All Eyez on Him  —  The junior senator from Florida had a heck of an election year: Short-listed for VP.  Wrote a memoir of his Cuban heritage.  Gave a tough, moving convention speech—maybe the best of its kind since Obama's.  Michael Hainey talks to Marco Rubio about growing up in the shadow of Castro …

Here is the (real) news  —  Here is some information about the war between Gaza and Israel that for some unaccountable reason you may have missed today in Britain's mainstream media.  —  Since the beginning of Israel's operation Pillar of Defence last Wednesday against Hamas rocket attacks …

Republicans at a crossroads  —  LAS VEGAS — Republican governors are torn between essentially staying the course in the wake of Mitt Romney's loss and a more proactive strategy aimed at radically shaking up their party in an effort to reach out to young and minority voters.

Obama Repeatedly Mispronounces Aung San Suu Kyi  —  During his stop in Burma earlier today, President Obama repeatedly mispronounced the name of Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel laureate and former political prisoner who has led the struggle for a free and democratic Burma.  —  From the Associated Press:

The Twinkie Manifesto  —  The Twinkie, it turns out, was introduced way back in 1930.  In our memories, however, the iconic snack will forever be identified with the 1950s, when Hostess popularized the brand by sponsoring “The Howdy Doody Show.”  And the demise of Hostess has unleashed …

Florida's West to fight defeat in House race  —  (Reuters) - Tea Party-backed Republican Congressman Allen West said he was still not ready to concede defeat on Sunday, almost two weeks after the November 6 election, when the clock ran out on a partial recount in South Florida.

CNN Poll: 57% of Americans say Israeli attacks in Gaza are justified  —  Washington (CNN) - A majority of Americans say that Israel's current military strikes against Gaza are justified, according to a new national survey.  —  A CNN/ORC International poll released Monday indicates that 57% …

Investment Falls Off a Cliff  —  U.S. Companies Cut Spending Plans Amid Fiscal and Economic Uncertainty  —  U.S. companies are scaling back investment plans at the fastest pace since the recession, signaling more trouble for the economic recovery.  —  Half of the nation's 40 biggest …

Paul Ryan Emerges as Power Broker in Fiscal Talks  —  WASHINGTON — Gone is the private jet and the motorcade that swept him from the tarmac to the private hotel entrances.  His security staff has been reduced to a few Capitol Police officers, soon to fade away.

Can conservatives prevent the U.S. from becoming California? … As bad as last Tuesday night was for the national Republican Party, it was far, far worse for the California Republican Party.  Not only did Golden State Democrats maintain control of every statewide elected office …

From wedding dress to suicide vest: How Russian Islamic convert kissed her daughter goodbye and blew herself up at cleric's home  —  Brought up as an Orthodox Christian by her mother, Aminat Kurbanova looked a picture of happiness at her wedding nine years ago - marrying the man with whom she had fallen in love at drama school.

How Many 2008 McCain Voters Went Libertarian in 2012?  —  Campaign Spot reader Michael writes in, having examined the claim of the missing Republican voters — the drop off from McCain's 2008 total to Romney's 2012.  Immediately after the election, many were left incredulous in response …