Swindle of the year  —  Barack Obama won the great tax-cut showdown of 2010 - and House Democrats don't have a clue that he did.  In the deal struck this week, the president negotiated the biggest stimulus in American history, larger than his $814 billion 2009 stimulus package.

Assange Lawyers Prepare for U.S. Spying Indictment  —  Attorney Says American Indictment Related to Espionage Act Imminent for Wikileaks Founder  —  Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, the man behind the publication of more than a 250,000 classified U.S. diplomatic cables …

BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL  —  Obama honors Nobel winner with statement about himself  —  There was an extraordinary scene at the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo Friday morning.  The prize went to imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, who was barred by the Chinese government from attending the ceremony.

‘Filibernie’: Sanders blasts tax deal for five hours and counting  —  Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is railing against President Obama's tax-cut package in a lengthy floor speech.  —  Sanders, one of the Senate's leading liberals, is protesting Obama's deal with Republicans …

Levi's Story  —  A study on “When Marriage Disappears: The Retreat from Marriage in Middle America” was published Monday by the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia and the Center for Marriage and Families at the Institute for American Values.

Richard Wolffe mocks Palin and C.S. Lewis as just “a children's author”  —  I don't know if I should expect any better from ignoramuses from MSNBC, but this is supposedly a “respectable news organization” with shallow and arrogant individuals who only live to ridicule and belittle without thinking.

The Senate Stands for Injustice  —  On one of the most shameful days in the modern history of the Senate, the Republican minority on Thursday prevented a vote to allow gay and lesbian soldiers to serve openly in the military of the United States.  They chose to filibuster a vital defense bill …

MAKING THE RANK-AND-FILE LOOK REASONABLE BY COMPARISON.... Jay Bookman notes a couple of interesting poll results this week, measuring Republican voters' attitudes on some key issues.  —  Gallup, for example, found that almost half of the country's GOP voters support repealing the existing “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” policy.

The dirtiest word in politics: Has Barack Obama been caught triangulating?  —  The naughty word is “triangulation,” and it does indeed sound like something that in some conservative locales might still be against the law, even if rarely prosecuted when practiced by consenting adults.

Introducing “The Cannabis Closet”  —  Longtime Dishheads will remember that rather extraordinary reader email thread that had to do with secret middle-class, mainstream marijuana use - for medical and non-medical reasons.  The thread “The Cannabis Closet” began with one reader email in March 2009 …

Americans in Poll Want Deficit Cut With Entitlements Secured  —  Americans want Congress to bring down a federal budget deficit that many believe is “dangerously out of control,” only under two conditions: minimize the pain and make the rich pay.  —  The public wants Congress to keep …

The Great College-Degree Scam  —  With the help of a small army of researchers and associates (most importantly, Chris Matgouranis, Jonathan Robe, and Chris Denhart) and starting with help from Douglas Himes of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the Center for College Affordability and Productivity …

IKE'S SPEECH  —  Afew months ago, Grant Moos was closing his boathouse, near Hackensack, Minnesota, as he does every summer, tying up loose ends, sweeping up debris.  This year, though, his sister Kathy insisted that it was finally time to do something about six cardboard boxes that for decades …

DADT Repeal: Heads They Win; Tails We Lose  —  If it fails in the Senate - despite solid public support, endorsement from the Joint Chiefs, backing from the Defense Secretary, a big majority in the House and a 57 - 40 vote in the Senate - what does this say about gays having a fair chance in the legislative process?

A bill to provide for the repeal of the Department of Defense policy concerning homosexuality in...  Overview … The text of this legislation is not yet available on GovTrack.  It may not have been made available by the Government Printing Office yet.  —  Introduced  —  Referred to Committee

Dems show signs of abandoning Obama elsewhere after frustration with tax deal  —  Incensed over President Obama's tax compromise, House Democratic leaders are showing signs of abandoning the administration and going their own way on critical issues such as national security.

Daniels Backs Off Moratorium On Social Issue Legislation  —  Abortion, Same-Sex Marriage Expected To Be Raised Next Year  —  INDIANAPOLIS — Gov. Mitch Daniels has backed down on his request for a moratorium on social issues in the upcoming legislative session.

Companies Cling to Cash  —  Coffers Swell to 51-year high as Cautious Firms Put Off Investing in Growth  —  Corporate America's cash pile has hit its highest level in half a century.  —  Rather than pouring their money into building plants or hiring workers, nonfinancial companies in the U.S …

JP Morgan and the Massive Silver Short - The Greatest Story Ever Told  —  Pssst - hey - did you guys hear the news?  JP Morgan is short 4 quadrillion tons of aluminum.  If everyone in America went out and bought just 2 cans of chicken noodle soup, we could bankrupt JP Morgan, cure hunger, and destroy the flu at the same time!