VERONIQUE DE RUGY: Perspective: Debt With and Without Sequestration. Not much difference, for all the hoopla.

UNIMPRESSED EUROPEANS: German press irked by US, pushes WH on debt.

In an apparent suggestion of United States hypocrisy on debt issues, a journalist in the German media challenged White House Press Secretary Jay Carney on the role of the United States in responding to the European debt crisis.

“The U.S., as far as I know, has a worse debt-to-GDP ratio than the whole eurozone, and we are talking about the eurozone, not about the United States and that Congress can’t get its act together,” said a member of the German press during the briefing. “So from the European perspective, it seems that this country is in a bigger mess than Europe. We are not proud where we are. We know that it’s slow and not bold, and so on, but at least they are doing something; they are deciding something, they’re trying to pull that through. And here, nothing is happening — third time this year,” he added, referring to the Supercommittee failure.

He’s got a point. Now if we could just cut like Britain. Or Canada.

THE COUNTRY’S IN THE VERY BEST OF HANDS: U. S. Government May Be Primary Suppliers of Mexican Drug Cartel Guns.

HOW’S THAT HOPEY-CHANGEY STUFF WORKIN’ OUT FOR YA (CONT’D): Downgrade watch begins as debt panel concedes defeat.

#OCCUPYFAIL: OWS Needs More Cowbell.

ARAB SPRING NOT SO SPRINGLIKE: With 33 dead, 1,750 injured, Egypt teeters on the brink of chaos.

KEITH HENNESSEY: The President’s Missed Opportunities For Deficit Reduction. “The President’s press secretary tells us that the President and his Treasury Secretary have ‘been very engaged with their European counterparts’ in addressing their debt crises, but it appears the President’s involvement in the American Super Committee was to set a proposal on the table and then leave.”

He’s never actually wanted deficit reduction, so what would he do?

CHANGE: PJM Exclusive: New Law Cuts Ties Between FBI and Terror-Tied Groups. “When Barack Obama signed the continuing resolution this past weekend averting another potential government shutdown, it’s doubtful that he was aware that tucked into the bill, which funds several federal agencies through the fiscal year and extends the continuing resolution for the rest of the government until December 16, is a provision that may dramatically impact what Islamic groups and leaders the FBI and other law enforcement agencies can continue to work with.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS: Obama on Tuesday to face NH voters now sour on him. “The independent-minded presidential swing state he won in 2008 has shifted distinctly to the right since his last visit nearly two years ago. The local economy is struggling to grow and voters are increasingly unhappy with the president’s leadership.”

Key voter quote: “The country is worse off.”

JOHN PODHORETZ ON THE SUPERCOMMITTEE: They didn’t fail – they succeeded in doing nothing. “The supercommittee triumphed in accomplishing what it was truly intended to accomplish. It was created to kick the can down the road. The only thing that mattered was that it come into existence, and it did. Its invention made increases in the debt ceiling possible through the end of President Obama’s term.”

UPDATE: Barry Goldwater’s prophecy of disaster has come true.

DAN MITCHELL: American Politicians Should Copy Canada’s Leftist Government of the 1990s and Cap Spending.

CHANGE: China Property Dip Sparks Bank Fears. “The number of property transactions in China’s largest cities has fallen to dangerously low levels, according to regulatory documents obtained by the Financial Times.”

UPDATE: Property Prices Collapse in China. Is This a Crash? “Residential property prices are in freefall in China as developers race to meet revenue targets for the year in a quickly deteriorating market. The country’s largest builders began discounting homes in Shanghai, Beijing, and Shenzhen in recent weeks, and the trend has now spread to second- and third-tier cities such as Hangzhou, Hefei, and Chongqing.”

RAND SIMBERG: Congressman Dale Kildee (D-MI) Never Molested Me. “For whatever it’s worth, when I was growing up, I lived around the corner from Congressman Kildee, and delivered his morning paper. When I collected from him, he never invited me in.”

NEUTRINO FEVER produces media storm.

HOW’S THAT ARAB SPRING WORKING OUT? Egyptians expect to ‘see a lot of bloodshed.’

CORZINE’S MISSING MONEY: “The court-appointed trustee overseeing the liquidation of MF Global’s brokerage now estimates that the shortfall in the firm’s customer funds could be more than $1.2 billion, double previous estimates. Regulators currently suspect that MF Global improperly used customer money for its own purposes in the days before filing for Chapter 11 protection, according to people briefed on the matter.”

