Romney Blames Loss on Obama's ‘Gifts’ to Minorities and Young Voters  —  A week after losing the presidential election to President Obama, Mitt Romney blamed his overwhelming electoral loss on what he said were big “gifts” that the president had bestowed on loyal Democratic constituencies …

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” …

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.

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.

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 …

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.

Nancy Pelosi swats down Luke Russert's ‘offensive’ question with a lesson on earning your job  —  You have to hand it to Nancy Pelosi.  When emblem of establishment media nepotism Luke Russert asked if she shouldn't clear the way for younger leadership, being all old and stuff …

White House ‘secede’ petitions reach 675,000 signatures, 50-state participation  —  Less than a week after a New Orleans suburbanite petitioned the White House to allow Louisiana to secede from the United States, petitions from seven states have collected enough signatures to trigger a promised review from the Obama administration.

How To Wage War On The Internet  —  The Israel Defense Forces live tweet their assault on Hamas.  This is something new.  —  Matt Buchanan  —  an hour ago  —  16 responses

Restaurant Review: Guy's American Kitchen & Bar in Times Square  —  GUY FIERI, have you eaten at your new restaurant in Times Square?  Have you pulled up one of the 500 seats at Guy's American Kitchen & Bar and ordered a meal?  Did you eat the food?  Did it live up to your expectations?

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:

Transcript of President Obama's Press Conference  —  The following is the complete transcript of President Obama's press conference on Wednesday in Washington.  (Transcript courtesy of Federal News Service.)  —  PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Good afternoon, everybody.  Please have a seat.

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 …