Climategate 2.0 emails - They're real and they're spectacular!  —  UPDATE: 8:20 AM PST These emails have not been verified yet, and this story was posted by one of my moderating staff while I was asleep.  Until such time they are verified, tread lightly because without knowing what is behind …

New ThinkProgress ‘Ad’: Romney Says 'Let Us Just Raise Your Taxes Some More'*  —  Yesterday, Mitt Romney released his first campaign ad, which quotes President Obama saying “if we keep talking about the economy, we're going to lose.”  But those weren't Obama's words; he was quoting a strategist for Sen. John McCain in 2008.

It Figures... UC Davis Students AGREED to Be Pepper Sprayed Before Incident (Video) ...Update: UC Davis Pepper Spray Massacre Victims Giggled & Smiled Describing Historic Torture  —  For the record...  The UC Davis students who were holding the illegal protest on campus last weekend were warned …

Michele Bachmann's Entrance On Jimmy Fallon?  The Fishbone Song ‘Lyin’ Ass Bitch'  —  Earlier this morning, our own Nando Di Fino critiqued Michele Bachmann's appearance on last night's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon by saying that that the first half of her segment, when she discussed …

Gingrich On Top Of GOP Pack As Cain Fades, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Romney Ties Obama In One-On-One Matchup  —  Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich more than doubles his share of the Republican presidential vote to lead the presidential pack with 26 percent and in a head …

Obama heckled by protesters at New Hampshire speech  —  President Obama was heckled on Tuesday during an appearance at a New Hampshire high school.  —  Obama had traveled north to the Granite State, which holds the nation's first presidential primary, to discuss the economy and his proposal to extend a current payroll tax cut.

Gov. John Kitzhaber stops executions in Oregon, calls system ‘compromised and inequitable’  —  SALEM — Gov. John Kitzhaber announced today he will not allow the execution of Gary Haugen — or any death row inmate — to take place while he is in office.  —  The death penalty is morally wrong and unjustly administered, Kitzhaber said.

Supercommittee meltdown: Behind the scenes  —  But meetings of the full 12-member panel soon proved fruitless, quickly devolving into smaller and smaller groups — and smaller and smaller proposals.  What began as a $4 trillion “big deal” morphed all the way down to the $643 billion plan that Jackson proposed last Friday.

Despite attacks, Dems standing by Occupy Wall Street  —  For weeks now, Republicans have attacked Democrats for voicing support for the Occupy Wall Street protesters, in particular faulting the DCCC for standing up for them.  And the incidents of violence and excess have led some neutral commentators …

Live Blog: CNN Republican National Security Debate  —  Washington, D.C. (CNN) - The CNN Political Ticker is live blogging the CNN Republican National Security Debate in Washington, D.C. Check here for live updates throughout the event and be sure to follow @PoliticalTicker, @CNNPolitics and use #CNNDebate.

A complicated Romney family  —  Part of Mitt Romney's political persona is his perfect family: His oft-mentioned marriage of 40 years, his five handsome, successful sons and their photogenic families.  Like much with Romney, it's an asset that is on the edge of being a liability …

The Path to 270  —  Demographics Versus Economics in the 2012 Presidential Election  —  Changing demographics and the perceived and real state of the economy will play a huge role in determining the presidential winner when voters head to the polls in 2012.  —  SOURCE: AP/ Pat Sullivan

The Huntsman Dilemma  —  After spending $800,000-plus on media over the last several months, Our Destiny PAC, the pro-Jon Huntsman political action committee, plans to spend an additional $650,000 on new television ads for the New Hampshire primary.  If Huntsman were a viable contender, this might make sense.

Occupy L.A. receives offer to decamp  —  Protesters could get downtown office space and farmland if they leave City Hall.  —  Jim Lafferty, who has been negotiating with city officials on behalf of Occupy L.A., addresses protesters.  (Robert Lachman, Los Angeles Times / November 21, 2011)

The Two Moons  —  In 1951, Samuel Lubell invented the concept of the political solar system.  At any moment, he wrote, there is a Sun Party (the majority party, which drives the agenda) and a Moon Party (the minority party, which shines by reflecting the solar rays).