The Gingrich Tragedy  —  Of all the major Republicans, the one who comes closest to my worldview is Newt Gingrich.  Despite his erratically shifting views and odd phases, he continually returns to this core political refrain: He talks about using government in energetic but limited ways to increase growth, dynamism and social mobility.

Donald Trump looks into canceling GOP debate he's set to host  —  The Donald says he may still run for the White House as an independent  —  Donald Trump smiles at left as Republican presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich talks to media after their meeting in New York, Monday, Dec. 5, 2011.

Europe's disastrous summit  —  I thought disasters were all meant to happen over the weekend?  Somehow, in Brussels, EU leaders have contrived to pull defeat out of the jaws of victory on Thursday night, leaving Friday for finger-pointing and recriminations and wondering whether anybody …

Repeal of sodomy, bestiality ban sparks fight on Defense bill  —  One surprising issue is riling both social conservatives and animal rights activists: the repeal of a ban on sodomy and bestiality.  —  As the final Defense authorization bill gets hammered out in conference committee …

Labor Board Drops Case Against Boeing  —  A top official with the National Labor Relations Board announced on Friday that the agency was dropping its politically charged case against Boeing, in which the agency had accused the company of violating federal labor law by opening a new aircraft production plant in South Carolina.

The Real G.O.P. Dark Horse: None of the Above  —  Two of my favorite analysts, Rhodes Cook and Josh Putnam, have a good debate going about just how plausible it is that a Republican who is not currently running for president could enter the race later and potentially win it (probably necessitating a brokered convention).

House GOP releases payroll tax package under Obama veto threat  —  House Republicans on Friday released their legislation to extend the payroll tax cut, reform and extend unemployment insurance, and fix the Medicare reimbursement rate for doctors.  —  The move sets up a vote on the year-end package as early as Tuesday.

Gingrich: Palestinians ‘invented,’ promises Netanyahu-style foreign policy  —  Former Speaker Newt Gingrich dismissed the Palestinian bid for statehood as the effort of an “invented Palestinian people, who are in fact Arabs, and were historically part of the Arab community.”

Saint Paul: Inside Ron Paul's effort to convince Christian conservatives that he's their man  —  DES MOINES, Iowa—Ron Paul, standing backstage before a Republican presidential debate in Spartanburg, South Carolina not long ago, was talking to Doug Wead, one of his senior advisers, about his Christian faith.

GOP Objects To ‘Millionaires Surtax’; Millionaires We Found?  Not So Much  —  For the second week in a row, the Senate on Thursday voted down proposals to extend the payroll tax holiday through next year.  In the case of the Democrats' proposal, Republicans objected to the “millionaires surtax” that would be used to pay for it.

Record High Anti-Incumbent Sentiment Toward Congress  —  But voters are more inclined to say their own representative deserves re-election  —  PRINCETON, NJ — About three-quarters of registered voters (76%) say most members of Congress do not deserve re-election, the highest such percentage Gallup …

Sanders proposes amendment to the Constitution that would limit free speech  —  Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Thursday proposed an amendment to the Constitution to exclude corporations from First Amendment rights to spend money on political campaigns.  —  The bill is a reaction …

The Huntsman 2016 Fallacy  —  Jon Chait points out, correctly, that Newt Gingrich should be hoping against hope that a Jon Huntsman surge in New Hampshire cuts into Mitt Romney's support.  But then he veers off into implausible speculations about Huntsman's 2016 ambitions:

The Millionaire Subsidy Elimination Act  —  Cutting benefits to those who don't need them is a better way to trim deficits than hurting the economy with higher tax rates.  —  On Tuesday, President Obama once again blamed the lack of progress on the budget deficit on Republicans' refusal …