The Biggest Losers  —  The pundit consensus seems to be that Republicans lost in the just-concluded budget deal.  Overall spending will be a bit higher than the level mandated by the sequester, the straitjacket imposed back in 2011.  Meanwhile, Democrats avoided making any concessions on Social Security or Medicare.

Twilight of the Sequester  —  In Washington, folks are celebrating a new bipartisan budget deal that saves us from another full round of reductions in federal spending mandated by the “sequester.”  Far fewer are lamenting the dwindling of the sequester itself.  As usual, Washington has things upside down.

House approves budget deal, handing major victory to Boehner  —  The House on Thursday approved a two-year budget deal that turns off $63 billion in sequester spending cuts, handing a major victory to Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio.).  —  Large majorities in both parties backed the bill in a 332-94 vote.

Republicans and Tea Party Activists in ‘Full Scale Civil War’ … Years of growing friction between the Republican Party leaders and its Tea Party faction has erupted into what one conservative said today was “full-scale civil war.”  —  House Speaker John Boehner, whose strategies …

HHS extends another ObamaCare deadline  —  The Obama administration on Thursday pushed back the deadline for consumers to make their first payment for coverage under the healthcare law.  —  Rather than a deadline of Dec. 23, insurers will be required to accept premium payments through Dec. 31 …