House Democrats defy Obama on tax cut bill  —  (CNN) - Defying President Obama, House Democrats voted Thursday not to bring up the tax package that he negotiated with Republicans in its current form.  —  “This message today is very simple: That in the form that it was negotiated, it is not acceptable to the House Democratic caucus.

LEAKED EMAIL: Fox boss caught slanting news reporting  —  At the height of the health care reform debate last fall, Bill Sammon, Fox News' controversial Washington managing editor, sent a memo directing his network's journalists not to use the phrase “public option.”

Why liberals don't like the tax cut deal — in graphs  —  CAP's Michael Linden produced a nice chart showing why the tax deal is tough for liberals to swallow:  —  The red and blue on the chart are a bit confusing, so read it closely: On the left, you're seeing the amount of money Obama …

‘Anything and Everything’: Palin's Reading List  —  Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is the only person to make the Most Fascinating list three consecutive years in a row.  Palin tells Walters that she is seriously considering a run for the White House and believes she can beat President Obama in 2012.

Westboro Baptist Church says it will picket Elizabeth Edwards' funeral  —  (CNN) - Members of the Westboro Baptist Church announced Thursday plans to picket Saturday's funeral for Elizabeth Edwards in Raleigh, North Carolina.  —  The Kansas-based Church - monitored by anti-hate groups …

Palin in Progress: What Does She Want?  —  For the longest time, Sarah Palin was leery of Facebook.  Some of the comments left on her page during the 2008 vice-presidential campaign were so withering and unpleasant that it took months of coaxing by her staff and her daughters Bristol and Willow …

The Obama Stimulus Impact?  Zero  —  Liberals are still arguing that the federal spending stimulus wasn't large enough.  How many multiples of nothing—its result according to new evidence—would they like?  —  For the past two years, economists writing on these pages and elsewhere …

BACHUS ANNOUNCES FINANCIAL SERVICES LEADERSHIP TEAM  —  Congressman Spencer Bachus (AL-6), Chairman-elect of the House Financial Services Committee, today announced his appointments for committee leadership positions in the 112th Congress.  In addition to naming the vice chairman and subcommittee leaders …

Most Americans Say They're Worse Off Under Obama: Poll  —  More than 50 percent of Americans say they are worse off now than they were two years ago when President Barack Obama took office, and two-thirds believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, a Bloomberg National Poll shows.

Sarah Palin Goes Abroad  —  The Daily Beast has learned exclusively that Sarah Palin is planning her first real foreign trip—a move that could burnish her foreign policy credentials in advance of a 2012 presidential run.  —  The Daily Beast has learned that Sarah Palin will be traveling overseas in the new year.

In U.S., 67% Support Repealing “Don't Ask, Don't Tell”  —  The most opposition comes from conservative Republicans  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Lawmakers seeking to repeal the military's “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” policy have a large majority of Americans behind them.

DREAM Act in danger after Senate Dems pull it from consideration  —  Washington (CNN) — Senate Democrats conceded Thursday they don't have the votes to pass the DREAM Act, a bill that would have offered a path to citizenship for some illegal immigrants who entered the United States as children.

Iowa GOP chair to seek 2nd term, cites Nov. gains  —  DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa's Republican Party chairman said Thursday that he will seek a second term and doesn't expect any opposition.  —  “I've got well over majority support in the committee,” said Matt Strawn.

GOP gets queasy over earmark ban  —  After agreeing to kill earmarks, some of the most conservative GOP lawmakers are already starting to ask themselves: What have we done?  —  Indeed, many Republicans are now worried that the bridges in their districts won't be fixed …

The tax deal in one graph  —  From the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:  —  Or maybe you prefer bar graphs?