Newt Gingrich Said What?  —  Recalling a speech where Newt Gingrich proposed abolishing tenure at state universities, I decided to go through the news archives for other examples of bold, intriguing ideas that went nowhere.  There is no doubt that Newt Gingrich is one of the most creative and energetic thinkers in the Republican Party.

Shockingly, Morning Joe Transcript Actually Worth Five Minutes of Your Time  —  But only five minutes.  —  Down on Obama, and that includes the liberals, who are beginning to get as distracted and depressed as he is, over the burden of having to spin his failures.  —  Video at the link, but here's some good parts.

Occupy L.A.: 30 tons of debris left behind at City Hall tent city  —  Sanitation officials said Wednesday that they expect to haul away 30 tons of debris from the Occupy L.A. encampment — everything from clothing to heaps of garbage to oddball curiosities left behind by the protesters …

A second Iranian nuclear facility has exploded, as diplomatic tensions rise between the West and Tehran  —  SHEERA FRENKEL - … AN IRANIAN nuclear facility has been hit by a huge explosion, the second such blast in a month, prompting speculation that Tehran's military and atomic sites are under attack.

Stocks Surge After Central Banks' Action on Debt Crisis  —  A move announced by central bankers on Wednesday to contain the European debt crisis resulted in euphoria in global stock markets, but it also prompted skeptics to wonder: will this time be different?

Pike church takes stand against interracial couples  —  A small Pike County church has voted not to accept interracial couples as members or let them take part in some worship activities.  —  The decision has caused sharp reaction and disapproval in the Eastern Kentucky county.

Mayor Bloomberg: ‘I Have My Own Army’  —  In a speech at MIT last night to discuss the packed sweepstakes to build a tech campus in New York City, Mayor Bloomberg said he prefers City Hall to the White House.  Almost immediately after Mayor Bloomberg dampened recent speculation he's eyeing a White House bid …

Barney the bully: Congressman Frank's other legacy  —  The morning after his retirement announcement, Rep. Barney Frank scored an interview on NBC's “Today” show, gaining the opportunity to act as an elder statesman in front of a TV audience of millions.  Instead, the Massachusetts Democrat chose to quarrel with the interviewer.

Movers, deputies refuse to evict 103-year-old woman  —  ATLANTA, Ga. —  A 103-year-old woman and her 83-year-old daughter were just moments from being evicted from their home Tuesday, when sheriff's deputies and the moving company hired by the bank decided not to go through with the action.

Republican leaders warn rank and file: Don't blow our advantage on taxes  —  House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Wednesday that Republicans support extending the payroll-tax cut but that “there's no debate” about whether the measure should be paid for.  —  “We're going to continue …

TPM2012  —  Bachmann: I Would Close Our (Non-Existent) Embassy In Iran  —  Michele Bachmann has had her fair share of foreign policy stumbles, but she just hit a whole new level.  —  According to a tweet from NBC News' Jamie Novogrod, Bachmann responded to the recent raiding of the British embassy …

Obama Admin Seals Records of Murdered Border Patrol Agent Implicated in Fast and Furious  —  And to think that Attorney General Eric Holder is getting testy about congressional calls for his resignation.  After all, the Justice Department has nothing to hide, right?

Here's to Potty-Mouthing, and the Real Lesson for All of Us  —  It is very clear that Emma Sullivan of Shawnee Mission East High School is a late-charging entrant for Person of the Year at the blog here.  If there was ever any doubt, it was erased when Ruth Marcus, an “opinion writer” …

Dem Recruit Attacks GOP Congressman for Backing Obama  —  Here's a telling sign of how much President Obama's fortunes have changed since 2008 — a leading Democratic Congressional recruit is now attacking a Republican congressman for supporting the president.

Perry Warns Uncooperative Federal Workers: I'll ‘Reassign Them To Some Really God-Awful Place’ (VIDEO) … Elections 2012 , Rick Perry , Video , Rick Perry 2012 , Rick Perry Epa , Rick Perry Federal Bureaucrats , Rick Perry For President , Rick Perry New Hampshire , Politics News

Exclusive: Secret Conference Held to ‘Save Exodus International’ from Ruin  —  Exodus President Alan Chambers called a meeting together this past November 16.  The subject was quite simply how to keep Exodus International from social and financial oblivion.

Cain Pledges to Stay in Race  —  Herman Cain addressed supporters at a campaign stop in Ohio on Wednesday.  —  10:54 p.m. |  Updated The full report of this article is available here.  —  DAYTON, Ohio — A buoyant and defiant Herman Cain took the stage in a hotel ballroom on Wednesday morning …

DOD to offer sneak peek at budget  —  Senior Pentagon officials are likely to give lawmakers an early peek at the military's 2013 budget plan in an attempt to control the political backlash over the spending cuts it contains, Defense sources told The Hill.  —  Officials are likely …

Obama's city visit, Rockefeller tree tourists create traffic ‘nightmare’  —  Is he gone yet?  —  President Obama's fund-raising foray into Manhattan today created enough gridlock to make Congress envious — at almost the exact moment that thousands of tourists jammed into Rockefeller Center to watch the Christmas tree-lighting.

Three inconvenient truths for Occupy Wall Street  —  Occupy Wall Street needs to recognize some realities about what drives income inequality.  —  Occupy Wall street demonstrators lock arms as they block Broad street near the New York Stock Exchange in lower Manhattan on Nov. 17.  (Mike Segar / Reuters)