The GOP Plan to Balance the Budget by 2023  —  The goal can be reached, with no new taxes, while increasing spending 3.4% annually instead of the current 5%.  —  America's national debt is over $16 trillion.  Yet Washington can't figure out how to cut $85 billion—or just 2% of the federal budget …

In President's Outreach to G.O.P., Past Failures Loom  —  WASHINGTON — For all the attention to President Obama's new campaign of outreach to Republicans, it was four months ago — on the eve of bipartisan budget talks — that he secretly invited five of them to the White House for a movie screening …

Judge Halts New York City Soda Ban … A state judge on Monday stopped Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration from banning the sale of large sugary drinks at New York City restaurants and other venues, a major defeat for a mayor who has made public-health initiatives a cornerstone of his tenure.

Byron York: Ted Cruz pushes for vote to stop funding for Obamacare  —  “Some senators may choose to hurl insults and personal attacks,” says new Republican Sen. Ted Cruz.  “That's their prerogative.  I have no intention of reciprocating.”  —  Cruz wouldn't name names, but clearly …

The ‘fair share’ White House  —  Those who make the rules should play by them.  Especially a White House that lectures the rest of America about the importance of paying your “fair share” of taxes.  —  So we were struck by IRS reports that no fewer than 40 aides to President Obama still owe …

New Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel tries to find his balance  —  A three-day visit to Afghanistan is a rocky beginning for the Defense secretary, who had faced a bitter confirmation fight.  Now awaiting him is $47 billion in budget cuts.  —  Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, right, arrives in Germany on Monday.

After Watering Down Financial Reform, Ex-Senator Scott Brown Joins Goldman Sachs' Lobbying Firm … During his nearly three years in the U.S. Senate, Scott Brown (R-MA) frequently came to the aid of the financial sector — watering down the Dodd-Frank bill and working to weaken it after its passage …

RNC Launches Major Restructuring Of Digital Strategy  —  The Republican National Committee on Monday began what leaders described as a significant overhaul of its digital strategy, NBC News reported.  —  Mike Shields, chief of staff for the RNC, told NBC he's begun the work of …

FDIC Secretly Settling Bank Cases For Years With ‘No Press Release’ Clause: Report  —  At the request of rule-breaking bankers, a top U.S. regulator has for years settled bank cases in secret, raising the bar on just how far regulators are willing to go to help the industry they regulate.

Feds Spend $1.5 Million to Study Why Lesbians Are Fat  —  (CNSNews.com) - The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded $1.5 million to study biological and social factors for why “three-quarters” of lesbians are obese and why gay males are not, calling it an issue of “high public-health significance.”

Sarah Palin tackles ‘War on Christmas’ in new book  —  ‘Amidst the fragility of this politically correct era, it is imperative that we stand up for our beliefs before the element of faith in a glorious and traditional holiday like Christmas is marginalized and ignored,’ Palin says.

Volunteer who Opposed Dutch Hitler Admirers in Hiding  —  Mehmet Sahin, a doctoral student, has had to go into hiding with his family after he received death threats.  —  The Dutch daily NRC writes that Mehmet Sahin, a doctoral student, has had to go into hiding with his family.

Rush Limbaugh Sides With Rand Paul: ‘The Neocons Are Paranoid’  —  The most popular conservative demagogue in America signals that hawkish foreign policy dogma may be losing its hold on the GOP.  —  In the Spring of 2011, I wrote a widely ignored article arguing that the Republican Party's …