At Boehner's Request, He and Obama Negotiate Alone  —  WASHINGTON — At House Speaker John A. Boehner's request, Senate leaders and Representative Nancy Pelosi have been excluded from talks to avert a fiscal crisis, leaving it to Mr. Boehner and President Obama alone to find a deal, Congressional aides say.

November Employment Report: 146,000 Jobs, 7.7% Unemployment Rate  —  From the BLS: … Click on graph for larger image.  —  There was uncertainty about this report because of Hurricane Sandy.  —  The headline number was above expectations of 80,000, but both September and October payroll growth was revised down.

Administration Weighs Legal Action Against States That Legalized Marijuana Use  —  WASHINGTON — Senior White House and Justice Department officials are considering plans for legal action against Colorado and Washington that could undermine voter-approved initiatives to legalize the recreational use …

What Jim DeMint figured out  —  In today's Republican universe, there's less of a relationship than ever between holding office and holding power  —  It says something about the state of the conservative movement and the Republican Party that Jim DeMint's power won't wane at all - and …

The Republican crisis  —  Party of ‘eat your veggies’  —  If you want to know why Republicans and conservatives are in a political crisis, you need only consider the fact that the Right's deeply held view now boils down to this: Taxes should not go up on the wealthy, and your health benefits should be cut.

A Newly Preposterous Low for McConnell (and the Filibuster)  —  My admiration for the Senate's minority leader, the Hon. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, is limited.  But his latest move took even me by surprise.  —  In a tactic he thought would put the Obama Administration in an uncomfortable position …

New photo shows Obama taking Romney's concession call  —  (CNN) - A never-before-seen official White House photo, posted online Friday, shows President Barack Obama on Election Night speaking with his freshly defeated rival Mitt Romney.  —  The photo was taken in the presidential suite …

Axelrod slashes his mustache  —  Obama campaign adviser David Axelrod shaved his mustache on national television Friday to settle a bet.  —  Axelrod fulfilled the bet with MSNBC “Morning Joe” co-cost Joe Scarborough to raise over $1 million toward epilepsy research.

Michigan GOP approves right to work amid union protests  —  Protesters jammed into the Michigan state capitol after lawmakers from both chambers approved right-to-work legislation.  The measures free nonunion employees from paying union fees.  —  Tribune wire report

Why People Are Confused About the Fiscal Cliff  —  Dean Baker catches the Washington Post running a Q&A under this banner:  —  OK, if there's one thing the fiscal cliff confrontation isn't, it's a “debt crisis”.  The problem — a political standoff that may lead to damaging austerity …

Whites Stayed Home And Re-Elected Obama  —  Now that all the data is in, the fundamental reason for Romney's defeat is apparent, if largely unreported.  It is not just that blacks, Latinos, and single women showed up in record numbers at the polls.  It's that whites didn't.

Could the ‘platinum coin option’ solve the U.S. debt crisis?  —  Associated Press - This is a U.S. Mint handout of the one-ounce $100 platinum coin.  Under current law, the Treasury is technically allowed to mint as many coins made of platinum as it wants and can assign them whatever value it pleases.

Jon Chait's Miserable Endorsement of Raising the Medicare Eligibility Age  —  Since Jon Chait has never met a concession he didn't like, he comes out with an endorsement of raising the Medicare eligibility age as part of a long-term deficit deal.  So his cover for what is universally regarded …

Driver in Fatal Bus Crash Found Not Guilty of Manslaughter  —  A bus driver accused of being so tired that he caused a crash that killed 15 passengers was found not guilty on all felony charges by a jury on Friday, underscoring the difficulty in prosecuting so-called drowsy driving cases.

The Baby Boom Bump  —  CONVENTIONAL wisdom calls the 2012 presidential race the “demographic election,” attributing President Obama's victory in large part to his commanding advantage among rapidly growing groups like Latinos and millennials.  —  But if demographics is destiny in politics, it is even more true for policy.

‘A FIRST CLASS NURSE WHO CARED DILIGENTLY FOR HUNDREDS’  —  King Edward VII hospital spoke of the their shock at the death of Jacintha Saldanha in a statement:  —  'It is with very deep sadness that we confirm the tragic death of a member of our nursing staff, Jacintha Saldanha.

Sorry, Democrats: 4 Ways Progressives Are About to Have Their Hopes Dashed  —  Liberals are fired up about Obama's second term and Elizabeth Warren's election.  They're about to be disappointed.  —  Reuters/The Atlantic  —  Ever since Election Day, the left has been riding high.

Joe Manchin objects to MTV's ‘Buckwild’ reality show  —  Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W. Va.).  ( AP)  —  Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) isn't too wild about MTV's new reality show, “Buckwild.”  —  The show is scheduled to debut next month and follows a group of nine twenty-somethings living …

Google Nearer to Selling Motorola Set-Top Line  —  Google Inc. is wrapping up an auction of Motorola's set-top box business, according to people involved in the deal, as it continues downsizing the hardware unit.  —  The Mountain View, Calif., company had set a deadline of Friday for the last round of bids …

The Fantasy of a 91% Top Income Tax Rate  —  A liberal article of faith that confiscatory taxes fed the postwar boom turns out to be an Edsel of an economic idea.  —  Democratic Party leaders, President Obama in particular, are forever telling the country that wealthy Americans are taxed at too low a rate and pay too little in taxes.

FCC to FAA: Allow ‘greater use’ of electronic devices during flights  —  The head of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Thursday pushed for wider in-flight use of electronic portable devices during airplane flights.  —  FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski called …

73% of New Jobs Created in Last 5 Months Are in Government  —  (CNSNews.com) - Seventy-three percent of the new civilian jobs created in the United States over the last five months are in government, according to official data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

‘Gangnam Style’ Singer PSY's Vitriolic Anti-American Past Revealed, Outrage Ensues  —  He has the most-watched YouTube video of all-time, an international phenomenon of a mega-hit in “Gangnam Style,” has made appearances on nearly every American morning talk show under the sun from Today to Ellen …