ILLINOIS: Alderman Supports Concealed Carry, says state is in violation of Constitution, offers resolution.

ACCOUNTABILITY IS FOR THE LITTLE PEOPLE:

A court-appointed investigator has found that the high-profile prosecution of the late Senator Ted Stevens was “permeated” by the prosecutors’ “serious, widespread and at times intentional” illegal concealment of evidence that would have helped Mr. Stevens defend himself at his 2008 trial, a federal judge disclosed on Monday.

But the 500-page report by the investigator, Henry F. Schuelke, recommends that none of the Justice Department officials involved in the case be prosecuted for criminal contempt of court because the judge who presided over the trial, Emmet G. Sullivan, of Federal District Court in Washington, did not issue an order specifically instructing prosecutors to obey the law by turning over any exculpatory evidence.

(Emphasis added).

AT AMAZON, Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals start today.

YOU ASK, I ANSWER: Reader Robert Sapp writes: “I’m about to start my Christmas shopping in earnest. Could you give your recommendations again on remote control helicopters? Thanks!” Sure. This is the one that so many readers bought and liked. And here’s a post with recommendations for fancier ones.

UPDATE: A reader — I’ve omitted her name to avoid spoiling a Christmas surprise — writes:

Bought one of those helicopters for the son-in-law for Christmas this year. Played with it.

Ha ha!

Now I have to order another one — for my son-in-law.

Heh.

THE OCCUPY MOVEMENT’S SHOCKING GENDER GAP. Contrast that with the Tea Party movement, which is 55% women. Stacy McCain thinks he knows the reason for the difference.

#EUROFAIL: Nigel Farage: The Euro Is A Failure. “It looks like UK Independence Party MEP Nigel Farage took an opportunity to speak truth to power in a way that the Occupy protesters can only dream of. Okay, so it’s a little over the top. And yet . . . this euro doesn’t seem to be working out, does it?”

#UCDAVISFAIL? University president vows pepper-spraying probe at UC Davis. “The president of the University of California system said he was ‘appalled’ at images of protesters being doused with pepper spray and plans an assessment of law enforcement procedures on all 10 campuses, as two police officers and the police chief were placed on administrative leave.”

UPDATE: Reader Joshua Hall writes:

My daughter currently attends UC Davis. The media coverage of the pepper spraying incident is not giving an in depth report.

The students are protesting the tuition increases at UC Davis and standing with the Occupy Wall Street protestors.

On Tuesday student protestors occupied Mrak Hall forcing its closure (see photos 33-36 here: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/11/20/4068847/occupy-california-campus-protests.html ). This interrupted normal administrative business that directly effected students. Student and staff safety became a real concern for campus administrators and police.

On Friday tents were removed and students asked to leave or face peppering. I do not think the police used proper judgment. Hence the video footage on the airways.

It’s big of the CTA to stand in support of the students who were pepper sprayed calling for the Chancellor’s resignation. Meanwhile, their union is working to block Chancellor Katehi’s efforts to make available on-line classes to assist student’s ability to finish their degree program in four years. In the end, the faculty is working for their security while saddling students with more debt.

My daughter is a sophomore and two of her lower general education requirement classes will not be offered until her junior year, if at all, due to budget cuts. She could be faced with needing to attend a fifth year in order to graduate. At $30,000+ per year cost of attendance, the union blocking on-line classes could get very expensive for our household. On-line classes could be a tremendous benefit.

Would be nice to see this group of students protest the union. Now that I could get behind.

Not likely, alas.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Were the UC Davis Police Justified in Pepper-Spraying Students?

CEO SALARIES and pharmaceutical costs.

IS RUSS FEINGOLD playing a duplicitous game on the recall? “The fact that the signature effort may fail is just one of the reasons why Russ Feingold has taken the official position that he will not run. Yes, some people might be more willing to sign the recall petition if they knew the strongest-polling Democrat was ready to go, but the signature-gathering-effort would turn into a discussion about whether Feingold is preferable to Walker, and — as I read Feingold’s mind — Feingold would prefer for people to leave him out of it and concentrate on how bad Scott Walker is. By disclaiming the desire to take power, Feingold is able to present himself as a statesman, appearing at numerous anti-Walker events to bolster the morale of the protesters and, seemingly selflessly, to criticize Walker.”

UPDATE: Trading Cigarettes For Illegal Signatures in Milwaukee. “In this video, you can see them recruiting young children to sign the recall petition, and then paying them off with cigarettes. Nice.”