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.

Chuck Schumer vs. President Obama  —  It wasn't on the White House's official schedule, but on Nov. 22 Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) quietly slipped into the Oval Office on a self-appointed mission to steel Barack Obama for the tax cut fight.  —  Schumer, the newly anointed message guru …

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.

The Number: $858 Billion  —  The Obama-McConnell tax compromise will cost $858 billion over the next 10 years, according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office.  —  In other words, the Republican-backed tax plan will cost more than the stimulus bill, which priced out at $787 billion.

Senate delivers potentially fatal blow to 'don't ask, don't tell' repeal efforts  —  The Senate on Thursday dealt another punch - this one potentially fatal - to the legislative effort to end the military's “don't ask, don't tell” policy.  The result infuriated gay rights groups and thwarted …

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.

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 …

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 …

Lightning Round: Isn't “Triangulation” Just Another Way of Saying “Makes Political Deals?”  — No one knows what impact Ron Paul will have as the incoming chair of the House Domestic Monetary Policy Subcommittee, but this is one of those moments where it would be nice to have a consequence …

Geithner to Undergo Surgery Today to Remove Kidney Stone  —  ABC News' Matthew Jaffe reports:  —  Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner will undergo surgery today for a kidney stone, a spokesman at the agency announced this morning.  —  Treasury spokesman Steve Adamske said Geithner was admitted …

Why I Support the Ryan Roadmap  —  Let's not settle for the big-government status quo, which is what the president's deficit commission offers.  —  The publication of the findings of the president's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform was indeed, as the report was titled, “A Moment of Truth.”

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 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 …

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.

Cornyn: Alaskans Deserve Full Representation  —  An Alaska state court judge is expected to make a ruling on the Senate race by Friday, but with an appeal to the state Supreme Court likely, National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn said he hopes the court process concludes soon.

Big Patent Firm Sues Nine Tech Firms  —  Technology companies on Wednesday received troubling news that some had feared for years: Intellectual Ventures LLC has started suing.  —  The secretive firm co-founded by former Microsoft Corp. Chief Technology Officer Nathan Myhrvold has raised $5 billion …

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 …

Obama's Very Good Week  —  Over the past week we've seen the big differences between cluster liberals and network liberals.  Cluster liberals (like cluster conservatives) view politics as a battle between implacable opponents.  As a result, they believe victory is achieved through maximum unity.

Cuomo Gains an Ally for a Looming Fight With the Public-Employee Unions  —  Business and real estate executives intend to raise $10 million in the coming weeks in support of Governor-elect Andrew M. Cuomo's looming showdown with government employees' unions over wages and pensions.