Behind the Susan Rice meeting meltdown  —  In just two quick meetings on Capitol Hill, Susan Rice may have blown up any goodwill she had with the very senators she'll need for confirmation if she's ever tapped as the next secretary of state.  —  Over the past two days …

Mitt Romney: A good man.  The right fight.  —  Over the years, one of the more troubling characteristics of the Democratic Party and the left in general has been a shortage of loyalty and an abundance of self-loathing.  It would be a shame if we Republicans took a narrow presidential loss …

Inside the talks: Fiscal cliff deal emerging  —  Listen to top Democrats and Republicans talk on camera, and it sounds like they could not be further apart on a year-end tax-and-spending deal - a down payment on a $4 trillion grand bargain.  —  But behind the scenes, top officials …

Rep. McIntyre wins recount  —  Blue Dog Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.) will serve his ninth term in Congress after his Republican opponent conceded Wednesday night following a recount that upheld initial election results.  —  GOP candidate David Rouzer dropped out of the contest …

Transcript: TIME's Interview with Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi  —  [Note: TIME had spelled the president's surname as “Morsy” based on his Ph.  D. dissertation for the University of Southern California; his advisers in Cairo say the preferred spelling is now Morsi.]  —  TIME: You're on the world stage now.

Obama campaign: 'There's more to come'  —  More than a million people responded to Obama for America's survey about the group's direction and the vast majority said they are interested in volunteering in support of the president's agenda.  —  In an email sent Wednesday to survey participants …

DIY graphic design  —  The diagram leaked to the Associated Press this week is nothing more than either shoddy sources or shoddy science.  In either case, the world can keep calm and carry on.  —  This week the Associated Press reported that unnamed officials “from a country critical …

Lamar Smith, Global Warming Skeptic, Set To Chair House Science Committee … REACT:  —  FOLLOW:  —  Climate Change, Climate Change, Climate Change, NASA, Video, Obama: Take 2, House Committee On Science, House Science Committee, NASA Funding, Rep. Lamar Smith, Global Warming Deniers …

In Silicon Valley, Technology Talent Gap Threatens G.O.P. Campaigns  —  SAN FRANCISCO - I live in Brooklyn, where President Obama won 81 percent of the vote earlier this month.  It's hard to find anywhere in the country that is more Democratic-leaning.  —  But San Francisco qualifies.

Feinstein commissions report on housing Gitmo detainees in US, calls it viable option  —  File: The Thomson Correctional Center in Illinois could be a leading option to house detainees held at the prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.AP  —  The Democratic chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence …

Rick Warren: Being Gay Is Like ‘Punching A Guy In The Nose’ Or Consuming Arsenic  —  Megachurch pastor Rick Warren remains as ill-informed on gay identity as ever.  Unfazed by the notion that there may be a biological cause for homosexuality, Warren told Piers Morgan on CNN this week that acting …

National Geographic Photo Contest 2012, Part II  —  The deadline to enter this year's National Geographic photo contest is coming up — this Friday, November 30.  Back in September, the society started gathering and presenting galleries of submissions, encouraging readers to vote for them as well.

Resistance on Method for Curbing Filibuster  —  WASHINGTON — Senator Harry Reid of Nevada knew he would anger Republicans when he threatened to change the rules of the Senate to make it harder for the minority to gum up legislation.  But he is also running into resistance from fellow Democrats …

John Heilemann Makes Lindsey Graham Joke on ‘Morning Joe;’ Edited Out of 8am Reair  —  Just after 6am, on “Morning Joe” this morning, Joe, Mika and guest John Heilemann were talking about yesterday's New York Times article about “the three amigos” Senators John McCain, Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham …