Republicans Balk at White House Plan to Avert Fiscal Crisis  —  WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner presented the House speaker, John A. Boehner, a detailed proposal on Thursday to avert the year-end fiscal crisis with $1.6 trillion in tax increases over 10 years …

Self-Awareness Matters  —  In politics, self-awareness matters.  It does.  When I was a political consultant, I told my clients my first two rules.  The first was to know when you were in the minority, even when you thought you were right.  The second was to know yourself as others see you.

Exclusive: The Internal Polls That Made Mitt Romney Think He'd Win  —  It's no secret that the Romney campaign believed it was headed for victory on Election Day.  A handful of outlets have reported that Team Romney's internal polling showed North Carolina, Florida, and Virginia moving safely …

For Secretary of State, G.O.P. Pushes Old Hand  —  WASHINGTON — As President Obama's potential nominee for secretary of state, Susan E. Rice, comes under increasing fire, Congressional Republicans appear to be coalescing around a familiar name as an alternative candidate …

Ted Cruz speech stokes 2016 speculation  —  Texas Sen.-elect Ted Cruz advised the Republican Party to rebrand itself under a banner of “Opportunity Conservatism” during a sweeping speech Thursday night that will only stoke speculation about a 2016 presidential run.

Complaints Aside, Most Face Lower Tax Burden Than in the Reagan '80s  —  What Is Fair?:  —  BELLEVILLE, Ill. — Alan Hicks divides long days between the insurance business he started in the late 1970s and the barbecue restaurant he opened with his sons three years ago.

Reid must wrestle with undecided Dems to reform filibuster rules  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) may be short on votes he needs to force changes to the Senate's filibuster rules, as nine Democratic senators sit on the fence about the proposed reforms.

Class Wars of 2012  —  On Election Day, The Boston Globe reported, Logan International Airport in Boston was running short of parking spaces.  Not for cars — for private jets.  Big donors were flooding into the city to attend Mitt Romney's victory party.  —  They were, it turned out, misinformed about political reality.

General Assembly Grants Palestine Upgraded Status in U.N.  —  UNITED NATIONS — More than 130 countries voted on Thursday to grant Palestine the upgraded status of nonmember observer state in the United Nations, a stinging defeat for Israel and the United States and a boost for President Mahmoud Abbas …

Susan Rice's Enrichment Program  —  U.N. ambassador has investments in companies doing business with Iran, disclosure forms show  —  The portfolio of embattled United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice includes investments of hundreds of thousands of dollars in several energy companies known …

Huntsman: GOP should avoid social, ‘fringe’ issues  —  Former Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman said Friday that the Republican Party should stress its “libertarian roots” rather than “fringe” social issues as it evaluates its election losses.  —  “I think the deliberation …

Federal Judge Rules Nevada Can Ban Same-Sex Couples From Marriage  —  Ruling comes on eve of Supreme Court conference to decide whether it will hear any cases dealing with same-sex couples' marriage rights in the coming year.  —  Marriage equality advocates cheer during a rally in San Francisco, Feb. 7, 2012.

Foreclosure Wave Averted as Doomsayers Defied: Mortgages  —  Stockton, California, has the highest U.S. foreclosure rate.  It also has a housing shortage.  —  The number of homes for sale in the city fell 42 percent in October from a year earlier.  Listings routinely attract multiple offers.

Mitt Romney: I'm weak?  What about Newt Gingrich?  —  Mitt Romney on Monday laughed at Newt Gingrich's suggestion that he is a weak frontrunner who is failing to win over conservatives, saying of the former House speaker, “If I'm a weak frontrunner, what does that make Newt Gingrich?

See No Evil  —  If a campaign finance story is not about David Koch or Sheldon Adelson, do liberals care?  —  Consider the reaction to Kenneth Vogel's important report on the winter meeting of the Democracy Alliance, the secretive organization of progressive millionaires and billionaires …