FBI uncovered Petraeus affair by chance  —  The FBI reportedly happened upon former CIA Director David Petraeus's extramarital affair while investigating a complaint from a woman close to Petraeus who had received harassing emails from the general's alleged mistress.

The GOP polling debacle  —  For Republicans, one of the worst parts of the GOP's 2012 trouncing was that they didn't see it coming.  —  Top party strategists and officials always knew there was a chance that President Barack Obama would get reelected, or that Republicans wouldn't gain control of the Senate.

What Romney Lost  —  What happens to those who lose a presidential campaign?  Some can do it with heads rightly held high, and go on to give valuable service to the nation.  We were reminded of this just two weeks before the recent election, when George McGovern died.

Boehner Tells House G.O.P. to Fall in Line  —  WASHINGTON — On a conference call with House Republicans a day after the party's electoral battering last week, Speaker John A. Boehner dished out some bitter medicine, and for the first time in the 112th Congress, most members took their dose.

Karl Rove and his super PAC vow to press on  —  In the post-mortems of the 2012 election campaigns, it is already being written that the much-feared super PACs — those ostensibly independent, billionaire-funded outside organizations and their hundreds of millions in negative ads — turned out to be a bust.

Which Polls Fared Best (and Worst) in the 2012 Presidential Race  —  As Americans' modes of communication change, the techniques that produce the most accurate polls seems to be changing as well.  In last Tuesday's presidential election, a number of polling firms that conduct their surveys online had strong results.

Romney to Supporters: ‘We Still Believe that Better Days Are Ahead’  —  On Friday morning, Mitt Romney and his wife Ann drove themselves to campaign headquarters in Boston.  Gone were the secret service detail and the motorcade that had trailed them in the final months of the campaign.

Hillary's Next Move  —  “Maybe I'll get a decorating show,” said Hillary Clinton.  —  It was a few weeks before the election.  Clinton was flying back from an overnight trip to Peru, talking — without any great enthusiasm — about the topic that would begin to obsess the American political world …

FLA. VOTE BEYOND RECOUNT RANGE; WEST WON'T CONCEDE  —  You are here  —  Home » United States House of Representatives » Fla. vote beyond recount range; West won't concede  —  WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Firebrand Republican Rep. Allen West was defeated by Democratic challenger …

Foodstamps Surge By Most In One Year To New All Time Record, In Delayed Release  —  While there had been speculation that the BLS may delay the release of its October nonfarm payroll number until after the election, it turned out there was no reason to worry.

Harvard ‘deeply troubled’ by row over Israeli buffet  —  Business School responds to former student's criticism, description of Israeli dining station as affront to Arabs.  —  Harvard Business School is “deeply troubled” for having offended Arab sensibilities due to the mischaracterization …