Congressman Peter King Plans To Investigate Muslims

Conservative Long Island Congressman Peter King, fresh off claiming he wants to prosecute the New York Times, says he plans to open an investigation into the “radicalization” of the Muslim community. King, who will head the House Homeland Security Committee, says law enforcement authorities keep telling him there is little cooperation from Muslim leaders in terror investigations.

Told of Mr. King’s plan, Muslim leaders expressed strong opposition, describing the move as a prejudiced act that was akin to racial profiling and that would unfairly cast suspicion on an entire group.

Abed A. Ayoub, the legal director for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination …

Politifact Announces 2010 Lie Of The Year

And the winner is: the right-wing meme that President Obama’s health care plan is “a government takeover of health care.”

“Takeovers are like coups,” Republican pollster Frank Luntz wrote in a widely distributed 28-page memo. “They both lead to dictators and a loss of freedom.”

The line stuck. By the time the health care bill was headed toward passage in early 2010, Obama and congressional Democrats had sanded down their program, dropping the “public option” concept that was derided as too much government intrusion. The law passed in March, with new regulations, but no government-run plan.

But as Republicans …

Palin Calls Obama “Flip-Flopper” Because Of Tax Compromise

One would have to wonder how a President Palin would work with Congress given that she called President Obama a “flip-flopper” on Good Morning America. (via Mediaite). And Palin discounts her recent poor showing in an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll

“A poll number like that, it’s like, ‘Oh yeah, that doesn’t look really pretty today,’ but a primary is months and months in the process, and there are thankfully many debates,” she said. “And if I were to participate in that contested primary — you know, it — I would be in it to win it.”

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House Passes Senate Version Of Tax Bill 277-148; Goes To White House For President’s Signature

Here’s the breakdown:

Democrats Yes: 139 No: 112

Republicans Yes: 138 No: 36

The last piece of the puzzle was the issue of estate taxes, and that was settled by the vote to defeat an amendment by North Dakota Congressman Earl Pomeroy, which would have set the estate tax at 45 percent for inheritances of $3.5 million or more. The final bill includes an estate tax rate of 35 percent on estates worth more than $5 million for individuals, or $10 million for couples.…

Thank You, Larry King

Larry King did his final daily CNN show Thursday night, with much deserved fanfare. When I was a late-night disc jockey in New York working for a radio station that was owned by Mutual, his then-radio network, I listened to his radio show in cue between playing country songs.  He set the standard for interviewing, knowing how to ask short, pithy questions, listen to the answers, and intuitively know what to ask next. I later got to meet and interview Larry, who was extremely kind to me and offered a helping hand when it really mattered.  Little did I know …

Harry Reid Pulls Spending Bill; Would Government Shutdown Serve Democrats Better?

After Republicans backed away from the Senate spending bill when they got caught with earmarks after renouncing them, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid pulled the bill.

Republicans contributed mightily to this failure and are going through their own culture war — torn between the Senate’s old-bull pork-barrel ways and the more temperate fiscal gospel of their new tea party allies.

Adding to the GOP’s worries is the agitation on the right over the high cost and impact on the deficit of a post-election compromise that its Senate leadership struck with President Barack Obama — authorizing more than $850 billion …

On Thursday’s Radio Show…

• The latest on the Beltway battles over tax cuts and Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.

• U.S. Army Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer, who filed a First Amendment lawsuit against the Pentagon, and investigative journalist Peter Lance sit down with Alan to discuss the campaign to suppress Shaffer’s book, Operation Dark Heart.

• Think you can survive the cut? It’s a special Christmas Edition of Sudden Death Radio!…

Meghan McCain Says Her Father Will Filibuster Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Repeal

Senator John McCain’s daughter, Meghan, told Lawrence O’Donnell that her dad will filibuster any attempt to repeal “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.”

O’DONNELL: What do you think he will do with this bill coming to the Senate in its current form? Would he be part of a group that would try to prevent it from coming to a vote?

MCCAIN: Yeah, I do. I think my father will filibuster probably. And I think that this will probably pass, and I think gay marriage will pass in this country.

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Sarah Palin Has Higher Negatives Than Nancy Pelosi

Sarah Palin rates a couple of points lower than Nancy Pelosi according to an NBC/WSJ poll (h/t Political Wire).

Palin’s negative rating has climbed to 50%. That’s the highest negative rating for anyone measured in this poll (and it’s two points lower than Nancy Pelosi’s negative rating from last month). And get this: The only major subgroups that Palin wins in a head-to-head match-up with Obama are Republicans, conservatives, and FOX viewers. That’s it, folks. NBC/WSJ co-pollster Bill McInturff (R) says that this is “a sobering starting point” for Palin if she decides to run for president.…

New Poll Shows Obama Favored In 2012 Over Republicans

An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll shows President Obama leading the 2012 sweepstakes, with 42% saying they’d vote for him, versus 39% who say they’d vote Republican. It gets even better when you identify potential opponents.

But putting a name beside the generic Republican slot changes the picture. Mr. Obama leads former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney by seven percentage points, 47%-40%. Against Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, a relative unknown but a potential candidate, the president maintains his 47% but leads by 20 points.

On the other hand, Mr. Obama leads former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin by 22 points, 55% …

Senators Jim DeMint And Jon Kyl Call Democrats “Sacrilegious” For Pushing Legislation During The Holidays

The more visibility South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint (pictured) gets, the crazier it gets. After failing at a stunt to delay votes, he now questions the faith of Democrats who want to work through the holidays.

“We shouldn’t be jamming a major arms control treaty up against Christmas; it’s sacrilegious and disrespectful,” he told POLITICO. “What’s going on here is just wrong. This is the most sacred holiday for Christians. They did the same thing last year – they kept everybody here until [Christmas Eve] to force something down everybody’s throat. I think Americans are sick of this.”

Similarly, …