The GOP's payroll tax debacle  —  Now that Congress has reached agreement on what must be one of the worst pieces of legislation in years — the temporary payroll tax holiday extension — let's survey the damage.  —  To begin with, what even minimally rational government enacts payroll tax relief for just two months?

TNR Exclusive: A Collection of Ron Paul's Most Incendiary Newsletters  —  For years, Ron Paul published a series of newsletters that dispensed political news and investment advice, but also routinely indulged in bigotry.  Here's a selection of some especially inflammatory passages …

Iowa Conservative Leader Mired in Controversy After Rick Santorum Endorsement  —  ABC News' Shushannah Walshe and Michael Falcone report:  —  DAVENPORT, Iowa — An Iowa Christian conservative leader who bestowed his highly sought-after endorsement on presidential candidate Rick Santorum …

Obama Blames Hawaii for his ‘Deep Down’ Laziness  —  The personality trait President Obama says he most deplores in himself and others is not exactly one you'd expect from, presumably, one of the busiest people in the world: laziness.  —  “You're lazy?”  Barbara Walters incredulously asked Obama …

Fox Celebrates Holidays With Outrageous Race-Based Attack On Obama  —  Fox News' animosity toward President Obama, three years into his presidency, is by now well-known.  This is the network that routinely calls Obama a socialist, accuses him of being involved in all sorts of conspiratorial plots, and claims that he hates America.

Vice President: This is what a real opportunity society looks like  —  M itt Romney recently laid out his plan for America.  Reading about it, I thought of my dad.  My dad was a hard worker.  He took pride in what he did.  And, like millions of Americans, that pride was put to the test …

Poll: Berkley holds slim lead over Heller for Senate seat  —  WASHINGTON — For many people, the dawn of a new year can mean a fresh start, a clean slate.  For the politicians running to represent Nevada in the U.S. Senate, the view close to the new year is a nearly level battlefield judging from the latest measure of public sentiment.

Oh Wow!  —  Some highlights of 2011.  —  The great words of the year?  “Oh wow.  Oh wow.  Oh wow.”  —  They are the last words of Steve Jobs, reported by his sister, the novelist Mona Simpson, who was at his bedside.  In her eulogy, a version of which was published in the New York Times …

The Post-Truth Campaign  —  Suppose that President Obama were to say the following: “Mitt Romney believes that corporations are people, and he believes that only corporations and the wealthy should have any rights.  He wants to reduce middle-class Americans to serfs, forced …

Voters leaving Republican, Democratic parties in droves  —  WASHINGTON - More than 2.5 million voters have left the Democratic and Republican parties since the 2008 elections, while the number of independent voters continues to grow.  —  A USA TODAY analysis of state voter registration …

Donald Trump Bolts Republican Party, Eyeing Other 2012 Options  —  ABC News' Michael Falcone reports:  —  Donald Trump is officially a man without a party.  —  The real estate mogul whose flirtation with the 2012 presidential race has never really ended despite announcing seven months ago …