Romney Blames Loss on Obama's ‘Gifts’ to Minorities and Young Voters  —  Saying that he and his team still felt “troubled” by his loss to President Obama, Mitt Romney on Wednesday attributed his defeat in part to what he called big policy “gifts” that the president had bestowed …

John McCain's Long War Against Susan Rice  —  From left, Sens. Lindsey Graham, Kelly Ayotte, and John McCain at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday  —  You probably don't need the lesson, but here's how the filibuster works.  A nomination or bill is produced.

Frederick Humphries, F.B.I. Agent in Petraeus Case  —  By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT, SCOTT SHANE and ALAIN DELAQUÉRIÈRE  —  DOVER, Fla. — The F.B.I. agent who helped start the investigation that led to the resignation of David H. Petraeus as C.I.A. director is a “hard-charging” …

Republicans say they will not back down  —  Congressional leaders took a hard line on taxes ahead of a meeting Friday at the White House, with rank-and-file Republicans expressing opposition to a “fiscal cliff” deal that would bring in more revenue to the government.

China names conservative, older leadership  —  (Reuters) - China's ruling Communist Party unveiled an older, conservative leadership line-up on Thursday that appears unlikely to take the drastic action needed to tackle pressing issues like social unrest, environmental degradation and corruption.

Texas rep. nominates Gingrich for Speaker  —  Former Speaker and failed presidential candidate Newt Gingrich was nominated for the position of Speaker on Wednesday by conservative Rep. Louis Gohmert (R-Texas).  There was no second.  —  House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) …

Top Georgia GOP Lawmakers Host Briefing on Secret Obama Mind-Control Plot  —  President Obama is using a Cold War-era mind-control technique known as “Delphi” to coerce Americans into accepting his plan for a United Nations-run communist dictatorship in which suburbanites will be forcibly relocated to cities.

Changing Times  —  When people talked during the presidential campaign about the potential impact of the election on the Supreme Court, most meant the impact on the court's membership: whether Barack Obama or Mitt Romney would get to fill any vacancies during the next four years.

Man asks McCain: Are you mad that you look like McCain?  —  Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Wednesday recounted an interesting exchange he recently had with a man at an airport in Phoenix.  —  At the Washington Ideas Forum sponsored by The Atlantic, McCain said, “I was recently at Sky Harbor …

Senate Republicans' election lesson is to work on fielding better candidates  —  Senate Republicans spent much of Wednesday behind closed doors as they pondered strategies for overcoming last week's dismal performance at the polls.  —  The emerging consensus: They need better candidates.

European-style austerity: Obama's new ‘balanced’ debt plan is 73% tax hikes  —  President Obama's opening bid in budget talks with congressional Republicans is a reheating of his 80-page deficit reduction package from September 2011.  The president calls it a “balanced” plan.  Well, here it is:

Republicans lost the culture war  —  Editor's note: William J. Bennett, a CNN contributor, is the author of “The Book of Man: Readings on the Path to Manhood.”  He was U.S. secretary of education from 1985 to 1988 and director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy under President George H.W. Bush.

Paul rips big government in farewell  —  Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) delivered a blistering farewell speech on the House floor Wednesday in which he ripped the drastic tilt of the U.S. toward expanded government, a devalued currency, persistent wars and the constant erosion of personal freedoms.

‘Syrian villages on Israel border in rebel hands’  —  Defense minister, PM tour the Syrian border; ‘Telegraph’ reports Syrian rebels take control of towns in demilitarized area.  —  Nearly all of the Syrian villages along the border with Israel are in rebel hands, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Wednesday …

Obama says climate change to take backseat to economy  —  Climate change will take a backseat to efforts to boost the economy in the near term, but the issue would return to the agenda in the future, President Barack Obama said Tuesday.  —  The president, who won an endorsement …