The Uncertainty Meme  —  Why does the economy continue to suck?  The LA Times is hosting a symposium on the topic today, and USC business professor Ayse Imrohoroglu says the answer is uncertainty: … OK, let's take these one by one:  — Interest rates will remain very low for a very long time.

Tea Party irks new members with tactic to promote its event  —  A Tea Party tactic to pressure new lawmakers not to attend a privately sponsored orientation event in D.C. this weekend was unwarranted, according to frustrated incoming GOP House members.  —  Competing freshmen lawmaker orientation events …

Nancy Pelosi's first job: Rally liberals  —  If Nancy Pelosi's tone doesn't sound calibrated to soothe the ears of independents who fled Democrats in the midterm elections, that's because it's not really tuned for them.  —  Instead, the first order of business for the sequence-oriented Pelosi …

U.S. Plan Envisions Path to Ending Afghan Combat  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has developed a plan to begin transferring security duties in select areas of Afghanistan to that country's forces over the next 18 to 24 months, with an eye toward ending the American combat mission there by 2014, officials said Sunday.

House panel to begin Rangel ethics trial  —  With no lawyers expected at his side, Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) is scheduled to begin his defense Monday against allegations that he broke congressional rules in his personal finances and his fundraising efforts for a New York college.

Murkowski maintains election write-in lead  —  COUNTING: About 89 percent of ballots for senator unchallenged.  —  JUNEAU — Sen. Lisa Murkowski retained 89 percent of the undisputed write-in votes in Alaska's still-undecided Senate race, as the fifth day of the ballot hand count ended.

TSA Opt-Out Day, Now with a Superfantastic New Twist!  —  November 24th, as many of you already know, is National Opt-Out Day, when airline passengers should refuse to submit themselves to those privacy-invading, genital-picture-taking, radiation-delivering back-scatter imaging machines now installed at many American airports.

Safer Social Security  —  Social Security is not the key fiscal problem facing the nation.  Payments to its beneficiaries amount to 5 percent of the economy now; by 2050, they're projected to rise to about 6 percent.  Over the same period, federal health care costs will increase six times as much.

'Don't ask, don't tell' presents dilemma for Dems in passing defense bill  —  The need to shepherd the defense authorization bill through the Senate in the lame-duck session has left the Democratic leadership with a precarious dilemma.  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) …

BUSH: ‘CLINTON AND I ARE BUDDIES’  —  Despite their political differences, the Bush family has really taken to Bill Clinton.  (Clinton has worked with both the 41st and 43rd presidents on humanitarian efforts.)  —  And CNN's Candy Crowley, during her Sunday interview with George W. Bush and his brother …

Paul Krugman Recommends ‘Death Panels’ to Help Balance Budget  —  Although he was likely taking a swipe at former governor Sarah Palin with the reference, Paul Krugman on Sunday recommended “death panels” as a means of helping to balance the federal budget.  —  In a Roundtable discussion on ABC's …

Obama to Redouble Effort on Core Principles  —  From Tahman Bradley:  —  En route back to Washington after a 10-day trip overseas, President Obama was introspective about his first two years in office.  The president told reporters aboard Air Force One that he had an “obsessive focus” …

Putting Money on Lawsuits, Investors Share in the Payouts  —  Large banks, hedge funds and private investors hungry for new and lucrative opportunities are bankrolling other people's lawsuits, pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into medical malpractice claims, divorce battles and class actions …

Westboro protesters face jeers and slashed tires  —  Related Story: McAlester soldier mourned  —  McALESTER - Members of a Kansas church that protests at military funerals may have found themselves in the wrong town Saturday.  —  Shortly after finishing their protest at the funeral of Army …

McCain Moves The Goal Posts Again On DADT, Now Claiming The Pentagon Study Isn't Good Enough  —  This week, Cindy McCain caused a stir when she seemingly broke with her husband, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), on the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) policy when she appeared in an ad calling for repealing the ban on gays serving openly.