Let's Not Make a Deal  —  Back in 2001, former President George W. Bush pulled a fast one.  He wanted to enact an irresponsible tax cut, largely for the benefit of the wealthiest Americans.  But there were Senate rules in place designed to prevent that kind of irresponsibility.

Mike Huckabee wants some respect  —  Dial down the deafening Sarah Palin buzz for just a moment: The most consequential decision in the 2012 Republican presidential sweepstakes could be whether Mike Huckabee decides to run again - and associates say the former Arkansas governor may well take the plunge.

List of facilities ‘vital to US security’ leaked  —  Ningbo port in south-eastern China, one of the facilities on the US list  —  A long list of key facilities around the world that the US describes as vital to its national security has been released by Wikileaks.

Dems aim for 100+ bills in 1 swoop  —  Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Environment and Public Worls Committee has threatened to block swift approval of a land and water omnibus bill if it includes, for example, the version of the Chesapeake Bay protection bill that passed …

Saudi man has never seen his wife's face after ten years of marriage  —  These habits “have nothing to do with Islam,” says Mufleh Mohammed, and strictly speaking, he's right: a Muslim woman is under no obligation to cover her face in front of her husband.  Nonetheless, the idea …

In Interview, Bernanke Backs Tax Code Shift  —  WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, said in an interview broadcast on Sunday evening that rising inequality was eroding social cohesion and that Congress could help economic growth by making the tax code more efficient.

Rangel could face more charges  —  Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) might not be out of the woods yet.  —  The House voted last Thursday to censure the former Ways and Means Committee chairman for violating 11 House ethics rules.  Next, he may be facing an investigation at the hands of the Federal Election Commission.

The Fed Has a $110 Billion Problem with New Benjamins  —  A significant production problem with new high-tech $100 bills has caused government printers to shut down production of the new notes and to quarantine more than one billion of the bills in huge vaults in Fort Worth, Texas and Washington, DC, CNBC has learned.

Short goodnight expected for the DREAM Act during lame duck  —  The DREAM Act — a priority of Democrats in both Congress and the White House — faces a difficult future in the lame duck.  —  Even as Democrats in both chambers prepare to consider the measure this week …

Exclusive: Gen. Petraeus Not ‘Sure’ Victory in Afghanistan by 2014  —  In my exclusive interview with General David Petraeus he was encouraged by the progress made since President Obama's surge of forces into Afghanistan, but is he confident that the Afghan army can take the lead from U.S. forces by NATO's 2014 deadline?

David Frum, Speech Policeman  —  Last week, the distinguished liberal thinker and activist William Galston, along with an equally distinguished conservative counterpart, David Frum, announced in the Washington Post the forthcoming founding of a new organization called “No Labels.”

Time to Think the Unthinkable: A Democratic Primary Challenge To Obama's Reelection  —  What's Your Reaction:  —  Can't tell you how it happened.  All I know, it just happened.  —  Been thinking and reading a lot about President Barack Obama.  Lots of news commentaries about his alleged lack of leadership on this or that issue.

Despite losses, DCCC promotes staffer to top job  —  Rep. Steve Israel (N.Y.) promoted an internal candidate to be the new executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.  —  Israel, the new DCCC chairman, announced Monday that Robby Mook would be the committee's next top staffer.

Talks begin on Iran's nuclear program  —  Western officials see the Geneva meetings as a test of whether Iran is more willing to bend to international pressure.  —  Jacques Audibert, general and strategic affairs director of France, third from left, talks to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov …