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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

Right-to-work bills pass in Lansing  —  Lansing — The birthplace of the nation's modern-day labor movement moved closer to becoming the nation's 24th right-to-work state after bills Gov. Rick Snyder vowed to sign into law passed their first hurdles in the Republican-controlled Legislature on Thursday.

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

‘Worn out’ Frank ready to hit the lecture circuit  —  WASHINGTON — His nameplate has been unscrewed from the wall outside his office, a new state flag already planted in the hallway.  The lease on his Capitol Hill apartment has expired, forcing him to crash at a fellow lawmaker's.

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.

Syria's Chemical Weapons Moves Lead U.S. to Be Flexible  —  WASHINGTON — When President Obama first warned Syria's leader, President Bashar al-Assad, that even making moves toward using chemical weapons would cross a “red line” that might force the United States to drop its reluctance …

Chris Christie nixes state-run insurance exchange  —  New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie rejected a state-run health insurance exchange Thursday, paving the way for the federal government to step in and run one.  —  Christie — who was in Washington on Thursday pushing for Hurricane Sandy aid …

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 …

Staffer axed by Republican group over retracted copyright-reform memo  —  Big Content doesn't like the GOP advocating for copyright changes.  —  The Republican Study Committee, a caucus of Republicans in the House of Representatives, has told staffer Derek Khanna that he will be out of a job when Congress re-convenes in January.