Senate Republicans Block Tax Cut Plan that Leaves Out High Earners … Republican senators voted Saturday to block consideration of two Democratic proposals to permanently extend the expiring Bush tax cuts for all but the highest earners.  —  In a rare weekend session …

Dem congressman: Afghanistan conflict ‘not a winnable war’  —  With President Obama on the ground in Afghanistan Friday, Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) declared the U.S.-led war in that country unwinnable.  —  In an appearance on MSNBC's “Hardball” with Chris Matthews, the Democrat said the war …

She Who Must Not Be Named  —  This is it.  This is the last time I'm going to write the name Sarah Palin until she does something truly newsworthy, like declare herself a candidate for the presidency.  Until then, I will no longer take part in the left's obsessive-compulsive fascination with her …

SENATOR COLLINS' STATEMENT ON 'DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL'  —  Following the conclusion of today's Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the military's “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” policy, Senator Susan Collins released this statement:  —  “Like our closest allies, the United States' Armed Forces …

4 Million Americans Set To Lose Unemployment Benefits Even If Congress Passes Extension (CHART)  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? … Even as Congress debates whether to extend emergency unemployment checks for more than 6 million Americans who are approaching the 99-week limit …

TRENDING: Palin book signing a tightly controlled operation  —  Columbia, South Carolina (CNN) - Members of the media and book-toting Sarah Palin supporters were asked to follow a surprisingly strict set of guidelines Friday as the former Alaska governor appeared in South Carolina on the final stop …

New Jersey Closer to Sales of Medical Marijuana  —  A standoff between Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey and advocates for medical marijuana has ended in a compromise that could put marijuana on the market for seriously ill patients by next summer.  —  The new regulations, announced on Friday …

Viacom Says YouTube Ruling Will ‘Completely Destroy’ Copyright  —  Viacom appealed Friday its unsuccessful $1 billion copyright lawsuit against Google's YouTube in a case testing the depths of copyright-infringement protection under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998.

Hold the brownies!  Bill could limit bake sales … WASHINGTON (AP) — Don't touch my brownies!  —  A child nutrition bill on its way to President Barack Obama — and championed by the first lady — gives the government power to limit school bake sales and other fundraisers that health advocates …

The new humane: killing terrorists instead of capturing them  —  Over the years, I have warned that the attempts to shoehorn wartime operations against terrorists through criminal courts would produce distorted decisions on fighting, especially on the desirability of capturing terrorists.

O'Donnell had nearly $1 million left  —  Delaware Republican Christine O'Donnell criticized the national GOP for not spending money on her campaign, but the long-shot Senate nominee was sitting on a mountain of cash.  —  O'Donnell reported having $924,800 in the bank after the election was over …

The sight of women's breasts won't deter Islamists - they're obsessed with sex  —  Denmark's government is being called upon to employ a lethal new weapon in the fight against Islamist extremism: bare breasts.  —  No, I'm not making this up - and also deny outrageous suggestions that I'm looking …

Hardball  —  From First Read: … Maybe a reluctance to play hardball is the issue here.  But there are at least two other things involved.  The first is simply that Republicans believe their own PR more than Democrats do.  When Republicans get hysterical about something, it's genuine.

The November Employment Report: A Wake-up Call  —  Awful.  That's the best one can say about the November employment report.  The headline — that unemployment jumped to 9.8 percent — is not really the bad news.  If and when the economy does catch fire, droves of discouraged workers …

After Catfood Commission Fails to Meet Mandate, Dem Senators Rally for Austerity  —  Fourteen Democratic Senators have asked Harry Reid for action on reining in the budget deficit, on the same day that the Catfood Commission failed to reach the threshold to deliver an official report.