Inquiry Into Libya Attack Is Sharply Critical of State Dept.  —  WASHINGTON — An independent inquiry into the attack on the United States diplomatic mission in Libya that killed four Americans on Sept. 11 sharply criticizes the State Department for a lack of seasoned security personnel …

2012 Person of the Year: Barack Obama, the President  —  Twenty-seven years after driving from New York City to Chicago in a $2,000 Honda Civic for a job that probably wouldn't amount to much, Barack Obama, in better shape but with grayer hair, stood in the presidential suite on the top floor …

Obama Social Security Offer at Odds With Top Dems  —  President Barack Obama's offer to slow the growth of Social Security benefits would force fellow Democrats in Congress to abandon promises to shield the massive retirement and disability program from cuts as part of negotiations to avoid the year-end fiscal cliff.

Comfort dogs help ease pain of mourning Newtown community  —  Groups from across the country brought dogs, some of them therapy animals, some just caring pets, to help both young and old cope with their grief over the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre.  —  Dogs comfort a little boy Monday …

Chuck Hagel is not the right choice for defense secretary  —  FORMER SENATOR Chuck Hagel, whom President Obama is reportedly considering for defense secretary, is a Republican who would offer a veneer of bipartisanship to the national security team.  He would not, however, move it toward the center …

EXCLUSIVE: Fear of being committed may have caused Connecticut gunman to snap  —  NEWTOWN, CONN. - The gunman who slaughtered 20 children and six adults at a Connecticut elementary school may have snapped because his mother was planning to commit him to a psychiatric facility …

Kagan on the Second  —  There have been so many irresponsible statements by those seeking to exploit the tragedy at Newtown, Connecticut, that it's hard to keep up with them, but for the combination of arrogance and inaccuracy one can't beat the editorial the New York Times ran out this week under …

Michigan's Republican Governor Vetoes Concealed Gun Bill, Cites Sandy Hook Shooting  —  Sandy Hook was a factor, said Snyder in a statement.  “This type of violence often leaves society with more questions than answers.”  —  Republican Michigan Governor Rick Synder vetoed a concealed gun bill Tuesday afternoon.

The Times Embarrasses Itself on Guns-Again!  —  It's too bad the members of the New York Times editorial board don't sign their editorials.  If they did, we could ridicule them by name.  The Times, as an institution, has chosen to place ideology above accuracy.

NRA Promises “Meaningful” Contributions  —  The gun group breaks its silence.  “We were shocked, saddened, and heartbroken.”  —  National Rifle Association spokesman Andrew Arulanandam emails the first statement from the organization since Friday's massacre in Newtown.

New GOP polling firm goal: Catch up with Dems  —  The Republican polling community is about to get a shake-up.  —  With the GOP still reeling from its defeats in the 2012 election, a new Republican polling firm is seeking to help the party bounce back with a fresh stream of data on the state of the electorate.

Boehner: Raising Medicare age can wait until next year  —  Congress doesn't need to raise the Medicare eligibility age this year, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Tuesday.  —  Raising the eligibility age from 65 to 67 was on the table in earlier debt talks, and has been floated again …

Civilian analysts gained Petraeus's ear while he was commander in Afghanistan  —  Frederick and Kimberly Kagan, a husband-and-wife team of hawkish military analysts, put their jobs at influential Washington think tanks on hold for almost a year to work for Gen. David H. Petraeus when he was the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan.

Quoting Rush Limbaugh Verbatim Is the Easiest Way to Discredit Him  —  His broadcasts since the Newtown shooting are an apt illustration of his self-contradiction and lack of intellectual integrity.  —  Reuters  —  There's been a lot of talk about the “national conversation” these last few days.