| | December 07, 2012 | | TEA PARTY SURPRISE The senator’s resignation may seem surprising, but the Tea Party firebrand known for holding up legislation and opposing establishment pols will be free of the rules and ethics of the Senate—and remain a GOP kingmaker, writes The Daily Beast’s David Freedlander. Scary A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck the northeast coast of Japan and set off a minor tsunami on Friday. The one-meter tsunami came ashore in the prefecture of Miyagi, where officials closed some roads and suspended rail services, but there were no reports of injuries or damage. The quake was much weaker than the 9.0-magnitude earthquake that rocked the country in March 2011, causing 30-foot tsunamis that killed 15,000 people. Though it shook buildings in Tokyo, Friday’s earthquake actually took place 287 miles out to sea—much further than the 2011 quake. But the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that it did not create a widespread tsunami warning for the Pacific Ocean. VICTORY The fiscal cliff fight can play out in different ways—but in any scenario, the Bush tax rates for the rich are gone. Obama may make some concessions to the GOP, but he’ll end up victorious, just as he did in November, says The Daily Beast’s Robert Shrum. Egypt Despite Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi’s offer to hold talks between all major political factions on Saturday, protests are expected to continue in Egypt. The opposition is unlikely to accept his offer because they have insisted that Morsi first withdraw his November 22nd decree, which stripped the judiciary of any power. Morsi says the decree will be withdrawn after the scheduled December 15 referendum on the new constitution, and he has blamed the widespread demonstrations on supporters of Mubarak. Protesters attacked the offices of the Muslim Brotherhood late on Thursday and held demonstrations outside Morsi’s home, which led to several deaths and hundreds being wounded. Super What recession? During their race for the White House this year, President Obama and Mitt Romney spent a combined total of well over $2 billion, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission by the campaigns and party committees released on Thursday. The reports show that in the first election in which donors could give unlimited contributions, Obama’s reelection team spent $1.123 billion and Romney’s spent $1.019 billion. These figures do not include last-minute ads bought by wealthy mega-donors like Sheldon Adelson. The reports also show that Obama outraised Mitt Romney in the final stretch of the campaign—between October 18 and November 26, Obama’s reelection team raised $111 million compared to Romney’s $100 million. | |
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