A third option changes the negotiation  —  The conventional wisdom on the fiscal cliff is that there are two options: (1) an Obama-Boehner deal; or (2) no deal, in which case there is no legislation before the end of the year and we “go off the fiscal cliff.”

Questions on Whether Boehner Could Sell a Deal to G.O.P.  —  WASHINGTON — With negotiations quickening on Tuesday to prevent a year-end fiscal crisis, White House officials once again are confronting a vexing question: Can Speaker John A. Boehner deliver enough Republican votes …

NBC/WSJ poll: Two-thirds support balanced deficit deal  —  As the Obama White House and Congress negotiate to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff, nearly two-thirds of Americans say they favor a balanced deal to reduce the deficit — consisting of both higher tax rates and cuts to key entitlement programs.

The GOP's dangerous debt-ceiling gamble  —  The fiscal cliff negotiations have picked up again.  Last week, President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner were hardly talking, and neither were their staffs.  This week, Obama and Boehner are speaking often, and, perhaps more importantly, their staffs are speaking constantly.

Labor's plan to fight back  —  Labor unions, stung by an unexpected setback in Michigan, where Republican Gov. Rick Snyder signed a right-to-work law Tuesday limiting their ability to collect dues, are eyeing a large-scale counteroffensive against the conservative state leaders who have slashed away …