The Real Reason Republicans Hate Hagel  —  It has more to do with President Obama than the former senator from Nebraska.  —  It's good news that President Obama will nominate Chuck Hagel as his secretary of defense, despite the frantic campaign against him that's been mounted by certain Republicans.

Be Ready To Mint That Coin  —  Should President Obama be willing to print a $1 trillion platinum coin if Republicans try to force America into default?  Yes, absolutely.  He will, after all, be faced with a choice between two alternatives: one that's silly but benign, the other that's equally silly but both vile and disastrous.

Hillary Clinton back at work - with a football helmet  —  Hillary Clinton went back to work as secretary of state this morning and was greeted by colleagues showing off their sense of humor.  —  First off, we got the official State Department photo of her hosting the weekly meeting of assistant secretaries of state.

Watchdog to Set Loan Rules  —  The federal government's consumer watchdog plans to unveil new home-lending rules, potentially reshaping the U.S. mortgage market by ushering in more standardization and preventing a return of the exotic loans that powered the housing bubble.

Obama Viewed as Fiscal Cliff Victor; Legislation Gets Lukewarm Reception  —  OVERVIEW  —  Barack Obama is viewed as the clear political winner in the fiscal cliff negotiations, but the legislation itself gets only a lukewarm reception from the public: As many disapprove as approve …

Just 8% Now Say They Are Tea Party Members  —  Views of the Tea Party movement are at their lowest point ever, with voters for the first time evenly divided when asked to match the views of the average Tea Party member against those of the average member of Congress.

Politico Lays Off Staffers Amid Restructuring … REACT:  —  FOLLOW:  —  Jim VandeHei, John Harris, Dave Catanese, Jay Westcott, Jess Kamen, Politico, Politico Cult, Politico Cutbacks, Politico Layoffs, Calderone: The Backstory, Media News  —  Editor-in-chief John Harris and executive editor Jim VandeHei

Mexican Restaurant In South Carolina Under Fire For Racist ‘How To Catch An Illegal Immigrant’ T-Shirt  —  A Mexican restaurant in Columbia, South Carolina is being criticized for its racist T-shirts showing a wooden trap using tacos as bait with the caption “HOW TO CATCH AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT”.

John Brennan's extremism and dishonesty rewarded with CIA Director nomination |  Glenn Greenwald  —  Obama's top terrorism adviser goes from unconfirmable in 2008 to uncontroversial in 2013, reflecting the Obama legacy  —  (updated below - Update II)  —  Prior to President Obama's …

After Pinpointing Gun Owners, Paper Is a Target  —  WHITE PLAINS — Local newspapers across the country look for stories that will bring them national attention, but The Journal News, a daily nestled in a wooded office park in a suburb north of New York, may have gotten more than it bargained for.

Hugo Chavez Hit By Cuba's Surgical Strike  —  Americas: Venezuela's Hugo Chavez is dying of cancer in Havana, in a live demonstration of Cuba's vaunted socialized medical care.  He went there instead of Brazil because he wanted to make a political statement.  What irony.

Bloomberg: Biden no ‘shrinking violet’ on gun control  —  (CNN) - New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a vocal proponent of tighter gun laws, confirmed Monday he was advising Vice President Joe Biden's task force to help curb gun violence.  —  “What we've got to do first is try to do everything …

Dick Cheney Apparently Didn't Mind The Term “Jewish Lobby”  —  When Cheney was Secretary, the Defense Department published a pamphlet using the phrase Hagel has gotten in trouble for uttering.  It also instructed soldiers to downplay America's alliance with Israel.  —  Source: imgc.allpostersimages.com

Rick Perry for president?  Legislative session gives him chance to burnish credentials  —  The legislative session that opens Tuesday will give Gov. Rick Perry a chance to burnish his credentials if he chooses to make another run for president in 2016.  —  But some are hard-pressed to imagine …

Hagel the Kyoto-Slayer  —  So far most of the critical discussion about Chuck Hagel for SecDef is that he said mean things about homosexuals, or is hostile to Israel, if not in fact anti-Semitic.  So far I'm curious that people on the Left in particular are forgetting Hagel's key role …

Crowd laughs as Chicago Teachers Union president talks about killing the rich  —  CHICAGO - The Chicago Teachers Union is not just about looking out for its members' interests.  The union wants to fundamentally change America, too.  —  That shift occurred when the radical Karen Lewis was elected as its president two years ago.

Fast-Food Worker Hours Cut, New Health Care Law Blamed  —  A fast-food chain is slashing employee hours so franchise owners don't have to pay health benefits.  Around 100 local Wendy's workers have learned their hours are being cut.  A spokesperson says a new health care law is to blame.

Group holds pre-inaugural ‘gun day’  —  Calling for a “Gun Appreciation Day” two days before President Barack Obama's Inauguration, gun rights activists are urging gun owners to turn “out en masse at gun stores, ranges and shows from coast to coast” on Jan. 19.

James Holmes preliminary hearing: Witnesses told police shooter was “very calm”  —  CENTENNIAL — Afternoon testimony in the preliminary hearing for Aurora theater shooting suspect James Holmes included surveillance video that showed staff dropping to the floor and dozens of people rushing to exit the chaos.

NEWS/NBC Bosses Admit to Talking Donald Trump Out of Presidential Race  —  How close were we to seeing Donald Trump try to run for President?  Close enough for NBC to have to talk him out of it!  —  NBC Chairman Robert Greenblatt took the stage with NBC Entertainment President Jennifer Salke …