Pentagon: No Sign Of North Korea Instability

There are no signs that the security situation in North Korea has been destabilized following the death of Kim Jong Il, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters Wednesday.

“We have not seen any unusual North Korean troop movements since the death of Kim Jong Il,” Little said. “That would be one indicator of a less than smooth transition.”

On Monday, General Martin Dempsey, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated that the U.S. is watching the region with vigilance, but does not anticipate having to change its military posture.

Obama Goes Holiday Shopping

President Obama succeeded in taking care of some very urgent business on Wednesday.

No, he didn’t convince Congress to pass a payroll tax cut extension. But, he did do some holiday shopping for the rest of the First Family.

Needing to get out of the house, as his Press Secretary, Jay Carney, put it, Obama and First Dog Bo ventured out across the Potomac River to make some seasonal purchases.

During a roughly 50-minute trip around nearby Alexandria, Virginia, the President managed to hit Pet Smart and Best Buy, where he bought a large bone for Bo, and a couple video games and a pair of iTunes music gift cards for his daughters, Sasha and Malia. In all, the President spent about $235 at the two retailers.

Hungry from all the shopping, Obama concluded his brief expedition by patronizing a local pizzeria, where he emerged from afterwards with a trio of large pies.

Obama Phones Boehner And Reid

The following is a readout from the White House regarding separate conversations President Obama had this afternoon with House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.):

“Today, the President made separate calls to Speaker Boehner and Leader Reid.  In his call to Speaker Boehner, the President reiterated the need and his commitment to work with Congress to extend the payroll tax cut for the entire year, and the fact that the short-term bipartisan compromise passed by almost the entire Senate is the only option to ensure that middle class families aren’t hit with a tax hike in 10 days and gives both sides the time needed to work out a full year solution. The President urged the Speaker to take up the bipartisan compromise passed in the Senate with overwhelming Democratic and Republican support that would prevent 160 million working Americans from being hit with a holiday tax hike on January 1st.”

“The President also spoke with Leader Reid and again applauded him for the work he conducted with Minority Leader McConnell to achieve a successful bipartisan compromise that passed overwhelmingly in the Senate on Saturday, and Senator Reid reaffirmed his commitment to secure a bipartisan year long tax cut after the House passes the two month extension. The President urged the Speaker to allow a vote on the one compromise that Democrats and Republicans passed together to give the American people the assurance they need during this holiday season that they won’t see a significant tax hike in just 10 days.”

Poll: Paul, Gingrich Take Iowa Top Spots

Texas Congressman Ron Paul and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich lead the Republican field in Iowa, according to a new Iowa State University/Gazette/KCRG poll.

Paul garners support from 27.5 percent of the hawkeye state’s likely caucus-goers while Newt Gingrich holds 25.3 percent. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney trails at 17.5 percent.

The possibility of a Paul upset has prompted concern. The Republican establishment in the state fear that Paul, who is unlikely to win the nomination due to his libertarian leanings, could delegitimize Iowa’s importance as a battleground state.

Reid Implores Boehner To Pass Senate Payroll Extension

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) wrote to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) today, urging him to convince Republicans to approve a Senate bill that would extend the current payroll tax holiday by another two months.

In his letter, Reid called on Boehner “to reconvene the House to act on the Senate’s bipartisan compromise as soon as possible.”

“I am fully confident that we can work out our differences and find common ground on a year-long extension,” Reid said. “But in the meantime, families should not have to worry that they will wake up to a tax increase on January 1, 2012.”

Here’s the full text of the letter:

Dear Speaker Boehner,

Our respective chambers have been seeking for weeks to negotiate a year-long extension of the payroll tax cut for middle-class families, as well as unemployment benefits and Medicare payments for physicians. You and I agree that this should be our goal. But as these weeks have made clear, there remain differences between our parties over how to fund and implement these programs that will take longer then a few days to reconcile.

Recognizing this reality, eighty-nine Republican and Democratic senators came together to agree to a short-term extension of these programs. As you requested when we met last Wednesday, Senator McConnell and I worked together to find this common ground. Once the House of Representatives acts on this immediate extension, we will be able to sit down and complete negotiations on a longer extension. But because we have a responsibility to assure middle-class families that their taxes will not go up while we work out our differences, we must pass this immediate extension first.

As the Senate vote made clear, there is no reason for this to be a partisan issue. I am fully confident that we can work out our differences and find common ground on a year-long extension. But in the meantime, families should not have to worry that they will wake up to a tax increase on January 1, 2012.

To provide middle-class families the certainty they deserve, I urge you to reconvene the House to act on the Senate’s bipartisan compromise as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid