Taliban Leader in Secret Talks Was an Impostor  —  KABUL, Afghanistan — For months, the secret talks unfolding between Taliban and Afghan leaders to end the war appeared to be showing promise, if only because of the appearance of a certain insurgent leader at one end of the table …

Poll: Nearly two-thirds of Americans support full-body scanners at airports  —  Nearly two-thirds of Americans support the new full-body security-screening machines at the country's airports, as most say they put higher priority on combating terrorism than protecting personal privacy, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Woman who told Obama her financial fears has lost her job  —  Nobody is safe.  —  Velma Hart, who burst onto the media scene after telling President Obama she was scared about her financial future, has been laid off.  Hart was let go as the chief financial officer for Am Vets, a nonprofit Maryland-based veteran services organization.

N. Korea fires on S. Korea, killing 2 and injuring more than a dozen  —  Seoul, South Korea (CNN) — North Korea fired artillery toward its tense western sea border with South Korea on Tuesday, killing two South Korean marines, the South's Defense Ministry said.

VIDEO - Palin: I Will Not Waste My Time With Katie Couric  —  In an interview tonight with Sean Hannity, Sarah Palin opens up about the mainstream media and whether she would sit down for another interview with Katie Couric.  —  See what she has to say in the video below …

Zogby Interactive: Obama Falls to 39%, As Support from Democrats Continues to Slide; He Trails Romney, J. Bush & Gingrich in '12  —  Those Saying U.S. on Wrong Track Hits High Under Obama of 69%  —  UTICA, New York - President Barack Obama's job approval rating has dropped to the lowest point …

White House Fights Pat-Down Backlash  —  The administration is quietly and aggressively defending airport security policies against what they see as a media frenzy of distorted information.  —  The White House and the Department of Homeland Security indicated today that they won't yield …

Gibbs Warns Congress Against Leaving DADT Repeal To The Courts  —  This afternoon, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs listed repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell as a priority for the lame duck session after the Thanksgiving recess and reiterated the now oft-repeated warning that if Congress fails …

Empty promises on health care will haunt Obama  — TAGS: - aaron carroll - american medical association - Byron York - center for medicare and medicaid services - Gallup - indiana university school of medicine - New York Times - patient protection and affordable care act

The unholy (s)election of Bristol Palin  —  I feel for Bristol Palin.  Here's a plucky young woman who signed up for “Dancing With the Stars” knowing she had no chance to win but thinking it might be an adventure.  Bristol had never danced and was up against some world-class dancers.  That takes guts.

Editorial Boards to the Little People Complaining About the TSA: Bend Over and Take it Like a Man!  —  More evidence for Radley Balko's thesis that the media is more statist than liberal (and for my contention that the unsigned newspaper editorial should go the way of the dodo bird):  —  Los Angeles Times:

Left's pressure moves Pelosi toward clashes with Obama  —  When President Obama meets with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi next year, he may face a lot more resistance than he's used to from his longtime ally.  —  The shift from Speaker to opposition leader will undoubtedly change Pelosi's …

BREAKING: Sources: Plouffe to join White House staff, Axelrod may exit sooner than expected  —  Washington (CNN) - President Obama is planning to bring former campaign manager David Plouffe onto the White House staff at the beginning of January to work alongside senior adviser David Axelrod …

New poll undercuts GOP claims of a midterm mandate  —  WASHINGTON — A majority of Americans want the Congress to keep the new health care law or actually expand it, despite Republican claims that they have a mandate from the people to kill it, according to a new McClatchy-Marist poll.

Sarah Palin's Mystery Research Firm  —  Why's an incendiary Dutch journalist on the payroll of the ex-Alaska governor's political action committee?  A Mother Jones investigation.  —  Post Comment  —  In recent months, Sarah Palin's political action committee, SarahPAC …

Ortiz concedes District 27 race to Farenthold  —  U.S. Rep. Solomon P. Ortiz conceded late Monday to Congressman-elect Blake Farenthold.  —  Noting that the recount of more than 106,000 votes had been completed in the district, Ortiz said: “Therefore, with great respect and admiration …

SPLC Designates American Family Association, Family Research Council, Illinois Family Institute As Hate Groups  —  The Southern Poverty Law Center today updated its list of designated hate groups, and this year is significant in that some of the larger anti-gay outfits have made the cut.

Cunningham, attorney differ on effectiveness of defense  —  Disgraced ex-congressman from Rancho Santa Fe gives his first media interview  —  Randy “Duke” Cunningham, the disgraced former congressman from Rancho Santa Fe, said in an interview from prison that he regrets pleading guilty almost five years ago …

Defenders of Earmarks Point to Urgent Needs That Would Not Be Met  —  ST. LOUIS — With their vote last week to support a moratorium on earmarks, House and Senate Republicans are taking aim at a popular target: the much-criticized system for distributing federal money that reflects politicians' clout …

States' rights battles rage in Old Dominion  —  From Virginia's lawsuit over health-care reforms to a bill that would create “Don't Tread on Me” license plates, a growing movement is percolating among the Old Dominion's top GOP officials and the conservative rank-and-file to push back against federal authority over an array of issues.