Fiscal Cliff Fictions: Let's All Agree to Pretend the GOP Isn't Full of It  —  It's really amazing to see political reporters dutifully passing along Republican complaints that President Obama's opening offer in the fiscal cliff talks is just a recycled version of his old plan …

No action on same-sex marriage  —  The Supreme Court, after taking most of the day to prepare new orders, took no action Friday on the ten same-sex marriage pleas now on the docket.  It did agree to rule on whether taking a human gene out of the body for research is a process that can be patented.

Republicans' Ace in the Hole: Simpson-Bowles?  —  Democrats appear to have the upper hand on the politics of the fiscal cliff, which might explain their brash pronouncements and mind-blowing conceptualization of “compromise.”  This morning I outlined three possible contingencies for Republicans, none of which is especially attractive.

Study: American Households Hit 43-Year Low In Net Worth  —  WASHINGTON (CBS DC) - The median net worth of American households has dropped to a 43-year low as the lower and middle classes appear poorer and less stable than they have been since 1969.  —  According to a recent study …

Small union is causing big problems for ports  —  A strike by about 800 clerical workers is disrupting the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and costing them an estimated $1 billion a day.  Above, trucks line up Thursday to enter Pier J at the Port of Long Beach.  (Bob Chamberlin, Los Angeles Times / November 30, 2012)

Down and Out With Ted Cruz and the GOP  —  As Republicans regroup from electoral disaster, some — including a rising star in the Senate — insist conservatism was not to blame.  —  Associated Press  —  Why did Republicans lose the 2012 election?  Ask Ted Cruz, the newly elected Republican senator from Texas.

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.

Congress looks at doing away with the $1 bill  —  Congressional auditors say doing away with dollar bills entirely ...more  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — American consumers have shown about as much appetite for the $1 coin as kids do their spinach.  They may not know what's best for them either.

Accused WikiLeaks Whistleblower Bradley Manning Testifies He Thought He Would “Die in Custody” … Bradley Manning, the U.S. Army private accused of leaking hundreds of thousands of classified documents to the whistleblowing website WikiLeaks, has testified for the first time since he was arrested in May 2010.

Arizona Governor Compares Undocumented Immigrants To Drunks And Children  —  Since President Obama issued an administrative directive allowing some undocumented young immigrants to temporarily remain in the country, states have adopted policies to ensure they have equal work opportunity.

Noonan: The Drawn-Out Crisis—It's the Obama Way  —  The president seems to prefer frustration to good-faith negotiation.  —  The president's inviting Mitt Romney for lunch is a small thing but a brilliant move.  It makes Mr. Obama look big, gracious.  It implies the weakened …

US government releases once-secret Watergate files  —  WASHINGTON — The government on Friday released more than 850 pages of once-secret documents from the Watergate political scandal, providing new insights on privileged legal conversations and prison evaluations of some burglars in the case.

Paulsboro bridge collapse derails train, dumps tank car contents into Mantua Creek  —  PAULSBORO — Four railroad tank cars have been dumped into the Mantua Creek and are leaking vinyl chloride after the train bridge collapsed at about 7 a.m.  —  Ambulances are being sent to the Paulsboro Marine Terminal …

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.

Christie strongly favored for reelection, voters still lukewarm on 2016 bid  —  Chris Christie's the most popular Governor PPP's polled on all year, and he looks pretty safe for reelection next year.  But New Jersey voters still aren't sold on him as a Presidential candidate in 2016.