In Tax Fight, Republicans Seeking Fallback Position  —  WASHINGTON — With President Obama insisting on higher tax rates for affluent Americans and winning public support for the idea, Congressional Republicans find themselves in an increasingly difficult political spot and are quietly beginning the difficult search for a way out.

Jazz pianist Dave Brubeck dead at age 91  —  Arts critic  —  Dave Brubeck, a jazz musician who attained pop-star acclaim with recordings such as “Take Five” and “Blue Rondo a la Turk,” died Wednesday morning at Norwalk Hospital, in Norwalk, Conn., said his longtime manager-producer-conductor Russell Gloyd.

Rubio: I Don't ‘Pass Judgment’ On The ‘Sin’ Of Homosexuality (Except When I Do)  —  Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), who has called for the Republican Party to be more inclusive of minorities, said Wednesday that while his faith teaches homosexuality is a sin, he does not judge sinners.

Cuomo: Mainline Democrats “squandered the opportunity”  —  In an op-ed that will also be published in tomorrow's Times Union, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo weighs in on the state Senate coalition deal.  —  By Gov. Andrew Cuomo  —  Elections often clarify political situations, but sometimes confuse

‘2016’ Oscar Snub Has Filmmakers Claiming Political Bias  —  Gerald Molen, who produced the Academy Award-winning 'Schindler's List,' said the box-office success of the anti-Obama documentary proves the film was a hit: “The action confirms my opinion that the bias against anything …

Vote: Worst Political Prediction of 2012  —  We have narrowed down our list of the best & worst political predictions this year and would like your help in making the final call.  —  Here are our three final candidates for the Worst Political Prediction of 2012

Detroit councilwoman to Obama: We voted for you, now bail us out  —  DETROIT (WJBK) — The city of Detroit faces a major financial crisis and one member of city council thinks President Barack Obama should step in and help.  —  City Council member JoAnn Watson said Tuesday the citizens support …

Harry Reid Denies Senate Chance to Vote on Obama's Plan  —  Senate majority leader Harry Reid is denying the Senate the chance to vote on President Barack Obama's proposal.  Reid calls Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's request to vote on the plan a “stunt.”  —  “I reserve the right to object.

Pelosi: Dems must say No to raising Medicare eligibility age  —  It's a perennial fear among liberals: In the quest for a fiscal cliff deal, the White House and Democrats will ultimately acquiesce to GOP demands to raise the Medicare eligibility age.  But one Democrat is drawing a line against this possibility: Nancy Pelosi.

Hillary Clinton Wins High Popularity, Majority Support for a 2016 Bid  —  Carried by a new high in personal popularity and broad approval of her work as secretary of state, Hillary Clinton closes out her diplomatic career with majority support as a candidate for president in 2016.

Simpson-Bowles is magic  —  It's every pundit's favorite budget plan, but no one seems to know — or care — what it actually contains  —  Not many people know this but “The Simpson-Bowles Plan” is magic.  It is whatever you want it to be.  It will fix the deficit and grow the economy …

The GOP Seminar in Surrender  —  RUSH: Ladies and gentlemen, this morning there was a joint press conference that featured the so-called Republican leadership of John Boehner and Eric Cantor and about 15 other people that were standing there.  I don't know why, but they were smiling.

Sununu: Democrats won election by turning out voters who are dependent on government  —  Former governor, John H. Sununu, right, was one of three former Republican governors of New Hampshire to attend a discussion at the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy's second sponsored dinner …

Top GOP Rep Wants ‘More Pain’ For Middle Class, While Preserving Tax Cuts For The Rich  —  Throughout the fiscal cliff negotiations Republicans have insisted on preserving tax cuts for the richest 2 percent of Americans, but have dogmatically opposed maintaing a payroll tax holiday that disproportionately benefits the middle class.

The 60 Best Conservative Blogs For 2012 (6th Annual)  —  60) The Mental Recession (No link because I am getting a virus warning when I go there today) 59) Polipundit 58) Jihad Watch 57) This Ain't Hell 56) Hugh Hewitt 55) Patterico's Pontifications 54) Moe Lane 53) Counter Cultured 52) Wizbang!

Anguished fotog: Critics are unfair to condemn me  —  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. … I was on an assignment, waiting for a train at the 49th Street subway platform, when I suddenly heard people gasping.

Train Wreck: The New York Post's Subway Cover  —  “It all happened so fast.”  —  That's what R. Umar Abbasi, a freelance photographer for The New York Post, said of the fatal subway incident on Monday that he caught with his camera.  One man threw another into harm's way, causing him to be run over by an oncoming train.