Updates on the Clearing of Zuccotti Park  —  Overnight, hundreds of New York City police officers cleared Zuccotti Park of the Occupy Wall Street protesters and arrested dozens of people, forcing the two-month-old protest that had spawned a movement into a new and uncertain phase.

The Democrats' peculiar negotiating strategy  —  Over the past year, Republicans have learned something important about negotiating budget deals with Democrats: If you don't like their offer, just wait a couple of months.  —  The first budget showdown came in the lame-duck Congress …

Herman Cain offered Henry Kissinger secretary of state post  —  The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has posted a new set of Herman Cain videos online, including one in which the Republican presidential candidate says he offered Henry Kissinger a place in his administration, but was politely rebuffed by the former secretary of state.

The Medicaid Ambush  —  The Supreme Court's unexpected and astounding reasons for wanting to hear a challenge to Obamacare.  —  The Supreme Court's ruling on the Affordable Care Act could contain a few surprises.  —  The Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear a challenge to the Affordable Care Act …

Republican Candidates in Four-Way Dead Heat  —  Herman Cain, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are in a dead heat as the top choices for Iowans likely to attend the Jan. 3 Republican presidential caucuses.  —  A Bloomberg News poll shows Cain at 20 percent, Paul at 19 percent …

Solyndra: Energy Dept. pushed firm to keep layoffs quiet until after midterms  —  The Obama administration urged officers of the struggling solar company Solyndra to postpone announcing planned layoffs until after the November 2010 midterm elections, newly released e-mails show.

Perry calls for a part-time Congress, term-limited judges  —  Blasting the congressional “creatures of Washington” for being overpaid and detached from the struggles of the people outside the Beltway, Texas Gov. and GOP presidential hopeful Rick Perry vowed Tuesday to eliminate federal agencies …

Giffords' husband scolds Boehner for not visiting wounded lawmaker  —  In a new book, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords's (D-Ariz.) husband scolds House Speaker John Boehner for failing to visit his wounded wife while she was recovering from injuries sustained in a shooting.

McQueary on alleged rape: ‘I did stop it,’ did have discussions with police  —  2011 file photo of Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver coach Mike McQueary.  McQueary is seen here during Penn State action against the Temple Owls at Lincoln Financial Field.  (HOWARD SMITH / US PRESSWIRE / November 15, 2011)

Let's All Feel Superior  —  First came the atrocity, then came the vanity.  The atrocity is what Jerry Sandusky has been accused of doing at Penn State.  The vanity is the outraged reaction of a zillion commentators over the past week, whose indignation is based on the assumption …

Allies Accuse James O'Keefe of ‘Hit Job’ in Undercover NPR Sting  —  The two men who pulled off James O'Keefe's NPR sting are now criticizing the conservative activist for what one calls a ‘hit job.’ They tell Howard Kurtz exclusively why they feel exploited.  —  The fake Muslim donor had played his role perfectly.

Gingrich Said Paid by Freddie Mac to Win Allies  —  Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich said during a Nov. 9 debate that he earned a $300,000 fee to advise Freddie Mac as a “historian” who warned that the mortgage company's business model was “insane.”

Krugman vs Summers: The debate  —  I'm glad I found myself in Toronto this evening, because tonight's Munk Debate was illuminating and enjoyable.  The motion was that “North America faces a Japan-style era of high unemployment and slow growth”; Paul Krugman was arguing for it, while Larry Summers was arguing against.

Words, Mere Words: Newt Gingrich Speaks Well.  But Is He Smart?  —  If Newt Gingrich's career in public service proves anything, it is that he will never be caught saying “Oops.”  Gingrich is currently rising to frontrunner status in the Republican presidential primary largely because he's willing …