Obama Defiant in Defending Tax-Cut Plan as ‘Good Deal’  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama, facing a Democratic revolt over his tax accord with Republicans, defended the package on Tuesday, saying his party's lawmakers ought to support it as a “good deal for the American people” …

Cancer claims Elizabeth Edwards  —  Elizabeth Edwards, author of ‘Saving Graces’ , greets and autographs copies of her book for the community in 2006.  —  Elizabeth Anania Edwards, who became a national figure in her fight against cancer and as a partner in her husband John's political career, died today.

The Wikileaks sex files: How two one-night stands sparked a worldwide hunt for Julian Assange  —  A winter morning in backwoods Scandinavia and the chime of a church bell drifts across the snowbound town of Enkoping.  Does it also toll for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange?

Obama: On the way to a failed presidency?  —  Ronald Reagan famously quipped that the Democratic Party left him before he left the party.  Like many progressive supporters of Barack Obama, I'm beginning to have the same feeling about this president.  —  Consider what we've seen since …

Obama administers a stern scolding to lefty critics  —  I noted this morning that Obama's strategy going forward will be to position himself as Washington's lone resident adult in a town full of squabbling children on right and left, and at his presser just now, Obama offered a surprisingly stern …

Seminal Moment  —  Let's be honest with each other here: Presidential press conferences are usually news voids into which a lot of ink and chatter are dumped.  —  But Obama's press conference this afternoon will be seen as a turning point if not in his Presidency then in how we understand and perceive him and his approach to politics.

So much for bipartisanship: Obama calls GOP “hostage-takers,” Boehner a “bomb-thrower;” attacks lib critics, too  —  President Obama looks haggard and peeved and petulant at his White House press briefing on the tax deal, still underway as I type.  —  Exuding his typical gracelessness …

One More Nail In The Social Security Coffin  —  Social Security expert Nancy Altman has written a piece today spelling out the dangers of the presidents tax cut compromise to Social security: … It's a landmine.  The Republicans are going to run on the president's stated desire to raise taxes in 2012 —

GOP taps Hal Rogers for House Appropriates Committee Chair  —  House Republicans have tapped Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) to be chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, setting up an old bull appropriator with a history of earmarking to deliver on the anti-spending tea party platform that carried the GOP to victory this fall.

Secret GOP plan: Push states to declare bankruptcy and smash unions  —  Congressional Republicans appear to be quietly but methodically executing a plan that would a) avoid a federal bailout of spendthrift states and b) cripple public employee unions by pushing cash-strapped states such as California and Illinois to declare bankruptcy.

Shanghai Test Scores Stun Educators  —  With China's debut in international standardized testing, students in Shanghai have surprised experts by outscoring their counterparts in dozens of other countries, in reading as well as in math and science, according to the results of a respected exam.

Baywatch star claims she was singled out for a TSA full body scan because of her looks  —  Former Baywatch beauty Donna D'Errico claimed she was singled out for a full body scan because of her looks.  —  The actress and former Playboy Playmate says she was humiliated by a smirking airport security guard …