The Truly Grand Bargain  —  Sometimes you have to walk through the desert to get to the Promised Land.  That's the way it is for Republicans right now.  The Republicans are stuck in a miserable position at the end of 2012, but, if they handle things right, they can make 2013 an excellent year …

Queens dad pushed to his death by madman in Times Square subway station  —  Ki Suk Han, 58, of Queens frantically tries to climb to safety yesterday as a train bears down on him in Midtown.  He was fatally struck seconds later.  —  A Queens dad trying to protect fellow straphangers …

Republicans not handling election results well  —  PPP's first post election national poll finds that Republicans are taking the results pretty hard...and also declining in numbers.  —  49% of GOP voters nationally say they think that ACORN stole the election for President Obama.

Elizabeth Warren Wins Senate Banking Committee Seat: Sources … REACT:  —  FOLLOW:  —  Elizabeth Warren, Harry Reid , Video, Senate Banking Committee, Banking Committee, Elizabeth Warren Banking Committee, Elizabeth Warren Committees, Elizabeth Warren Senate, Elizabeth Warren Senate Banking …

Ashley Judd exploring Senate run  —  Ashley Judd vs. Mitch McConnell?  —  It might not be as far-fetched as you think.  —  The Hollywood movie star and eighth-generation Kentuckian is seriously exploring a 2014 run for the Senate to take on the powerful Republican leader, four people familiar with the matter tell POLITICO.

Fox News chief's failed attempt to enlist Petraeus as presidential candidate  —  Roger Ailes, the longtime Republican media guru, founder of Fox News and its current chairman, had some advice last year for then-Gen. David H. Petraeus.  —  So in spring 2011, Ailes asked a Fox News analyst headed …

Senate rejects treaty to protect disabled around the world  —  J. Scott Applewhite/AP - Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), center, gestures during a news conference in Washington, Dec. 3, 2012, to urge Senate approval of an international agreement for protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities.

U.S. sailed off the ‘fiscal cliff’ long ago  —  We created Fedzilla; now it's time to kill it  —  Only a Fedzillacrat could possibly think raising taxes on the wealthy could accomplish anything toward restoring sanity in the financial insane asylum known as our federal government.

Mitt Romney Hits Costco — Buys Toy Car (Manufactured in China)  —  HITS COSTCO  —  Buys Toy Car (Manufactured in China)  —  EXCLUSIVE  —  Mitt Romney went on MASSIVE (and fiscally responsible) shopping spree at a Costco near his home in La Jolla, CA this week ... stocking up on all sorts of goods …

Filibluster  —  Filibuster “reform” — intermittently called, over the last decade or so, the “nuclear option” — is something of a moving target.  We have consistently maintained that a majority of the Senate may constitutionally curtail the filibuster or leave it as it is.

Brewer out of state; aide won't provide details  —  Gov. Jan Brewer met in Washington D.C. Monday with Mason Steill and his mother, Shelley Steill.  Mason, a combat medic, was injured in Afghanistan.  He is the grandson of Maricopa County Supervisor Max Wilson's secretary.  —  Courtesy of Shelley Steill

Egypt's Mursi leaves palace as police battle protesters  —  (Reuters) - Egyptian police battled thousands of protesters outside President Mohamed Mursi's palace in Cairo on Tuesday, prompting the Islamist leader to leave the building, presidency sources said.

Bob Costas explains why he made gun commentary at halftime of Sunday night game  —  NBC's Bob Costas joined the show to talk about his comments on the Jevon Belcher tragedy and more.  —  Costas explained why he chose to make a statement on gun control at halftime of Sunday night's Eagles-Cowboys game.

House Democrats file petition to force vote on middle class tax rates  —  House Democrats on Tuesday filed a discharge petition that would force the House to vote on the Senate's bill to extend the Bush-era tax levels for the middle class, but allow rates to rise for the wealthy.

TEA PARTY GROUP CHIEF QUITS, CITES INTERNAL SPLIT … WASHINGTON (AP) — Eased out with an $8 million payout provided by an influential GOP fundraiser, former Republican House Majority Leader Dick Armey says he has left a conservative Tea Party group, FreedomWorks, because of an internal split over the group's future direction.