Miller sues to force exact spelling rule for write-in votes  —  JUNEAU — GOP nominee Joe Miller is asking a federal judge to keep the state from using discretion in counting write-in ballots in Alaska's hotly contested Senate race.  —  The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, comes …

Bush: “I probably won't even vote for McCain”  —  George W. Bush's bombastic return to the world stage has reminded me of my favourite Bush anecdote, which for various reasons we couldn't publish at the time.  Some of the witnesses still dine out on it.  —  The venue was the Oval Office.

More federal workers' pay tops $150,000  —  The number of federal workers earning $150,000 or more a year has soared tenfold in the past five years and doubled since President Obama took office, a USA TODAY analysis finds.  —  The fast-growing pay of federal employees has captured the attention …

In Message to G-20 Leaders, Obama Aims to Calm Tensions  —  SEOUL, South Korea — President Obama, marking the start of a summit meeting that has already tested the limits of international cooperation, implored other world leaders on Wednesday to shift global economic demand away …

Republicans Maneuver to Oust Their Leader  —  WASHINGTON — Turning their attention to the 2012 presidential election, Republican leaders are digging in for a battle over control of the Republican National Committee, judging that its role in fund-raising, get-out-the-vote operations and other tasks …

Carlson sent fake ‘Olbermann’ emails to Philly columnist  —  Tucker Carlson boasted in July that his site, the Daily Caller, had bought the domain name for liberal MSNBC host Keith Olbermann.  Carlson, a conservative journalist and pundit, even said he would start using the email address keith@keitholbermann.com as a gag.

Interior inspector general: White House skewed drilling-ban report  —  The White House rewrote crucial sections of an Interior Department report to suggest an independent group of scientists and engineers supported a six-month ban on offshore oil drilling, the Interior inspector general says in a new report.

Room at the top?  Not for young Dems  —  A younger generation of Democrats is chafing at being asked to stand aside and let a triumvirate of elders keep their leadership positions in the wake of a catastrophic midterm election result.  —  Barring an unexpected shake-up …

Obama officials moving away from 2011 Afghan date  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has decided to begin publicly walking away from what it once touted as key deadlines in the war in Afghanistan in an effort to de-emphasize President Barack Obama's pledge that he'd begin withdrawing U.S. forces …

Mystery Solved?  Missile Launch Could Be a Jet Contrail  —  A mysterious vapor trail caught on camera has the military scrambling for answers — but is it just a jet?  On the left, a still image from KCBS video of the launch.  On the right, a very similar event from Dec. 31, 2009 commonly believed to be an airplane.

Netanyahu: Row over settlement construction ‘overblown’  —  U.S. anger over latest East Jerusalem building plan is misplaced and Palestinian foot-dragging is still the main obstacle to peace, insists PM in interview with Fox.  —  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday dismissed renewed furor …

GOP may be setting its sights on Ensign  —  Suffering from the enervating ennui of postelection depression, I always find there is only one cure: Look ahead to the next one.  —  No, I don't mean the yawnfest to succeed Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman — assuming he doesn't barricade himself in his office …

First Salvo In Social Security Fight: OweNo, A $20 Million Campaign Launched With Bayh, Conrad As Allies  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? … WASHINGTON — In what may be the first major move of the forthcoming Social Security debate, the Peterson Foundation launched on Tuesday a $20 million TV ad campaign …

Jim DeMint: “You can't be a fiscal conservative and not be a social conservative”  —  That's the money line from tonight's Fox News “12 in '12″ presidential profile; skip ahead to 3:00 if you don't want to watch it all.  He made this same point, albeit in a more elaborate way, at the Values Voter Summit in September.

Democrats want leadership elections delayed  —  (CNN) - Two House Democrats are circulating a letter asking Democratic leaders to push their party's leadership elections for the next Congress until December.  —  Reps. Marcy Kaptur (D- Ohio) and Peter Defazio (D-Oregon) say in the letter that the …

Modestly chic: Michelle Obama dons a headscarf as she visits mosque on Indonesia trip  —  Her impeccable dress sense has been praised throughout the world.  —  So it was no surprise that Michelle Obama managed to be stylish and show respect to her Muslim hosts when she visited a mosque on her tour of Indonesia.

Why Rush to Cut Nukes?  —  THE sweeping Democratic midterm losses last week raise serious questions for President Obama and a lame-duck Congress.  Voters want government brought closer to the vision the framers outlined in the Constitution, and the first test could be the fate of the flawed …

Transcript: Sec. of State Hillary Clinton and Sec. of Defense Robert Gates Speak to Cynthia McFadden  —  From the Politics of Washington to the Causalities of War, the Powerful Duo Sit Down for a Joint Interview … Interview with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Extending Tax Cuts, but With a Catch  —  Top Democrats Link Keeping Bush-Era Breaks to an Overhaul of Tax Code; Republican Aides Say They Are Open to the Idea  —  WASHINGTON—Two top Senate Democrats floated the idea Tuesday of extending the Bush-era income-tax rates for a limited time only …

Watchdog wants probe of Google's ‘unusually close’ ties to Obama  —  As House Republicans plan an ambitious oversight agenda for the next session of Congress, a watchdog group is calling for a probe into a company that it says is far too cozy with the Obama administration: Google.

The GOP can't be led by Sarah Palin.  But can it live without her?  —  Despite its considerable gains in the midterm elections, the GOP has a problem looming in the margins named Sarah Palin.  —  She who can rouse the base like none other is now She to Whom Respect Must Be Paid.  Like it or not.

Beck disappears Soros' support for pro-Western, anti-Communist political movements in order to further conspiracy theory  —  As examples, Beck cited Soros' purported roles in the Rose Revolution (Georgia), the Orange Revolution (Ukraine) and the Velvet Revolution (Czechoslovakia), as well as “coups” in Croatia and Yugoslavia.

Jobs forecast can help Obama — if he can sell it to the nation  —  An exasperated Robert Gibbs said last summer: “Let's just be honest, the economy lost more jobs than it had in the last three recessions combined.  It's hard to message that.”  —  The verdict voters returned last week …

Obama's Reelect  —  On our final round of 18 polls conducted before last week's election we asked folks in every state included whether they would prefer Barack Obama or a generic Republican in 2012, and we asked folks who identified themselves as regular Republican primary voters …