Gingrich, Romney Go to a Tie; More See Obama as Competitive  —  Newt Gingrich has relinquished sole front-runner status almost as quickly as he gained it, landing at a dead heat with Mitt Romney in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll.  And as the GOP hopefuls battle it out, ratings of Barack Obama's prospects have warmed.

House GOP postpones payroll vote  —  House Republicans postponed a planned Monday night vote on the Senate-passed payroll tax cut bill, bowing to pressure from rank-and-file lawmakers to fight the battle in a fresh media cycle, avoid a dark-of-night vote and, perhaps most important …

Video: The weeping North Koreans; Update: New leader may be more psycho than dad, says U.S. intel  —  Don't just sample the clip for 10 seconds.  Watch to the end and drink in the full spectacle of grown men, prostrate, screaming in grief at the death of their subjugator.

PolitiFact ought to be ashamed of itself  —  The fact-checking website PolitiFact has announced its “Lie of the Year” for 2011.  It made a poor, credibility-killing choice. … This is simply indefensible.  Claims that are factually true shouldn't be eligible for a Lie of the Year designation.

GOP unhappiness with field fuels buzz for Jeb Bush  —  There's no doubt some Republicans remain unhappy with the GOP presidential field.  They wish other candidates — Mitch Daniels, Chris Christie, Paul Ryan, Jeb Bush — had entered a long time ago.  But the Iowa caucuses are in two weeks.

POTUS Has Coffee with Progressive Media Stars  —  An all-star list of progressive and liberal media folks came to the White House today to chat with President Obama over coffee in the Roosevelt Room.  —  The group chatted with the president about economic messaging, his agenda for 2012 …

U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Pays Homage to Obama—But Not Jesus  —  (CNSNews.com) - The 63-foot Sierra White Fir lighted at the U.S. Capitol Grounds on Dec. 6 as the official 2011 Capitol Christmas Tree includes a prominently displayed ornament paying homage to President Barack Obama …

Secrecy defines Obama's drone war  —  Since September, at least 60 people have died in 14 reported CIA drone strikes in Pakistan's tribal regions.  The Obama administration has named only one of the dead, hailing the elimination of Janbaz Zadran, a top official in the Haqqani insurgent network, as a counterterrorism victory.

Bankers Seek to Debunk ‘Imbecile’ Attack on Top 1%  —  Jamie Dimon, the highest-paid chief executive officer among the heads of the six biggest U.S. banks, turned a question at an investors' conference in New York this month into an occasion to defend wealth.

Industry: Light bulb war a dim idea  —  Big Business usually loves it when the GOP goes to war over federal rules.  —  But not when it comes to light bulbs.  —  This year, House Republicans made it a top priority to roll back regulations they say are too costly for business.

Gingrich's sale of mailing list unlawful, watchdog group charges  —  A watchdog group filed an elections complaint Monday against Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich over his lucrative mailing list, which the campaign has said it purchased from the candidate for $42,000.

Sarah Palin Tells Fox Business Network That 'It's Not Too Late' To Jump Into The GOP Race  —  In a pre-taped interview set to air tonight on Fox Business Network's “Follow The Money,” Eric Bolling mentioned to Sarah Palin that people constantly tell him they wish she was running for President.

Ron Paul panic seizes Iowa establishment  —  SIOUX CITY, IOWA -The alarms are sounding in Iowa.  —  Conservatives and Republican elites in the state are divided over who to support for the GOP nomination, but they almost uniformly express concern over the prospect that Ron Paul and his army …

Congress Ends 2011 With Record-Low 11% Approval  —  Annual average for 2011, 17%, also lowest in Gallup history  —  PRINCETON, NJ — A new record-low 11% of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing, the lowest single rating in Gallup's history of asking this question since 1974.