House GOP plans public push against tax hikes on businesses  —  President Obama won't be the only one hitting the campaign trail to push his deficit plan to avert the fiscal cliff.  —  House Republicans are planning their own campaign-style events to argue against Obama's insistence …

Is Grover Finally Over?  —  I once took a long train ride with Grover Norquist.  This wasn't intentional.  We found ourselves next to each other on the line to board an Acela from Washington, D.C., to New York, and we fell into a conversation, by which I mean that he did a great deal of talking …

Republican Senators Still “Troubled” After Meeting With Susan Rice  —  Ayotte says she will hold the nomination until all of her questions have been answered.  A harsher tone from the GOP after recent hedging.  —  Image by J. Scott Applewhite / AP  —  WASHINGTON — A trio …

Fox News Exec VP: Guest Who Slammed Network Apologized - But Not Publicly  —  UPDATED: Author Tom Ricks accused the network of “hyped” Benghazi coverage; Fox News' Michael Clemente says Ricks apologized but “doesn't have the strength of character to do that publicly.”  Ricks disputes.

Chinese Website Congratulates Kim Jong Un On Being Named Sexiest Man Alive By “The Onion”  —  China's Communist Party newspaper, People's Daily, congratulates the North Korean leader on being named the sexiest man alive by the the satirical American publication.  Seriously.  —  Zeke Miller

Cox and Archer: Why $16 Trillion Only Hints at the True U.S. Debt  —  Hiding the government's liabilities from the public makes it seem that we can tax our way out of mounting deficits.  We can't.  —  A decade and a half ago, both of us served on President Clinton's Bipartisan Commission …

Marijuana's foot in the door  —  SMALL-TIME MARIJUANA use will soon be legal in Colorado and Washington state.  Sort of.  —  This month voters in those states approved ballot measures permitting possession of up to an ounce of pot.  But the federal government has not changed its policy, which labels the drug an illegal substance.

Most-Racial America  —  Antiwhite bigotry goes mainstream.  —  “Everytime [sic] I think the Democratic race card players could not get more vile, more deranged, more patronizingly demeaning to blacks, someone manages to defy even my vivid imagination,” thunders blogger William Jacobson.

CNN Poll: Americans rate W.H. response to Benghazi attack and Petraeus resignation  —  Washington (CNN) - Americans are giving the White House low marks for how it's handled the terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, and the resignation of former CIA Director David Petraeus, according to a new national survey.

Germany to ban sex with animals: report  —  THE German government is about to reintroduce a ban on bestiality, after pressure from animal welfare groups.  —  Newspaper die Tageszeitung reports that the governing coalition are soon to amend the country's Animal Welfare Act to make sex …

City Is Amassing Trove of Cellphone Logs  —  When a cellphone is reported stolen in New York, the Police Department routinely subpoenas the phone's call records, from the day of the theft onward.  The logic is simple: If a thief uses the phone, a list of incoming and outgoing calls could lead to the suspect.

New federal building to be named for Tip O'Neill  —  House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced Tuesday a proposal to rename a Capitol Hill federal building undergoing renovation after the man who held their top leadership period …

Gazans Crossing Fence ‘into IDF Positions’  —  IDF soldiers describe dangerous anarchy on border fence as result of Pillar of Defense agreements.  —  IDF soldiers stationed along the border fence with Gaza say they have received new orders on opening fire, which allow Arabs in Gaza …

Anger as Hungary far-right leader demands lists of Jews  —  (Reuters) - A Hungarian far-right politician urged the government to draw up lists of Jews who pose a “national security risk”, stirring outrage among Jewish leaders who saw echoes of fascist policies that led to the Holocaust.

Dems Defend Filibuster Reform Effort: ‘McConnell Has Broken The Social Contract’  —  On the Senate floor Monday afternoon, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell railed against his counterpart, Harry Reid, and a “cohort of short-sighted Senate sophomores,” for proposing to modify …

Enclaves, Long Gated, Seek to Let In Storm Aid  —  Sea Gate looks the same as many storm-scattered waterfront communities do.  Home after home torn apart by the ocean.  Streets filled with sand.  Shattered sidewalks and clogged sewers.  A sea wall, which had already been inadequate …

Fox Host: People Who Died In Walmart Factory Fire Were Thankful For Their Jobs  —  The 129 Bangladeshis who died in a fire caused by poor fire safety conditions in their garment factory should be thankful for their jobs, according to Fox Business host Charles Payne.

Britain ready to back Palestinian statehood at UN  —  Mahmoud Abbas pledge not to pursue Israel for war crimes and resumption of peace talks are UK conditions  —  Britain is prepared to back a key vote recognising Palestinian statehood at the United Nations if Mahmoud Abbas pledges …

Grape growers can sue USDA as Supreme Court stays out of the fight  —  WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday provided legal juice for growers who want to sue the U.S. Agriculture Department and the California Table Grape Commission over grapevine patents.