TPM SLIDESHOW: Meet The 2012 GOPers — Newt Gingrich  —  Pelosi knows more about Gingrich than perhaps any other major national political figure.  She was a senior Democrat when Gingrich was House Speaker, served on the ethics committee that investigated Gingrich for tax cheating …

Republicans See Gingrich, Romney as “Acceptable” Nominees  —  All other candidates seen as unacceptable by half or more of Republicans  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Newt Gingrich (62%) and Mitt Romney (54%) are the only two candidates Republicans say would be acceptable presidential nominees from their party …

Parties roll out dueling payroll tax proposals  —  House Republicans and Senate Democrats are on a collision course over extending a payroll tax break as the two sides intensify their legislative gamesmanship ahead of a crucial year-end deadline.  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid plans …

Fox News Business: The Muppets Are ‘Brainwashing’ Young People To Hate The Oil Industry  —  Life's a happy song, but not when Fox Business is singing along.  The network is upset that the new Muppets movie, The Muppets, features an oil tycoon as a villain, with various contributors complaining …

Rep. Kucinich: Downed drone plane ‘a step’ toward war with Iran  —  Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) on Monday said the fallout from a U.S. spy aircraft that crashed in Iran shows the American-led mission in Afghanistan is destabilizing the entire region.  —  Tensions have flared between Washington …

Romney staff spent nearly $100,000 to hide records  —  (Reuters) - Mitt Romney spent nearly $100,000 in state funds to replace computers in his office at the end of his term as governor of Massachusetts in 2007 as part of an unprecedented effort to keep his records secret, Reuters has learned.

Exclusive: ‘Dragon Tattoo’ Producer Scott Rudin Replies To David Denby's Upcoming New Yorker Review Embargo Break  —  “They reviewed what?”  —  If you follow movie insider baseball news you may have heard the embargo on Sony's “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” is about to break tomorrow …

Send in the Clueless  —  There are two crucial things you need to understand about the current state of American politics.  First, given the still dire economic situation, 2012 should be a year of Republican triumph.  Second, the G.O.P. may nonetheless snatch defeat from the jaws of victory — because Herman Cain was not an accident.

NASA finding feeds talk of a new Earth  —  Artist's conception illustrates Kepler-22b (NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech)  —  NASA has found a new planet outside Earth's solar system that is eerily similar to Earth in important aspects.  —  Scientists say the temperature on the surface of the planet is about a comfy 72 degrees (22 Celsius).

CHART OF THE DAY: Something Has Really Shifted In Europe This Time  —  It's tempting and easy to just say that whatever European leaders are cooking up right now is bound to fail, like every other past attempt at ending the crisis.  —  But here's a noteworthy market fact: Italian yields are collapsing today.

Society: Governments must tackle record gap between rich and poor, says OECD  —  The gap between rich and poor in OECD countries has reached its highest level for over over 30 years, and governments must act quickly to tackle inequality, according to a new OECD report.

OWS Are Just Sleeping in Tents, College Football Fans Are Rioting  —  Check out the scene in Stillwater at the end of Oklahoma State's college football victory against rival Oklahoma Saturday night.  Some reports called it as terrifying as a natural disaster.  Thousands of crazed fans rushed onto the field.

SWAT Raids, Stun Guns, And Pepper Spray: Why The Government Is Ramping Up The Use Of Force  —  In February of last year, video surfaced of a marijuana raid in Columbia, Mo. During the raid on Jonathan Whitworth and his family, police took down the door with a battering ram …

Ginger White on Herman Cain's Exit, His Arrogance—and Her Sex Claims  —  Ginger White, who dealt the death blow to Herman Cain's campaign by alleging a 13-year relationship, talks to Leslie Bennetts about:  —  A few hours after Herman Cain announced the end of his presidential campaign …

Issa expands Fast and Furious probe to include alleged money laundering  —  Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) has requested a briefing with the Justice Department over a news report that U.S. law enforcement officials helped Mexican drug cartels launder millions of dollars into the country.

Occupy D.C. protesters arrested in standoff over makeshift shelter at McPherson Sq.  —  View Photo Gallery —  Two groups of demonstrators have entrenched themselves in Freedom Plaza and McPherson Square downtown.  Another group of Occupy protesters from New York walked to the District to join them.