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 …

The End of Social Security  —  President Obama and the Republicans will say that the payroll tax holiday is all about stimulating the economy.  But don't be fooled.  According to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities,extending the Making Work Pay Tax Credit, is a much better, more targeted stimulus.

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.

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.

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.

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 …

U.S. Ends Push to Renew Israeli Freeze on Settlements  —  WASHINGTON — After three weeks of fruitless haggling with the Israeli government, the Obama administration has given up its effort to persuade Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to renew an expired freeze on the construction …