Petraeus investigation ensnares commander of U.S., NATO troops in Afghanistan  —  PERTH, Australia — The FBI probe into the sex scandal that prompted CIA Director David Petraeus to resign has expanded to ensnare Gen. John R. Allen, the commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, the Pentagon announced early Tuesday.

Jindal: End ‘dumbed-down conservatism’  —  Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal on Monday called on Republicans to “stop being the stupid party” and make a concerted effort to reach a broader swath of voters with an inclusive economic message that pre-empts efforts to caricature the GOP as the party of the rich.

Paul Ryan: I Didn't Lose Because Of The Issues, I Lost Because Of The ‘Urban’ Vote  —  In his first interview since losing the election, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) wouldn't admit that voters rejected his economic vision and instead chalked up President Obama's victory to a large turnout of the “urban vote.”

Your daily jolt: An invitation to Allen West from the Ga. GOP  —  Though he has yet to concede, U.S. Rep. Allen West, a former Army lieutenant colonel and Republican firebrand, narrowly lost his re-election bid last week.  —  So what's in the cards for the coastal Florida congressman after his lame-duck duties are done?

Dems short on votes for filibuster reform  —  Democrats don't have the 51 votes they need in the Senate to change filibuster rules that could make it harder for the GOP minority to wield power in the upper chamber.  —  Lawmakers leading the charge acknowledge they remain short, but express optimism they'll hit their goal.

Clinton has the leadership to be president  —  We've barely finished a bruising, expensive campaign for president, but it's not too early to be thinking about who would make an excellent candidate for the presidency in 2016 - particularly if there is a conspicuously capable individual already on the political scene.

Exclusive: Lee Atwater's Infamous 1981 Interview on the Southern Strategy  —  It has become, for liberals and leftists enraged by the way Republicans never suffer the consequences for turning electoral politics into a cesspool, a kind of smoking gun.  The late, legendarily brutal campaign …

Welcome to the Rand Paul evolution  —  He'll push to loosen marijuana penalties, legalize undocumented immigrants and pursue a less aggressive American foreign policy.  —  Call it the Rand Paul Evolution.  —  In the wake of Barack Obama's reelection win and ahead of a possible 2016 White House bid …

Norquist pledge takes election hit  —  Republicans might have held the House, but Grover Norquist's majority in Congress is all but gone.  —  Fewer incoming members of the House and Senate have signed the pledge against tax increases run by Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform …

Likely Mayoral Hopeful Leaves Democratic Party  —  Adolfo Carrión Jr., a former Bronx borough president and Obama administration official, is all but certain to jump into the 2013 mayor's race, not as a Democrat, but rather as an independent seeking the Republican nomination, according to his spokesman and others.