Obama Wins Almost 50% Republicans on Tax Mandate in Poll  —  President Barack Obama won the public argument over taxes so decisively that almost half of Republicans now say he has an election mandate to raise rates on the rich.  —  Majorities of about 2-to-1 also read the election results …

The Political Advantages of Not Caring  —  Near the end of a column on the Michigan “right-to-work” coup, Jonathan Chait offers an important insight on why Republicans are willing and able to pull these sort of stunts: … It's kind of important to understand that this total hostility to the labor movement …

Do We Really Have to Condemn the Union Protestor Who Punched Fox News Comedian Steven Crowder?  —  Good, serious progressives are supposed to condemn violence as a political tactic, because it's wrong and in many cases counterproductive.  But do we really need to condemn the union protestor …

Lie of the Year: the Romney campaign's ad on Jeeps made in China  —  It was a lie told in the critical state of Ohio in the final days of a close campaign — that Jeep was moving its U.S. production to China.  It originated with a conservative blogger, who twisted an accurate news story into a falsehood.

NORAD acknowledges missile launch  —  PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. - North American Aerospace Defense Command officials acknowledged today that U.S. missile warning systems detected and tracked the launch of a North Korean missile at 7:49 p.m. EST. The missile was tracked on a southerly azimuth.

Union Thugs Demolish Clint Tarver's Iconic Lansing,Michigan Hot Dog Cart [Photo-Donation Link] Update: Thugs Yelled “N*gger Uncle Tom” Update 2: Revenge For Americans For Prosperity Cattering Gig (?)  —  I support Clint: … Beyond the Cart: The Story of Clint Tarver: … DONATE HERE

Republican Leadership Denies Asking For Permanent Extension Of Lower Tax Rates For Rich  —  “That's deliberately misleading White House spin,” says Buck.  —  Image by Carolyn Kaster, File / AP  —  WASHINGTON — A spokesman for Speaker of the House John Boehner is denying a reported White House claim …

Scientists May Have Finally Unlocked Puzzle of Why People Are Gay  —  Lesbians get it from fathers, gay men from mothers?  —  Scientists may have finally solved the puzzle of what makes a person gay, and how it is passed from parents to their children.  —  A group of scientists suggested Tuesday …

For immediate release  —  Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in October suggests that economic activity and employment have continued to expand at a moderate pace in recent months, apart from weather-related disruptions.  Although the unemployment rate …

Time and Punishment: Mandatory Sentences Face Growing Skepticism  —  TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Stephanie George and Judge Roger Vinson had quite different opinions about the lockbox seized by the police from her home in Pensacola.  She insisted she had no idea that a former boyfriend had hidden it in her attic.

McConnell: Only thing left on the negotiating table ‘is the varnish’  —  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said President Obama has taken so much off the table in deficit negotiations that the “only thing left is the varnish.”  —  “The president and his allies have taken …

Eric Holder: Time To Consider National Voting Standards  —  Attorney General Eric Holder said during a speech on Tuesday night at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library that it's time to consider setting national standards for how elections should be handled.

‘Friends of Syria’ Recognize Anti-Assad Rebels  —  MARRAKESH, Morocco — Representatives of more than 100 countries and organizations grouped in the so-called Friends of Syria alliance seeking the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad said Wednesday they had recognized a newly formed coalition of his adversaries.

The RNC's Fix-It Committee  —  Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, spoke to NRO yesterday morning about the committee's new Growth and Opportunity Project, which is led by a five-member panel that will review the operations and strategies of the RNC and Republican party as a whole.