memeorandum: MITT ROMNEY'S LOSS CREATES GOP LEADERSHIP VACUUM (Steve Peoples/Associated Press)

Adam Levy / CNN:

Geithner: No deal ‘without rates going up’ — Washington (CNN) - Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner drew a line in the sand over taxes in defense of the Obama administration's controversial proposal to avoid the fiscal cliff. — In an interview with CNN's Candy Crowley on “State of the Union …

Discussion: Politico, New York Magazine, Weasel Zippers, The Impolitic, Hot Air and Outside the Beltway

TRENDING: Boehner ‘flabbergasted’ at fiscal cliff proposal — (CNN) - House Speaker John Boehner painted a bleak picture Sunday when talking about fiscal cliff negotiations between the White House and Republicans. — “Right now I would say we're nowhere. Period. We're nowhere.

Discussion: Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes', The Political Carnival, Politico, Crooks and Liars, The Hill and Infowars

Talking Points Memo:

McCaskill: ‘I Feel Almost Sorry For John Boehner’ — Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) said that she feels “almost sorry” for House Speaker John Boehner during an appearance on NBC's “Meet the Press” Sunday, explaining that Boehner is in a tough spot because of the far-right wing of the Republican Party.

Discussion: Hullabaloo and The Gateway Pundit

John Bresnahan / Politico:

J.C. Watts for RNC chair? — Former GOP Rep. J.C. Watts says he is being “encouraged” by supporters to run for chairman of the Republican National Committee, a move he says could broaden the party's appeal to minorities. — Watts is not formally entering the race, and he is not critical …

Molly K. Hooper / The Hill:
McCaskill feels ‘sorry’ for Boehner's hand in deficit negotiations

Discussion: Politico

Alicia M. Cohn / The Hill:
Sen. Ayotte ‘disappointed’ in initial White House proposal

Discussion: CNN and The Political Carnival

Lori Ziganto / Twitchy:

Narcissist in chief: President Obama honors Rosa Parks anniversary with picture of himself; Update: Adam Baldwin with the win — Just when you think President Obama's impossibly large ego can't grow further, he makes it happen! — President Obama loves to insert himself in other people's biographies.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, The Gateway Pundit, Althouse and The Lonely Conservative

Zeke Miller / BuzzFeed:

Republicans Go To Obama School — At Harvard, GOP staffers sit at Axelrod's feet. “We weren't even running in the same race.” — Source: pics.lockerz.com / via: @jmartpolitico — CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Demoralized Republicans arrived in Boston Wednesday night for a rare moment in American politics …

Discussion: The Political Carnival

Dan Morain / Sacramento Bee:

Billionaire Bloomberg knocks out Joe Baca, adds dynamic to gun politics — Joe Baca never saw it coming, and neither did Gloria Negrete McLeod. — But as state Sen. Negrete McLeod replaces Baca in Congress, the dueling San Bernardino County Democrats witnessed first hand the beginnings …

Discussion: Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes'

Associated Press:

Asperger's gone, dyslexia stays in first change to psychiatric manual in almost 20 years — CHICAGO — The now familiar term “Asperger's disorder” is being dropped. And abnormally bad and frequent temper tantrums will be given a scientific-sounding diagnosis called DMDD.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and Althouse

Ross Douthat / New York Times:

More Babies, Please — IN the eternally recurring debates about whether some rival great power will knock the United States off its global perch, there has always been one excellent reason to bet on a second American century: We have more babies than the competition.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Ed Driscoll and Balloon Juice

Chana Ya'ar / Arutz Sheva:

Abbas ‘Victory Speech’: Jerusalem ‘Eternal Capital of Palestine’ — PA Chairman promises that someday the PA flag will fly over “Jerusalem, eternal capital of the state of Palestine.” — PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas Sunday promised someday the PA flag would fly over “Jerusalem, eternal capital of the state of Palestine.”

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

Discussion: Right Wing News and Israel Matzav

Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:

Jacob Lew, Low-Key Power Broker — WASHINGTON — When President Obama was locked in painful spending negotiations with House Republicans last spring, his exceedingly meticulous budget director, Jacob J. Lew, went to the Oval Office to propose some complex budget changes.

Discussion: Booman Tribune, JustOneMinute and A plain blog about politics

Erik Wasson / The Hill:

Obama hits the links with Bill Clinton — JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md.— President Obama and former President Bill Clinton hit the golf course on Sunday. — Obama is playing his round at Maryland's Joint Base Andrews and it is the third presidential golf outing here since the Nov. 6 elections …

Discussion: Politico

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill:

Obama pays tribute to Kennedy Center honorees at White House reception — President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama on Sunday paid tribute to this year's Kennedy Center Honors award recipients, celebrating the art and music world talents at a White House reception.

Discussion: CNN