-2015.html
 

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL: http://pbd.blogspot.com

I don’t get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don’t run ads, etc.). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a “mission,” it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***