GOP should take on Palin  —  Republicans have a problem.  The most-talked-about figure in the GOP is a reality show star who cannot be elected.  And yet the same leaders who fret that Sarah Palin could devastate their party in 2012 are too scared to say in public what they all complain about in private.

Mullen Endorses Working Group's Report  —  The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff today fully endorsed the report of the working group that assessed the impact of a possible repeal of the law that bans gay men and women from serving openly in the military. ...

Where we and Democrats can work together  —  When congressional leaders of both parties meet at the White House today, all of us will have an opportunity to show the American people that we got the message of the elections earlier this month.  —  Republicans heard the voters loud and clear.

Senate votes down ban on earmarks  —  The Senate on Tuesday morning defeated a proposal from Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) to ban congressional earmarks.  —  In a 39-56 vote, members defeated a temporary ban on the appropriations procedure.  The moratorium was offered as an amendment …

Hot mic picks up discussion on Senate floor: 'It's all rigged'  —  A hot mic left on during a Senate vote Tuesday morning on the Food Safety Act caught a senator complaining that process of setting the agenda during the lame-duck session is “rigged.”  —  “It's all rigged.

Boehner and Cantor to Smithsonian: Pull Exhibit Featuring Ant-Covered Jesus or Else  —  (CNSNews.com) — House Speaker-to-be John Boehner (R-Ohio) is telling the Smithsonian Institution to pull an exhibit that features images of an ant-covered Christ or else face tough scrutiny …

In slideshow, Rep. Joe Barton declares war on the Obama administration  —  If the Obama administration was hoping to see hints of bipartisanship from the Hill, it might want to skip over the House Energy and Commerce Committee.  —  The committee's ranking Republican, Rep. Joe L. Barton …

‘These people are living in a dream world’  —  A disgruntled private-sector worker writes in: … To get a sense of where this anger comes from, consider these two graphs.  The first tracks private-sector employment between 2007 and 2010:  —  The second looks at federal workers over the same time period:

Tea Party Nation President Says It ‘Makes A Lot Of Sense’ To Restrict Voting Only To Property Owners  —  Every week, the Tea Party Nation hosts a weekly radio program, calling itself a “home for conservatives.”  Two weeks ago, Tea Party Nation President Judson Phillips hosted the program …

Senate Passes Overhaul of Food Safety Regulations  —  WASHINGTON — The Senate on Tuesday passed a sweeping overhaul of the nation's food-safety system, after recalls of tainted eggs, peanut butter and spinach sickened thousands and led major food makers to join consumer advocates in demanding stronger government oversight.

Where Anonymity Breeds Contempt  —  THERE you are, peacefully reading an article or watching a video on the Internet.  You finish, find it thought-provoking, and scroll down to the comments section to see what other people thought.  And there, lurking among dozens of well-intentioned opinions, is a troll.

Celebrating Secession Without the Slaves  —  ATLANTA — The Civil War, the most wrenching and bloody episode in American history, may not seem like much of a cause for celebration, especially in the South.  —  And yet, as the 150th anniversary of the four-year conflict gets under way …

Suspect in sex assault case won pardon in 2008  —  Cleared by a panel that included Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Jeremy Giefer is now accused of assaulting a second girl hundreds of times before and after he received his pardon.  —  Two years ago, Gov. Tim Pawlenty and two other officials pardoned Jeremy Giefer …

GOP Reps Blast Smithsonian Exhibit Featuring Ant-Covered Jesus on Cross  —  An image with Jesus covered in ants from the video “A Fire in My Belly,” part of the ‘Hide/Seek’ exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery.  —  UPDATE: In a statement released on Tuesday, Martin Sullivan …

THE GOP PRIMARIES OF 12 WILL BE HELD ON FOX NEWS  —  The Republican nominating process of 2012 will be totally different from that of other years.  In fact, it will be the opposite of what we are used to.  —  Since the procedural reforms initiated by Democrat George McGovern …

Jeb Bush: Obama Should Take ‘A Three-Month Vacation’  —  How can America cure its economic recession?  —  One solution, according to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, is for President Barack Obama to “just chill” and take “a three-month vacation.”  —  In a wide-ranging interview …

Republican Calls Obama ‘Very, Very Urban’ On House Floor (VIDEO)  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? … Rep. Steve King, a Republican from Iowa, referred to President Obama as “very, very urban,” while charging that as a senator he gave special favor to African American farmers who were victims of government discrimination.

Ethics committee releases hundreds of pages of documents from Rangel case  —  The House ethics committee on Tuesday released hundreds of pages of documents pertaining to the charges and subsequent trial of Rep. Charles Rangel, who was convicted on 11 counts of House ethics violations.

Yodelling offends praying Muslims, say judges  —  An Austrian has been fined for yodelling while mowing his lawn, according to a report.  —  The Kronen Zeitung newspaper claims Helmut G. was told by a court in Graz, Styria, that his yodelling offended his next-door Muslim neighbours.

Tempers Flare At Kentucky Unemployment Office As Benefits Expire For Thousands  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? … WASHINGTON — Tempers flared at an unemployment office in Louisville, Ky. as the end nears for federally-funded extended jobless benefits.  —  Local CBS affiliate WLKY captured …

Maryland Gov. O'Malley to head DGA  —  Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley is set to become the new head of the Democratic Governors Association, a source with knowledge of the appointment confirmed to The Ballot Box.  —  O'Malley and the rest of the DGA's incoming leadership team will be unveiled Wednesday at an event in Washington.

Wonkbook: Dem compromise would extend 90% of Bush tax cuts; food-safety bill comes to vote; federal-pay freeze  —  President Obama is meeting with the Republican congressional leadership today, but it's hard to imagine much progress being made at the powwow: Obama has already embraced …

Bipartisan group of senators calls for ethanol subsidies to expire  —  In a clear sign of momentum against ethanol subsidies, a bipartisan group of more than a dozen senators has signed onto a letter urging Senate leaders to let the subsidies expire during this Congress …