Allen West concedes to Patrick Murphy  —  Florida Rep. Allen West — the tea party pugilist and face of the class of House Republicans that stormed to power two years ago — conceded Tuesday to 29-year-old construction executive Patrick Murphy in one of the nation's highest-profile congressional races.

Clinton to Visit Middle East in Move to Defuse Gaza Conflict  —  PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — President Obama sent Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to the Middle East on Tuesday to try to defuse the conflict in Gaza, the White House announced.  —  Mrs. Clinton, who accompanied Mr. Obama …

Christie's Post-Hurricane Embrace of Obama Outrages Many in G.O.P.  —  A few days after Hurricane Sandy shattered the shores of New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie picked up the phone to take on a different kind of recovery work: taming the Republican Party fury over his effusive embrace of President Obama.

How The Conservative Media Lost The Election  —  The plan was to unmask Obama.  It didn't work.  —  President Obama's decisive reelection has promised the conservative new media four more years of fodder, but it's also left some of its more earnest participants with a gnawing question: What went wrong?

Mitt Romney Surfaces At A Gas Station Looking Very Normal  —  Long time no see, old friend.  —  Dorsey Shaw  —  a half hour ago  —  23 responses

Top African American Lawmaker Says GOP Attacks On Susan Rice Use Racial ‘Code Words’  —  Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) this morning defended U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice, calling out Republican use of “code words” in attacking Rice's professional capabilities.

Video: AP reporter clashes with State Dep't spokesman over Turkey calling Israel a terrorist state  —  Via the Blaze, I don't think I've ever seen a reporter take a tone with a government functionary at a press conference quite like this.  And it's not the first time he's done it, either.

Obama's union allies work to pull negotiations over ‘fiscal cliff’ to the left  —  President Obama's allies in the labor movement are targeting centrists in both parties in an attempt to pull the “fiscal cliff” talks to the left.  —  The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees …

The Rich People Who Don't Know How Tax Rates Work  —  How do you get to be as rich as the people in this New York Times story without ever figuring out how taxes work? … You see these idiots every time a tax hike becomes possible again.  They have no apparent idea how marginal rates work.

Following Obama's Victory, Wisconsin Governor Proposes New Limits On Voter Registration  —  Two weeks after Barack Obama and Sen.-elect Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) carried the state of Wisconsin with the support of minorities and young voters, Gov. Scott Walker (R) announced one of his major policy proposals …

The Conservative Future  —  If you listened to the Republican candidates this year, you heard a conventional set of arguments.  But if you go online, you can find a vibrant and increasingly influential center-right conversation.  Most of the young writers and bloggers in this conversation intermingle …

Liberal Man of the Year  —  Chief Justice Roberts shares the dais with Lena Dunham.  —  No Supreme Court Justice has ever said “Live from New York, it's Saturday night,” at least on national television, but give it time.  This month Glamour magazine named Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg one of its “Women of the Year.”

Oklahoma is latest to reject state-based health exchange  —  Add Oklahoma to the list of Republican-led states that won't implement the key feature of President Obama's healthcare law.  —  Gov. Mary Fallin said Monday that she won't set up a state-based insurance exchange …

Robert Redford on Obama's Environmental Agenda and Unveiling a New Conservancy  —  The actor tells THR he's optimistic that the president will “take what his words were and put some teeth behind them.”  —  Longtime conservationist Robert Redford is relieved that President Obama won re-election …

House Democrats Inch Closer to Becoming a Two-State Caucus  —  Californians and New Yorkers will comprise a record percentage of the Democratic caucus when the 113th Congress convenes in January at nearly 30 percent  —  Although gains by Democrats were modest in 2012 U.S. House races …

California, Home of the Destitute (with Steve Postscript)  —  Last spring, my wife and youngest daughter and I spent a week in California.  We were reminded of the extraordinary natural wealth and beauty that were showered on that uniquely blessed state.  For a century or so …

A GOP Plan for 2016: Pot, immigration and defense cuts  —  Spinners and Winners  —  Ron Paul supporters might want to think twice before throwing away their “Paul for President” signs.  Though the frequent presidential candidate is retiring at the end of the year, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) …

Wal-Mart warns workers on Black Friday strike  —  Protesters at a June anti-Wal-Mart rally in Los Angeles.  Store workers in 12 cities have been walking out in protest since October, which Wal-Mart said violates national labor law.  —  NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — As Wal-Mart workers prepare …